- •In the World of English
- •In the World of English
- •1) What is language? Think of as many notions associated with language as you can to complete the spidergram.
- •3) Now read the definitions of language from the encyclopedia and dictionaries, compare them with your own definition. Which one is better? Why?
- •3. Amazing facts about English
- •1) Read the following facts about English. Which one is the most amazing? Why?
- •2) Could you think of some other amazing facts about English? Your language? Share your suggestions with the class.
- •3) Follow-up
- •2) These are some of the sentences that you will hear in the lecture. Read them paying attention to the italicized words and expressions.
- •3. Now follow the Topic Outline while the speaker gives a brief overview of what will be discussed in the commentary. Lecture outline - a topic outline
- •I. Animal and Human Communication Systems
- •II. The Origin of Language
- •III. Statistics on Modern Languages
- •8. Recount the information you heard in the lecture to a partner. Use your notes and the outline to help you.
- •9. Discuss the following with the class. Use the language of agreement / disagreement and persuading from Reference Section at the back of the book to organize your discussion.
- •1. Before you read, discuss the following questions with your partner.
- •2. Read the text below and write out the major stages in the development of English spelling and factors which influenced its change.
- •3. Discuss the following questions with your class.
- •4. Do you know how English in America developed? What factors influenced its development? Discuss with your class.
- •5.Now read the text below and make notes concerning major stages in the development of American English. Language change and the development of american english
- •6. Put the sentences below in chronological order. Use transitional words or phrases if needed between the sentences to form a paragraph.
- •7. Work with your partner, refer to your notes and summarise the information given in the text. You may use the paragraph from the previous exercise as an example.
- •8. Read the text once again and decide if the statements below are true or false according to the article. Correct the false statements.
- •9. Discuss the following questions with your class.
- •1. Before you listen discuss the questions below with your partner.
- •2. You will hear an interview with a journalist Robert MacNeil who wrote a book"Do You Speak American?". As you listen make brief notes on the answers to the following questions:
- •3. Look at these extracts from the report. Complete as many of the sentences as you can before you listen again.
- •4. With a partner reproduce the interview using the questions and responses given below (aa - Avi Arditti):
- •5. Discuss with your groupmates.
- •1. Read the famous words by George Bernard Shaw. Do you agree with his opinion?
- •4. Language Focus
- •2) Here are some more examples of differences between American and British vocabulary. Can you match the American word on the left with its British equivalent on the right?
- •3) With a partner in two minutes write down as many other examples of American vocabulary that is different from British vocabulary as you can.
- •3. Work with a partner. Reproduce the interview using the questions and responses given below (aa - Avi Arditti; rs - Rosanne Skirble):
- •4. Discuss the following questions with your groupmates.
- •Rendering 1. Британский или американский
- •Британский или американский
- •Englishes of the World
- •In groups of four match the explanations (1-9) to the words, phrases and figures. Then answer Questions 10-17.
- •1. What do the following countries have in common? Is it an advantage for these countries? Why? Why not? Discuss with your partner.
- •3. Language facts
- •2) Could you continue the list of language facts? Share your suggestions with the class.
- •Discuss with your partner.
- •2. You are going to listen to the lecture about historic struggle and conflict between Ireland's two languages: Irish and English. Before you listen, preview the content of the lecture.
- •3. Before you listen, preview the vocabulary you will hear in the lecture.
- •1) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate vocabulary items.
- •2) These are some of the sentences that you will hear in the lecture. Read them paying attention to the italicized words and expressions.
- •Languages in Conflict: Irish and English
- •5. Now listen to the lecture again and take your own notes.
- •9. Recount the information you heard in the lecture to a partner. Use your notes and the outline to help you.
- •10. Discuss the following with the class.
- •1. On May 23-25, 2001 Moscow State University hosted an international conference "Global English for Global Understanding". Could you explain its title. What problems were on the agenda?
- •3. Now read the whole article, underline the main idea in each paragraph (if possible). Make an outline of the article. Global understanding for global english
- •1.Read the title of the article. What is it about? What is a democratic linguistic order? Read the introductory part of the article quickly and check.
- •2.Now read the whole article, underline the main idea in each paragraph (if possible). Make an outline of the article. Envisioning a democratic linguistic order
- •Introduction
- •The Structure of the Hegemony of English
- •Language as Environment, not Commodity
- •Democracy Among All Languages
- •Conclusion
- •2. Would you agree or disagree with the following quotations? Why? Why not?
- •3. Skim the text and decide whether its author would agree or disagree with the quotations above.
- •Silent witnesses
- •5. Paraphrase the following extracts from the article and explain what the author means. What is your opinion?
- •6. In pairs discuss the main points the writer makes. Then summarise the article.
- •7. Work in a small group. Discuss the questions below. Then share your ideas with the class.
- •1. You are going to read the three articles about three different languages. Before you read comment on the language facts given below.
- •2. Now look quickly at the articles and decide what languages they are about. What do two of the languages have in common? Try not to take more than one minute.
- •3. Answer questions 1-8 by referring to the three newspaper articles about different languages.
- •4. Which of the following categories of text type would you say the articles belong to?
- •3. Now listen to the interview and answer the questions below.
- •1. Divide into two teams, and debate the problem of the English language globalization.
- •Глобализация и развитие языков
- •1. Look at the picture below. What is its message?
- •3. Now compare your list with those of other students.
- •4. Compare your notes with those written by a partner. Do your partner's notes make you want to add anything to your own or to change anything in your own?
- •5. Listen again to the lecture and decide whether the following statements about it are true or false.
- •1. Researchers who study gender and communication have realized that women and men communicate in different ways.
- •2. The lecturer will talk about how children learn the communication patterns of their gender and about some false stereotypes people have of men’s and women’s communication patterns.
- •3. Now listen to the lecture again and take notes.
- •4. Check your notes to be sure that they are complete. Check if you can:
- •5. Recount the information you heard in the lecture to a partner. Use your notes and the outline to help you.
- •6. In a group of two or four discuss the questions below. At the end of the discussion, a representative from the group should summarise the group’s discussion for the class.
- •1. The following two passages are from the book You Just Don’t Understand by Deborah Tannen. Before you read these passages, answer the questions below.
- •2. Now read and find out whether your suggestions were correct. His Politeness Is Her Powerlessness
- •It's Different Coming From a Man
- •3. Work with your partner. Discuss the questions below. Then share your ideas with the class.
- •Rendering1. Мужское и женское в языке
- •Мужское и женское в языке
- •1. Paraphrase the quotations below. Which one do you agree with? Why?
- •2. Euphemistically Speaking
- •2) Do the quiz below. Then compare your answers with a partner. Quiz: Euphemistically Speaking
- •3) Work with your partner and discuss the following questions.
- •4) Here are some more examples of euphemisms.
- •3. Look at two web pages from an on-line translator below. What do they illustrate? Does political correctness pose any difficulties for translators and interpreters?
- •4. What is political correctness? Does the term ‘political correctness’ overlap with ‘euphemism’? What is the difference?
- •2) Is it a good idea to rewrite famous works of literature to make them more politically correct? Discuss with your class.
- •1. You are going to read an article The World of doublespeak by William Lutz.
- •2. Read the article and write out the examples of doublespeak and their meanings.
- •The world of doublespeak
- •3. Check your answers.
- •3. Now read the article and check your answers. Life under the Chief Doublespeak Officer
- •(From William Lutz, Life under the Chief Doublespeak Officer http://www.Dt.Org/html/ Doublespeak.Html)
- •4. Work with your partner, discuss the following questions, then share your ideas with the class.
- •1. Before you listen think of some political speech you know (e.G. M.L. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech) and try to answer the following questions.
- •6. In pairs discuss the following questions.
- •In this project you are going to analyse the language politicians use.
- •1. Before you listen discuss the questions in pairs.
- •3. Reproduce the interview using the questions and responses given below (aa - Avi Arditti; rs - Rosanne Skirble):
- •4. In class discuss the following questions.
- •Политическая корректность, или языковой такт
- •«Черный человек». Политкорректность в русском языке
- •3. Do you know any funny stories / anecdotes about translators / interpreters? Share them with the class.
- •Deadlines
- •To make a long story short...
- •1. You are going to read the text under the title ‘Ambassadors of the Word’. Who could be called an ambassador of the word? Why? Discuss with your partner.
- •2. Look through the text quickly and check your suggestions. Ambassadors of the Word
- •3. Now read the text more carefully and from the ideas and opinions expressed in the article, decide which of the sentences are likely to be true (t) or false (f).
- •4. Match the words in column 1 with the meanings in column 2.
- •5. Comment on the following quotations. Which do you agree with? Why?
- •6. Work in pairs, discuss the following questions. Then, share your ideas with the class.
- •1. You are going to listen to the interview between the journalist and Fiona Guiffs, the translator. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of this profession? Discuss with your partner.
- •2. Now listen to the interview and complete the chart below.
- •3. Now look at these extracts from the interview. Complete as many of the sentences as you can before you listen again.
- •4. In pairs discuss the following questions.
- •2. Now listen to the interview and make notes on Michael Gove and Professor Tony Briggs’s opinions. Compare your notes with those of your partner.
- •3. Read the following statements and decide whether they are True (t) or False (f). Correct the false ones.
- •6. Discuss the following questions.
- •1. What do you know about computer translation systems? How do they work?
- •2. Now read the text below and find out.
- •In the near future
- •3. Answer the questions below.
- •1. Have you ever used on-line translation services? Was your experience successful?
- •2. What problems could a person face using online translation tools? Read the article and find out. Getting lost in the translation
- •4. Answer the questions below.
- •5. Work in pairs, discuss the following questions. Then share your finding with the class. To organize you discussion use the useful language from Reference Section.
- •2. Now work in your groups and match the words on the left with their definitions on the right. Consult the dictionary if necessary. Add them to the categories you have.
- •3. Provide the Russian equivalents for words and expressions 1-26 from Exerscise 2.
- •Профессия переводчик
- •Нужны ли переводчики?
- •Решение мировой проблемы перевода
- •Переводчик в кармане
- •Inbound text
- •Voice-over, voiceover
- •Useful Language
- •Inviting a response
- •Interrupting
- •Strong agreement / disagreement
- •Persuading
- •Framing an argument
- •Listening 2. Male-Female Conversation as Cross-cultural Communication
- •В мире английского языка
- •In the world of english
3. Work with a partner. Reproduce the interview using the questions and responses given below (aa - Avi Arditti; rs - Rosanne Skirble):
AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster: linguistic profiling.
…
AA: Lately, Professor Wolfram has been working on a series of television documentaries. The aim is to help take some of the social stigma out of language differences in America.
…
AA: "Well, I'm curious what you think of this fairly recent development of American companies putting call centers in India, using Indian workers to answer technical questions, and computer support and so forth. And the workers are being taught American English, they're being shown American programs. In some cases they're supposed to tell customers that they're actually in the United States. And I guess there's been some anger at outsourcing or offshoring of jobs, but what do you think about this, and ... "
…
AA: "And what's been the reaction to programs that take that position?"
…
RS: "Now, are these programs being used in the public schools?"
…
RS: "And how are the kids responding?"
…
(From VOA Wordmaster http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/)
4. Discuss the following questions with your groupmates.
Are there similar problems in our country?
According to Walt Wolfram it is impossible to learn English without learning some dialect of it. What dialect should be taught at school for native speakers and students of English as a second / foreign language?
Rendering 1. Британский или американский
1. Read the interview below.
Who are the interviewees?
What is the purpose of this interview? Who is the intended reader? Comment on the title of the article.
What are the main points / ideas the interviewees make? How do they support them?
What is your opinion on the issues discussed in the article?
2. Render the interview into English.
Британский или американский
В том, что брать уроки иностранного языка следует у носителя этого языка, уверен сейчас каждый младенец. Взрослый, правда, не столь уверен в этом, ведь на самом-то деле талант педагога и продуманная методика значат куда больше, чем одно только прекрасное произношение в качестве образца. К тому же многие наши преподаватели восхищают своей грамотностью самих англичан — но это к слову. Еще одна «прописная истина», известная каждому дошкольнику, состоит в том, что есть два варианта английского — британский и американский (на самом деле их гораздо больше). На чем же остановить свой выбор? Кого взять в учителя, чтобы карьера была успешнее, — англичанина или американца?
Мнения опрошенных знакомых, озадаченных этим вопросом, разделились ровно в пропорции 50 на 50. Решив наконец получить ответ столь же авторитетный, сколь и обоснованный, корреспондент «i» обратился в агентство кадрового консалтинга «Новое Время» (группа «Триза»). Наши собеседники — глава международного отделения фирмы Людмила ЯЦЕНКО и менеджер-консультант Георгий ХОДЖАМИРОВ.
Л.Я.: Вообще-то в нашей практике не было ни одного случая, чтобы работодатель предъявлял специальные требования к языку: непременно американский английский или только Queen English. Мы стараемся подбирать персонал с таким английским, который соответствовал бы условиям работы фирмы. Американский вариант более распространен как среди соискателей, так и среди работодателей. Деловые круги во всем мире на 70-80 процентов пользуются американским английским. Среди сотрудников компаний, ведущих дела в нашей стране, на британском английском говорят единицы.
Г. X.: Недавно мы выполняли крупный заказ по подбору специалистов, которым предстояло много общаться с коллегами в Англии. Тут уже мы подыскивали штат переводчиков, владеющих литературным английским языком, а не американской формой общения. Как правило, это люди более грамотные, требовательные к себе, чаще всего филологи с высшим лингвистическим образованием.
— Не хотите ли вы сказать, что, Queen English, как более редкий вариант, сразу ставит человека на ступеньку выше в глазах собеседника?
Г. X.: Однозначно! Язык относится к числу косвенных признаков, по которым составляется впечатление о человеке. Британский предполагает более основательную подготовку, говорит о высоком уровне культуры, даже об интеллекте, если хотите. Чтобы его освоить, нужно фундаментальное образование, тщательный самоконтроль, дисциплина...
Л. Я.: А также очень желательно хоть раз побывать в Англии...
Г. X.: Да. Американский вариант проще, легче в использовании, им легче овладеть. Выучили буквально три слова — и вот вы уже говорите на американском английском.
— Не этим ли объясняется такая высокая его распространенность?
Г. X.: Да, но не только этим. Американская система обучения языку — это индустрия, конвейер. Она легко приживается всюду, в том числе и на нашей, российской, почве. Обратитесь на любые коммерческие курсы — и с вероятностью 90 процентов вам преподадут именно американский вариант английского языка. Это международный язык. В каком-то смысле он, наверное, также и примета времени — как «Пепси-кола» и жевательная резинка.
Л. Я.: Американский «налет» в речи переводчиков, говорящих на британском английском — тоже характерное явление для сегодняшнего дня.
— В каких же случаях Queen English дает преимущества, а в каких это безразлично?
Л. Я.: При зачислении на такие должности, как менеджер по маркетингу, менеджер по продажам, секретарь — проходят любые варианты английского, включая «русский» (Russian English). Хороший британский английский важен для людей, которые общаются на высоком уровне с представителями других компаний, а также для переводчиков. Есть и некоторые области трудовой деятельности, предполагающие точное использование языка — например, ряд финансовых позиций высокого уровня, когда уже нельзя слово get употребить в любом из двадцати значений: в каждом случае должен быть свой перевод.
Г. X.: А еще у специалистов самого высокого класса наблюдается явление своеобразной языковой мимикрии: они всегда говорят на языке собеседника. С гостями из Англии они демонстрируют прекрасный Queen English, а с американцами — настраиваются на их «звуковую волну».
— Значит, в каждом конкретном случае выбор «специализации» в языке зависит от подготовки ученика и его дальнейших планов?
Л. Я.: Конечно! Наша средняя и высшая школа долгое время оставалась заповедником, где и слышать не хотели ни о каких «американизмах» в английском. В этом есть свои положительные стороны.
Если вы изучали в школе, к примеру, немецкий, а теперь хотите быстро приобрести навыки общения на английском, то курсы американского английского — то, что вам нужно. Если же вы давно и успешно занимались английским в школе и вузе, то у вас наверняка заложены основы классического, британского варианта. Менять «специализацию» в этом случае, наверное, было бы расточительством.
***
В последнее время наше общественное мнение, явно под влиянием рекламных объявлений частных курсов, склоняется к тому, что британская и американская версии английского языка совершенно равноправны. Как видно из интервью со знающими людьми, это так, да не так. Кстати, и компьютерные программы, обучающие Queen English, более редки, чем «американские». Выбор зависит, конечно, от ваших планов и претензий. Хотите выглядеть изысканно — читайте Шекспира в оригинале.
Анна ШМЕЛЕВА
PROJECT: Englishes of the World
In this project you are going to learn about the peculiarities of regional varieties of English.
Choose one of the dialects of English from the list below.