Why is the English language so different in so many places?
105140
In the early 1980's, I visited England with 2 buddies--one from Alabama, one from California, and myself from Pennsylvania. We apparently got off at the wrong subway stop in London. We were lost. We spotted a bobby (policeman) up the block. We asked him for directions. He spoke very fast "high English". My buddy from Alabama asked him to slow down and speak English!!! He told us that it was us bloody yanks that bastardized the Queen's English. My buddy told him that he would be speaking German if it wasn't for us "bloody yanks" saving their country in WWII. I told my buddys to calm down before he throws our bloody a&&es in jail!!!
373033
Because for some reason our education system thinks that it is a foreign language when the truth is that English is not the primary  language in the US. English and Spanish are pretty much  equally used.
745260
As different peoples developed different languages, the accents changed and diverged with the languages. So language is why we have different accents. Language determines our phonics, or the pronunciation of words, even when we speak other people's languages.
344730
because the english language likes to screw with our minds.
1066463
When Shaw wrote these acerbic words, the difference between the English spoken in US and UK was distinct.  Not so now, what with increasing globalisation and American influence in trade, industry and commerce world-wide.  If someone uses an Amercanism like 'side-walk' (for platform) or 'elevator'(for lift) in his conversation with an Englishman, it wont bewlider the latter.\n\nTherefore, US and UK are not two countries separated by one language.  Shaw is outdated, no doubt
703627
The English language is ignoble, but extremely efficient. If it doesn't have a word, it merely takes it from another language, where as other common languages (Spanish, French) have a Royal Academy that doesn't allow new words' adoption. It is also the language of the two most recently influential countries: first, Britain during the Imperial/colonial era, and now the US.
1072032
English is what's called a "borrowed language".  That's why you see so many similarities between it and other languages.  From my understanding, our alphabet is based on the Roman alphabet, and our number system is based on the Arabic system.
146499
Because English is messed up... \n\nThere is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England nor french fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? \n\nIn what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another? When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out and an alarm clock goes off by going on. When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.\n\nAnd why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this answer, I end it?
837428
Because English is THE world language. By all means, speak your regional languages at home, but don't hold your breath waiting around for all the English speakers in the world to learn them too.
829233
There lots of different accents in England. The best thing is to live here, that way you you can pick the one you like best.
799222
Hiya again!\n\nEngland is part of an Island (Great Britain) has always been invaded  the English language is a huge mixture and while all languages are fluid and evolve, ours seems to do so more quickly than most. It has Germanic roots but is also mixed with the languages of everyone else who has invaded GB. And evolves differently where ever it goes!!! It is also the second most widely spoken language in the world (Chinese is the First)  spoken in The Uk, Gibraltar, The Chanel Islands, The Scilly Isles, Ireland, (not always as a first langauge), the Isle of Man North America, The Carribean, The Antipodes, Certain parts of Africa and The Falkland islands (sorry if I left anyone out!!).  It is a very unique langage most others have a male and female gender for objects and English has more irregular verbs than any other language and absorbs other words and ideas very quickly. We will see a lot of Polish and Slavic words appearing in the next few years!!\n\nThis conclude's todays lesson!! LOL!!!
952706
There are many reasons why English speaking countries do not necessarily understand each other.\n\nAccents and slang/colloquialisms are probably the major reasons but the differences that catch me out every time I travel is the use of one word that means something else in another country.\n\nThong = a flip flop sandal or a item of underwear (a few red faces)\nGlad Wrap, Cling Film or Plastic Wrap\nFries or Chips\nChips or Crisps\nGround Floor or 1st Floor\nGas or Petrol\n\nThese are just some of the many words that can catch you out but it is interesting seeing the look on peoples faces when they are trying to figure out what exactly you are saying.
614082
English is really a language made up with all different languages put together and phrases. People from different places speak differently. It all depends on the environment. There is no REAL English, except for maybe in England (It technically was their language first(?)). Such as there is no such thing as a TRUE American. All Americans are, are immigrants and foreigners. About the cigarettes being called fags, someone just happened to use normal words and twist them. Think of all the 'terrible' words we have now a days and if you look them up in the dictionary, they all have different meanings than what we use them for.
931569
Language evolves over time. That's why modern American English is different than colonial American English, and why both American English and modern British English are both differnet than Middle Ages English.\n\nAdd to that the fact that dialect, slang and accent affects language by region. I've watched people from the deep South try to have a conversation with folks from Brooklyn, and it's really amusing. Both have to speak very slowly, and avoid any regional colloguialisms. So, by that standard, there isn't even one single modern American English, there are many regional variants and dialects.\n\nLanguage changes over time. Some features remain constant, others shift or evolve or are lost. That's the nature of organic systems. Even spellings have changed. \n\nTrying to stop that is pointless.
33135
Because the Thames is English and the English can call it what they want?\n\nAll countries have different words for various things within them that are different from what outsiders call them.
1043713
just like in us we all speak english but the south sounds diff from the north...midwest sounds diff.\n\nDiff areas just have diff dilatacs and diff words for diff things.
404809
Their is no way I can assure you.  Over their in England, there English is so much better than we hick Americans.  Although in Australia, their were convicts that effected there language, so maybe there messed up, too.  They're are other ways to mess up their, by the way.  Also over their in China, there not speaking English, so most people wouldn't know this question from here or their. (Not to mention telemarketers their in India).  So in conclusion, the best way to know if there incapable of knowing the differences in there language is to take to heart the words of some old English teacher crone patting you on the knee saying, "There, their now sweetie, it will be alright."