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The jewel of language

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By Kirsten Nour Namskau

I have lived in USA, New Zealand, been in close friendship with people from United Kingdom, travelled around the world using “English” as my language and even been an English teacher . . .
When I worked as an English teacher, I followed strictly the language used in the books at the place I was at the moment. (Whatever kind of English that was.)
When I am myself . . . I assume I am using a mix of all the kind of English existing.
Because English is not always English.
In the schools in Scandinavia they use Oxford English books, but it is seldom the teacher is native English speaking, so the accent is not always correct.
Other places in the world, they use local English books . . . also here in Egypt, and the quality of the books is extremely poor, some schools even make their own books. (What I call “pigeon-English” books.)
The English they speak in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand is different than the English in England, although it sounds the same for an untrained ear.
They can have the same words, but sometimes the word has different meaning, depending on where you are.
Per example: The word satisfaction in England ~ means a grate joy and pleasure . . . But in USA, the word is mostly used in connection with sexual excitement.
In UK. One can say: “He is gone.” (Meaning . . . he is not around.) In US. This sentence would mean that the man is dead.
I have two dictionaries on my PC . . . English UK. ~ and ~ English US.
Depending on which dictionary is in use, I get corrected differently . . .
Like per example: color / colour ~ favor / favour ~ endeavor / endeavour ~ ~ ~
Some places the most correct is to say: “ I shall go home.” Other places they say: “I will go home.” Again, other places the most correct is to say: “I have to go home.”
This has also something to do with dialects.
What is correct language? All the time people want to correct me and every time, I get more and more messed up, because they correct me into a local dialect.
That one is native speaking doesn’t always mean one is excellent in the language grammatically or orthographic.
I have worked with English teachers from UK. Who didn’t know how to inflect the word teach. (Teach ~ taught ~ taught) They said : “teach ~ teached ~ teached.”
In Scandinavia have met teachers who didn’t know how to inflect the word “to shine” in the Scandinavian language . . . Å skinne – skinner – skinte . . . They said : ” Å skinne – skant – skunne.”
Like as well did they not know if the word “boot” in Scandinavian language was støvel or stølve. (The correct is støvel.)
I know I am not perfect in the language. Some tell me I speak very good American language, some compliment me with very good English language, some say my language is not good enough.
I myself feel, as I am here in Egypt for several years now, my English goes to the worse by time, because one have to speak so people understand you, and in this country that means . . . “ I speak English the very best not. I come to work by lack. The shop is open up-side-down. “
Meaning: “My English is not very good. I like my job. The shop is open 24 hours.”
And . . . we say: “Happy New Year” the whole year.