This blog began as a description of our life in Al Ain, UAE (United Arab Emirates). Brn worked at the UAE University Libraries Deanship for three years and Bss homeschooled our four children, D, B, P, and O. After returning to the the USA for five years, we are living in Abu Dhabi now.
2006/12/10
Only in the UAE
I had one of those "only in the UAE" moments the other day. A group of librarians from UAE U, Zayed U, and HCT trying to work out the wording on a brochure about a new service we are launching together. The only problem is that the group consisted of two Americans, three Canadians, three Emiratis, and one African who had learned British English, so trying to get everyone to agree on simple things like what preposition to use (e.g. we Americans wanted to say "staff at the university", the Canadian/British English users wanted "staff in the university"). After working all this out, I had to point out that few of the students at (or in) our universities will ever read any of this anyway, since we will also have an Arabic version.
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6 comments:
I am Canadian and I would say staff at. Couldn't you say University staff?
The one I can't swallow is the British Exam Revision instead of study.
I actually like a lot of British English, but that one would drive me nuts too. The one that really grates on my nerves is referring to singular nouns as if they were plural, like "the Government are" or "Arsenal are". I know that it isn't wrong, just different, but it sounds so wrong to my American ears.
Oh, and the whole inability to pronounce the letter z properly.
As someone who speaks British English, I'd say that 'staff at the university' is correct. 'Staff in the university' sounds plain wrong!
I sympathise with the American inability to pronounce the letter z properly too. It must be frustrating for you all :)
Now would that be the letter zed or the letter zee. Or maybe we can organize the organise....
That happens in Arabic as well. Especially between Egyptian/North Afrian vs. Levant schooled - rivals for life :)
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