I’ve lived in five different countries
of which four were non-English speaking countries.
“Non-English speaking” - I’m not sure this term is 100% accurate…
For instance, right now I live in Brazil, where Portuguese is the official language.
And every here and there, I listen to Brazilians using (mispronounced) English words.
What really catches my attention is the fact that some people
don't even know they’re speaking English.
Once, a Brazilian friend of mine said that she didn’t know how to speak any English.
And it was the end of November; Black Friday was on.
So I said to her: “Come on, you know at least two words.”
She was shocked when I explained to her that "blecky Fraid"
(that’s how you pronounce "Black Friday" here in Brazil) were English words!
This phenomenon happens in many other countries where English isn’t the official language.
And it happens the other way too.
Have you ever heard an English person say “bon appétit” or “sayonara”?
But in today’s video we’ll focus on English
and how it has subtly been inserted in non-English speaking countries.
With the help of my MosaLingua co-workers who live in different parts of the world,
I’ve gathered popular English words and expressions you probably use
without realizing you are speaking English!
Today, English is virtually all around.
If you don't believe me, let me start by telling you some words
that French people use on a daily basis!
"OK, cool, fun, weekend, parking, camping,
lifting, best-seller, jean, brushing, design,
vintage, clown, smoking, pickpocket,
babysitter, feeling, flirt, brunch, gloss,
speed, steak, toast,
discount, chewing gum,
challenge, cowboy, and barbecue."
I know...that's not exactly what you would expect to hear in France, right?
And these are just a few English words
that are part of what the average French person speaks!
And, if that's what you're wondering, French people are not alone...
"lifestyle, fair, clever,
park, ticket, and service point"
are a few English words that you'll hear in...Germany!
Not to mention work-related words,
like "job, manager, meeting."
And of course, words related to IT, such as:
“Antivirus, computer, and laptop."
Next to Germany, in Poland we’ll hear people speaking English too
with words such as: “drink, weekend, lobby…”
And pay attention to the spelling of the next words as the Polish have creatively adapted them:
Biznesmen (businessman),
flesz (flash),
forhend/bekhend (forehand/backhand),
lider (leader),
mecz (match),
and tost (toast).
On the other side of the planet, here is what the people in China say in English.
“Hi, hello, bye-bye, and party”
are English words used in China.
And the word "cool" is so popular
it even has a character for it ( 酷 ).
Young people often say "nobody cares"
and they also use the word "low" to refer to somebody or something that has no class!
Spanish people also use a lot of English, especially at work:
“Community manager, team building, startup,
sponsor, ranking, newsletter."
But outside of work too:
“vamos al cíber?” (cyber cafe)
or maybe you're more in the mood for “happy hour” at the bar.
In Italy, young people often say:
“bro or sis (brother/sister),
social media, gossip, lifestyle,
community, location, and influencer."
But older people also use English:
“trend, mood,
boss, break, hotel,
cheap, escalation,
stress, story-telling, and partner.”
Now, in Russia, there are also lots of English words used.
Did you know that Russians often say “hello” or “sorry”?
In HR instead of “hunt” Russians say хантить (hántit’),
"to google" would be гуглить (gùglit’).
Other English words used by Russians are:
“summit, briefing,
hitchhiking, retail,
brand, handmade,
startup, copywriter, and coworking.”
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Now, let’s get back to the topic at hand…
Next on the list is Brazil.
So as I mentioned at the beginning of the video, we have:
“Black Friday," and other words would be... "air fryer,
show (meaning something is great/cool),
pet shop, personal trainer,
home office, homeschooling
and bullying."
And to end this video, I’ll display a list of English words used internationally.
If you live in a non-English speaking country,
do let me know if you say any of these.
Oh, and take in mind that the pronunciation might be a little different
as I’ll be pronouncing them with an English accent.
We have: “Kit, airbag, outlet, check up, sexy.”
Words related to food:
“fast food, sandwich,
pop-corn, hamburger.”
Words related to IT, Internet, Media:
“Web,
download, screenshot,
chat, cloud,
post,
login/logout,
playlist,
bug, spam,
email,
smartphone,
pen drive, fake news,
selfie, hashtag,
like, followers,
and influencers.”
Words related to work:
“Freelance, marketing,
business, feedback,
planning, coaching,
burn out, networking,
meeting, and workshop.”
Words related to sports:
“Football, match,
corner, bodybuilding,
leggings, fit, fitness,
bowling, skate,
surf, bike, crossfit,
PR (meaning "personal record"),
strength, and freestyle.”
And finally, words related to entertainment. We have:
“Casting, spoiler,
interview, box-office,
shooting, making-of,
remake, best-of, star,
show, fan, best-seller, playback,
DJ, and jet set.”
That’s all for now,
please tell me in the comment box
if there are other words you can think of
that I haven’t mentioned in this video.
Thank you so much for watching.
I’ll see you next time.
“Sayonara.”
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