Firstly, US English seems to be the primary language of film and TV series in most European countries which are not always dubbed by native speakers although this frequently depends on the country. In Spain, for instance, dubbing is much more common for TV shows and films than it is in Portugal where most shows that are not aimed at children or not nationally made bear subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

This gives non-native English speakers the opportunity to hear the English language in use at least for those capable and with a desire to learn English that is. However, the use of US English in every day contact with British English speakers does not necessarily prepare the non-Anglophone for such encounters.

US English often uses expressions to describe an item or concept that are considered impolite by native British English speakers. For instance, the term “pissed” when used by the American refers to being in a state of annoyance or anger whereas to describe yourself as “pissed” to a British person means that you were drunk, i.e. intoxicated by alcohol. In British English the term is rather an impolite way to describe your alcohol induced merriment.

So is listening to television broadcasts helpful? Well, yes, of course it is. However, as many a student will confirm, there is nothing like feeling out of your depth when present in a country where the main language spoken is one you’ve studied but suddenly it is unintelligible gibberish when someone asks you a question in a regional dialect your textbook, fellow students or tutor did not warn you about.

Every country has its regional, district and even communal cultural and often linguistic distinctions and English spoken in the UK is clear evidence of this. So many non-native speakers are flummoxed by “English” speakers when the latter visit foreign parts for there is no single “English” accent and certainly no single “British” accent.

For a start, the main island of Great Britain consists of 3 nations: officially bi-lingual Wales where both the Welsh and English pronunciation varies from north to south and east to west, the written Welsh varying in spelling from north to south too. You have Scotland and its islands where pronunciation and dialect varies almost indiscriminately from one area to the next. Then you have England itself with its multiple dialects and pronunciations of English which are as varied as the pronunciation variations encountered in Wales and Scotland together.

This is why it is extremely difficult to become completely fluent in a language in an entirely national context. A native French speaker who has been UK based for 20+ years has been known to be speechless when faced with an expression considered commonplace by myself. However, this is not to “knock” non-native English speakers or to glorify British English to some exorbitant level for the same situations exist across the globe.

Hopefully this article has provided an overview of how watching English language films and other broadcasts does not qualify the non-Anglophone as a fluent English speaker although it does help. The author feels, however, that speakers of other languages often develop a certain over-confidence in their ability to communicate in English especially since communication is a two-way activity that requires patience and a willingness to continue to grow.

Has US English influenced your English communication skills? Or has a particular dialect limited your language learning or even assisted it? Air your views here.