This film takes an amusing look how the English language developed differently in two neighboring countries, the U.S. and Canada. It shows how our speech patterns reflect our history. How did the word couch develop from the British chesterfield? Why do we say faucet when the British say tap? We take our baggage to the airport, they take their luggage. The Canadians raise their blinds in the morning, the Americans raise their shades and their blinds. Why do we both say either ee-ther and eye-ther, sometimes interchangeably? Why do distinctive regional accents develop in certain areas and their inhabitants use colorful words that can't be heard anywhere else? How have French words like portage and prairie, and Native American words like chipmunk and toboggan become part of the everyday speech on both sides of the border?

Few of us are aware that the language we speak -- the words we use and the way we say them -- has less to do with conscious choice than it has to do with our past: when and why we came here, where we settled and the tug of war between British, American and French influences, which have been part of our lives for centuries. Talking Canadian is not so much about history as about our accents, intonations and vocabularies -- how we speak today, and how we will talk in the future.

"Speech patterns, regional accents, colorful words, and interesting vocabularies are all examined with teenagers, language specialists, and encyclopedia project directors. The humor comes from the Canadian side towards Americans, and how we (Americans) misuse, misspell, and mispronounce the "English" language. . A fascinating and informative examination of our neighbors to the north and the development of their language and culture. Recommended"
Brad Eden, Ph.D., University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas for EMRO