Word Wednesday: Trash

A row of containers for trash and different types of recyclables. (Image)

Hello! Welcome to Word Wednesday, where we look at new and important vocabulary words. Since we talked about pollution and contamination on Monday, I wanted to mention a few related words today.

First of all, specific little "bits" or "pieces" of pollution are often called trash, especially in American English. Normally the word "trash" is a non-count noun; in other words, I can't say a trash; if I want to count trash, I can say a piece of trash or some trash. The place where you're supposed to throw away your trash is called a trashcan. If something is not clean, you can call it trashy or dirty. You can also use these words with people but be careful, since it can be offensive! Finally, if a room or place is unorganized (but not necessarily dirty), you can also describe it as messy.

If you're in the United Kingdom or a place that speaks British English, they often call trash rubbish. A trash can is also sometimes called a rubbish bin. Another word for general trash or rubbish is waste, but waste can also mean "excess," or something that's not used.

An anti-littering sign in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The fee for littering there is 50 pounds, the currency in the UK. (Image)

If you do not put your trash in a trash can, and instead just throw it on the ground, then you are littering. It is often a crime to litter in many countries and if you throw your litter on the ground, you may have to pay a fine (pay money as a punishment).

So, to review, can you explain what each of these words and phrases means, and use them in a sentence?

a piece of trash

some trash

trashcan

trashy

dirty

messy

rubbish

rubbish bin

littering

throw away

a fine

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

This sign is similar to the one above, but this one is in Ohio. $500 is a lot of money, so don't litter in Ohio, people! (Image)

A Few Internet Resources For... Chinese??

Yes, Chinese! As you may know, I recently started a Mandarin Chinese course. It's enjoyable but also pretty difficult! My teacher is nice and patient, and the materials she's given us are good, but I've also been searching around for some additional resources to help me learn. I found a few sites on the internet and I thought I'd mention them here, in case any of you are interested. Best of all, they're all FREE! Additionally, if you know Chinese or someone who speaks it, and you have any tips or resource suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them!

Here are a few sites I've found so far:

Chinese With Mike

This is a series of videos done by a Chinese teacher named Mike. The style is a bit goofy at times (it's shot in his garage and he tends to wear strange shirts, hats, and/or sunglasses), but he seems to genuinely know what he's talking about when he teaches. He's able to make the 10-minute video lessons interesting and entertaining, and he does a good job explaining details about the language. The best part is each video also has a transcript you can download, and together the transcripts form chapters of a book. Especially considering that it's a free site, Chinese With Mike is a pretty great resource for people wanting to start learning Chinese on their own.

BBC Languages - Chinese

I'm a big promoter of the BBC's offerings for English learning, but they also have good sites for other languages. The Chinese learning site isn't very extensive but it does have a good variety of activities and articles, including games for tones and characters, sample dialogues, cultural information, and language guides. It would be interesting even for people who are just curious about the language, but don't necessarily want or need to learn it.

Live Mocha

Angela recommended this site after using it to practice some of her new German vocabulary. I think it's good, but it may a bit difficult for Mandarin language beginners to use. All the language courses on the site start off the same way, introducing basic phrases like "Good Morning" or "I don't feel well." That's OK for a non-tonal language that uses the Roman alphabet (like English, German, French, etc.), but for Chinese it's a bit difficult to just jump into it, without even mentioning tones or the writing system at the beginning. It can be good to listen to and identify vocabulary, but it's a bit lacking in terms of additional information.

I also downloaded a few programs and Chinese learning games to my iPod touch. If any of them turn out to be useful, I'll be sure to mention them here. 

Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments, suggestions, or language tips, please leave a comment below. Have a great day!

British and American English Differences Part 2: Vocabulary

Before dictionary.com. Image Credit.

Hello, and welcome to the second post in our two-part series introducing some differences between American and British English! A few days ago we looked at (and listened to) some differences in pronunciation and accent, and today we'll look at another difference: vocabulary. I decided to focus on pronunciation and vocabulary because they are what I notice most when talking with British English speakers. There are in fact a few grammatical differences between the two languages (you can read a little more here), but the biggest differences seem to be in these two areas.

But first, I have a question for you, reader: What type(s) of English do/did you learn or speak? If you learned one style of English, did your teacher or textbook ever comment on other types of English? I'm just curious about your experiences. As you may know, I grew up in Colorado, in the USA, so when I was a child, I was exposed almost exclusively to American English. I did watch some British and Australian movies, but I never really thought much about the differences until I was 18, when I went to Germany as an exchange student. 

Yes, Germany. Even though I learned a lot of German, I still went to some English classes at the German school I attended, and there the teachers and most of the students spoke British English. At least in class; if I talked in English to German friends outside of class, many of them then tended to use more American expressions and accents, especially if they had watched a lot of American TV or movies, or listened to a lot of American pop music.

So, what's the point? Are British and American English words really that different? I'd say yes and no. I can think of only a few instances where a vocabulary difference can cause a major problem or a complete breakdown in communication. Usually, if you speak British English to an American English speaker, he or she will understand almost all of what you say; if there are any vocabulary differences, either the speaker or listener can ask for clarification, until there is mutual understanding.

Let me give you an example. I have a Danish cousin who went to school in England and who, as a result, generally speaks English with a British accent. I mentioned once that I was going to try to buy a new pair of pants, and he laughed at me. That's when I learned that in British English, "pants" is used to describe underwear, and most men wear "trousers." There are many examples of vocabulary differences like that, but they're more likely to make people laugh than to cause a communication problem. The two aspects in which vocabulary is noticeably different is word choice and spelling.

WORD CHOICE

Would you call these Pants? Trousers? Slacks? All of the above?

A few "common" differences that I've noticed in British English are words like lorries ("trucks" in AmE, or American English), mad (meaning "crazy" in AmE), mobile phone ("cell phone"), petrol ("gas"), rubbish ("garbage, trash"), flat ("apartment"), lift ("elevator"), and nappy ("diaper"). Like I said, these are just ones that I've noticed on various occasions, but there are hundreds of differences. Still, in most situations, if speakers know you don't always speak the same version of English as they do, they'll make efforts to communicate clearly, without using as many difficult words or as much slang.

You can find many words listed here, here, and here (the final link also briefly mentions differences between British and Australian and New Zealand English). Generally speaking, it seems like the categories with the most differences are clothing and food. But if you hear a word you don't understand, you can say something like, "I'm not sure I've heard that word before," or simply ask, "What's that?" and people will usually be happy to explain it to you.

SPELLING

A color wheel. Or is it a colour wheel?

Spelling is another occasionally noticeable difference between American and British English forms. You can find more information in the sites I mentioned above (or here), but there a few "famous" differences:

1. -or/-our: There are various words that are spelled with "-or" at the end in American English, and "-our" at the end in British English. These include humor/humour, color/colour, and flavor/flavour.

2. -ize/-ise: In American English, we'd say "recognize" and "prioritize," etc.; British English would say "recognise" and "prioritise."

3. -er/re: A few words have different endings, like "center" or "meter" (AmE); and "centre" or "metre" (in British and even Canadian English).

4. Other differences: There are various other differences, but common ones are "check," "tire," and "program" in American English; British equivalents are often "cheque," "tyre," and "programme."

In the end, these two types of English have much more in common than they have differences. If you go to New York and speak British English, you'll probably have no problems communicating; the same is true if you speak American English in London or Scotland. Even though there are differences, the differences can often be fascinating, and they give English extra "flavor"--or is it "flavour"??

Thanks for reading, and if you have comments or you'd like to contribute to the discussion, please leave a comment below. Have a great weekend! 

British and American English Differences Part 1: Pronunciation and Accent

A concept image combining British and American flags. Image Credit.

My former student Sharon recently suggested that I write a blog post about the differences between British and American English. I told her that I didn't actually know many of the differences, since I've spoken and taught American English all my life, and the only time I've been to a place that speaks British English was a single night I spent in London about 14 years ago.

But she said that didn't matter, and that I should do it anyway. And she's right; I realized that just because I don't speak British English, it doesn't mean that I'm clueless about the differences. So, this is just a very basic introduction, but I'd also like to refer you to resources that can give you more information if you're interested in this topic.

One website that I like is called "Separated by a Common Language." Lynne, the writer for that blog, is an American woman who's been living in Britain, and she talks a lot about this topic. Another resource --possibly my favorite-- is Bill Bryson's book The Mother Tongue: English And How It Got That Way. If you're interested in this topic and you're able to get access to this book, it's very interesting and entertaining.

So, let's talk about some differences! Today we'll focus on pronunciation and accent, and in a few days we'll have a second part which will focus on vocabulary differences. 

PRONUNCIATION AND ACCENT

For many English learners, and even native speakers, this is the most noticeable difference between these two types of English. There are many, many sites and blog posts dedicated exclusively to this topic, but for me personally, the biggest differences I notice in pronunciation are in the vowels and in the R's at the end of words.

For example, in this song by the British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, she sings, "If I can't dance...then I don't want any part of your revolution." You'll probably notice that the words "can't" and "dance" have a soft "A," which would likely be pronounced differently in most American English dialects. Most American English speakers would likely say the A's in this song like /æ/, in other words, like the A in "cat" or "hat." To my ears, when Sophie Ellis-Bextor says these words, the A's sound more like the O in "hot" or "got"; they seem softer. 

I also notice differences in words with an R sound near the end, such as "cards," "party," "heart," "turn," "darling," and "never." In each of these examples, the strong "American" R sound is absent; British English seems to "swallow" these sounds, or convert them to a soft "uh" sound in some cases. Notice that this doesn't happen with words that start with the R sound, though.

I was actually going to put up this Billy Bragg song as a British English example because Angela told me that for her, it didn't even sound like it was English. But then I had to admit that I didn't understand about 75% of the song, either! Still, in the first two lines you can (probably) hear the words "afternoon" and "warmest," which exhibit the "A" and "R" differences I mentioned above. So maybe it's not a good example to analyze, but you can definitely tell he's not from Los Angeles or Cleveland!  

If you compare these two songs with this song by Johnny Cash, you'll notice quite a bit of difference in the two accents --and you should also notice musical differences, since they're different genres, but all great! In Johnny Cash's song, almost all the R's in words like "hurt," "beer," and "first" are pronounced strongly. That's typical of country music, but it's also typical of much of the American English accent. You'll probably also hear some stronger vowel sounds, like the A in "half" and "laughing."

One thing that I think is interesting is how British Accents are perceived in the United States. There's a perception or stereotype in the U.S. that British accents are more "sophisticated" than American ones. British tourists tend to get a lot of attention in the U.S., and some Americans actually try to "adopt" a British accent. This usually doesn't work out well, though, since Americans who do that are usually considered to be "snobs" or "fakes." Additionally, many villains in American movies and TV shows seem to have British accents, even if the villains the actors are portraying happen to be British, German, French, or any other nationality. It makes me wonder if the villains in British TV shows  speak with American accents!

So which one is "better" or "more correct"? Well, I think they're both great, but I'll let you be the judge about which you think sounds better to your ear. American English obviously came from British English, but American English and its words and expressions have also played a role in the development of British English.

If you have any questions, comments, or anecdotes about your experience with British or American pronunciation, please feel free to leave a comment below. And check back in the next few days for the second half of this post, where we'll talk about differences between British and American vocabulary in English.

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

False Friends: Actual/Actualmente vs. Actual/Actually

Hello! I was on vacation for the last month or so, so I apologize that I didn't do any blog posts. I did put up a few things on Sitzman ABC's Facebook page, so if you want to follow that, you can do it by clicking here. 

What's another way to say this phrase in English? How would you say it in Spanish? Image Credit

Today we have another False Friend. If you don't know what a False Friend is, see this introductory post. Today we're going to look at the difference between actual and actualmente in Spanish and actual and actually in English. This is one of the most common False Friends I notice my students having problems with: 

False Friend: actual/actualmente vs. actual/actually
This SPANISH word...	Looks like this ENGLISH word...	...but they are DIFFERENT because...
actual / actualmente	actual / actually	These two words look exactly the same, but they have different pronunciations and meanings: In Spanish, actual is a word used to indicate something relevant at this present time, right now: "Mi trabajo actual es bastante difícil." If you want to say the same thing in English, instead use the word current or present: "My current/present job is rather difficult." Also: "We are studying current events in our Social Studies class." The adverb forms of these words are currently and presently: "I'm currently (right now) working on my Sitzman ABC blog." In English, the words actual and actually indicate a contradiction. They mean the same thing as real or really in this context. For example: Jane: "Pete, you have a beautiful car!" Pete: "Actually, I think it's ugly."

Good luck! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. If you have suggestions for other False Friends or Common Errors, please tell me. 

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

False Friend: Fábrica vs. Fabric

Hello! Today we have another quick False Friend. If you don't know what a False Friend is, see this introductory post. Today we're going to look at the difference between fábrica in Spanish and fabric in English. These two words also look very similar: 

False Friend: fábrica vs. fabric
This SPANISH word...	Looks like this ENGLISH word...	...but they are DIFFERENT because...
fábrica	fabric	In English, fabric is a noun; synonyms include cloth or textile: "I need to go to the fabric store to buy some material to make a pair of pants." In Spanish, fábrica is a noun that means factory or mill: "Trabajo en la fábrica de zapatos." ("I work in the shoe factory.") One more note: the verb "fabricar" in Spanish is very similar to "fabricate" in English, but the meaning is often different. "fabricar" is normally translated as "produce" in English, because "fabricate" often means to invent a false story or to tell a lie!

A roll of fabric. Photo credit.

Good luck! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, but do understand I may be slow in responding. If you have suggestions for other False Friends or Common Errors, please tell me. 

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

False Friend: Éxito vs. Exit

Hello again! Today we have another False Friend. If you're not sure what a False Friend is, check out this introductory post. Today we'll look at the difference between éxito in Spanish and exit in English. They're not as frequently confused as some False Friends, but they definitely look very similar: 

False Friend: éxito vs. exit
This SPANISH word...	Looks like this ENGLISH word...	...but they are DIFFERENT because...
éxito	exit	In English, exit can be a verb or a noun: -(Verb): "Sir, you're being disruptive-- please exit the theater." -(Noun): "Many buses have two doors; one is the entrance and the other is the exit." In Spanish, éxito is a noun that often means success, like when a person does things correctly and becomes successful: "Mi presentación no fue muy exitosa porque estaba muy nervioso." ("My presentation wasn't very successful because I was very nervous.")

I wish you a lot of success when using these words! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. If you have suggestions for other False Friends or Common Errors, please tell me. 

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Daylight Saving(s) Time

Hello! In a few days I hope to write a longer post about the Third Conditional, but for now I wanted to share an interesting video and an article I found related to time:

As you may know, in the US and other English-speaking countries, the people change the clocks by an hour two times every year. It's called Daylight Saving/Savings Time, and it's often an interesting or confusing cultural aspect. This year they'll change the clocks again on November 6th. The video above explains the logic behind Daylight Savings Time, but the narrator also speaks pretty quickly. If you're having trouble understanding everything, don't worry: I also didn't understand parts of it!

It's pretty interesting and I know that it's even controversial sometimes. I personally think Daylight Savings Time is great because it means that it's light until 8:30 or 9:00 PM in the evening in Colorado.

So, thanks for reading, and check back in a few days for more information about conditional tenses. Have a great day!