Teaching Americanisms and the English Language

 I am the regular language evaluator for meetings of the Empire Toastmast Club in Surabaya, Indonesia. The advantage of Zoom is that I am able to speak to Toastmasters meetings in Asia, such as Singapore and Indonesia, from the UK, Europe, Cyprus and other parts of Asia.

This month I was listening to a meeting in Indonesia and commenting on their use of English and giving tips on how to improve your English. I heard one of them use an Americanism. I wondered whether to include it in my lists of correct and interesting and creative English, which I read first, or tips on improvement. I opted to include Americanisms in correct usage, correct, depending on your audience.

I told them:

I heard somebody say 'a bunch of people'. That is an Americanism. In Britain we say a group of  people. The word bunch would be used in a bunch of flowers.

Another difference, which amsuses the Americans, is that the British people say that a phone line is engaged.. Americans say the phone line is busy. Americans use engaged in the phrase engaged to be married. 

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