American influences on Australian English

Australia has been in contact with America since the very early years of settlement. As a result of this contact, various kinds of American influence - cultural, economic and linguistic - have been recognised in Australia over the years. In terms of the linguistic influence, there has been both plentiful public commentary as well as scholarly interest on the topic. Often the views of the public and those of linguists differ considerably in that while the speakers of Australian English often see American English as a threat, research has not revealed any extensive Americanisation of Australian English. In this chapter, both of these views are taken into account. After outlining the most important periods of American contact in Australia, the chapter explores how Australians’ attitudes towards American influences have varied over the years and offers a detailed discussion of the kinds of American English inputs that have made their way into present-day Australian English. To give a comprehensive view of these inputs, all areas of language (vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation and grammar) are considered. The chapter finishes with suggestions for future research directions on this interest-provoking topic.