Exercices C2 : comprendre les variations régionales en anglais

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Les variations régionales en anglais [C2] — VocaVerb

Ces exercices s’appuient sur les spécificités lexicales, phonologiques et stylistiques des grandes variétés régionales de l’anglais. Testez votre maîtrise des distinctions entre l’anglais britannique, américain, australien et au-delà.

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Exercice 1 — Identifier la variété régionale

Pour chaque phrase ou expression, choisissez la variété d'anglais régional à laquelle elle appartient le plus naturellement.

  1. She put her shopping in the boot of the car and drove to the petrol station.
  2. He reckons it's a ripper of a day, so let's head to the arvo barbie.
  3. I need to grab some chips and a soda before we hit the freeway.
  4. She was gobsmacked when she found out the flat was let furnished.
Correction

  1. British English — 'boot' and 'petrol station' are distinctively British English terms, as opposed to 'trunk' and 'gas station' in American English.
  2. Australian English — 'reckons', 'ripper', 'arvo' (afternoon) and 'barbie' (barbecue) are hallmarks of colloquial Australian English.
  3. American English — 'chips' (crisps in British English), 'soda', and 'freeway' are characteristic of American English vocabulary.
  4. British English — 'gobsmacked' (astonished), 'flat' (apartment), and 'let' (rented out) are all strongly associated with British English usage.

Exercice 2 — Équivalents régionaux

Associez chaque terme issu d'une variété régionale de l'anglais à son équivalent dans une autre variété. Justifiez votre association avec une phrase complète.

  1. Match the British English term 'biscuit' with its American English equivalent and explain the difference in usage.
  2. Match the Australian English term 'thongs' with its British and American English equivalents and explain the potential for misunderstanding.
  3. Match the American English term 'subway' with its British English equivalent and describe what each term refers to in its respective regional context.
  4. Match the British English phrase 'to be made redundant' with its American English equivalent and explain the stylistic difference.
Correction

  1. 'Biscuit' in British English refers to what Americans call a 'cookie', while in American English a 'biscuit' is a soft, bread-like roll — illustrating how the same word can denote entirely different foods across regional varieties.
  2. In Australian English, 'thongs' refers to flip-flops (British English) or sandals/flip-flops (American English), whereas in American and British English 'thong' typically denotes a type of underwear, creating significant potential for cross-regional misunderstanding.
  3. The American English term 'subway' corresponds to 'the Underground' or 'the Tube' in British English, both referring to the urban metro rail system, though in British English 'subway' more commonly denotes a pedestrian underpass.
  4. 'To be made redundant' in British English corresponds to 'to be laid off' in American English; both describe involuntary job loss, but the British expression carries a more formal, HR-register tone, while the American equivalent is more colloquially neutral.

Exercice 3 — Compléter avec le bon terme régional

Complétez chaque phrase avec le terme régional approprié indiqué entre parenthèses, en respectant la variété d'anglais précisée.

  1. In British English: After a long shift, the nurse took the ___ (elevator) to the ground floor and clocked out. (Use the British English term.)
  2. In Australian English: He was so ___ (exhausted/tired out) after the arvo session that he crashed on the couch. (Use a characteristically Australian English informal term.)
  3. In American English: She had to fill out the ___ (official paper/paperwork) at the ___ (doctor's office) before seeing the physician. (Use American English terms for both blanks.)
  4. In British English: The students sat their ___ (final exams) in the sports hall and were told their ___ (grades/results) would be posted online. (Use British English terms for both blanks.)
Correction

  1. After a long shift, the nurse took the lift to the ground floor and clocked out — 'lift' being the standard British English equivalent of the American English 'elevator'.
  2. He was so rooted after the arvo session that he crashed on the couch — 'rooted' being a widely used Australian English slang term meaning completely exhausted.
  3. She had to fill out the forms at the doctor's office before seeing the physician — 'doctor's office' being the standard American English term, contrasting with 'surgery' or 'GP's practice' in British English.
  4. The students sat their exams in the sports hall and were told their results would be posted online — 'sit exams' and 'results' being the preferred British English usage, as opposed to 'take tests' and 'grades' in American English.

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