<B>The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?

<B>?Chips? or ?Fries? - ?Football? or ?Soccer??

Howdy and welcome to the British Council?s English Language Clinic. This week I have been asked ?which is better, British or American English?? What does ?better? mean? Do we mean ?most formal? or ?most prestigious?. I believe that these titles miss the crucial point; when we use language we want to be understood. But this does not mean that any of the detail needs to be lost.

For example? In America, last fall, I left my apartment and drove down the highway and onto the freeway. As I approached an intersection, I saw a sign telling me that there was a detour. I followed the road until I reached a traffic circle. A cab drove out, straight in front of me and I swerved, hitting the trunk of a sedan automobile that was towing a trailer. I pulled up onto the sidewalk and realised that I was out of gas and that I had a flat.

Whereas, in Britain, last autumn I left my flat, drove down the main road, onto the motorway. At a crossroads, there was a diversion, I followed it and came to a roundabout, where a swerving taxi forced me to hit the boot of a saloon car, towing a caravan. I parked on the pavement and realised that I had run out of petrol and had a puncture.

So, which is ?better?? I believe that, when thinking about different varieties of English, there are two guiding principle. Firstly, that through recognising and celebrating varieties of English, we enrich the language as a whole and improve our individual ability to communicate. Secondly, that it is important to be consistent; do not ask for ?fish and fries? in the UK and do not expect a discussion on the Premier League if you ask an American about football!

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? at the British Council Language Clinic by emailing the following address [email protected] To find out more about the British Council?s English Language Courses, please call on 403 0200.