No British Please. We want Americans or Canadians – but we don’t really like Americans - 1.12
I came to Korea without already having a job set-up, but I knew that English teaching jobs are plentiful here. It was strange though. In England, English people talk about American English as though it is a bastardised version of the Queen’s English. I have travelled and lived in the U.S.A. extensively and personally I love America and I like some of the American English expressions. If you go to America they usually love the English accent, but Europeans usually dislike the loud bullish American accent. It was thus a surprise on attending my first interview for an English teaching job and then being rejected, because I was from England. The perfect country I would have expected, for being from, if teaching English. I was a virgin in terms of knowing how much of an influence America has been on Korea.
Before talking about Korea and America further, let me just clear up three things that I was asked literally a hundred times and which even to British people can be confusing.
1. What is the difference between the U.K., Great Britain and England?
The U.K. is a country that comprises of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland and England is just England – a territory in the U.K. Confused? Don’t worry about it.
2. How come England, Scotland and Wales all have separate International football (soccer) teams? I don’t know. Please can someone tell me the answer by emailing me.
3. The following common words have different meanings in British and American English.
British |
American |
Fag means cigarette |
Fag means homosexual |
Shag means have intercourse |
Shag is a type of dance |
Rubber is what they call eraser in the U.S. |
Rubber is a condom |
Football |
Soccer in America |
American football |
Football in America |
Pants |
Underpants |
Trousers |
Pants |
Petrol |
Gasoline |
Motorway |
Highway |
Queue |
Line(i.e. Join the line) |
C.V. |
Resume |
