Mengting H.
Do you speak the same English when you talk with your partners, peers, parents, co-workers, and supervisors? At least, I do not. More importantly, I find many people change their styles of language too.
I have an African friend here in Montreal. He has been living here for almost 8 years and he can speak English and French with almost no accent. I remember one day I heard him talking over the phone with his closest friends who were back in hometown. Surprisingly, I could not fully understand his English! He pronounced words differently and he used very different vocabulary and expressions.
After his call, I asked, “Do you know you were speaking a different English?”
“Yeah, I did that on purpose. That’s my friend. I don’t want him to feel that I changed.” he replied.
Continue reading “How many styles of English do you speak?”