English
English
English
WHY ENGLISH?
Discussion 1
1. How many languages do you speak?
2. Have you studied other languages? Which ones?
3. Do you want to study another language apart from English?
4. Do you like learning foreign languages?
5. Do you agree that English is difficult to learn?
6. Is your language more difficult that English?
7. How important is it to you to speak accurately? Why?
8. Can you learn a language all by yourself?
9. What makes a language easy to learn?
10. How long was it before you could hold a conversation in English?
11. Do you need a motivation to learn English? Make a list of three possible motivations.
Speaking 1
a) Speak for one minute about:
your history of learning English (from what age, teachers, your progress, level of competence, etc.)
what you use English for now and what you’d like to do better in English in the future
other languages that you speak and what you use them for
why you think English has become so popular in international communication
what you like / dislike about Ukrainian
Discussion 2
a) 1. Would you like to be able to speak Esperanto? Do you think Esperanto is the language of the future? Why/not?
2. Why do languages die out (e.g. Latin)? Do you think English will ever die out? Why/not?
3. How different would life be if we all spoke the same language? What would be the advantages and disadvantages?
Do you think that speaking one language could bring people of different nations closer together and improve the
chances of world peace?
4. Approximately 1 in 4 people speak Chinese. In many countries Spanish is the first language. Taking this information
into account, do you think that English is still the best choice for the international language? Why/not?
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using English as a global language?
b) Work in pairs. Decide whether the sentences are true or false. Then check the answers on the internet.
o There are more than 6,000 languages in the world.
o English is the language with the largest number of native speakers.
o English is spoken by about 300 mln people as a native language.
o One in every ten people in the world knows at least some English.
o There are about one mln words in English.
o An average native speaker of English knows about half a million words.
o You need about 2,000 words to be able to communicate in English in basic everyday situations.
Reading 1
Read “Things you need to know” and choose three facts that were unfamiliar to you or impressed you most.
Things you need to know
360 mln people have English as their mother tongue. This means that they are native speakers of English.
The number of people who speak some form of English will soon reach three billion – half the world’s population.
English used to be a small language, but it spread around the world when England started to establish colonies from
1660.
English became the native language of the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand because they were empty lands
that were filled with English-speaking settlers.
English became an official language in many other British colonies, such as India and South Africa. Most colonies still
use English even though they became independent in the 20th century.
The USA is the world’s largest English speaking country, with 290 mln native speakers.
Language experts believe that English will change a lot in the future. English grammar, spelling and pronunciation will
become easier.
Discussion 3
1. Would it be a bad or a good thing if the world spoke only three or four languages?
2. Do you think that having many languages in one country can create problems? Why?
3. How many foreign languages should be taught at school? Whish ones? How early should the learning start?
4. Do you see English as a threat to your native language?
5. Do many people around the world speak your language?
6. Do you think your language is in danger from other languages?
7. In your experience, are native English speakers good at speaking second languages? Why / Why not?
Attitudes
Think of 5 adjectives describing your opinion / feelings regarding the English language.
Reading 2
a) Do you agree with these statements about second language learning? Why / Why not?
1 It’s helpful to get feedback from native speakers.
2 New words are more memorable if you like the thing they describe.
3 Communicating in another language makes you behave a bit differently.
4 Grammar is a waste of time – I don’t even know it in my first language!
5 The biggest reward is being able to relate to people from another culture.
6 It’s possible to learn a language without writing anything down.
7 When you’ve learned one second language, it’s easier to learn another.
b) Read about four language learning experiences. Who might agree with each of the statements in 1a?
THOMASINA MIERS, co-founder of Wahaca, a chain of Mexican restaurants in the UK
Native language: English Second language: Spanish
Thomasina first travelled to Mexico after finishing school. It was the beginning of a love affair with the country’s
world famous cuisine and its language. Basically, the learning of Spanish directed me to land in Mexico because I
wanted to go and speak Spanish. I wanted to talk to everyone, I wanted to eat everything I could see, I wanted to just
drink everything in. What I loved about the Spanish language is how guttural and earthy and unpretentious it was.
The chef explains how she picked up the language dish by dish.
When you’re travelling round the Yucatan coast you’re tasting achiote and you’re having habenero chillies and
having cerviches with pulpo … There’s this whole resonating language going on that draws you in. The avour and the
language are linked because you know the taste and the memory and the words are all kind of caught up and bound
into one, so there’s this whole language of food and emotion.
Listening
a) Listen to language expert Susanna Zaraysky talking about second language learning amongst native English
speakers. Tick (✓) the points she makes.
1 Native English speakers don’t see second languages as being necessary.
2 Native English speakers lack opportunities to practise their second language skills.
3 Having to learn the grammar of a second language can be demotivating.
4 Being surrounded by different languages often helps people to learn a second language.
Speaking 2
How can these factors have an impact on second language learning?
• the right mentality
• financial limitations
• distractions
• opportunities for interaction
• first language interference
• natural competence
• the prestige of knowing a second language
Writing
Choose a person 1–3 and write five pieces of advice for them. Explain why you give such advice.
1 an English speaker who wants to learn your language
2 a friend who wants to pass a TOEFL or IELTS exam
3 a teenager who finds languages at school a turn-off