1OBSERVATIONS ON AMERICAN ENGLISH严辰松2ContentsI. Acquisition of a native language and learning a foreign language: DifferencesII. My first-hand experience of EnglishIII. Characteristics of American EnglishIV. Examples1. Common words and expressions re-examined2. American colloquialisms3. Miscellaneous3I. Acquisition of a native language and learning a foreign language: Differences4Learning a foreign language:The meaning is learned out of context, usually through another word or another set of words: an equivalent from Chinese, a synonym or paraphrase from the foreign language one studies. The meaning is not directly associated with the thing or event in reality.5For example:apple piecomfortablecar pool苹果饼happy; satisfied汽车的合伙使用（指一 些有汽车的人轮流合用 各自的汽车 / a joint arrangement by a group of private automobile owners or drivers in which each in turn drives his own car and takes the other passengers6Acquisition of a native language:Meaning is learned in the context, i.e., directly associated with an object, concept or event in reality, rather than through a Chinese equivalent, an English word, or English paraphrase.7For example:apple piecar pool8II. My first-hand experience of EnglishI went to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a visiting scholar in 1996.UCSBaerial view10UCSB LagoonStorke Tower1112What it meant for me1. An opportunity for me to associate the words and expressions I had learned with real objects, concepts or events they represent or refer to, because they would be heard right in the context. 13As an English teacher, I had been learning the language for quite many years. I had a large vocabulary and good knowledge of grammar. But I wanted to know exactly what the Americans use when they refer to a specific object or when a particular situation arises. 14For example:What is a “demo” exactly? What is “yard sale”?How do the Americans greet in the morning? Do they say “How are you” or what? How do they make their farewell at parting? Do they say “Bye-bye” or what?15I understood there must be a language the majority of the Americans agree upon. There must be an English that a typical American would use to cope with his or her everyday work or life. Id like to check my English with the Americans.162. An opportunity to pick up words and expressions that were new to me, especially those unique to the American culture and one knows them only when one is in the culture.17For example:spaghettipizza18What I didTalking and mixing with the native speakers.Observation: I was on the alert to watch for the uses of the language.Taking notes. 19What I watched for1. Words and expressions that were most often and most typically used in daily spoken English.2. Words and expressions that were new to me.3. Words and expressions that might be unique to the American context.Ill show you examples after these comments.20III. Characteristics of American English1. Simple and brief: Acronyms in written language: DIY (Do it yourself)FYI (For your information)ASAP (as soon as possible)21Clipped words in both spoken and written language: Demo(A product, such as an automobile, used for demonstration and often sold later at a discount)Demos in Radio City22Decaf(decaffeinated coffee or tea, as opposed to “regular” coffee)Prof (professor)Ped(Well come back to this word later.)232. Informal: some slang expressions widely used and generally accepted. Well see examples.3. Varied: change of the language beginning with the young generation.24IV. Examples251. Common words and expressions re-examined26amazing: incredible- Have you heard that a Scottish scientist has cloned a sheep?- Is that so? Amazing. Maybe well be able to clone human beings someday.A look of being amazed.27beatWell beat any price.Meet or beat.28bigThe big question is: How are the Americans going to capture Osama bin Laden?29bunch of, aThey came across a bunch of problems at first.What he said is a bunch of crap. (taboo)30buy n. drop inCome by someday, will you?I do hope you could drop by one of these days.32comfortablehappy; satisfiedAre you comfortable with what he is saying in this paragraph?I wonder if you feel comfortable with my talk.Come and make your contributions, with any amount comfortable to you.33end upThe oranges end up rotten on the ground.The meat will end up as dog food.He ended up washing dishes in a restaurant.34fineTuesday will be fine.Fifty dollars will be fine.Thats fine with me.The computer works fine.35fixI fix my bike myself.Im starving. Ill fix something to eat.As the saying goes, “You can fix anything except the meaning of fix.”36flat rateYou could choose flat rate, which means you pay a fixed rate every month, no matter how many calls you have made.37good adj. crazy, mad, insane; foolish“Nuts, the guy is late again,” he groaned.The patients dri