Written Communication Tips #2: British English or American English?
July 7th, 2007 at 12:13 pm (Effective Communication)
The popularity of the English language spread with the British Empire. Over four centuries, the English vocabulary expanded by absorbing words and phrases from diverse languages and cultures. Various geographies developed dialects–specific styles and patterns in spelling, grammar and sentence construction.
Two of the predominant dialects of English are the British style (through the expansion of the British Empire) and American style (courtesy of American capitalism.)
Differences in spelling and vocabulary are easily noticeable: colour (in British English) v/s color (in American English), cutlery v/s silverware, petrol v/s gasoline, aeroplane v/s airplane, etc. Purists can also recognise differences in grammar and usage: ‘Indianapolis are the champions‘ (in British English) v/s ‘Indianapolis is the champion’ (in American English.)
Guidelines to Choose between British and American English
When working on a résumé, report or any other form of written communication, here are three general guidelines to choose between the British style and American style.
When writing for a predominantly American audience, use the American style. When writing for a predominantly British audience, including audience in the former British-colonies (India, Singapore, etc.,) use the British style. For example, use American spellings and grammar to compose a résumé for an ‘on-site’ job opening in the United States.
Use the style that is apt for the subject of your document. For example, if you are writing an article on the Fall-colours you witnessed during your trip to the United States, use the term ‘Fall‘ instead ‘Autumn‘ to refer to the season, even if you are writing for a predominantly British audience. (’Fall’ in American English is equivalent to ‘Autumn’ in British English.)
If you are writing for a broader audience, be consistent–pick a style and stick to it throughout the document.
***See other articles related to persuasion, written communication, British English, American English, resume

ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Today English is an international language. To learn English is very important especially for eastern European countries, because it is the only way how to communicate with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we are not lucky to be born in a country where the English is not the main spoken language. English is the mother tongue for the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Then there are a great number of countries where English is spoken as the second language, for example some African countries, some Asian countries, Belgium and Holland.
English is spoken in many different dialects within the UK and throughout the rest of the world. The written language also varies with the biggest differences existing between British English (BE) and American English (AE). American English is more phonetic where the spelling of words matches more closely how it would be pronounced. For example, color (AE) and colour (BE). Further examples are; speclialize (AE) and specialise (BE), theater (AE) and theatre (BE).
Having a vocabulary of over half a million words, learning English is not only difficult for foreigners to learn but native speakers too. The tricky part is spelling and pronunciation, especially when two words are spoken the same but have different spellings and meanings. However, this makes learning English fun and a lifetime experience.

Países de Expressão Inglesa