As a student who spent most of his years growing up in America and consequently learning American grammar, what are the difficulties I will face teaching English in China through i-to-i (if any)? I'm assuming that British English is what is being taught, so will it be necessary for me to be familiarized with British English grammar and spelling differences (e.g. putting the comma after a quotation instead of in it, or spelling color as colour)?

Any responses will be appreciated. :-)

-Austen

Hey Bouza265, I don't think you have to worry about reading up on British Grammar (isn't it hard enough as it is, why great extra stress for yourself :-) ) Your students will learn the English you teach them. I know that sounds ridiculously stupid but while I was doing my Tefl course they did say that you basically teach them what YOU know (don't quote me on this) If you do a tefl course this will give you some indication of what I mean. If it's run through an american company, or held in the U.S then it will cater for your own Grammar style. That been said, I guess you could swat up on the differences but i find grammar impossible at the best of times without having to do extra. Hey I'm Irish and we have basically butchered the English language here but my students won't know the difference!!! A friend of mine who taught for years finds it particularly hilarious when he's chinese students end up with an Irish accent and all of our sayings.

Couple of odd things really. I got asked if I was American as they prefer American English to British English as it's slightly easier. They even went so far as to refer to it as Lazy English! However, pretty much everyone I've spoken to doesn't say "Which part of england are you from?" or "Which part of America are you from?" because to be honest, they can't really tell the difference in the accents (unless you have a really strong southern accent or something) and have to just ask "which country are you from?". I've been tempted to lie about it at times because they won't know the difference.

Honeycombnut is right, it's all about teaching how you speak so don't worry about it :)

I like that - English and 'Mercan'.  No, I don't really believe in American English either, just Bad English.  Pronounciation-wise it's no different to having regional accents within the UK, I suppose, even though I might find it ridiculous: case in point - the pronouciation of the word 'buoy' in the USA.  Whose idea was that?!

I really like the replies for this topic, they are all very insightful. Though I do think it's a bit much to say there is no such thing as American English, when new words are adopted, modified, grammatical structures changed, it may not be correct when compared to the, for lack of a better term, root language. The language of origin is always changing and morphing on its own anyway, the language we know as "English" today is little more than the poor amalgamation of Old English and French, continually added to and modified over a period of centuries to where it is now. Perhaps American English is "incorrect" by modern English standards, but to deny the existence of American English as it's own version of English modified by numerous historical factors is to deny the mutability of the "correct" English you hold in such high esteem. I find it ironic that you talk about the inability to learn the language brought over on the Mayflower, as many of the words deemed "American" are really archaisms that remained in the colonies but phased out in Britain due to it's own changes in the language (e.g. faucet, eyeglasses, obligate are all considered American even though they originally derive from colonial English). 

It just seems odd that, with modern communication, there needs to be any level of (continuing!) deviation between what are essentially two dialects of the same language.  And of course, English is a living language, so it will change, which is a good thing if it adds to its overall functionality.  Unfortunately the changes seen in American English often seem to simply be part of an overall 'dumbing down' of the language, and I think that's what bothers people.

It also depends on where you will be teaching English.  If you are  teaching English in Asia, then they will probably want to learn American English because they will probably be doing business in North America.  Now if you are teaching English in Europe, then they will probably want to learn British English.  If you are teaching in Latin America, then they probably want to learn American English, because they are closer to the United States.  If you are in the Middle East, then it will really depend on the school.  If you are in Africa, then it will also depend on the school or institution.  Canadians write English like British, but the speak like Americans.    If you are teaching English in China, then chances are that they probably want to learn American English.  

I laughed at this topic.

Only native speakers would look into the way our language is spoken in different countries with such depth.

If the accent isn't too strong, no matter which 'type' of English you speak, you will be understood wherever English is spoken as the native tongue.

Having asked my students, they were split on the decision maybe 60/40 in favour of British English. The truth is, they just don't care when learning English. Probably because they know it's all just trivial.

FilterAngel, 

There is a contingency!   The contingency is if your accent is too strong.  

99% Chinese students can't tell the differences between British English and American English, nor their parents.

Back in 1990s, we were using English textbooks published by Longman Group at public schools here in China, all the teaching materials including audio tapes were made by British English standard. However, nowadays all public middle schools here in China are using English textbooks published by an American publisher called the Thomson Corporation, books made by British publishers such as Longman Group, Cambridge University Press, are still popular with students and schools.

It really depends what students you are to teach, if they are aiming at studying abroad in the States in future, or taking SAT/ACT/TOFEL/GMAT/GRE exams, they probably prefer an American English teacher, yeah? While some other students are willing to sit in IELTS/A-LEVEL exams, they would perfer a British English teacher, innit?

Alrite?

Sparky, hence why I said "if the accent isn't too strong".