British teachers have reported an increasing number of schoolchildren using American English terms such as 'candy' and 'diaper', according to a recent survey. Over half of the 10,000 teachers surveyed said they had heard pupils say 'candy' instead of sweets, and 'trash' or 'garbage' for rubbish. Some teachers also reported hearing 'diaper' rather than nappy, as well as 'apartment' for flat and 'closet' for cupboard.
The survey found that 65% of primary teachers heard 'candy' in the classroom, compared with only 26% of secondary teachers, suggesting either that Americanisms wear off with age or that the phenomenon is becoming more common among younger generations. Some parents have even said their children speak with American accents.
The source of these linguistic shifts appears to be American YouTube cartoons, US social media stars, Netflix and even children's programming on the BBC. However, the influence is not entirely one-way. The use of British words and phrases in the United States, including 'gobsmacked' and 'knickers in a twist', has been steadily increasing. Americans have also adopted 'ginger' for red-haired and 'cuppa' for tea, and there are signs in the US that say 'lift' instead of 'elevator'.
The article notes that the word 'Americanism' itself has a history: first recorded in 1779, it originally meant loyalty to the ideals and interests of the United States, before coming to describe a feature of American English. It also observes that when a word imported from another culture addresses a specific need, it may be worth adopting, but often it is simply an example of trendy affectation.
The overall trend, according to the article, is not a one-way language invasion but a cross-pollination, aided by wider access to global media. The more words we have for something, the richer our language becomes.
