АСТРАХАНСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
Кафедра «ИЯГЕНО»
Методическая разработка
По разговорной теме
«Изучение иностранного языка в современном
обществе»
(«LANGUAGES AND LANGUAGE LEARNING»)
Для студентов 1 курса всех факультетов.
Астрахань 2006
Составитель:
Камальдинова С. А.., ст. пр. кафедры «Иностранных языков»
© Астраханский государственный технический университет
LANGUAGES AND LANGUAGE LEARNING.
Do you know?
1. Which language in the world is spoken by most people?
2. Which language has the largest vocabulary?
3. Which is the oldest written language?
4. Which sub-continent has the largest number of languages?
5. Which language has no irregular verbs?
6. Which language has the most letters in its alphabet?
7. In which language is the largest encyclopedia printed?
Key:
1. Mandarin Chinese is spoken by 700 million people (70 % of the population of
China).
English is the most widespread, with 400 million speakers.
2. English has the largest vocabulary with approximately 500 000 words and 300
000 technical terms.
3. The oldest written language is Egyptian, which is 5 000 years old.
4. India has the most languages, with 845.
5. There are no irregular verbs in Esperanto, an artificial language invented in
1887.
6. Cambodian has 72 letters.
7. The largest encyclopedia is printed in Spanish.
I. Pronounce the following words correctly:
universal dangerous
language disappear
official throughout
approximately pop
tongue fluently
popularity artificial
II. Read the text. Try to understand its contents:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
Though there are almost three thousand languages in the world, English is the most universal. It is the official language in over forty countries. It is the most used
language in international business, science and medicine. Approximately 400 million people speak English as a mother tongue (700 million speak Chinese, 200 mil-
lion speak Russian and 100 million speak German).
Even in the countries where English is not the first language, a number of English words are used. Words from no other language are borrowed more often then from English. Hundreds of words borrowed from English can now be found in other languages such as soda, hotel, golf, tennis, jeans, O. K., baseball, and airport. Many words are used just as they are. Other are changed to make them more like the native language, easier to say and remember.
English is everywhere. It is on signs, clothing, soft drinks and other goods around the world. In spite of the popularity of the English words and phrases, they are not always welcome. Some people think that the use of English words is dangerous for the purity of their native language. Some countries tried to eliminate English as their official language in order to save their native tongue.
Some people believe that English should be international language. They believe that business would run more smoothly if everyone spoke the same language.
Some language experts think that many languages are disappearing. In some parts of the world, only a few people are left who can speak their native language. In Ireland, for example, there are only a few areas where people speak Gaelic, the native Irish language.
Language have changed and disappeared throughout the history. This change is inevitable. Because people have very strong feelings about the importance of their native language, we probably will not have English as a universal language in the near future. It is certain, however, that English words will continue to pop up everywhere, whether some people like it or not. It is also certain that English will be the language of business, diplomacy and international relations. Most educated people speak English fluently. Attempts to introduce an artificial international language lice Esperanto have failed.
III. Remember the words and phrases:
universal универсальный
an official language официальный язык
the most used language наиболее используемый язык
to speak English as a mother tongue говорить на английском как на родном
языке
to be borrowed from заимствоваться из
the popularity of популярность чего-либо
to be dangerous for the purity of быть опасным для чистоты (языка)
to eliminate English as their official устранить английский как нацио-
language нальный язык
to save one’s native tongue спасти свой родной язык
the international language международный язык
to run smoothly протекать, проходить гладко
a language expert лингвист
to speak one’s native language говорить на родном языке
to disappear throughout the history исчезать с течением времени
inevitable неизбежный
to pop up возникать, появляться
diplomacy дипломатия
international relations международные отношения
educated people образованные люди
to speak English fluently говорить на английском бегло
to introduce an artificial international ввести искусственный международ-
language ный язык
Esperanto эсперанто
to fail провалиться.
VI. Answer the questions:
1. How can you prove that the English language is the most universal one?
2. In what ways does the English language influence other languages?
3. Why do some people think English is dangerous for their native languages?
4. Why do some people believe that English should be the international language?
5. Why do language experts think that some languages are disappearing?
6. Why will the international language probably be English, and not an artificial
language?
V. Give the English equivalents:
Наиболее универсальный язык, официальный язык, наука, медицина, родной язык, слово, употреблять, заимствовать, везде, быть опасным, спасти свой язык, устранить, популярность, международный язык, исчезать, неизбежный, образованные люди, говорить бегло, искусственный язык, международные отношения, важность.
VI. Give the Russian equivalents:
to speak one’s native language, international relations, to save one’s native tongue, the popularity of, an official language, to disappear throughout the history, educated people, to speak English as a mother tongue, the most used language, to introduce an artificial international language, a language expert, to be borrowed from.
VII. Insert the missing words from the text:
1. English is … language.
2. Approximately 400 million people speak English as a …
3. Words from no other language are … more often than from English.
4. Many words are … just as they are.
5. Some countries tried to … English as their official language in order to save
their ….
6. Some language experts think that many languages are …
7. Most educated people speak English…
8. Attempts to introduce an …. Language like Esperanto have failed.
(fluently, used, mother tongue, disappearing, artificial international, universal, borrowed, eliminate, native tongue).
VIII. Translate into English:
1. Английский - наиболее универсальный язык.
2. Английский – официальный язык во многих странах, наиболее употреб-
ляемый язык в бизнесе и науке и родной язык более, чем 400 миллионов
людей.
3. Слова, которые заимствуются из английского языка, могут использоваться
в том же виде.
4. Некоторые слова, заимствованные из английского языка, изменяются.
5. Чтобы сохранить чистоту родного языка, в некоторых странах пытались
устранить английский язык как официальный язык.
6. Лингвисты считают, что исчезновение многих языков неизбежно.
IX. Answer the questions:
1. Do you ever use English outside the classroom? When? What for?
2. What contacts do you have with English?
3. Have you ever been to an English-speaking country?
4. Do you listen to songs in English?
5. Do you watch films on T. V. programmes in English?
6. Do any other members of your family speak English?
7. What do you think you will use English in the future?
X. Read the text. Try to understand its contents and retell it:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
English is one the most spoken languages in the world. It has become a world language during last few centuries and now over 300 million people speak it.
It is the official language of the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. It is also one of the official languages in Canada, Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa. As a second language it is spoken in Pakestan, India, Singapore and very many countries of Africa and Asia which are former colonies of Great Britain.
Besides million of people in all parts of the plant speak it as a foreign language. English language developed on the bases of the dialects of Angles and Saxons who invaded British Isles in the 5 th century.
Later it was influenced by Scandinavian Vikings and by Norman French. Many Latin and Greek words came into English during the Renaissance.
At present time when there are close ties among nations, various languages influence each other and English also experiences this influence.
English has become the language of science, literature, education, it is one of the official language of the U. N. (United nations) and of many other international organizations and politics.
Hundreds and hundreds of books, magazines and newspapers are printed in English and read all over the world.
It is the language of modern music, cinema and theatre, as well as of the international tourism.
English is widely taught in our country now. The integration of our country into world community makes it necessary for all people to know English, the main language of international communication.
XI. Answer the questions:
1. When did English become a world language?
2. How many people speak English in the world now?
3. Can we say that English is one of the most important language? Why?
4. Name the countries where English is spoken.
5. Name the languages that influenced English.
6. Name other languages of international communication.
XII. Read and remember the text about some American-British Vocabulary differences:
Despite the fact that British and Americans speak the same English language, sometimes you can find different world for the same notion used in their respective countries, for example:
English American
Ministry department министерство
To rise to speak to take the floor выступать на собрании
Plurality majority большинство голосов
An inquiring a bureau of information справочное бюро
Railway railroad железная дорога
Smoke, fog smog туман
Station depot станция
Subway underground метро
Government administration правительство
Thirsty dry жаждущий
Apartment flat квартира
Shop story магазин
Lift elevator лифт
Autumn fall осень
Sweet candy конфета
Puncture flat прокол в шине
Postman mailman почтальон
and some others, but nowadays you can often meet the so-called Americanisms in an Englishman’s speech and vice versa.
Again, though British and American spelling is the same in most cases, it differs it a few details, which sometimes leads an inexperienced student to failures in his attempts to find some unknown words in the dictionary.
For instance, being unable to identify the word “reflexion” found in a text of American origin, the student starts looking for it in the dictionary which he has at hand. If it is a small dictionary containing under 20 000 words, which is often the case, the word may remain a puzzle unless he recollects that there may be some difference in spelling, and that the American “exion” looks “ection” in the British usage.
To avoid trouble and loss of time those who are engaged in reading and translating books and magazines published both in Great Britain and America should keep in mind at least some of the most commonly met differences, such as:
1. The British – re stands for the American – er:
theatre theater
centre center
metre meter
2. The British – our takes the form of – or in American:
labour labor
honour honor
vapour vapor
colour color
3. The British – ize written as – ise in American:
criticize criticize
mechanize mechanise
organize organize
civilize civilise
4. The II before – ing and – ed used in the British spelling is substituted with a singe I in the American spelling:
travelling traveling
travelled traveled
levelled leveled
levelling leveling
5. The British – ection stands for the American – exion:
connection connexion
reflection reflexion
6. The British to-day, to-night, to-morrow lose their hyphens in the American to-
day, tonight, tomorrow.
Provided the students know the six main differences mentioned, they will encounter less trouble in their work.
By the way, the so – called Americanisms are known to be making much more headway in England, therefore one may often find a typical American slelling in a British paper. In fact spelling gets more and more mixed, especially in scientific and political fields.