TOPICS DISCUSSION

LEARNING ENGLISH
Student ‘A’
 Discuss the questions below with your partner.

1. Why are you learning English?

2. Do you like English tests? Are they fun? Why? / Why not?
3. How long does it take most people to learn a language?
4. Can watching TV help you to learn English? Why? / Why not?
5. How many hours a week do you study English? Is it enough?
6. Is it possible to learn a language in only one year? Why? / Why not?
7. Is English an easy language to learn? Why? / Why not?
8. Would you like to have a job as a translator? Why? / Why not?
9. Can the Internet help you to learn English? If ‘yes’, how?
10. Do you enjoy learning new things? Why? / Why not?


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TOPICS DISCUSSION
LEARNING ENGLISH
Student ‘B’
 Discuss the questions below with your partner.

1. How often do you study English? Every day?

2. What is the best way to learn a language?
3. How many languages can you speak?
4. What is the best age to start learning a language? Why?
5. Is vocabulary easier to learn than grammar? Why? / Why not?
6. Can reading books and magazines help you to learn English? Why? / Why not?
7. Is homework fun?
8. Are you a good English student? Why? / Why not?
9. Do you know anyone who can speak English very well? If ‘yes’, who?
10. Do you enjoy learning English? Is it fun? Why? / Why not?

Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use. © www.allthingstopics.com

 UNIT 8 Chapter 1 Which English Will We Speak?

Before You Read A Match each group of countries to the language they share.
Languages Without
1 ______ Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein a Portuguese
Borders
2 ______ Egypt, Syria, Yemen b Spanish
3 ______ Chile, Colombia, Cuba c Arabic
4 ______ Brazil, Cape Verde, Portugal d English
5 ______ Australia, Barbados, Jamaica e German

B Answer the following questions.

1 Why do we learn English? Why do you think English is a popular

language to learn?
2 Do you know of any differences between the English spoken in countries
like the U.S., England, and Australia? Give some examples.

C Discuss your answers with a partner.

Reading Skill A Skim each paragraph of the passage on the next page. Then match
Identifying Main Ideas each paragraph to its main idea.

When we read, we try 1 ______ Paragraph 1 4 ______ Paragraph 4

to make connections 2 ______ Paragraph 2 5 ______ Paragraph 5
between what we are 3 ______ Paragraph 3
reading and what we
a There are many varieties of English.
already know. It is
b The future of English is uncertain.
easier to make those
connections if we c English is widely used and growing in countries like China and Russia.
know the main idea of d The rst group consists of countries with native English speakers.
the text. e Countries like India and Malaysia use their own variety of English in
everyday life.

B Skim the passage again quickly. Then complete the sentence below.

The main idea of this passage is that .

a the most important type of English continues to be British English
b there are many types of English, and they will continue to change
c English will not be the international language for much longer

C Now read the entire passage carefully. Then answer the questions on
page 100.

98 UNIT 8 Chapter 1
1 English is called an international language, but
there are actually quite a ew varieties o English
that exist around the world. English originated
Which in England, but soon English spread to other
5 countries, and di erent varieties o English began
to exist. Today, the countries in which English is
spoken can be divided into three groups.

2 The frst group is made o those countries

where English is the primary language. These
10 Will We Speak? are countries like England, Canada, the United
States, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
There are more than 380 million native1
speakers o English in these countries alone.

3 There is a second group o countries that have their own varieties o English.
15 Their histories have been directly in uenced by one o the early English-speaking
societies. They use English in various important ways within their own government
and everyday li e. India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Kenya are examples o this
group. The total number o speakers in this group is in the hundreds o millions.

4 In a third group o countries, English

20 is widely used as a oreign language.
However, citizens use their native
language within their own government
and in everyday li e. Some countries
in this group are China, Russia, Japan,
25 Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, and many
Western European countries. Some
people calculate the number o
speakers in this group to be as many as
one billion—and it is growing ast.

5 30 This changing situation raises many questions. Will another language replace
English as the international language? I not, will people continue to use the English
o countries such as England or the United States as models? Will new varieties o
English develop in countries such as China or Brazil? Or, in the uture, will a new
international variety o English develop that doesn’t belong to any one country, but
35 to an entire area like Asia or Europe?

1
Your native language is the frst language you learned to speak.

Which English Will We Speak? 99

Reading A  Choose the correct answers for the following questions.
Comprehension   1  England, America, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are
Check Your Understanding
countries where .
a  people speak English as a foreign language
b  English is the main language
c  people still use the type of English used in England
  2  In China and Brazil, English is widely used .
a  in everyday life
b  by the government
c  as a foreign language
  3  The group has the most number of English speakers.
a  rst
b  second
c  third
  4  Which sentence is the writer most likely to agree with?
a  English will stay in its current form for a long time.
b  No one knows if English will remain the international language.
c  Soon there will be more native speakers of English than non-native
speakers.

B  Read the following sentences. Check (✓) true (T), false (F), or not 
given (NG). If the sentence is false, change it to make it true.

T F NG

1 English originated in the United States.

2 The writer thinks English is easy to learn.
3 The Philippines has its own variety of English.
4 English is widely used as a foreign language in
Egypt.

Critical Thinking C  Discuss the following questions with a partner.

  1  Do you think it is important for the world to have an international

language? Why, or why not?
  2  Do you think another language will replace English as the international
language in the future? Why, or why not?

Effort versus ability. Did you make mistakes on the comprehension checks in this unit because
of a lack of effort or because the items are beyond your ability level? Many learners want to blame mistakes
on lack of ability, but often our mistakes are a result of not trying hard enough.

100  UNIT 8  Chapter 1

A Match each word with its de nition. The words in blue are from the Vocabulary
passage.
Comprehension
1 exist a to work with numbers Defnitions
2 calculate b to grow or change over time
3 primary c how things are
4 develop d begin
5 originate e type or kind o something
6 replace f the main or most important thing
7 situation g to take or fll the place o
8 variety h to be real or to be present

B Complete the following sentences using the correct form of words

from A.

1 I’m terrible at math. It takes me orever to my expenses.

2 I need a new pair o shoes to my old ones, but there’s
such a big that I can’t decide which to buy!
3 It can be an uncom ortable when you orget someone’s
name.
4 The city slowly along the river, which became its
source o water.

A Look at these English words that came from other languages. Practice Vocabulary Skill
saying them with a partner. Can you add any more to the chart? Loan Words

Language Loan word Language Loan word

There are many words
French passport Dutch cruise in English that have
Turkish kiosk Indian shampoo come rom other
Latin candle Japanese tsunami languages. These are
Italian violin Malay ketchup called loan words and
they are now used
Spanish mosquito Chinese tea
as part o everyday
German hamburger Inuit kayak
English.
B Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the words
in A. You may use your dictionary to help you.

1 Would you like some co ee or ?

2 A is a very small animal that drinks blood.
3 I’m using a new . It makes my hair really shiny.
4 I would like some on my .
5 You have to bring your with you when you go traveling.
6 I bought a magazine at the .
7 The in 2004 destroyed many areas near the Indian Ocean.
8 I wish I had learned to play the when I was younger.

Which English Will We Speak? 101

 UNIT 8 Chapter 2 Sign Language

Before You Read A This is the alphabet for American Sign Language. Practice making these
Sign Language Alphabet signs with your hand.

B Use the sign language above to spell English words to a partner.

Reading Skill A Read the rst paragraph of the passage on the next page. Then look at
Distinguishing Main Idea the main idea and one supporting idea below. Add two more supporting
and Supporting Details details.

Main idea: Deaf people have special ways of communicating.

Many paragraphs have
a main idea that is Supporting details:
supported by a number 1
of details. Not all details 2 It is possible for deaf people to speak with special voice training.
in a paragraph support 3
the main idea; some
support the supporting B Now read the second paragraph of the passage. Then write the main
ideas themselves. idea and three supporting details.
Finding the main
and most important Main idea:
supporting idea helps us 1
clearly understand the 2
writer’s point. 3

C Read the entire passage carefully. Then answer the questions on

page 104.

102 UNIT 8 Chapter 2

1 Because dea people cannot hear, they have special ways o communicating.
For example, they can learn to understand what someone is saying by looking at
the mouth o the speaker. This is called lipreading. Also, speaking is very di fcult
or the dea , because they cannot hear their own voices. However, it is possible
5 with special training. According to many dea people all around the world, the most
practical and popular way o communicating is with sign language.

2 In many ways, sign language is similar to spoken language. The words o sign
language are made with signs, which are ormed with movements o the hands,
ace, and body. As with words, each sign has a di erent meaning and can be
10 combined to orm sentences. Signed languages also have their own grammar. The
alphabet o sign language is special hand signs that stand for letters; they make
spelling possible. The signs combine to orm a rich language that can express the
same thoughts, eelings, and ideas as any spoken language. And just as people
rom di erent countries speak di erent languages, most countries have their own
15 variety o sign language.

3 In addition to knowing sign language, it

is also help ul to know something about
how dea people communicate. Since they
rely so much on actions, dea people are
20 generally not very formal when they “talk,”
and may touch your arm or shoulder a
lot to make sure you know what they’re
saying. It is not seen as rude among dea
people to lightly touch someone you do
25 not know to get their attention. It’s also okay to wave your hands or hit the table or
oor. Also, lots o eye contact1 is necessary.

4 There are many ways to learn a ew signs. Community colleges o ten teach
introductory classes. For sel -learners, bookstores and libraries have books or
learning sign language. There are also instructional2 videos on the Internet, with
30 actors demonstrating signs and per orming interesting stories and conversations
or you to see. With practice, you’ll soon get the hang of this use ul method o
communicating!

1 If you make eye contact with someone, you look into their eyes.
2 Something instructional is full of information, or for learning.

Sign Language 103

Reading A  Complete the following summary using words from the passage.
Comprehension Deaf people have special ways of communicating. While they can’t hear, they
Check Your Understanding also nd it hard to speak because they cannot hear their (1)   .
Some deaf people use (2)   , where they watch the speaker’s mouth.
But the most widely-used method of communication is (3)   .
They use hand signs to spell letters of the (4)   , and use hand
and body movements to form words and sentences. They even have their
own (5)  in the same way people in different countries speak
different languages. In addition to hand signs, communicating with deaf
people involves a lot of touching and making (6)   . You may also
have to wave your hands or (7)  the table or oor to get their
attention. There are lots of ways to learn sign language. You can go for
(8)  with trained teachers, read (9)  about it, or
watch (10)   . All it takes is effort and practice!

B  Read the following sentences. Check (✓) true (T) or false (F) or Not 
Given (NG). If the sentence is false, change it to make it true.

T F NG
1  You can learn to lipread by reading a book.
2  Lots of eye contact is necessary for deaf people.
3  Sign language has letters, but no words.
4   Waving your hands at someone is considered rude by
deaf people.

Critical Thinking C  Discuss the following questions with a partner.

  1  Think of all the things you do in an average day. Which ones wouldn’t
you do if you were deaf?
  2  How would you design alarm clocks, doorbells, and telephones for deaf
people?

Vocabulary A   Complete each statement with the best answer. The words in blue are 
Comprehension from the passage.
Words in Context   1  When you get the hang of something, it becomes much .
a  easier b harder
  2  Practical advice is useful .
a  on special occasions b in everyday life
  3  Which words below are similar?
a  big, small b small, short
  4  What do stand for?
a  the numbers 123 b the letters ATM

104  UNIT 8  Chapter 2

 5 He’ll demonstrate the move. You just have to him.
a watch b listen to
6 In an introductory class, you will probably learn from the
teacher.
a simple information b advanced information
7 Which of the following involves communication?
a writing, typing b running, jumping
8 Who would you send a formal letter to?
a your close friend b your boss

B Answer the following questions, then discuss your answers with a

partner. The words in blue are from the passage.

1 What occasions are generally seen as formal?

2 How are you similar to people in your family?
3 What letters do you know that stand for something?
4 What are some ways that animals communicate?

A Complete the chart with the missing parts of speech. Use your Vocabulary Skill
dictionary to help you. Compare your answers with a partner. Word Families

Noun Verb Adjective When you learn a

1 introductory new word in English,
it is helpful to also
2 variety
learn words that are
3 threaten related to it. Learning
4 imagine the different parts
5 harm of speech that form
the word family can
6 communicative
help you expand your
vocabulary.
B Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the words
from the chart.

1 Smoking can be very to your health.

2 The band sang a of songs during the performance.
3 He must have a great to come up with that crazy story!
4 The robber to hurt me if I didn’t give him my wallet.
5 The rst chapter of Dancing Today is a great to modern
dance.
6 Couples who with each other usually have a happy
marriage.

Sign Language 105

Real Life Skill A Do you know the following words? Match the words from the box to
Distinguishing American their American or British counterparts.
and British Words
petrol toilet cookies truck at
There can be many elevator rubbish queue soccer pants
differences in language
even between two
English-speaking American British
countries like the U.S. line
and England. Aside from
football
differences in spelling,
certain terms are biscuits
used in England, and gas
countries using British lorry
English, which may be
restroom
foreign to Americans
and countries that apartment
use American English, trousers
although they may refer trash
to the same thing.
lift

B Discuss your answers with a partner. Then answer the following

questions.

1 Which of these words are more commonly used in your country?

2 Can you think of any more British and American English words which
refer to the same thing?

Create realistic learner beliefs. Do you have certain beliefs about what it takes to be a good
reader? Some of them may be unrealistic or even incorrect. Write down two beliefs you have about reading, and
discuss them as a class. How can you adjust some of these beliefs to t your learning needs?

What do you think?

1 Do you think technology has changed the way we communicate? How?
2 Do you think there will be more or less languages in the future? Why?
3 Does English make a good or a bad international language? Why?

106 UNIT 8 Chapter 2