If people in the US aren't native English speakers I suppose the vast majority of people in the Americas also have no native language.
Are American true native speakers of English?
I found this a potential powder keg, but I know that Germans say things like, "He doesn't speak English, but 'American'."
I've heard this in German only.
I've heard this in German only.
Oh, come on, this is silly. America was settled by the British who brought the English language with them. Modern Americans are the cultural descendants of the British, and are native English speakers.
***Modern Americans are the cultural descendants of the British, and are native English speakers***
The last bit of this sentence is undeniably correct, but I strongly dispute the first. I would hazard a guess and say that only a minority of Americans are now of British cultural descent. Correct me if I am wrong, please. I know there are a number of individual American States where very few of the residents have any ancestral links at all with Great Britain.....for example Minnesota and Iowa are two such I believe, the first named being mostly of Scandinavian origin, and Iowa largely German. As for California.....well, what can we say? Mexican? Certainly not British, and that's for sure.
The last bit of this sentence is undeniably correct, but I strongly dispute the first. I would hazard a guess and say that only a minority of Americans are now of British cultural descent. Correct me if I am wrong, please. I know there are a number of individual American States where very few of the residents have any ancestral links at all with Great Britain.....for example Minnesota and Iowa are two such I believe, the first named being mostly of Scandinavian origin, and Iowa largely German. As for California.....well, what can we say? Mexican? Certainly not British, and that's for sure.
That's true - Americans of British descent comprise a relatively small minority compared (collectively) to those of German, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, East European, African or Hispanic descent.
Yeah but it doesn't follow that one has to be ethnically British to be culturally so. Otherwise no immigrant would ever assimilate into British society. The US being a cultural descendant of Britain is, IMO, pretty self evident.
>> Yeah but it doesn't follow that one has to be ethnically British to be culturally so. Otherwise no immigrant would ever assimilate into British society. The US being a cultural descendant of Britain is, IMO, pretty self evident. <<
Exactly. Most immigrant's children pick up the culture of the country that they actually live in, not their parent's culture, unless they are totally isolated and don't go outside their home. (Eating Chinese food or being able to do the Mexican hat dance hardly count as being culturally Chinese, or Mexican. Heck, I can do both, and I don't consider myself to be either.) It becomes even more absurd when someone claims to be "Irish" because their great-uncle's cousin's dog's previous owner's mother-in-law went to Ireland once. And even if you disagree with this (which would be pretty silly), they still learn the national language of the country, and are thus *native speakers* of it. And remember, the United States was a *colony* of Britain. Just because the politics changed a bit in the meantime, doesn't really impact the culture or language.
Exactly. Most immigrant's children pick up the culture of the country that they actually live in, not their parent's culture, unless they are totally isolated and don't go outside their home. (Eating Chinese food or being able to do the Mexican hat dance hardly count as being culturally Chinese, or Mexican. Heck, I can do both, and I don't consider myself to be either.) It becomes even more absurd when someone claims to be "Irish" because their great-uncle's cousin's dog's previous owner's mother-in-law went to Ireland once. And even if you disagree with this (which would be pretty silly), they still learn the national language of the country, and are thus *native speakers* of it. And remember, the United States was a *colony* of Britain. Just because the politics changed a bit in the meantime, doesn't really impact the culture or language.
That, however, ignores cases where non-British immigration has been so intensive that it has managed to actually significantly impact the society immigrated into rather than to be seamlessly assimilated; while linguistic assimilation has been (near-)total, cultural assimilation has not been quite complete in such cases. In particular, such applies to places such as much of the Upper Midwest and parts of Pennsylvania, where incomplete cultural assimilation has left behind a society is more culturally *Americanized* rather than actually culturally British. Of course, the important thing to remember in such cases is that such is completely detached from personal descent, unlike with many Americans' delusions about their "ethnicity"; rather, it is purely a matter of the makeup of the local or regional culture being not completely British-derived.
I think it's pretty common in the US to have multiple layers of ethnic and cultural identity that may or may not have much to do with your actual family history. Yes, I would agree that we are cultural British descendents regardless of our actual ethnic heritage, which is not likely to be British. I would also agree that there are regions of the US that also have other major cultural influences at work, such as Scandinavian or German or Mexican. And on top of that you might be ethnically Chinese or Apache or (like most of us) an incoherent blend of many ancestries. But those factors don't necessarily cancel each other out. It seems to be more of an additive process. And if you look at mainstream US culture, which we all know how to participate in or at least pay lip service to, no matter what else is at work in our little corner of the country, I think you have to agree that the underlying set of cultural references is British.
Why do so many non-native English speakers insist on using the expression "mother tongue"? We don't use it. As far as I know no native English speaker would say that any sooner than they would utilize the phrase "In my country"....
is the expression "mother tongue" incorrect?? Are you sure? I read it many times in books and texts...
"Are American true native speakers of English?"
Yes.
Next question please.
Yes.
Next question please.
<<is the expression "mother tongue" incorrect?>>
I hear it quite a bit in Britain and I also use it myself.
I hear it quite a bit in Britain and I also use it myself.