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Do you know?
1. What races are most common in the US? Are they increasing or decreasing in relative size?
2. What religions are most common in the US?
3. What are some sacred (religious) holidays?
4. What are some non-religious (secular) holidays?
5. What are some ethnic holidays?
6. What is the official language in the US?
7. What are some differences between British and US English?
8. What are some US English dialects?


Most people in the United States are Christian.  “WASP”　= White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant	
There are many kinds of Christians: Catholic  26.2%　Protestant(Baptist 19.4%, Methodist 8.0%, Lutheran 5.2%, Presbyterian 2.8%)
(Jewish 1.8%)
Pentecostal  1.8%
Episcopalian  1.7%
Mormons 1.4%
Churches of Christ  1.0%
Jehovah's Witnesses 0.8%

Public Holidays (Christian)
Some public holidays are Christian holidays:
Christmas – birth of Christ (Dec. 25)
Christmas Trees，Christmas Lights, Christmas Stocking, Santa Claus, Nativity Scenes, Plays

Easter  – death and resurrection of Christ (Sunday April 24 in 2011)
Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Baskets
Easter Service, Good Friday

Public Holidays (civic)
Other holidays are not connected with religion.  They are often patriotic or civic.  For example,
Thanksgiving
Independence day
Memorial day
Martin Luther King day

Other Ethnic and Religious Holidays
Hanukkah (Jewish)

Kwanzaa  (Black American)

Ramadan (Islamic)

Other holidays are just for fun; for example: 
Valentine’s Day
Halloween

Language(s)
There is NO national language in the US!
But…
176 languages are SPOKEN. 
56 languages are DEAD.
Most were native American languages.

Hawaii: English and Hawaiian
New Mexico: Spanish

British vs. US English
"The Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language."Oscar Wilde 
"We (the British and Americans) are two countries separated by a common language."G.B. Shaw 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyHp9Ezjxms&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKuAKteVvcA&feature=related

Pronunciation differences
 barn  US /barn/ GB /ba:n/ 
 tune   US /tun/ GB /tyun/ 
 laugh  US /laef/GB (closer to ア）　
 hot   US  (closer to ア） GB (closer to オ）
 often  US /afen/  GB /often/ 
privacy US pry-vacy GB priv-acy 
schedule US skedule GB shedule 

Spelling and writing differences
July 8, 1960       	08 July 1960 
color                 	colour 
center, theater   	centre, theatre
check                 	cheque 
defense, license 	defence, licence 
all right    		alright 
tire    			tyre 
jail    			gaol 
Grammar differences
(G.B.) Have you got your grade in history yet?(U.S.) Have you gotten your grade in history yet? 
(G.B.) He went on a course. 
      (U.S.) He was in a course. 
(G.B.) He's in hospital with a broken leg.(U.S.) He's in the hospital with a broken leg.
(G.B.) JAL have a flight to London today.
      (U.S.) JAL has a flight to London today.
American English Dialects

Regional: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGxlxOcS-tE
NYC accents
Racial: 
AAVE or Black English
Spanglish
Social:
Valspeak, etc.