Learning new words. 👶

My DGS (12), who spent most of his formative years in the US started getting American on us the other day, now he is learning English at school. Of course they learn British English here in Germany. He said " What's all this 'pavement' business? It's a sidewalk!" (I'm not sure how serious he was being)

So I just told him that neither of them is wrong, they are just different. I think they should learn more American English at school as several hundred million do actually speak it. I think they cover it later for a short time, but perhaps schools think they're going to pick it up later through films and music.

So just point out to him that there are two different kinds of English and sometimes he'll hear the one and sometimes the other. May as well get used to it at an early age. If he's bilingual anyway, it won't be hard for him to get his head around the fact that there can be two words.for the same concept.

In fact in the example above, there are several words even in German for the same thing. A pavement can be a Gehweg, Gehsteig, or in our local vernacular, Trottoir, pronounced trot-var.

It would be a useful exercise for him to read the books more attentively if he takes a pencil and marks other words like that.

I think most people use airplane these days. How old is he? That would influence if giving an alternative word would confuse him.

I would call it a plane. So, I think, would most people I know. Aeroplane sounds old-fashioned to me, and air/aero is a redundant prefix. Where else would a plane fly? We wouldn't say roadcar or tracktrain. (A seaplane lands on the sea, of course, but that is a specific kind of plane)