TABLE OF CONTENTS Chances are that the written English of an immigrant will appear different from what is standard in a North American office. Some of the factors that will affect one s writing style include:
Whether English is one s first language.
The form of English learned.
The degree of formality considered appropriate.
The expectation of what is wanted.
Table 6.14 presents some examples of differences between written British English and written American English. Canadians use a mixture of British and American language styles. When we first encounter an immigrant s written English looking different than we expect, we may leap to the erroneous judgment that the person is uneducated or poorly educated.
| British | American | |
|---|---|---|
| Formality | Dear sir or Dear Mr. Bob Harding Yours respectfully or Yours truly I write to inquire upon the status of our accounts | Dear Bob or Hello Bob or Bob Best regards or Warm wishes Where is our check? |
| Plural form | The team are worried | The team is worried |
| Verb tense | Have you finished the project? | Did you finish the project? |
| Preposition | She resigned on Thursday. Our manager is in hospital. | She resigned Thursday. Our manager is in the hospital. |
| Christmas day 2007 | 25/12/07 | 12/25/07 |
| Education | She read history at Oxford. | She majored in history at Oxford. |
| Spelling | Organise, legalise Colour, humour, flavour Co-operate, co-ordinate | Organize, legalize Color, humor, flavor Cooperate, coordinate a |
a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences
In evaluating written communication from immigrants, keep the following points in mind:
