The power outage continued, but Susan forgot to grab a torch as she hurried out the flat and headed for the lift. It was dark. As she exited the lift door, she banged her elbow causing it to bleed. “I’ll have to go to the chemist and get a plaster for it,” she thought as she dashed outside, hurried past the lorry, and continued eating her biscuit.
Does that paragraph sound strange to you? It does unless you know British English. It is also a reminder that there are cultural differences among English-speaking countries. In our last blog, we looked at 10 cultural questions to ask before your next international trip. Today, we explore language differences among English-speaking countries.
It is easy to forget that you are in a different culture when visiting a country that speaks English—that is until you have to drive somewhere! It is also easy to forget that although most of our words are the same, there are variations in English from country to country. Not being aware of these differences can cause cultural embarrassment. One website that gives a list of common words that are different in British and American English is http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/words.htm.
It is important, however, to not assume that British-English is exactly the same in Australia, South Africa or other former British colonies. You will want to do your homework when traveling to these countries, especially if you are doing any kind of public speaking. Ask someone familiar with the culture to advise you on common American words that you should avoid. It is also a reminder that it is best to avoid slang or jargon when speaking English cross-culturally as this too can cause confusion.
By the way, in case you didn’t figure it out, here is the American translation to the first paragraph:
The power outage continued, but Susan forgot to grab a flashlight as she hurried out the apartment and headed for the elevator. It was dark. As she exited the elevator door, she banged her elbow, causing it to bleed. “I’ll have to go to the pharmacist and get a band-aid for it,” she thought as she dashed outside, hurried past the truck, and continued eating her cookie.