Varieties of languages and cross-cultural communication - Essay Example
My spoken English differs from my written English, and they can acquire various forms. The register I use to speak in the classroom, during a presentation or with the teachers is not the same which I use to speak with my family and friends during a spontaneous conversation. Besides, my written English in a chat or informal e-mail has many oral characteristics (use of slang, contractions, colloquial words, repetitions), but my written formal English has the vocabulary that I usually do not speak, and I take care of the style and grammar.
I live in a country with many immigrants, whose native language is not English. Many of them have learned English after they came, or in their countries of origin, where the taught language differs from the daily spoken language. When these people go to work or study, they can encounter cross-communication problems with native speakers. For example, when we engage in teamwork with foreign students, these problems often appear.