Archive for 'Culture'
In the news: Drought in the United States Posted by Gabriele on Jul 19, 2012
It is summertime in the United States and so hot dry weather is expected and normal, but according to new data the hot dry weather that many Americans are currently experiencing is not normal. In fact, this dry weather is part of the biggest drought in the USA since the 1950’s. So, what is…
American ID cards and documents Posted by Gabriele on Jul 15, 2012
You may or may not be aware that in the United States we do not have a national identification card or ID*. Although national ID cards are compulsory** in many countries and often must be carried with a person at all times, this is not true in the United States. In the United States a…
Summer Peach Cobbler Posted by Gabriele on Jul 12, 2012
It is summertime and that means it is time for cobbler! So, what is a cobbler? A cobbler is a dessert. This dessert originated in the American colonies, before the United States became its own country. Early English settlers in America created cobblers when they were unable to find the ingredients and cooking equipment they…
Seeing Double in American English and British English Posted by Gabriele on Jul 10, 2012
In my last few posts I have been talking about spelling differences between written British English and American English. The last major difference in spelling between British English and American English that I want to cover is the use of double consonants. The final consonant in English words is sometimes doubled by both American…
Rules for Spelling Differences Between British and American English Posted by Gabriele on Jul 9, 2012
Yesterday I introduced the topic of common spelling difference between British English and American English. Today I want to present to you some predictable difference in the spelling of words in Great Britain and the United States and the rules you can follow to learn these differences. It is important to keep in mind that…
British English and American English Spelling Differences Posted by Gabriele on Jul 8, 2012
You may have noticed that British English and American English speakers not only have different accents, but they also have different ways of spelling some of the same words. This certainly can be confusing at times, even for me, which is why I thought I would take the time to explain some of these…
What is the anglosphere? Posted by Gabriele on Jul 6, 2012
A world map with the anglosphere in green. Anglosphere is a word that refers to all the countries where English is the most common language spoken by the citizens of that country. The United States is part of the anglosphere, but so are: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. But these are…