My country was once a British colony. And so up until Independence in 1962, the language, education system and paperwork all had a leaning towards British systems. Fast forward to the 1980s, HIV and AIDS became a big issue and our biggest funders are from the USA. This now means that our systems and paperwork is going American. This doesn't mean that the British pulled out completely. They too fund some projects here and there and in fact a lot of out historical maps and artifacts are in some Office in the UK.
Now comes my confusion, do I use English (UK) or English (USA)? On the other hand we (like any other former colony) want to promote use of our own language. In other words, in school I had to learn English (UK), at work I have to use a combination of the two because reports are to both UK and USA, while I want to retain my identity as an African and therefore speak at least one or two African Languages. It is quite interesting though that some non-Africans think that Africa has one language. It never ceases to amuse me when I watch a film set in South Africa and the characters are speaking Swahili which is not spoken in South Africa but rather in East Africa.
I read so many Mills and Boon novels written in Britain while growing up. And now watch so many Sitcoms from the USA. But I work in a not for profit organisation whose biggest clientele prefers to speak a local language. So I ask myself, how do I organise myself while reporting or how to I ensure that I am communicating the right thing when my brain is unsure.
I once wrote an article and asked a intern from Canada to help me edit it. He sent it back with several grammatical corrections. I gave the same piece to a friend in Britain and she thought it was near perfect. So, was one being honest and another being polite? Or is my English learning more towards UK than USA?
Phew!!! Just thinking about it makes my brain feel drained.
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