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So, how did the language of a small island become the most spoken language in the world? The majority of places where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire. After independence from Britain, a lot of these countries formed the Commonwealth. The 53 members of the Commonwealth are united by language, history and culture. They all speak English, but they also have their own varieties of the language, and their own native languages. Social, political and cultural factors influence language, and because so many different countries speak English, there is a lot of variety! English has different accents (the pronunciation) and different dialects (the words) and different spellings. British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) are the two most common varieties of English. People in the UK and Ireland speak British English and people in the USA and Canada speak American English. One big difference between the two is spelling. For example: words that have -our in British English (colour, favourite) have -or in American English (color, favorite); words that end in -Me in British English (organise, recognise) have -ize in American English (organize, recognize); words that end in -re in British English (centre, metre) have -er in American English (center, meter). Both varieties of English are correct, but in Europe most people prefer British English. Remember, don't mix British and American English - just choose one!
ESERCIZIO: 1 ALL/MOST English-speaking countries were part of the British Empire. 2 Countries of the Commonwealth are DIVIDED/UNITED by culture. 3 Commonwealth countries often HAVE/DON'T HAVE their own native language. 4 DIALECT/ACCENT refers to the way we pronounce words. 5 People in Ireland speak AMERICAN/BRITISH English. 6 FLAVOUR/FLAVOR is a British spelling. 7 British people end their words with -ISE/-IZE. 8 Meter is AMERICAN/BRITISH English.
