BONES 2011 WARM-UP British and American English Can you think of any general differences you know between both? Any differences as regards vocabulary, verb forms, phonetics, etc? Which do you find more difficult to understand? Why? VIDEO- WATCHING 1. Now you are going to watch an extract from an episode of Bones, where you’ll be able to notice some differences between the two main American characters and their two British colleagues. First, watch it in one go and note down any differences you hear between American and British English. 2. Next, watch it bit by bit and answer the following questions: OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY a. How does the British scientist define himself? b. Why is he ignoring his mobile phone? c. Which is the colloquialism the American scientist wrongly uses? What should have she said instead? d. How does the British scientist call the American FBI agent? e. Why does she warn her British colleague scientist against doing so? ON THE SPOT OF THE MURDER f. What did the agent from Scotland Yard enjoy about the American agent’s presentation? g. What did the American agent complain about all the time? h. How does he back up his complaint? i. According to the British agent from Scotland Yard, if both scientists are exactly the same, what are they like? Note down at least five describing adjectives. j. What is the way they usually work, according to the agent from Scotland Yard? k. How does the American agent feel about the British team? l. Who’s the victim? m. The British scientist is being sarcastic with his agent from Scotland Yard? How? What’s his joke? n. What did the father’s victim do? What’s the British scientist think about that? Are the British and American scientists of one mind as regards him? o. How is the car believed to have ended at the bottom of River Thames? p. How did the victim die? Can you give, both, the British and the American account of the facts? q. Why would the father’s victim want the FBI?
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Mª Jesús García San Martín.
BONES 2011 r.
Is the American agent willing to look into the murder under British conditions? Does he eventually get away with his own request? s. Talking about crimes, how does the American agent consider himself and his colleague scientist? t. Have the British got any other suggestion about the procedure to solve the crime? FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION Have you enjoyed the extract from the episode? Had you ever seen this American TV series before? Do you like this type of TV series? Why? /Why not? What did you find more difficult to pick up: accent, pronunciation, vocabulary? Do you ever try to watch TV series, films, news, etc in English? Do you think that could be good for your learning? If so, how do you think you might benefit from it? Are you aware of the different types of English there are in the world? Do you know any other types of English apart from British and American ones? Do you know what slang is? Have you heard of any type of slang? If you had to go abroad either on holiday, to work, to study or to practice your English, which country would you choose? Back up your answers using reasons regarding language
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Mª Jesús García San Martín.