American English – Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation

Communicating in English is of utmost importance, and it has never been more imperative than it is today.  With ever-increasing tourism, people all over the world are learning English so they can communicate effectively.  This is becoming especially common, of course, among people who are not from a country that has English as an official language.

Even though English originated in the United Kingdom, American English is undoubtedly the English of choice and the most popular today.  A huge and ever- increasing number of the planet’s music, books, and movies are a result of people around the world learning to speak American English.  For business, travel, or almost any international purpose, American English is definitely the best language to learn.

SEE ALSO: English Pronunciation: British vs.  American English

Grammar and Parts of Speech

The English language has its quirks, and that is certain.  However, English is one of the most fascinating languages one can ever learn.  English language grammar is, of course, a particular set of rules to follow.  These are the rules that constitute the expression structure in English.  This is inclusive of clauses, sentences, phrases, and the structure of all words.

American English has the standard eight classes of words, also known as parts of speech.  They are nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and determiners.  The determiners are really more like adjectives and are not usually viewed as an individual part of speech.  Another word class would be interjections.  However, these do not comprise part of the structured sentence in the American English language.

To understand the English language, it is important for us to know there are societal, historical, and territorial variations of the language.

The deviations in the grammar described in this article happen in some of the different dialects of the English language.  The forms of speech are heard in certain types of public dialog including education, government, entertainment, and even in the news.  These include both informal and formal vernacular.  Differences in grammar are present among the various forms of English, such as American, Australian, and British.  However, these are subtle and discreet in comparison to the pronunciation and verbal differences.

English Pronunciation

Learning the pronunciation of some American English words can be a lot of fun! However, it can also be a challenge.  Knowing a lot of the American English vocabulary, as well as having a grasp of grammar does not mean much if your audience does not understand what you are saying.  This can be quite frustrating.  Learning how to pronounce words is one of the most important aspects of English studies.

There are many resources available today to help with the pronunciation of words.  For example, there are endless websites offering English pronunciation lessons, and there are even many videos on various popular social media video websites.  These internet sites offer things such as the consonant and vowel pronunciations of literally thousands of words.  English learners would provide themselves great benefits by using a search engine and seeking out some of these helpful websites.  There are many online-education sites offering help with the pronunciation of English words.  All one has to do is search the phrase, “American English pronunciation” to find there are literally hundreds of websites available.

American English Vocabulary

One might ask why vocabulary is so especially important.  That is a great question, the answer to which everyone would benefit from learning.  Vocabulary, even more so than grammar, is the key to us being understood when speaking English.  It also helps us understand what we hear and what we read.  Most importantly, a good vocabulary helps us effectively communicate with others.  For this reason, it is of utmost importance that we develop a large bank of words.  Research has shown there is a very strong connection between having an above average vocabulary and achieving a high level of success throughout school and into the college years.

Just as a good handy-person has a toolbox filled with tools, so every English language speaker should have a toolbox that includes a great vocabulary.  When the handy person has a specific job to do, he or she will use just the perfect tool for that particular job.  The same goes for speaking English.  Using the perfect word(s) in order to convey a thought is how one will get one’s point across, and few things are more valuable than being able to use just the right words to express oneself in an eloquent and effective manner.

We use written and spoken words every day to convey our emotions and our thoughts to those among us.  Often times, we successfully communicate, though sometimes we are not as successful.  However, an extensive vocabulary can be of great benefit to helping us make ourselves understood.  This cannot be stressed enough.  Having a great vocabulary will also earn people much respect in all social circles, and in school.  Equally important, a large vocabulary will boost self-confidence at all levels.  People should read anything and everything they can get their hands on, and read voraciously, in order to build a healthy bank of valuable, powerful words!