Frogs, part 2

A student's mom found this little guy outside the office next to the stairs on her way down. He (we know it's a he because he blows up his neck like this and croaks) was there all day Saturday. If you're lucky, maybe he'll show up this week too!

Frogs

In the rainy season, you can see and hear a lot of frogs. Do you mind the noise? I think it's relaxing. Plus, the frogs eat the bugs. I don't like bugs, so that makes me happy!

Do you know the difference between a frog and a toad?

A frog mainly lives in water, and a toad mainly lives on land. Toads have dry, bumpy skin. Frogs have smooth, wet skin.

So which one is a frog? Which one is a toad?

"Standard" English

English is named after England. Most of the history of English takes place in England. So why do so many people want to learn American English? Isn't British English (or "the Queen's English") the standard?

There really isn't any Standard World English. There are a few different standards. The reason we teach American English here is that American English is my first language. I'm not a native speaker of British or Australian English, and especially not of South African or Singaporean. If you, my student, learn to copy my accent perfectly, you'll sound American.

Luckily, although American English doesn't have the same long history as British English does, it does have many fans. If you're a fan of Hollywood movies or American TV shows, you probably hear a lot of American English. Almost all the characters on American TV speak more like me than like David Beckham. The stars of many American TV shows and movies are actually British or Australian - but have to use American accents when they act.

American English is not the world standard, but it is quite dominant.