Difficulties in communication can arise even between two people who ostensibly

speak the same language. Although both New Yorkers and Londoners speak English,
there are enough differences between American English and British English to cause
communication miscues. Speakers of English on opposite sides of the Atlantic often use
different words to refer to the same thing. To illustrate, Londoners put their trash in a
dustbin, not a garbage can; they take a lift, not an elevator; and they live in flats, not
apartments. To further complicate matters, the same word used in England and the United
States can convey very different meanings. For example, in England the word homely (as
in the statement "I think your wife is very homely") means warm and friendly, not plain
or ugly; for the British, the phrase "to table a motion" means to give an item a prominent
place on the agenda rather than to postpone taking action on an item, as it means in the
United States; and a rubber in British English is an eraser, not a condom. These are just
some of the linguistic pitfalls that North Americans and Brits may encounter when they
attempt to communicate using their own versions of the "same" language.
A student who correctly draws the conclusion that the differences in Australian English and
American English likely results in miscommunication as well is operating on which level?

a. Level 2: Understanding
b. Level 3: Applying
c. Level 4: Analyzing
d. Level 5: Evaluating
e. Level 6: Creating


e

Language Arts & World Languages

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