Information Check

Answer the questions using your active vocabulary:

1. What are the basic characteristics of English?

2. What are the advantages of Esperanto over English and vice versa?

3. What kind of problems does English face in the countries where it is officially established as a second language?

4. What is the difference between standard English in the UK and the USA?

5. What is slang? Speak on its significance and limitations.

6. What makes a good language learner?

7. What are personal and professional benefits of having foreign language skills?

8. What may the future of English be?

Vocabulary Check

1. Give English equivalents to the following American words and word combinations:

Pants Raincoat Galoshes To go on vacation Dumb Pass me the cookies

It is in the closet To stand in line He left the faucet on We are having the fall You’d better use the elevator Consult the schedule, please

2. Look through the row of synonyms and exclude the odd one out:

1) to grow, to increase, to flourish, to cite;

2) to reduce, to enchance, to diminish, to dwindle;

3) sloppy, meticulous, plumy, distinct;

4) impartial, just, biased, equitable;

5) to squabble, to wrangle, to quarrel, to boom.

3. Give antonyms to the following:

1. monolingual –

2. to be reluctant –

3. artificial –

4. coherent –

5. ascent –

4. Fill in the blanks:

1. The new language, "Transatlantic English", is helping to … between our two countries.

2. Variety is …

3. Americans are more ready to accept new ideas and new customs than theor British cousins, and the same …

4. Despite … official attempts to make Hindi the country’s … language at all levels, English has become the voluntary preferred choice in India.

5. Schools in which English is the medium of instruction are springing up everywhere and can’t keep.

6. The structure, vocabulary and flexibility of English give it an … Hindi.

7. Hindi … the movies.

8. A member of the French contingent began reporting in French and then … to English.

9. Although English continues it reign, small changes are …

10. The proposition that all other languages will … is absurd.

5. Translate from Russian into English using your active vocabulary:

1. Давно пора упростить самые трудные варианты написания слов.

2. Чтобы вызвать уважение, язык должен иметь свою историю и традиции.

3. Английский может повторить судьбу латинского и выйти из употребления.

4. Мы должны избавить английский от всяких излишеств в правилах написания слов.

5. Нынешнее положение английского языка можно сравнить лишь с монополией латинского во времена Римской империи.

6. В наше время, если вы не говорите на английском, вы вынуждены его учить.

7. Английский – обязателен.

8. Изучение языка требует уважительного отношения.

9. Многие считают, что без знаний английского языка ничего не добьешься.