The type of errors international students make while speaking English, depends on the structure of their native language. For example, Japanese students often have difficulty with articles – “a, an and the” because these are largely missing in Japanese. While some Japanese students omit articles entirely, others try to make up by inducing too many.

Avoid the usage of double negation, because the resulting interpretation may be the opposite of what you mean to say. Also, it is difficult to understand and creates confusion. It’s better to be direct.

Some very common type of errors made by international students are given below:

Tej Kohli Dubai | Tej Kohli Corneal Transplant | Tej Kohli WordPress Blog | Tej Kohli Law career Blog

In the US, class sizes are generally smaller as compared to other countries. Although, freshers may see a few large classes, majority of classes are small with 15 to 25 students. Large lectures often have small recitation sections administered by teachers or teaching assistants. The aim of recitation sections is to review the study material given in the main lecture, improvise it with extra inputs, and give a chance to ask questions.

Your grades will be determined by how well you score on the tests, quizzes and assignments. So, your active participation in a recitation section can drastically improve your grades. Be sure to remain in the good books of your teachers and teaching assistants…and why? The better they know you, the better they will be able to track your progress.

Unless instructed to make groups with fellow students, you should do all of the assignments yourself. While studying in groups is acceptable, completing individual assignment in groups is considered cheating. Similarly, quoting a text work without properly attributing its source is considered plagiarism, which may result into failing a class or even expulsion from the university.

Tej Kohli Press Release | Tej Kohli Foundation Profile| Grafix Softech – Tej Kohli | Tej Kohli Real Estate | Tej Kohli Grafix Softech | The Tej Kohli Foundation Grows | Tej Kohli Business | Tej Kohli Guide | Tej Kohli On Facebook | Tej Kohli IT Passion | Tej Kohli Technology blog | Tej Kohli Abu Dhabi| Tej Kohli Abu Dhabi News | Tej Kohli Abu Dhabi Investment | Tej Kohli on huffingtonpost | Tej Kohli on Twitter

English usage among the US populace often differs from the grammar we learn in school. You will also notice significant dialectal variations throughout the nation. Besides, you will find many Americans, who do not follow some of the prescriptive rules of grammar they were taught in elementary school. Rules that disallow split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition are often overlooked. Unlike the UK English, American English is continually evolving as Americans interact with people from all over the world.

The usual response to ‘thank you’ is ‘you’re welcome’, but the same phrase has a different meaning in British English.
So, if you’re considering an education in the US, keeping a small pocket dictionary would be useful. You can also refer to any free American English Dictionary and thesaurus on the web. For example, you can use command define:school to find the definition of school.

Tej Kohli Albawba
Tej Kohli Current
Tej Kohli Foundation
Tej Kohli Wikipedia
Tej Kohli Corneal Transplant
Tej Kohli CrunchBase Profile
Tej kohli AllVoices
Tej Kohli Cornea Transplant Article

]]> http://www.tejkohli.us/the-usa-way-of-life/tej-kohli-uk-english-versus-us-english/feed/ 1 http://www.tejkohli.us/the-usa-way-of-life/list-of-holidays-us/ http://www.tejkohli.us/the-usa-way-of-life/list-of-holidays-us/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:46:46 +0000 Tej Kohli http://www.tejkohli.us/the-usa-way-of-life/list-of-holidays-us/ List of American Holidays by Tej Kohli

The American calender is tagged with many holidays. Listed below are some of the more popular holidays observed in the U.S. Most of the government and private offices, banks and post offices are closed on these days, except fire stations, ambulance and police.

New Year’s Day – January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Third Monday in January
Ground Hog Day – February 2
Valentine’s Day – February 14
President’s Day – Third Monday in February
St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
April Fool’s Day – April 1
Patriots Day – Third Monday in April
Good Friday – Friday before Easter Sunday
Mother’s Day – Second Sunday in May
Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
Flag Day – June 14
Father’s Day – Third Sunday in June
Independence Day – July 4
Labor Day – First Monday in September
Columbus Day – Second Monday in October
Halloween – October 31
Election Day – Tuesday after the first Monday in November Federal holiday in years divisible by 4
Veterans Day – November 11
Thanksgiving – Fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day – December 25

Besides this, it is important to recognize the holidays observed by the people of other religious beliefs. Like, some important Jewish holidays including Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkoth, Chanukah, and Passover.

Tej Kohli Facebook page

Tej Kohli Animation Blog

Tej Kohli Pages on WordPress

Tej Kohli IT Blog

Tej Kohli Guide

Tej Kohli on WordPress

Tej Kohli on Tripod

Tej Kohli picks out some common spelling differences :

In usual Parlance                      In America

centre, metre…                                 center, meter…
cheque                                                  check
colour, flavour…                               color, flavor…
grey                                                        gray
dialogue                                               dialog
judgement                                           judgment
maths                                                    math
plough                                                  plow
storey                                                   story (of a building)
aluminium                                          aluminum
traveller                                               traveler

Complied by Tej Kohli

The American education system offers international students the most diverse set of education options in the world. In fact, an international student who elects to take advantage of the American education system can pursue anything from nuclear science to film and dance. American education possibilities are almost endless!

The American education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary and secondary education prior to attending university or college. This may be accomplished either at public (or government-operated) schools, or at private schools. These 12 years of schooling (or their equivalent) may also be completed outside the USA, thus giving foreign students the opportunity to pursue the benefits of the American education system and obtain a quality American education. Perhaps one of the most impressive facts is the large number of presidents, prime ministers and leaders from other countries who have experienced the American education system and graduated from a university or school in the USA. In many fields and industries, the American education system offers the most cutting-edge, sought-after programs at the world’s best schools. That is why graduating from an accredited American school and being exposed to the rigors of the American education system is an investment in your future.

Whether you want to study at a top USA university, a top USA college, or at a USA  ESL, vocational or high school, a thorough understanding of how the American education system works is essential. Without a clear grasp of the American education system, an international student will find it difficult to make the right academic choices. The information provided in the Overview of the American education system section will help you develop that understanding. You can also search our list of top universities, colleges, community colleges, graduate schools, and boys and girls boarding schools in the American education system. It is no surprise that the American education system and the American school system hosts more international students than any other country in the world!

1. Never talk about someone’s weight –”you are very fat”.
2. Never ask “how much did you pay for that” or “how much money do you make”.
3. Never smoke indoors (unless given permission).
4. Never change the TV station, the air conditioner or fan controls in someone else’s home. If you are cold, put on a sweater.
5. Never hit anybody – animal or human.
6. Never talk about the bathroom.
7. Never spend more than 5 to 10 minutes on someone else’s phone.
8. Never bring a friend with you to a party or dinner – unless you have asked the host if it is okay.
9. Never spend more than 20-30 minutes in the bathroom at one time–others may be waiting.
10. Never burp, belch, or pass gas in public – if you do be sure and say, “Excuse me”.
11. If you sneeze in public, cover your mouth and say “excuse me”.
12. Always be on time – between 5 minutes early and 5 minutes late, no more.
13. If you say that you will attend something–attend! Don’t say “yes” to be nice and then not show up.
14. If for some reason you cannot attend, call the host ahead of time to explain.
15. Use deodorant and brush your teeth or use mouthwash. Americans are very sensitive about body odors.
16. Driving – do not honk the horn, except in very dangerous emergencies. It is considered very rude, except in New York City.
17. Do not flash your lights at someone to tell them to hurry or get out of your way.
18. If you are driving on bright lights for better visibility and a car comes toward you, dim your lights.
19. Before 8 AM and after 9 PM Be Quiet. No loud TV or radio.
20. Do not wipe off your cup or silverware in a restaurant. They are clean. If you see that they are not clean ask the waiter or waitress for a new one.
21. When moving out of your dorm room or apartment-leave it clean. always leave a place even cleaner than you found it–people will have fond memories of you.
22. Do not address your school teacher as “teacher”. Call him by name: for example, Professor Brown, Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones.
23. Never throw trash on the ground or out a window–it is illegal.
24. Buy trash bags for your trash and put it out only at the appointment time at the right place.
25. When you have a guest come to visit, turn down, or off the TV set.

Compiled by Tej Kohli

Housing:

1. Contact International / Indian Students Association of the university/ school. They can even arrange a pickup at the airport in case you dont have any friends or relatives living in U.S.A. 
2. During your initial days on campus you would need a place to live while you look for permanent accommodations. Many schools will provide temporary housing for international students who arrive before the semester begins. Ask the foreign student advisor or housing office for information about temporary housing. Also the ISA people can arrange for hosting of students.

Cooking:

Most people prefer to cook at home. If you have a room-mate then it is most likely that you will have cooking turns. It is always better to learn some basic cooking before going. Don’t freak if you need to wash dishes, that’s the trend there.

Social Differences:

There are many different cultures there due to so many students from different places. If you ask for “loo” or “toilet” you might be pointed in the wrong direction. They call lifts as elevators and lines as queues.

Summers:

During summers you can either take additional courses or try to get an internship. Internship hunt might be a little difficult due to increased number of international students in USA.

Hope this helps your journey. Keep checking the blog for more information or post in comments if you need some specific information.

Related to this respect for individuality are American traits of independence and self-reliance. From an early age, children are taught to “stand on their own two feet,” an idiom meaning to be independent. You may be surprised to learn that most U.S. students choose their own classes, select their own majors, follow their own careers, arrange their own marriages, and so on, instead of adhering to the wishes of their parents.

Honesty and frankness are two more aspects of American individuality, and they are more important to Americans than personal honor or “saving face.” Americans may seem blunt at times, and in polite conversations they may bring up topics and issues that you find embarrassing, controversial, or even offensive. Americans are quick to get to the point and do not spend much time on social niceties. This directness encourages Americans to talk over disagreements and to try to patch up misunderstandings themselves, rather than ask a third party to mediate disputes.

Again, “individuality” is the key word when describing Americans, whether it is their personalities or their style of dress. Generally though, Americans like to dress and entertain informally and treat each other in a very informal way, even when there is a great difference in age or social standing. Students and professors often call each other by their first names. International students may consider this informality disrespectful, even rude, but it is part of American culture. Although there are times when Americans are respectful of, and even sentimental about, tradition, in general there is little concern for set social rules.

Competitiveness
Americans place a high value on achievement and this leads them to constantly compete against each other. You will find friendly, and not-so-friendly, competition everywhere. The American style of friendly joking or banter, of “getting in the last word,” and the quick and witty reply are subtle forms of competition. Although such behavior is natural to Americans, some international students might find it overbearing and disagreeable.

Americans can also be obsessed with records of achievement in sports, in business, or even in more mundane things. Books and movies, for example, are sometimes judged not so much on quality but on how many copies are sold or on how many dollars of profit are realized. In the university as well, emphasis is placed on achievement, on grades, and on one’s grade point average (GPA).

On the other hand, even if Americans are often competitive, they also have a good sense of teamwork and of cooperating with others to achieve a specific goal.

Measuring Success
Americans are often accused of being materialistic and driven to succeed. How much money a person has, how much profit a business deal makes, or how many material goods an individual accumulates is often their definition of success. This goes back to American competitiveness. Most Americans keep some kind of appointment calendar and live according to schedules. They always strive to be on time for appointments. To international students, American students seem to always be in a hurry, and this often makes them appear rude. However, this attitude makes Americans efficient, and they usually are able to get many things done, in part, by following their schedules.

Many Americans, however, do not agree with this definition of success; they enjoy life’s simple pleasures and are neither overly ambitious nor aggressive. Many Americans are materially successful and still have time to appreciate the cultural, spiritual, and human aspects of life.

If you are planning to live, learn and grow in the United States, you already possess a well-known American characteristic—a sense of adventure! As an international student, you will experience many new and exciting things. In this section, we hope to prepare you for some of the adventures involved in living in the United States.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss exactly what “Living in the U.S.” means to everyone. American culture has been enriched by the values and belief systems of virtually every part of the world. From an international student’s perspective, that diversity is very valuable. If you choose to live in a completely different environment, you may be challenged with new situations every day; but if you decide to live in a part of the U.S. that resembles your home country in some ways, you may find comfort in those similarities.

Learning more about yourself is perhaps the most important part of your decision to travel to the U.S. Once you know what you want to achieve, then you can identify the right place to study and live and grow in the States.