british or american english?

"Even so I think that Scottish education compares very favourably with the English system. "

How many universities does Scotland have in the world's Top 50 universities? The answer: zero.

England, though, has more unis in the Top 50 list than any other county other than the United States.

Germany only has 2, and France only has 1.

I wonder if I should write today in British English or American English. Oh yeah, it doesn't matter 'cause its the all the same!! I'm not going to waste any more efforet on such a pointless topic.

<<How many universities does Scotland have in the world's Top 50 universities? The answer: zero.

England, though, has more unis in the Top 50 list than any other county other than the United States. >>

It depends on how you rank universities. Most are ranked in terms of the quality of research which has no bearing whatsoever on the quality of teaching of under-graduate courses.

<<And it's very nice of you guys, using Spanish like to make people understand English issues.>>

I do what I can :)

<<But there is a great difference actually.
Everybody claims that all grammatical forms used by Native English Speakers are entirely good and correct, and that nobody should judge any dialectal variety with any wrong patron of correctness imposed by grammarians and teachers. Well that's OK, but you even mention Spanish as an example, making comparisons between Peninsular Spanish and Latin American Spanish. Saying that any from is correct if used by a wide group of people, for example someone mentioned: "delante de ti" vs "delante tuyo" an Argentine version, and in Peru we even have "adelante de ti", all equivalents of "in front of you". Well, I shall let you know that, you are wrong about Spanish. Even if the entire Spanish speaking world uses certain expresion like "delante tuyo", even Spain, that doesn't mean it's acceptable or correct. It's not correct. Since we have our Language Academy and our "ROYAL ACADEMY OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE'S DICTIONARY", our dictionary has all of our correct words, and specifies which grammar structure is correct and what is not. Anything not being in our Dictionary or recognised by the Royal Academy, is incorrect, even if an entire country uses that form. And it will be so until a member of the Royal Academy proposes certain phrase or word to become correct, they debate about it, and then it becomes correct.>>

I understand that what the Royal Academy says is accepted usage for formal writing. I don't disagree with that. However, what I disagree with is calling native spoken forms "incorrect" or a "mistake" for any language. As I said before, the Argentines I knew would never have written "delante tuyo" in formal writing, but even the most educated speakers would use such a form in natural speech. It's not an "incorrect" form at all, but simply a completely valid one which does match up with formal written usage.

<<So there is this great difference since there's no such thing as a Academy of the English language, which probably makes English a bit more versatile than Spanish. And well Latin American Spanish is not and will never be the Standard variety of Spanish, but if you decide to learn it, well, good for you, and it's you're problem if you break into Latin mistakes.>>

They're not "mistakes" at all :) Just because something isn't used in the formal written language doesn't mean that when native speakers use it in speech that it's "incorrect."

<<...<<Americans call a 'snow job' the British call a 'soft soap sell.'>>

Really, Kirk? The British version sounds almost like a good thing.>>...>>

I think you may have confused me with someone else, as I didn't write that :) I don't know what either a "snow job" or a "soft soap sell" is. If it has to do with snow, I'm not likely to be as familiar with snow-related topics since I don't see snow very often (I live in San Diego). If it doesn't literally have to do with snow, then I still have never heard of it.

<<kirk whats ur major? language?>>

Very close :) I'm a linguistics major.

candy its not stupidity asking about other language. if it is for u, well i think ur more stupid coz for sure u dont know even a single word on my language. atleast me, i can speak and undertand ur language.. how abt u? can u? nope ayt? lolz.. stupido(spanish)..babbo(korean)..tanga(tagalog)

Kirk, a "snow job" is the same as "pulling the wool over someone's eyes" -- a con job.

It has nothing to do with actual snow.

<<Kirk, a "snow job" is the same as "pulling the wool over someone's eyes" -- a con job.

It has nothing to do with actual snow.>>

Thanks, I'd never heard of that one :)

<<well i think ur more stupid coz for sure u dont know even a single word on my language.>>

Yes. That's the definitive proof of my stupidity. You're so right.

<<Kirk, a "snow job" is the same as "pulling the wool over someone's eyes" -- a con job.>>

Isn't that a porno thing? Like "snow balling" or that certain kind of "job"...

No, spitting bodily fluids into somebody else's mouth is a whole different thing, Guest.

To Adam:

All I can say is that the Times Educational Supplement's method of ranking universities around the world is just rubbish.

UC Berkeley is ranked second on their list... what the heck?? It might have lots of professors who are Nobel laureates, but do they teach? Nooooo... at Berk, postgrads and videos do the teaching, and the students are treated like cattle.

Don't get me wrong. I applied to UC Berkeley (because my friends did... blah) and got accepted, but would I ever go there? Fat chance.

So where am I going? Edinburgh :-p.

kirk, what languages have u studied? ur amazingly knowledgeable when it comes to languages.

>>I wonder if I should write today in British English or American English. Oh yeah, it doesn't matter 'cause its the all the same!! I'm not going to waste any more efforet on such a pointless topic.<<

maybe for u native english speakers its a pointless topic, but for us who are just studying english,.. its a big issue. for e.g.

""Manchester United have won the game" versus "Machester United has won the game""--- they said that for british the first one is correct and then for americans its the second one.

as my teachers taught me, and as iv read in the grammar books, the second one is correct. and if we are having an exam and we choose "manchester united have won the game", the teacher will cross it out. so what do u think kirk? if the teacher mark it wrong, should i complain? anybody can post reply also. thank u

i forgot to write my name on my last posting lol.. nyway, what do u think kirk should anyone complain if the teacher marked the answer wrong based on american english but correct based on british english

"[W]e have our Language Academy and our 'ROYAL ACADEMY OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE'S DICTIONARY', our dictionary has all of our correct words, and specifies which grammar structure is correct and what is not. Anything not being in our Dictionary or recognised by the Royal Academy, is incorrect, even if an entire country uses that form. And it will be so until a member of the Royal Academy proposes certain phrase or word to become correct, they debate about it, and then it becomes correct."

I find the idea of an "academy" rather pathetic. English seems to be doing fine without one.