This lesson focuses on 4 main differences between British and American English from the perspective of a British ALT.
The lesson starts with a story about the ALT and their Japanese language partner. The short story touches on the difference between trousers and pants, as well as the difference between ground floor and first floor in British and American English. This story serves as a humorous introduction and gets the students thinking about the overarching topic.
Next is a short dictation, which briefly explains the 4 main differences between British and American English. These differences are grammar, pronunciation and spelling, as well as how British and American English have different words for the same things.
The following slides go through the 4 main differences in detail. The first difference (grammar differences) is explained using 3 grammar points. During my lesson I kept this section brief, as my JTEs do not like when I teach grammar. The second difference (pronunciation) begins with getting the students to pronounce words on the handout. Be careful not to read these words before the students, in order to give the students a chance to figure out the pronunciation on their own. The final difference (different words for the same things) relies on a variety of 23 pictures, where students will try to guess the word in British and/or American English.
To conclude the lesson I ask them to complete the Bonus question on their handout. This question asks whether they prefer British or American English and to add a reason why.
This should bring you to the end of the lesson, but if there is extra time students can work in pairs and ask the Bonus question to their partner. This acts as a nice conclusion and squeezes in some speaking practice.
I like this because I too grew up on English but coming here and teaching American English I've had to double check a few things. Some of the text books also confuse the two such as in Here We Go they refer to shaved Ice as a snow cone and a few other minute differences in language.
Hmm I don't think anyone who I know has ever used "Shall." We just say can I or should
@FoolishQuadFire I certainly use it and have heard it plenty of times in the UK. Although, I am sure it is probably fading from common usage.
I think most Americans would call that a "sofa". Americans also frequently use "autumn", "film", and "tap" for those pictures. And a snow cone is a kind of shaved ice. Both are used in the US.
I'd say what this ALT has written is what the majority of British or American speakers would use. I've heard way more Americans say movie instead of film. I'm from Liverpool in the UK, so I've never said trousers! We say pants too! It caused a lot of confusion when I went to university in another city. Still, I am not gonna tell OP to change it because the majority of Brits would use trousers.
@KobeALT - I think it's just a fun general way to show some differences. If we took into account all the regional variations of English in just England alone, it would be long dang presentation!
@Umakara here here!
Sounds like a fun activity.
I will add aluminum to the word bank.
@KobeALT - A little off-topic (sorry everyone) but yes! This! Haha I'm from Birkenhead and I went to uni down south. The looks I got when I accidently spilled some chocolate on myself and complained that my pants would now be stained lol I also had a teaching assistant from London in Sixth Form who asked one of the boys to compliment him. When the boy said "I like your... pants", this guy laughed by himself for a good minute as we were all giving each other confused looks. He goes, "I hope you mean that in a purely American sense!"
People go about the differences between British and American English, but any dialect will have quirks that another finds strange.