English Around the World
1)�������� English is spoken as a first language by several countries including Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States.� While all of these countries share the same mother tongue, there are some differences in the way they speak and write.�
2)�������� The first difference is in the accent.� Each country has its own accent. And within each country there are a variety of accents called regional accents.� Another difference is the spelling of some words, like color and colour, or theater and theatre.� And a third difference is that some of the words are not the same at all.� For example, Americans say restroom, Canadians say washroom, and the British say W.C. (water closet.)� But all of these words have the same meaning (the room where the toilet is located.)
3)�������� So which English is the best English to learn?� Well, there is no best English.� They are all equally good and correct.� But two things may help you decide which one is best for you to study.� First of all, where do you live?� If you are from South America, for example, you will probably have more exposure to North American English.� If you live in Europe, most likely you will be more exposed to British English. The second thing to think about is why you are learning English.� Is it for business? travel? to watch movies?� Think about the kind of English you plan to use and focus on understanding people from that area.
4)�������� But no matter where you study English or whether it's British, American, Australian, or whatever, it's good to know a little about English in other countries.
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Exercise 01: Find in the text words or expressions whose� definitions follow:
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1.���� What people use to speak or write:
2.�The language learnt from our parents:
3.���� How words are written:
4.���� Probably:
5.���� Pay much attention to:
6.���� In the beginning:
7.���� Place or region :
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Exercise 02: Answer these questions according to the text.
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1.���� Do people in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa speak the same language?
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2.���� What is the mother tongue in these countries?
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3.���� In how many ways is English different from one country to another?
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4.���� Do people in these countries use different words to describe the same object?
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5.���� What does the word �restroom� refer to for American people?
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6.���� Do people in America write some words like people in Britain?
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7.���� In which paragraph does the writer give you some advice on how to learn English?
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