Hi Everyone,

In this month’s English Newsletter, we’ve collected a few common mistakes that you should try to avoid when travelling abroad.

Abroad or Aboard?

A lot of us get these two words mixed up, so let’s clarify this once and for all.

“Abroad” means in a foreign country, or outside of your own country.

Example: I travel abroad at least once a year.  This year I plan on traveling to Greece.

“Aboard” on the other hand means in, or on a ship, train, or any other form of transportation.

Example:  Welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy the flight.

Invite or order?

Israelis tend to get these two words confused for obvious reasons.

In English we don’t “invite” food, we order food. In fact, the word invite is used almost exclusively for people.

Example:

1. a)I invited all my friends to the party.
2. b)I was invited by the chairman of the board to give a speech at the convention.
3. c)We ordered pizza for supper.
4. d)At the restaurant I ordered a hamburger and French fries (in the UK: chips).

By the way, you don’t invite a taxi either; you book a taxi or call a taxi.

Similarly, you book a flight and book a room in a hotel.

Get the picture? The next time you want to “invite” a table at a restaurant, do me a favor and make a reservation instead!

Example: I’d like to make a reservation for two at nine o’clock this evening. No smoking please.

How much?

The mere fact that a shopkeeper understands what you want and answers you, doesn’t mean that you’re expressing yourself correctly or politely.

Picture this…You’re in a nice clothes store in London (not at an open market in Thailand). You point at an item in the store and say “how much?” Of course the shopkeeper understands you, but there are much more polite ways of getting what you want:

1. a)Excuse me, how much does this shirt cost?
2. b)Pardon me, what’s the price of these sunglasses?

Countries, Languages and Nationalities

Many people confuse nationalities with languages and vice versa. It’s true that Italians speak Italian, but Americans don’t speak American, they speak English.

Try filling in the missing words in the following sentences and then compare your answers with those in the answer sheet.

1. Americans are American people that live in America and speak __________.
2. The British (or “Brits”) are _________ people that live in Britain (or England or The UK) and speak ___________.
3. Canadians are Canadian people that live in ________ and speak English or ________.
4. Spaniards are __________ people that live in Spain and speak _________.
5. __________ are Russian people that live in _________ and speak ___________.
6. Italians are Italian people that live in Italy and speak ___________.
7. _________ are __________ people that live in China and speak ___________.
8. Hungarians are Hungarian people that live in ___________ and speak Hungarian.
9. Greeks are __________ people that live in ___________ and speak Greek.
10. _________ are _________ people that live in ________ and speak Hebrew.
11. Arabs are _______ people that live in the Middle East and speak __________.
12. The French are __________ people that live in France and speak ___________.
13. Japanese are Japanese people that live in __________ and speak Japanese.
14. Germans are __________ people that live in Germany and speak ___________.
15. Thais are Thai people that live in _____________ and speak Thai.

  ANSWER SHEET

1. Americans are American people that live in America and speak English.
2. The British are British people that live in Britain (or England or The UK) and speak English.
3. Canadians are Canadian people that live in Canada and speak English or French.
4. Spaniards are Spanish people that live in Spain and speak Spanish
5. Russians are Russian people that live in Russia and speak Russian.
6. Italians are Italian people that live in Italy and speak Italian.
7. Chinese are Chinese people that live in China and speak Chinese.
8. Hungarians are Hungarian people that live in Hungary and speak Hungarian.
9. Greeks are Greek people that live in Greece and speak Greek.
10. Israelis are Israeli people that live in Israel and speak Hebrew.
11. Arabs are Arab people that live in the Middle East and speak Arabic.
12. The French are French people that live in France and speak French.
13. Japanese are Japanese people that live in Japan and speak Japanese.
14. Germans are German people that live in Germany and speak German.
15. Thais are Thai people that live in Thailand and speak Thai.