British English-and the languages of the uk Guide word study

I. Find another word or phrase for the following:

to distinguish	is likely to
to settle	correct
to take on a Northern way of life	bilingual
to pick up (language)	to prefer independence
to preserve	to survive

COMPREHENSION

II. Answer the questions:

1 Where are most Cockneys born?

2 How do Northerners pronounce (a) can't (b) dance?

3 Find as many words as you can with the same vowel sound as: done, much, southern, mother.

4 What would Dave answer if you asked him if he'd hurt his wife?

5 Why do many children in South Wales not want to (earn Welsh?

6 Why won't most Hebridean children go on speaking Gaelic?

III. Translation or summary:

1. Either translate into your own language, or write in English a summary of the paragraph beginning: 'Gaelic on the Hebridean islands of Scotland will not...'

2. Translate into standard English the Cockney passage beginning 'Poor old Dive... 'urts issetf, 'e does.'

Follow up

IV. Disagreement.

Use these phrases to answer the questions in the Dialogue:

Nonsense! — I don't agree — Why should I? — That's a silly argument!—That's unfair.

Phil	You ought to speak Welsh.
Megan	…
Phil	Because you're Welsh.
Megan	…
Phil	Every Welsh person should learn Welsh.
Megan	... Most people can't speak Welsh.
Phil	Well, they're not true Welshmen, then.
Megan	…
Phil	I think all Welsh schools should have all their, lessons in Welsh.
Megan	…

France Gets Tough with "Le Hot Dog"

Increasing numbers of English words are creeping into many other languages as the influence of American culture spreads. The following article discusses the strong efforts of the French government to keep the French language "pure" by prohibiting the use of Franglais. Do you think it's possible for a government to stop the spread of foreign words?

Are English words appearing in your language, and if so, in what areas of life—food, entertainment, technology, business, transportation? Give some exam­ples. Is your government trying to stop the importation of such words?

Hopeful French actors may be dismayed to learn that they will no longer be able to turn up at "le casting" in search of a job.

That word and 126 other popular English expressions used in cin­ema, television and advertising were banned last week by Georges Fillioud, Communications Minister, in the latest stage of France's perennial war on "Franglais."

Within six months of official publication of a list of 127 French replace­ment terms, public establishments, but not newspapers and magazines, will face legal action if they use such words as "drive-in cinema" instead of "cine-parc" or "casting" instead of "distribution artistique."

An official of France's High Committee for the French Language, a Gov­ernment body, said such legal action could include fines of up to 50 francs ($7) for each-banned word, multiplied by the number of times it is used, or

such sanctions as state intervention to keep a product off the market if its user instructions include forbidden terms.

Other words on the list of Franglais undesirables include "le flashback," "pay TV" (now "télévision à péage"), "mailing" ("publipostage") and "jingle" ("sonal").

Protecting the French language has been a Government priority since former President Valery Giscard d'Estaing began a crusade against foreign intruders several years ago. But some commentators have questioned the wis­dom of trying to legislate language in a country where "le hot dog" is a stan­dard menu item and "le jogging" is fast becoming a national sport.

The use of "Franglais" first became punishable by law in 1977, when the Government decided to make pure French compulsory in advertising guaran­tees and in instructions for the use of machines, bills and receipts.

The following year, British Airways became the first big company to fall afoul of the law. The airline was fined 80 francs, a symbolic gesture, for sell­ing tickets for international flights printed only in English.

Perhaps the most bizarre case, however, was in 1980, when the Govern­ment sued France's state-owned Seita tobacco company for marketing a new brand of cigarettes called "News."

Even the military has seen fit to join the war on words, banning such common terms in French as "le jet" (now "I'avion a reaction") and "le black­out" ("le silence radio").

While the Government has insisted that the language law aimed to pro­tect the consumer from possible confusion, it has caused many a befuddled French shopper looking vainly for "le discount" to wonder whether this was really "le fair play".