Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch is a town name really difficult to pronounce.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1. Where is the town?
2. How many people speak Welsh in the town?
3. How many letters does the name have?
4. Why was the name invented in the mid 19th century?
5. What does the name mean?
6. What is the short version of the name?
7. In what area does the town have the longest name in the world?
Any more passengers for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
Anybody?
Nope, anybody for Fan-Merc?
Plans-clull Llanfair
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Right.
It's a small town in Northern Wales.
Around 76% of the population here speaks Welsh. It's also the longest town name in Europe with 58 letters. There are literally four Ls next to each other. Right there. What is with this name?
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is not the original name of the village.
You've got to be kidding.
In the 1860s, the name was contrived by the local cobbler, and it was meant to bring in people and tourists.
Alun, help us break this name down.
The name means places within the village.
You've got the Church Mary, in the hollow of the white hazel, near to the rapid whirlpools, at the Church of Tysilio, and the red caves.
Okay, so, let's say you wanna mail a letter. Do you have to write the whole name, Postmaster Jim Evans?
You could. But you'd have to write very small. Or, you could use a shortened version, which is the first 20 letters.
If you play for the local football league, does the name fit on your jersey, team manager Steve Smith?
It does, and it's the longest name of any football team in the world. And it just about fits.
Can you say it after a pint, pub owner Kevin Bryant?
I'm sure I can.
Let's see.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
God, you did it.
But, can you put it in a song?
Wow, apparently you can.
Llanfair, Llanfair, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
It might be the greatest PR stunt of the mid-1800s. I don't know, even of today. After all, we're here.
Here in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. I think that's pretty good.
Key:
1 In Northern Wales
2 76%
3 56
4 to attract people and tourists
5 places within the village
6 the first 20 letters
7 football team
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Languages. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Languages. Mostrar todas las entradas
jueves, 27 de abril de 2017
sábado, 15 de abril de 2017
101 English idioms
A few days ago, Jeffrey Hill posted 101 English idioms on his The English Blog.
101 English idioms is a slideshow of idiomatic expressions that he has put together using the idioms that have been appearing on the BBC Learning English twitter feed.
Each idiom is presented with a visually engaging picture and comes together with its definition and example sentences.
If you download the presentation, you can use it to study and revise English idioms by guessing the meaning of the idiom before displaying the definition.
101 English idioms is a slideshow of idiomatic expressions that he has put together using the idioms that have been appearing on the BBC Learning English twitter feed.
Each idiom is presented with a visually engaging picture and comes together with its definition and example sentences.
If you download the presentation, you can use it to study and revise English idioms by guessing the meaning of the idiom before displaying the definition.
domingo, 13 de noviembre de 2016
Extensive listening: 4 reasons to learn a new language
English is fast becoming the world's universal language, and instant translation technology is improving every year. So why bother learning a foreign language? Linguist and Columbia professor John McWhorter shares four alluring benefits of learning an unfamiliar tongue.
You can read the full transcript here.
You can read the full transcript here.
miércoles, 21 de septiembre de 2016
Talking point: Learning English
This week's talking point is learning English. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
- In how many languages can you have a basic conversation in (to order a meal or to greet people)?
- What languages do you have a good grasp of?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning a language using these methods?
being immersed in the language/culture
studying grammar and vocabulary
attending a language school
keeping in touch with people who speak the language through social media and new technology
- Do you know any other ways of learning a foreign language?
- Which ones have you personally tried?
- Which one has really worked for you?
- How often do you hear foreign languages where you live?
- How important do you think memory is to learn a foreign language?
- What do you want to be able to do with English?
- How far away from that objective are you at the moment?
- Do you ever review what you have learnt?
- How often do you watch or read things in English?
- How often do you communicate with native speakers?
- Do you keep a small notebook to note down and revise new expressions?
- Are you subscribed to any podcasts that you listen to while you are doing housework or travelling or waiting?
- What are you doing to learn English at the moment?
- Are you having any problems with English at the moment?
- Do you enjoy learning English?
miércoles, 18 de mayo de 2016
Talking point: Language learning
This week's talking point is languages. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
When did you start learning English?
How long was it before you could hold a conversation in English?
When did you first put your learning into practice?
Have you progressed as well as you expected?
Have you even been immersed in an English-speaking country?
How important is it to you to speak accurately?
What level of competence would you like to attain eventual?
In your experience, are native English speakers good at speaking second languages? Why / Why not?
Apart from English, what's an important second language in your country? Why is it important?
Do you speak this language? Is it widely spoken? Why / Why not?
Interaction
How can these factors have an impact on second language learning?
When did you start learning English?
How long was it before you could hold a conversation in English?
When did you first put your learning into practice?
Have you progressed as well as you expected?
Have you even been immersed in an English-speaking country?
How important is it to you to speak accurately?
What level of competence would you like to attain eventual?
In your experience, are native English speakers good at speaking second languages? Why / Why not?
Apart from English, what's an important second language in your country? Why is it important?
Do you speak this language? Is it widely spoken? Why / Why not?
Interaction
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
To illustrate the topic you can listen to this BBC recording on the difficulties Britons have to speak foreign language and polyglot Susanna Zaraysky's opinion on how to best learn a foreign language.
viernes, 29 de abril de 2016
Does grammar matter?
It can be hard sometimes, when speaking, to remember all of the grammatical rules that guide us when we’re writing. When is it right to say “the dog and me” and when should it be “the dog and I”? Does it even matter?
Andreea S. Calude dives into the age-old argument between linguistic prescriptivists and descriptivists — who have two very different opinions on the matter.
Drop by Does Grammar Matter? at Ted-Ed for Andreea's full lesson, which includes comprehension questions, additional resources on the topic for you to explore and topics for discussion.
You're telling a friend an amazing story, and you just get to the best part when suddenly he interrupts, "The alien and I," not "Me and the alien."
Most of us would probably be annoyed, but aside from the rude interruption, does your friend have a point? Was your sentence actually grammatically incorrect? And if he still understood it, why does it even matter?
From the point of view of linguistics, grammar is a set of patterns for how words are put together to form phrases or clauses, whether spoken or in writing. Different languages have different patterns. In English, the subject normally comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object, while in Japanese and many other languages, the order is subject, object, verb.
Some scholars have tried to identify patterns common to all languages, but apart from some basic features, like having nouns or verbs, few of these so-called linguistic universals have been found. And while any language needs consistent patterns to function, the study of these patterns opens up an ongoing debate between two positions known as prescriptivism and descriptivism.
Grossly simplified, prescriptivists think a given language should follow consistent rules, while descriptivists see variation and adaptation as a natural and necessary part of language.
For much of history, the vast majority of language was spoken. But as people became more interconnected and writing gained importance, written language was standardized to allow broader communication and ensure that people in different parts of a realm could understand each other.
In many languages, this standard form came to be considered the only proper one, despite being derived from just one of many spoken varieties, usually that of the people in power.
Language purists worked to establish and propagate this standard by detailing a set of rules that reflected the established grammar of their times. And rules for written grammar were applied to spoken language, as well.
Speech patterns that deviated from the written rules were considered corruptions, or signs of low social status, and many people who had grown up speaking in these ways were forced to adopt the standardized form.
More recently, however, linguists have understood that speech is a separate phenomenon from writing with its own regularities and patterns.
Most of us learn to speak at such an early age that we don't even remember it. We form our spoken repertoire through unconscious habits, not memorized rules. And because speech also uses mood and intonation for meaning, its structure is often more flexible, adapting to the needs of speakers and listeners.
This could mean avoiding complex clauses that are hard to parse in real time, making changes to avoid awkward pronunciation, or removing sounds to make speech faster.
The linguistic approach that tries to understand and map such differences without dictating correct ones is known as descriptivism. Rather than deciding how language should be used, it describes how people actually use it, and tracks the innovations they come up with in the process.
But while the debate between prescriptivism and descriptivism continues, the two are not mutually exclusive.
At its best, prescriptivism is useful for informing people about the most common established patterns at a given point in time. This is important, not only for formal contexts, but it also makes communication easier between non-native speakers from different backgrounds.
Descriptivism, on the other hand, gives us insight into how our minds work and the instinctive ways in which we structure our view of the world.
Ultimately, grammar is best thought of as a set of linguistic habits that are constantly being negotiated and reinvented by the entire group of language users. Like language itself, it's a wonderful and complex fabric woven through the contributions of speakers and listeners, writers and readers, prescriptivists and descriptivists, from both near and far.
Andreea S. Calude dives into the age-old argument between linguistic prescriptivists and descriptivists — who have two very different opinions on the matter.
Drop by Does Grammar Matter? at Ted-Ed for Andreea's full lesson, which includes comprehension questions, additional resources on the topic for you to explore and topics for discussion.
You're telling a friend an amazing story, and you just get to the best part when suddenly he interrupts, "The alien and I," not "Me and the alien."
Most of us would probably be annoyed, but aside from the rude interruption, does your friend have a point? Was your sentence actually grammatically incorrect? And if he still understood it, why does it even matter?
From the point of view of linguistics, grammar is a set of patterns for how words are put together to form phrases or clauses, whether spoken or in writing. Different languages have different patterns. In English, the subject normally comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object, while in Japanese and many other languages, the order is subject, object, verb.
Some scholars have tried to identify patterns common to all languages, but apart from some basic features, like having nouns or verbs, few of these so-called linguistic universals have been found. And while any language needs consistent patterns to function, the study of these patterns opens up an ongoing debate between two positions known as prescriptivism and descriptivism.
Grossly simplified, prescriptivists think a given language should follow consistent rules, while descriptivists see variation and adaptation as a natural and necessary part of language.
For much of history, the vast majority of language was spoken. But as people became more interconnected and writing gained importance, written language was standardized to allow broader communication and ensure that people in different parts of a realm could understand each other.
In many languages, this standard form came to be considered the only proper one, despite being derived from just one of many spoken varieties, usually that of the people in power.
Language purists worked to establish and propagate this standard by detailing a set of rules that reflected the established grammar of their times. And rules for written grammar were applied to spoken language, as well.
Speech patterns that deviated from the written rules were considered corruptions, or signs of low social status, and many people who had grown up speaking in these ways were forced to adopt the standardized form.
More recently, however, linguists have understood that speech is a separate phenomenon from writing with its own regularities and patterns.
Most of us learn to speak at such an early age that we don't even remember it. We form our spoken repertoire through unconscious habits, not memorized rules. And because speech also uses mood and intonation for meaning, its structure is often more flexible, adapting to the needs of speakers and listeners.
This could mean avoiding complex clauses that are hard to parse in real time, making changes to avoid awkward pronunciation, or removing sounds to make speech faster.
The linguistic approach that tries to understand and map such differences without dictating correct ones is known as descriptivism. Rather than deciding how language should be used, it describes how people actually use it, and tracks the innovations they come up with in the process.
But while the debate between prescriptivism and descriptivism continues, the two are not mutually exclusive.
At its best, prescriptivism is useful for informing people about the most common established patterns at a given point in time. This is important, not only for formal contexts, but it also makes communication easier between non-native speakers from different backgrounds.
Descriptivism, on the other hand, gives us insight into how our minds work and the instinctive ways in which we structure our view of the world.
Ultimately, grammar is best thought of as a set of linguistic habits that are constantly being negotiated and reinvented by the entire group of language users. Like language itself, it's a wonderful and complex fabric woven through the contributions of speakers and listeners, writers and readers, prescriptivists and descriptivists, from both near and far.
martes, 26 de abril de 2016
Latinos learning Spanish in the US
With almost 40 million speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US, just after English.
Watch this Guardian video clip which shows how a growing number of latinos are trying to come to grips with the language and culture of their parents.
My dad has a story he loves to tell about how I came home on the first day of kindergarten and he was speaking to me in Spanish and I said: "Don't speak to me in Spanish any more". There was a time in my early teens when I didn't want to be identified as Hispanic. The only person that I spoke Spanish with was my mother, and when she passed away that was it, I didn't speak.
When I was in college, I had all these classmates and because my last name is Moreno they all assumed that I spoke perfect Spanish so they were like: "What are you doing here? Why are you learning Spanish? Don't you know Spanish?"
I was born in San Antonio, Texas and I'm Mexican-American but I didn't grow up speaking Spanish. My grandparents spoke predominantly Spanish but when it came to us, my parents actually decided to speak to us in English. They didn't want us to have accents. They wanted us to be acculturated. They wanted us to fit in. They wanted us to be successful, and to them being successful meant English.
You just talk to any latino who went to elementary school or high school in their 30s or 40s or 50s, and one thing that you'll encounter is that many will tell you that when they spoke Spanish in school, they were punished for speaking Spanish. Often we're getting messages like "Speak English because it's important", and "be American". Of course, the 1960s changes all of that and we're in a much different period today.
I never considered what my identity was as a Mexican-American but then when I went to university they had all these amazing classes like Chicano literature classes and Spanish classes and that's when I decided that I really wanted to really discover my heritage and really reclaim it for myself and that's when I started studying in Spanish.
Robyn had this urge to communicate. She has a full command of the language in English and she wanted to do that in Spanish but she couldn't. Teaching latinos is a little bit more challenging because we have to deal with the feeling that they should have known the language and they don't know it. There is a lot of emotional stuff going on when they learn the language and that could be a little bit detrimental to
their learning.
I was raised speaking Spanish until I started kindergarten. I saw the other kids speaking English, there were no other kids speaking Spanish and I didn't want to be a different person.
Even among English-speaking latinos, more than 90 per cent say that it's important that future generations of latinos speak Spanish. I think that this emphasis on pride and heritage, and Spanish is an important part of that heritage, is something that's going to keep Spanish alive in a way that maybe for previous immigrant groups just wasn't possible.
It's really important to me that my kids speak Spanish because I want them to know their latina culture.
Oso (bear)! He's cute! Hi oso!
I feel like as you get more and more Americanised you start to want some of that nostalgia. I even miss my mum's weird accent or the fact that she loves cheesy novellas. I want them to know that they are proudly latina, they're proudly Mexican-American, and know who their grandparents were, who their great-grandparents were, who their family is. And so Spanish is a part of that.
Watch this Guardian video clip which shows how a growing number of latinos are trying to come to grips with the language and culture of their parents.
My dad has a story he loves to tell about how I came home on the first day of kindergarten and he was speaking to me in Spanish and I said: "Don't speak to me in Spanish any more". There was a time in my early teens when I didn't want to be identified as Hispanic. The only person that I spoke Spanish with was my mother, and when she passed away that was it, I didn't speak.
When I was in college, I had all these classmates and because my last name is Moreno they all assumed that I spoke perfect Spanish so they were like: "What are you doing here? Why are you learning Spanish? Don't you know Spanish?"
I was born in San Antonio, Texas and I'm Mexican-American but I didn't grow up speaking Spanish. My grandparents spoke predominantly Spanish but when it came to us, my parents actually decided to speak to us in English. They didn't want us to have accents. They wanted us to be acculturated. They wanted us to fit in. They wanted us to be successful, and to them being successful meant English.
You just talk to any latino who went to elementary school or high school in their 30s or 40s or 50s, and one thing that you'll encounter is that many will tell you that when they spoke Spanish in school, they were punished for speaking Spanish. Often we're getting messages like "Speak English because it's important", and "be American". Of course, the 1960s changes all of that and we're in a much different period today.
I never considered what my identity was as a Mexican-American but then when I went to university they had all these amazing classes like Chicano literature classes and Spanish classes and that's when I decided that I really wanted to really discover my heritage and really reclaim it for myself and that's when I started studying in Spanish.
Robyn had this urge to communicate. She has a full command of the language in English and she wanted to do that in Spanish but she couldn't. Teaching latinos is a little bit more challenging because we have to deal with the feeling that they should have known the language and they don't know it. There is a lot of emotional stuff going on when they learn the language and that could be a little bit detrimental to
their learning.
I was raised speaking Spanish until I started kindergarten. I saw the other kids speaking English, there were no other kids speaking Spanish and I didn't want to be a different person.
Even among English-speaking latinos, more than 90 per cent say that it's important that future generations of latinos speak Spanish. I think that this emphasis on pride and heritage, and Spanish is an important part of that heritage, is something that's going to keep Spanish alive in a way that maybe for previous immigrant groups just wasn't possible.
It's really important to me that my kids speak Spanish because I want them to know their latina culture.
Oso (bear)! He's cute! Hi oso!
I feel like as you get more and more Americanised you start to want some of that nostalgia. I even miss my mum's weird accent or the fact that she loves cheesy novellas. I want them to know that they are proudly latina, they're proudly Mexican-American, and know who their grandparents were, who their great-grandparents were, who their family is. And so Spanish is a part of that.
lunes, 25 de enero de 2016
Listening test: Bilingualism
In this week's listening test we are going to practise the heading matching kind of task.
Listen to a person talking about her experience of bilingualism and match headings A-I with the corresponding extract. There is one heading you do not need to use. 0 is an example
A - A multi-sided issue
B - How you raise a bilingual child
C - Only advantages?
D -Personal background – 0 Example
E - Playing a part to make a better world
F - Promoting more than bilingualism
G - The expert’s take on bilingualism
H - What being bilingual means
I - Why encourage bilingualism
Personal background - 0
Being the mother of two potentially bilingual children (the youngest is only three months old) and the teacher of French and English bilingual children, the subject of bilingualism is very important to me. In fact we have recently moved to China and are now considering multilingualism.
What being bilingual means - 1
The way I see it, being bilingual means being able to communicate almost perfectly in two languages and also knowing something about both cultures. If I take the example of my daughter it’s about being able to understand when someone is speaking another language and being able to switch automatically into speaking it with them. At two and a half she has already grasped the concept of ‘Daddy speaks French and Mummy speaks English’. She has even picked up that Bai Yuoine speaks Chinese! I think it’s very important for her to know that the cartoon character Noddy is also called Oui Oui by her friends at playgroup and that Marmite and Cadburys chocolate exist as well as croissants. This is what makes it possible for her to communicate with the people around her regardless of whether they are French or English.
Why encourage bilingualism - 2
In our case it is logical that with an English mother and French father our children should be able to speak both languages to communicate, not only with us, but with their grandparents and extended family. On a wider scale, learning two or more languages helps children to accept cultures other than their own. If speaking their mother tongue(s) at home and at school is encouraged they are more likely to enjoy their difference and view difference in general as a positive thing.
How you raise a bilingual child - 3
There may be a dominant language and this will normally depend on the country you live in or the language your child uses most at school. However, it will also depend on what language is spoken in the home. We lived in France and spoke French at home but I always speak to my children in English. It’s imperative that the child has consistency. They know that their English auntie will always speak to them in English and that for her to understand them they should speak to her in English.
Only advantages? - 4
It can be very difficult for people around you to support what you do. Grandparents can be upset if they don’t understand what you’re saying to their grandchild and worry that they will never be able to communicate with them. This is of course highly unlikely and you should stick to your guns. Another problem we have encountered was when our daughter refused to listen to either of us. A psychologist advised us that as there wasn’t a common language at home between the parents and child and so I should stop speaking English and spend the weekend speaking only in French. Thankfully I decided to ignore this piece of advice and persisted with my English! I also know of one child who had problems at school because his friends made fun of him. His parents eventually gave up speaking English to him.
Promoting more than bilingualism - 5
21st February 2000 saw the first Mother Language Day celebrated internationally. However the importance of this date originated in Bangladesh where in 1952 a handful of students, now known as language martyrs, were killed in demonstrations defending Bangla, their mother language. In 1999 UNESCO decided to take this cause onto an international scale in order to encourage cultural diversity and worldwide tolerance.
A multi-sided issue - 6
Each year the celebration is devoted to a different aspect of language. This has ranged from how children learn their literacy skills at school to how to preserve some of the 6000 languages that exist worldwide. One year was about developing the teaching of mother languages and in 2002 the celebration helped raise awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions around the world. Yet another year the International Mother Language Day was dedicated to Braille and Sign Language, two non-verbal languages that are an invaluable source of communication for many people around the world.
Playing our part to make a better world - 7
It’s essential that we limit alienation throughout the world. By speaking other languages as well as your own, or having two or more mother languages, you can contribute to the creation of a global community. My contribution to this multilingual community is exposing my children to varied cultures and languages, maintaining their mother language, while trying to learn the language of the people around me. Although with my ten or so words of Mandarin I am far from being multilingual!
KEY: 1H 2I 3B 4C 5F 6A 7E
Listen to a person talking about her experience of bilingualism and match headings A-I with the corresponding extract. There is one heading you do not need to use. 0 is an example
A - A multi-sided issue
B - How you raise a bilingual child
C - Only advantages?
D -
E - Playing a part to make a better world
F - Promoting more than bilingualism
G - The expert’s take on bilingualism
H - What being bilingual means
I - Why encourage bilingualism
Personal background - 0
Being the mother of two potentially bilingual children (the youngest is only three months old) and the teacher of French and English bilingual children, the subject of bilingualism is very important to me. In fact we have recently moved to China and are now considering multilingualism.
What being bilingual means - 1
The way I see it, being bilingual means being able to communicate almost perfectly in two languages and also knowing something about both cultures. If I take the example of my daughter it’s about being able to understand when someone is speaking another language and being able to switch automatically into speaking it with them. At two and a half she has already grasped the concept of ‘Daddy speaks French and Mummy speaks English’. She has even picked up that Bai Yuoine speaks Chinese! I think it’s very important for her to know that the cartoon character Noddy is also called Oui Oui by her friends at playgroup and that Marmite and Cadburys chocolate exist as well as croissants. This is what makes it possible for her to communicate with the people around her regardless of whether they are French or English.
Why encourage bilingualism - 2
In our case it is logical that with an English mother and French father our children should be able to speak both languages to communicate, not only with us, but with their grandparents and extended family. On a wider scale, learning two or more languages helps children to accept cultures other than their own. If speaking their mother tongue(s) at home and at school is encouraged they are more likely to enjoy their difference and view difference in general as a positive thing.
How you raise a bilingual child - 3
There may be a dominant language and this will normally depend on the country you live in or the language your child uses most at school. However, it will also depend on what language is spoken in the home. We lived in France and spoke French at home but I always speak to my children in English. It’s imperative that the child has consistency. They know that their English auntie will always speak to them in English and that for her to understand them they should speak to her in English.
Only advantages? - 4
It can be very difficult for people around you to support what you do. Grandparents can be upset if they don’t understand what you’re saying to their grandchild and worry that they will never be able to communicate with them. This is of course highly unlikely and you should stick to your guns. Another problem we have encountered was when our daughter refused to listen to either of us. A psychologist advised us that as there wasn’t a common language at home between the parents and child and so I should stop speaking English and spend the weekend speaking only in French. Thankfully I decided to ignore this piece of advice and persisted with my English! I also know of one child who had problems at school because his friends made fun of him. His parents eventually gave up speaking English to him.
Promoting more than bilingualism - 5
21st February 2000 saw the first Mother Language Day celebrated internationally. However the importance of this date originated in Bangladesh where in 1952 a handful of students, now known as language martyrs, were killed in demonstrations defending Bangla, their mother language. In 1999 UNESCO decided to take this cause onto an international scale in order to encourage cultural diversity and worldwide tolerance.
A multi-sided issue - 6
Each year the celebration is devoted to a different aspect of language. This has ranged from how children learn their literacy skills at school to how to preserve some of the 6000 languages that exist worldwide. One year was about developing the teaching of mother languages and in 2002 the celebration helped raise awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions around the world. Yet another year the International Mother Language Day was dedicated to Braille and Sign Language, two non-verbal languages that are an invaluable source of communication for many people around the world.
Playing our part to make a better world - 7
It’s essential that we limit alienation throughout the world. By speaking other languages as well as your own, or having two or more mother languages, you can contribute to the creation of a global community. My contribution to this multilingual community is exposing my children to varied cultures and languages, maintaining their mother language, while trying to learn the language of the people around me. Although with my ten or so words of Mandarin I am far from being multilingual!
KEY: 1H 2I 3B 4C 5F 6A 7E
lunes, 23 de noviembre de 2015
Listening test: Multilingualism
In this week's listening test we are going to deal with the heading-matching kind of task.
Listen to seven people expressing their opinion on multiculturalism and match the headings A to I with the corresponding speaker. There are two headings you do not need to use.
A - A lingua franca is needed
B - Better educational opportunities
C - Important for several reasons
D - Important if you’re on the move
E - It helps you to integrate in other societies
F - It opens up your mind
G - Many people can already speak more than one language
H - To speak out for yourself
I - We should all be polyglots
Speaker 1
Well let me see … German, Italian, French, English … I can get by in Spanish because of Italian. I like languages; I study them for fun. I’m teaching myself Japanese, believe it or not. But I also think we should all speak one common second language – and that one should be Spanish. It’s the easiest language to learn – even easier than Italian, and I’m Italian!
Speaker 2
Three. English, French and a little bit of Spanish. Err … it’s important to be able to talk with other people and err … erm … can discuss and err … and share your opinions with, err, other populations.
Speaker 3
So, I speak French as my mother tongue. I speak English and a little bit of German … err … and I think that … err, speaking different languages is very important because you … when you want to travel or do anything else nowadays, it’s just, err … essential. You cannot do anything if you do not speak at least two languages, yes.
Speaker 4
Err, I speak erm … two languages, English and Afrikaans – I’m from South Africa. Erm, I’m holidaying in this region. Err, I speak a smattering of French, I’m busy learning the language. And I think it’s very important to try and speak more than one language because it broadens the scope of your interests. You’re able to speak to French people. There are parts of Switzerland and other countries in the world where they speak French and, of course English is an international language – so yes I do think it’s important to speak more than one language.
Speaker 5
Erm … I speak two languages. I’m English and I also speak French … because I live in France. I think it’s very important to speak the language because it enables people to join in in their local community … and … to … show the people that you’re serious about being part of the village or the town where you live.
Speaker 6
How many languages do I speak? Err, I do my best to speak English, my native language is French and I can speak err … decent, err … German. And, err … is it important to know foreign languages? Yes, I think today it’s essential and, err … for young people I think they even have a hard time to find a job if they don’t speak foreign languages. So, it’s amazing now how many young people, how many languages they can speak, so it’s not anymore that you need to speak maybe another one, you … everyone should probably be able to speak at least three, err, if not four.
Speaker 7
Err, in terms of speaking, err … a foreign language, I, I speak, err … English as my main, main language of course … and French. Now, I think it’s very important. You can get more out of life, more out of your travels, if you speak another language. And it also can present, err, good job opportunities to somebody who speaks a foreign language. So, yes. A very big yes. I think it’s important to speak another language, other than your native language.
KEY:
Speaker 1A
Speaker 2H
Speaker 3D
Speaker 4F
Speaker 5E
Speaker 6I
Speaker 7C
Listen to seven people expressing their opinion on multiculturalism and match the headings A to I with the corresponding speaker. There are two headings you do not need to use.
A - A lingua franca is needed
B - Better educational opportunities
C - Important for several reasons
D - Important if you’re on the move
E - It helps you to integrate in other societies
F - It opens up your mind
G - Many people can already speak more than one language
H - To speak out for yourself
I - We should all be polyglots
Speaker 1
Well let me see … German, Italian, French, English … I can get by in Spanish because of Italian. I like languages; I study them for fun. I’m teaching myself Japanese, believe it or not. But I also think we should all speak one common second language – and that one should be Spanish. It’s the easiest language to learn – even easier than Italian, and I’m Italian!
Speaker 2
Three. English, French and a little bit of Spanish. Err … it’s important to be able to talk with other people and err … erm … can discuss and err … and share your opinions with, err, other populations.
Speaker 3
So, I speak French as my mother tongue. I speak English and a little bit of German … err … and I think that … err, speaking different languages is very important because you … when you want to travel or do anything else nowadays, it’s just, err … essential. You cannot do anything if you do not speak at least two languages, yes.
Speaker 4
Err, I speak erm … two languages, English and Afrikaans – I’m from South Africa. Erm, I’m holidaying in this region. Err, I speak a smattering of French, I’m busy learning the language. And I think it’s very important to try and speak more than one language because it broadens the scope of your interests. You’re able to speak to French people. There are parts of Switzerland and other countries in the world where they speak French and, of course English is an international language – so yes I do think it’s important to speak more than one language.
Speaker 5
Erm … I speak two languages. I’m English and I also speak French … because I live in France. I think it’s very important to speak the language because it enables people to join in in their local community … and … to … show the people that you’re serious about being part of the village or the town where you live.
Speaker 6
How many languages do I speak? Err, I do my best to speak English, my native language is French and I can speak err … decent, err … German. And, err … is it important to know foreign languages? Yes, I think today it’s essential and, err … for young people I think they even have a hard time to find a job if they don’t speak foreign languages. So, it’s amazing now how many young people, how many languages they can speak, so it’s not anymore that you need to speak maybe another one, you … everyone should probably be able to speak at least three, err, if not four.
Speaker 7
Err, in terms of speaking, err … a foreign language, I, I speak, err … English as my main, main language of course … and French. Now, I think it’s very important. You can get more out of life, more out of your travels, if you speak another language. And it also can present, err, good job opportunities to somebody who speaks a foreign language. So, yes. A very big yes. I think it’s important to speak another language, other than your native language.
KEY:
Speaker 1A
Speaker 2H
Speaker 3D
Speaker 4F
Speaker 5E
Speaker 6I
Speaker 7C
viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2015
The benefits of a bilingual brain
In this TED-ed lesson Mia Nacamulli details the types of bilingual brains and the benefits of being bilingual. Drop by Ted-ed to watch the lesson, do some comprehension tasks, get ideas to explore the topic further and discuss the topic.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false. The activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 and Advanced students.
1 A bilingual brain and a monolingual one are different.
2 Most bilinguals around the world master the two languages equally.
3 If you are a coordinate bilingual, you filter the second language through the first.
4 Our emotional and social side lies in the right hemisphere.
5 The flexibility of their brain enables children to learn a language more easily.
6 If a person is bilingual he/she will not suffer from dementia.
7 In the past bilingualism was considered an obstacle for a child's development.
8 Bilingual people are cleverer.
¿Hablas español?
Parlez-vous français?
你会说中文吗？
If you answered, "sí," "oui," or "是的" and you're watching this in English, chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority. And besides having an easier time traveling or watching movies without subtitles, knowing two or more languages means that your brain may actually look and work differently than those of your monolingual friends.
So what does it really mean to know a language? Language ability is typically measured in two active parts, speaking and writing, and two passive parts, listening and reading. While a balanced bilingual has near equal abilities across the board in two languages, most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages in varying proportions.
And depending on their situation and how they acquired each language, they can be classified into three general types.
For example, let's take Gabriella, whose family immigrates to the US from Peru when she's two-years old. As a compound bilingual, Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously, with a single set of concepts, learning both English and Spanish as she begins to process the world around her.
Her teenage brother, on the other hand, might be a coordinate bilingual, working with two sets of concepts, learning English in school, while continuing to speak Spanish at home and with friends.
Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals who learn a secondary language by filtering it through their primary language.
Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language regardless of accent or pronunciation, the difference may not be apparent to a casual observer. But recent advances in brain imaging technology have given neurolinguists a glimpse into how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain.
It's well known that the brain's left hemisphere is more dominant and analytical in logical processes, while the right hemisphere is more active in emotional and social ones, though this is a matter of degree, not an absolute split. The fact that language involves both types of functions while lateralization develops gradually with age, has lead to the critical period hypothesis.
According to this theory, children learn languages more easily because the plasticity of their developing brains lets them use both hemispheres in language acquisition, while in most adults, language is lateralized to one hemisphere, usually the left.
If this is true, learning a language in childhood may give you a more holistic grasp of its social and emotional contexts. Conversely, recent research showed that people who learned a second language in adulthood exhibit less emotional bias and a more rational approach when confronting problems in the second language than in their native one.
But regardless of when you acquire additional languages, being multilingual gives your brain some remarkable advantages. Some of these are even visible, such as higher density of the grey matter that contains most of your brain's neurons and synapses, and more activity in certain regions when engaging a second language. The heightened workout a bilingual brain receives throughout its life can also help delay the onset of diseases, like Alzheimer's and dementia by as much as five years.
The idea of major cognitive benefits to bilingualism may seem intuitive now, but it would have surprised earlier experts.
Before the 1960s, bilingualism was considered a handicap that slowed a child's development by forcing them to spend too much energy distinguishing between languages, a view based largely on flawed studies.
And while a more recent study did show that reaction times and errors increase for some bilingual students in cross-language tests, it also showed that the effort and attention needed to switch between languages triggered more activity in, and potentially strengthened the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that plays a large role in executive function, problem solving, switching between tasks, and focusing while filtering out irrelevant information.
So, while bilingualism may not necessarily make you smarter, it does make your brain more healthy, complex and actively engaged, and even if you didn't have the good fortune of learning a second language as a child, it's never too late to do yourself a favor and make the linguistic leap from, "Hello," to, "Hola," "Bonjour" or "您好’s" because when it comes to our brains a little exercise can go a long way.
KEY:
1T 2F 3F 3T 5T 6F 7T 8F
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false. The activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 and Advanced students.
1 A bilingual brain and a monolingual one are different.
2 Most bilinguals around the world master the two languages equally.
3 If you are a coordinate bilingual, you filter the second language through the first.
4 Our emotional and social side lies in the right hemisphere.
5 The flexibility of their brain enables children to learn a language more easily.
6 If a person is bilingual he/she will not suffer from dementia.
7 In the past bilingualism was considered an obstacle for a child's development.
8 Bilingual people are cleverer.
¿Hablas español?
Parlez-vous français?
你会说中文吗？
If you answered, "sí," "oui," or "是的" and you're watching this in English, chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority. And besides having an easier time traveling or watching movies without subtitles, knowing two or more languages means that your brain may actually look and work differently than those of your monolingual friends.
So what does it really mean to know a language? Language ability is typically measured in two active parts, speaking and writing, and two passive parts, listening and reading. While a balanced bilingual has near equal abilities across the board in two languages, most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages in varying proportions.
And depending on their situation and how they acquired each language, they can be classified into three general types.
For example, let's take Gabriella, whose family immigrates to the US from Peru when she's two-years old. As a compound bilingual, Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously, with a single set of concepts, learning both English and Spanish as she begins to process the world around her.
Her teenage brother, on the other hand, might be a coordinate bilingual, working with two sets of concepts, learning English in school, while continuing to speak Spanish at home and with friends.
Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals who learn a secondary language by filtering it through their primary language.
Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language regardless of accent or pronunciation, the difference may not be apparent to a casual observer. But recent advances in brain imaging technology have given neurolinguists a glimpse into how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain.
It's well known that the brain's left hemisphere is more dominant and analytical in logical processes, while the right hemisphere is more active in emotional and social ones, though this is a matter of degree, not an absolute split. The fact that language involves both types of functions while lateralization develops gradually with age, has lead to the critical period hypothesis.
According to this theory, children learn languages more easily because the plasticity of their developing brains lets them use both hemispheres in language acquisition, while in most adults, language is lateralized to one hemisphere, usually the left.
If this is true, learning a language in childhood may give you a more holistic grasp of its social and emotional contexts. Conversely, recent research showed that people who learned a second language in adulthood exhibit less emotional bias and a more rational approach when confronting problems in the second language than in their native one.
But regardless of when you acquire additional languages, being multilingual gives your brain some remarkable advantages. Some of these are even visible, such as higher density of the grey matter that contains most of your brain's neurons and synapses, and more activity in certain regions when engaging a second language. The heightened workout a bilingual brain receives throughout its life can also help delay the onset of diseases, like Alzheimer's and dementia by as much as five years.
The idea of major cognitive benefits to bilingualism may seem intuitive now, but it would have surprised earlier experts.
Before the 1960s, bilingualism was considered a handicap that slowed a child's development by forcing them to spend too much energy distinguishing between languages, a view based largely on flawed studies.
And while a more recent study did show that reaction times and errors increase for some bilingual students in cross-language tests, it also showed that the effort and attention needed to switch between languages triggered more activity in, and potentially strengthened the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that plays a large role in executive function, problem solving, switching between tasks, and focusing while filtering out irrelevant information.
So, while bilingualism may not necessarily make you smarter, it does make your brain more healthy, complex and actively engaged, and even if you didn't have the good fortune of learning a second language as a child, it's never too late to do yourself a favor and make the linguistic leap from, "Hello," to, "Hola," "Bonjour" or "您好’s" because when it comes to our brains a little exercise can go a long way.
KEY:
1T 2F 3F 3T 5T 6F 7T 8F
viernes, 31 de julio de 2015
How did English evolve?
What is the difference between "a hearty welcome" and "a cordial reception"? In a brief, action-packed history of the English language, Kate Gardoqui explains why these semantically equal phrases evoke such different images.
Drop by Ted-Ed and go over the Think section of this lesson to do a comprehension check based on the video. You can also click on the Dig Deeper section to get to know further resources to explore the topic with.
I am going to start with a challenge. I want you to imagine each of these two scenes in as much detail as you can.
Scene number one: "They gave us a hearty welcome."
Well, who are the people who are giving a hearty welcome? What are they wearing? What are they drinking?
OK, scene two: "They gave us a cordial reception."
How are these people standing? What expressions are on their faces? What are they wearing and drinking?
Fix these pictures in your mind's eye and then jot down a sentence or two to describe them. We'll come back to them later.
Now on to our story. In the year 400 C.E. the Celts in Britain were ruled by Romans. This had one benefit for the Celts: the Romans protected them from the barbarian Saxon tribes of Northern Europe. But then the Roman Empire began to crumble, and the Romans withdrew from Britain. With the Romans gone, the Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians quickly sailed across the water, did away with the Celts, and formed kingdoms in the British Isles.
For several centuries, these tribes lived in Britain, and their Germanic language, Anglo Saxon, became the common language, what we call Old English. Although modern English speakers may think Old English sounds like a different language, if you look and listen closely, you'll find many words that are recognizable.
For example, here is what the Lord's Prayer looks like in Old English. At first glance, it may look unfamiliar, but update the spelling a bit, and you'll see many common English words.
So the centuries passed with Britain happily speaking Old English, but in the 700's, a series of Viking invasions began, which continued until a treaty split the island in half. On one side were the Saxons. On the other side were the Danes who spoke a language called Old Norse.
As Saxons fell in love with their cute Danish neighbors and marriages blurred the boundaries, Old Norse mixed with Old English, and many Old Norse words like freckle, leg, root, skin, and want are still a part of our language.
300 years later, in 1066, the Norman conquest brought war again to the British Isles. The Normans were Vikings who settled in France. They had abandoned the Viking language and culture in favor of a French lifestyle, but they still fought like Vikings. They placed a Norman king on the English throne and for three centuries, French was the language of the British royalty.
Society in Britain came to have two levels: French-speaking aristocracy and Old English-speaking peasants. The French also brought many Roman Catholic clergymen with them who added Latin words to the mix.
Old English adapted and grew as thousands of words flowed in, many having to do with government, law, and aristocracy. Words like council, marriage, sovereign, govern, damage, and parliament.
As the language expanded, English speakers quickly realized what to do if they wanted to sound sophisticated: they would use words that had come from French or Latin. Anglo Saxon words seemed so plain like the Anglo Saxon peasants who spoke them.
Let's go back to the two sentences you thought about earlier. When you pictured the hearty welcome, did you see an earthy scene with relatives hugging and talking loudly? Were they drinking beer? Were they wearing lumberjack shirts and jeans?
And what about the cordial reception? I bet you pictured a far more classy and refined crowd. Blazers and skirts, wine and caviar.
Why is this? How is it that phrases that are considered just about synonymous by the dictionary can evoke such different pictures and feelings? "Hearty" and "welcome" are both Saxon words. "Cordial" and "reception" come from French. The connotation of nobility and authority has persisted around words of French origin. And the connotation of peasantry, real people, salt of the Earth, has persisted around Saxon words. Even if you never heard this history before, the memory of it persists in the feelings evoked by the words you speak.
On some level, it's a story you already knew because whether we realize it consciously or only subconsciously, our history lives in the words we speak and hear.
Drop by Ted-Ed and go over the Think section of this lesson to do a comprehension check based on the video. You can also click on the Dig Deeper section to get to know further resources to explore the topic with.
I am going to start with a challenge. I want you to imagine each of these two scenes in as much detail as you can.
Scene number one: "They gave us a hearty welcome."
Well, who are the people who are giving a hearty welcome? What are they wearing? What are they drinking?
OK, scene two: "They gave us a cordial reception."
How are these people standing? What expressions are on their faces? What are they wearing and drinking?
Fix these pictures in your mind's eye and then jot down a sentence or two to describe them. We'll come back to them later.
Now on to our story. In the year 400 C.E. the Celts in Britain were ruled by Romans. This had one benefit for the Celts: the Romans protected them from the barbarian Saxon tribes of Northern Europe. But then the Roman Empire began to crumble, and the Romans withdrew from Britain. With the Romans gone, the Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians quickly sailed across the water, did away with the Celts, and formed kingdoms in the British Isles.
For several centuries, these tribes lived in Britain, and their Germanic language, Anglo Saxon, became the common language, what we call Old English. Although modern English speakers may think Old English sounds like a different language, if you look and listen closely, you'll find many words that are recognizable.
For example, here is what the Lord's Prayer looks like in Old English. At first glance, it may look unfamiliar, but update the spelling a bit, and you'll see many common English words.
So the centuries passed with Britain happily speaking Old English, but in the 700's, a series of Viking invasions began, which continued until a treaty split the island in half. On one side were the Saxons. On the other side were the Danes who spoke a language called Old Norse.
As Saxons fell in love with their cute Danish neighbors and marriages blurred the boundaries, Old Norse mixed with Old English, and many Old Norse words like freckle, leg, root, skin, and want are still a part of our language.
300 years later, in 1066, the Norman conquest brought war again to the British Isles. The Normans were Vikings who settled in France. They had abandoned the Viking language and culture in favor of a French lifestyle, but they still fought like Vikings. They placed a Norman king on the English throne and for three centuries, French was the language of the British royalty.
Society in Britain came to have two levels: French-speaking aristocracy and Old English-speaking peasants. The French also brought many Roman Catholic clergymen with them who added Latin words to the mix.
Old English adapted and grew as thousands of words flowed in, many having to do with government, law, and aristocracy. Words like council, marriage, sovereign, govern, damage, and parliament.
As the language expanded, English speakers quickly realized what to do if they wanted to sound sophisticated: they would use words that had come from French or Latin. Anglo Saxon words seemed so plain like the Anglo Saxon peasants who spoke them.
Let's go back to the two sentences you thought about earlier. When you pictured the hearty welcome, did you see an earthy scene with relatives hugging and talking loudly? Were they drinking beer? Were they wearing lumberjack shirts and jeans?
And what about the cordial reception? I bet you pictured a far more classy and refined crowd. Blazers and skirts, wine and caviar.
Why is this? How is it that phrases that are considered just about synonymous by the dictionary can evoke such different pictures and feelings? "Hearty" and "welcome" are both Saxon words. "Cordial" and "reception" come from French. The connotation of nobility and authority has persisted around words of French origin. And the connotation of peasantry, real people, salt of the Earth, has persisted around Saxon words. Even if you never heard this history before, the memory of it persists in the feelings evoked by the words you speak.
On some level, it's a story you already knew because whether we realize it consciously or only subconsciously, our history lives in the words we speak and hear.
sábado, 20 de junio de 2015
Reading test: Learning a language, 10 things you need to know
For this week's reading test we are going to use The Guardian article Learning a language -10 things you need to know, which we will use to practise the heading matching kind of task.
Read the article and match headings A-L with their corresponding paragraph 1-9. 0 is an example. There are two headings you do not need to use.
Learning a language -10 things you need to know
Thinking about learning a foreign language? Our multilingual experts share their tips.
0. Example J
You have decided to learn another language. Now what? On our recent live chat our panellists first piece of advice was to ask yourself: what do you want to achieve and by when? Donavan Whyte, vice president of enterprise and education at Rosetta Stone, says: “Language learning is best when broken down into manageable goals that are achievable over a few months. This is far more motivating and realistic.” You might be feeling wildly optimistic when you start but aiming to be fluent is not necessarily the best idea. Phil McGowan, director at Verbmaps, recommends making these goals tangible and specific: “Why not set yourself a target of being able to read a newspaper article in the target language without having to look up any words in the dictionary?”
1.
It might sound obvious, but recognising exactly why you want to learn a language is really important. Alex Rawlings, a language teacher now learning his 13th language, says: “Motivation is usually the first thing to go, especially among students who are teaching themselves.” To keep the momentum going he suggests writing down 10 reasons you are learning a language and sticking it to the front of the file you are using: “I turn to these in times of self-doubt.”
2.
Often the discussion around how to learn a language slides into a debate about so-called traditional v tech approaches. For Aaron Ralby, director of Linguisticator, this debate misses the point: “The question is not so much about online v offline or app v book. Rather it should be how can we assemble the necessary elements of language for a particular objective, present them in a user-friendly way, and provide a means for students to understand those elements.” When signing up to a particular method or approach, think about the substance behind the style or technology. “Ultimately,” he says, “the learning takes place inside you rather that outside, regardless of whether it’s a computer or book or a teacher in front of you.”
3.
For many of our panellists, reading was not only great for making progress, but one of the most rewarding aspects of the learning experience. Alex Rawlings explains that reading for pleasure “exposes you to all sorts of vocabulary that you won’t find in day-to-day life, and normalises otherwise baffling and complicated grammatical structures. The first book you ever finish in a foreign language is a monumental achievement that you’ll remember for a long time.”
4.
Memorising lists of vocabulary can be challenging, not to mention potentially dull. Ed Cooke, co-founder and chief executive of Memrise, believes that association is key to retaining new words: “A great way to build vocabulary is to make sure the lists you’re learning come from situations or texts that you have experienced yourself, so that the content is always relevant and connects to background experience.”
5.
You are a monolingual adult: have you missed the language boat? Ralby argues “a key language myth is that it’s harder as an adult”. Adults and children may learn in different ways but that shouldn’t deter you from committing to learning another language. “Languages are simultaneously organic and systematic. As children we learn languages organically and instinctively; as adults we can learn them systematically.” If you’re still not convinced of your chances, Ralby suggests drawing inspiration from early philologists and founders of linguistics who “learned dozens of languages to encyclopaedic levels as adults”.
6.
Speaking your first language may be second nature, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you understand it well. Kerstin Hammes, editor of the Fluent Language Blog, believes you can’t make good progress in a second language until you understand your own. “I think understanding your native language and just generally how language works is so essential before you launch yourself at a bunch of foreign phrases.”
7.
Different approaches may be necessary at different stages of the learning process. Once you have reached a certain level of proficiency and can say quite a bit, fairly accurately, Rebecca Braun, senior lecturer in German studies at Lancaster University, says it is typical to feel a slowing down in progress. “Translation,” she says, “is such an important exercise for helping you get over a certain plateau that you will reach as a language learner ... Translation exercises don’t allow you to paraphrase and force the learner on to the next level.”.
8.
Many of the panellists were cautious of the F-word. Hammes argues not only is it difficult to define what fluency is, but “as a goal it is so much bigger than it deserves to be. Language learning never stops because it’s culture learning, personal growth and endless improvement. I believe that this is where learners go wrong”.
9.
It may not be an option for everyone but Braun reminds us that “if you are serious about learning the language and getting direct pleasure from what you have learned, you need to go to where that language is spoken”. Travel and living abroad can complement learning in the classroom: “The books and verb charts may be the easiest way to ensure you expose yourself to the language at home, but the people and the culture will far outclass them once you get to the country where your language is spoken.”
A - Be prepared to go back in progress
B - Find opportunities to practise the language
C- Focus on exactly what you want to learn
D - Ignore stereotypes
E - It’s not only about the second language
F - Never ending process
G - Read as a hobby
H - Relate what your study to your own experience
I - Remind yourself of what is driving you to learn English
J -Set realistic, specific objectives Example 0
K - Set up study groups to develop fluency
L - What to do when you hit a wall in your progress
Read the article and match headings A-L with their corresponding paragraph 1-9. 0 is an example. There are two headings you do not need to use.
Learning a language -10 things you need to know
Thinking about learning a foreign language? Our multilingual experts share their tips.
0. Example J
You have decided to learn another language. Now what? On our recent live chat our panellists first piece of advice was to ask yourself: what do you want to achieve and by when? Donavan Whyte, vice president of enterprise and education at Rosetta Stone, says: “Language learning is best when broken down into manageable goals that are achievable over a few months. This is far more motivating and realistic.” You might be feeling wildly optimistic when you start but aiming to be fluent is not necessarily the best idea. Phil McGowan, director at Verbmaps, recommends making these goals tangible and specific: “Why not set yourself a target of being able to read a newspaper article in the target language without having to look up any words in the dictionary?”
1.
It might sound obvious, but recognising exactly why you want to learn a language is really important. Alex Rawlings, a language teacher now learning his 13th language, says: “Motivation is usually the first thing to go, especially among students who are teaching themselves.” To keep the momentum going he suggests writing down 10 reasons you are learning a language and sticking it to the front of the file you are using: “I turn to these in times of self-doubt.”
2.
Often the discussion around how to learn a language slides into a debate about so-called traditional v tech approaches. For Aaron Ralby, director of Linguisticator, this debate misses the point: “The question is not so much about online v offline or app v book. Rather it should be how can we assemble the necessary elements of language for a particular objective, present them in a user-friendly way, and provide a means for students to understand those elements.” When signing up to a particular method or approach, think about the substance behind the style or technology. “Ultimately,” he says, “the learning takes place inside you rather that outside, regardless of whether it’s a computer or book or a teacher in front of you.”
3.
For many of our panellists, reading was not only great for making progress, but one of the most rewarding aspects of the learning experience. Alex Rawlings explains that reading for pleasure “exposes you to all sorts of vocabulary that you won’t find in day-to-day life, and normalises otherwise baffling and complicated grammatical structures. The first book you ever finish in a foreign language is a monumental achievement that you’ll remember for a long time.”
4.
Memorising lists of vocabulary can be challenging, not to mention potentially dull. Ed Cooke, co-founder and chief executive of Memrise, believes that association is key to retaining new words: “A great way to build vocabulary is to make sure the lists you’re learning come from situations or texts that you have experienced yourself, so that the content is always relevant and connects to background experience.”
5.
You are a monolingual adult: have you missed the language boat? Ralby argues “a key language myth is that it’s harder as an adult”. Adults and children may learn in different ways but that shouldn’t deter you from committing to learning another language. “Languages are simultaneously organic and systematic. As children we learn languages organically and instinctively; as adults we can learn them systematically.” If you’re still not convinced of your chances, Ralby suggests drawing inspiration from early philologists and founders of linguistics who “learned dozens of languages to encyclopaedic levels as adults”.
6.
Speaking your first language may be second nature, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you understand it well. Kerstin Hammes, editor of the Fluent Language Blog, believes you can’t make good progress in a second language until you understand your own. “I think understanding your native language and just generally how language works is so essential before you launch yourself at a bunch of foreign phrases.”
7.
Different approaches may be necessary at different stages of the learning process. Once you have reached a certain level of proficiency and can say quite a bit, fairly accurately, Rebecca Braun, senior lecturer in German studies at Lancaster University, says it is typical to feel a slowing down in progress. “Translation,” she says, “is such an important exercise for helping you get over a certain plateau that you will reach as a language learner ... Translation exercises don’t allow you to paraphrase and force the learner on to the next level.”.
8.
Many of the panellists were cautious of the F-word. Hammes argues not only is it difficult to define what fluency is, but “as a goal it is so much bigger than it deserves to be. Language learning never stops because it’s culture learning, personal growth and endless improvement. I believe that this is where learners go wrong”.
9.
It may not be an option for everyone but Braun reminds us that “if you are serious about learning the language and getting direct pleasure from what you have learned, you need to go to where that language is spoken”. Travel and living abroad can complement learning in the classroom: “The books and verb charts may be the easiest way to ensure you expose yourself to the language at home, but the people and the culture will far outclass them once you get to the country where your language is spoken.”
A - Be prepared to go back in progress
B - Find opportunities to practise the language
C- Focus on exactly what you want to learn
D - Ignore stereotypes
E - It’s not only about the second language
F - Never ending process
G - Read as a hobby
H - Relate what your study to your own experience
I - Remind yourself of what is driving you to learn English
J -
K - Set up study groups to develop fluency
L - What to do when you hit a wall in your progress
Photo: Holger Burmeister / Alamy in The Guardian
Key:
A - Be prepared to go back in progress
B - Find opportunities to practise the language – 9
C- Focus on exactly what you want to learn – 2
D - Ignore stereotypes – 5
E - It’s not only about the second language – 6
F - Never ending process – 8
G - Read as a hobby – 3
H - Relate what your study to your own experience – 4
I - Remind yourself of what is driving you to learn English - 1
J -Set realistic, specific objectives – 0 Example
K - Set up study groups to develop fluency
L - What to do when you hit a wall in your progress – 7
B - Find opportunities to practise the language – 9
C- Focus on exactly what you want to learn – 2
D - Ignore stereotypes – 5
E - It’s not only about the second language – 6
F - Never ending process – 8
G - Read as a hobby – 3
H - Relate what your study to your own experience – 4
I - Remind yourself of what is driving you to learn English - 1
J -
K - Set up study groups to develop fluency
L - What to do when you hit a wall in your progress – 7
jueves, 18 de junio de 2015
How languages evolve
Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? In this Ed Ted lesson, Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.
You can do some comprehension questions, explore additional resources and get some ideas to discuss the topic by visiting the lesson on Ted-Ed.
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, all of humanity once spoke a single language until they suddenly split into many groups unable to understand each other. We don't really know if such an original language ever existed, but we do know that the thousands of languages existing today can be traced back to a much smaller number. So how did we end up with so many?
In the early days of human migration, the world was much less populated. Groups of people that shared a single language and culture often split into smaller tribes, going separate ways in search of fresh game and fertile land. As they migrated and settled in new places, they became isolated from one another and developed in different ways. Centuries of living in different conditions, eating different food and encountering different neighbors turned similar dialects with varied pronunciation and vocabulary into radically different languages, continuing to divide as populations grew and spread out further.
Like genealogists, modern linguists try to map this process by tracing multiple languages back as far as they can to their common ancestor, or protolanguage. A group of all languages related in this way is called a language family, which can contain many branches and sub-families. So how do we determine whether languages are related in the first place?
Similar sounding words don't tell us much. They could be false cognates or just directly borrowed terms rather than derived from a common root. Grammar and syntax are a more reliable guide, as well as basic vocabulary, such as pronouns, numbers or kinship terms, that's less likely to be borrowed.
By systematically comparing these features and looking for regular patterns of sound changes and correspondences between languages, linguists can determine relationships, trace specific steps in their evolution and even reconstruct earlier languages with no written records.
Linguistics can even reveal other important historical clues, such as determining the geographic origins and lifestyles of ancient peoples based on which of their words were native, and which were borrowed.
There are two main problems linguists face when constructing these language family trees. One is that there is no clear way of deciding where the branches at the bottom should end, that is, which dialects should be considered separate languages or vice versa. Chinese is classified as a single language, but its dialects vary to the point of being mutually unintelligible, while speakers of Spanish and Portuguese can often understand each other. Languages actually spoken by living people do not exist in neatly divided categories, but tend to transition gradually, crossing borders and classifications. Often the difference between languages and dialects is a matter of changing political and national considerations, rather than any linguistic features. This is why the answer to, "How many languages are there?" can be anywhere between 3,000 and 8,000, depending on who's counting.
The other problem is that the farther we move back in time towards the top of the tree, the less evidence we have about the languages there. The current division of major language families represents the limit at which relationships can be established with reasonable certainty, meaning that languages of different families are presumed not to be related on any level. But this may change.
While many proposals for higher level relationships, or super families, are speculative, some have been widely accepted and others are being considered, especially for native languages with small speaker populations that have not been extensively studied. We may never be able to determine how language came about, or whether all human languages did in fact have a common ancestor scattered through the babel of migration. But the next time you hear a foreign language, pay attention. It may not be as foreign as you think.
You can do some comprehension questions, explore additional resources and get some ideas to discuss the topic by visiting the lesson on Ted-Ed.
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, all of humanity once spoke a single language until they suddenly split into many groups unable to understand each other. We don't really know if such an original language ever existed, but we do know that the thousands of languages existing today can be traced back to a much smaller number. So how did we end up with so many?
In the early days of human migration, the world was much less populated. Groups of people that shared a single language and culture often split into smaller tribes, going separate ways in search of fresh game and fertile land. As they migrated and settled in new places, they became isolated from one another and developed in different ways. Centuries of living in different conditions, eating different food and encountering different neighbors turned similar dialects with varied pronunciation and vocabulary into radically different languages, continuing to divide as populations grew and spread out further.
Like genealogists, modern linguists try to map this process by tracing multiple languages back as far as they can to their common ancestor, or protolanguage. A group of all languages related in this way is called a language family, which can contain many branches and sub-families. So how do we determine whether languages are related in the first place?
Similar sounding words don't tell us much. They could be false cognates or just directly borrowed terms rather than derived from a common root. Grammar and syntax are a more reliable guide, as well as basic vocabulary, such as pronouns, numbers or kinship terms, that's less likely to be borrowed.
By systematically comparing these features and looking for regular patterns of sound changes and correspondences between languages, linguists can determine relationships, trace specific steps in their evolution and even reconstruct earlier languages with no written records.
Linguistics can even reveal other important historical clues, such as determining the geographic origins and lifestyles of ancient peoples based on which of their words were native, and which were borrowed.
There are two main problems linguists face when constructing these language family trees. One is that there is no clear way of deciding where the branches at the bottom should end, that is, which dialects should be considered separate languages or vice versa. Chinese is classified as a single language, but its dialects vary to the point of being mutually unintelligible, while speakers of Spanish and Portuguese can often understand each other. Languages actually spoken by living people do not exist in neatly divided categories, but tend to transition gradually, crossing borders and classifications. Often the difference between languages and dialects is a matter of changing political and national considerations, rather than any linguistic features. This is why the answer to, "How many languages are there?" can be anywhere between 3,000 and 8,000, depending on who's counting.
The other problem is that the farther we move back in time towards the top of the tree, the less evidence we have about the languages there. The current division of major language families represents the limit at which relationships can be established with reasonable certainty, meaning that languages of different families are presumed not to be related on any level. But this may change.
While many proposals for higher level relationships, or super families, are speculative, some have been widely accepted and others are being considered, especially for native languages with small speaker populations that have not been extensively studied. We may never be able to determine how language came about, or whether all human languages did in fact have a common ancestor scattered through the babel of migration. But the next time you hear a foreign language, pay attention. It may not be as foreign as you think.
domingo, 31 de agosto de 2014
Why Do We Talk?
Talking is something that is unique to humans, yet it still remains a mystery. Why Do We Talk? meets the scientists beginning to unlock the secrets of speech - including a father who is filming every second of his son's first three years in order to discover how we learn to talk, the autistic savant who can speak more than 20 languages, and the first scientist to identify a gene that makes speech possible.
This BBC's Horizon documentary also hears from the godfather of linguistics, Noam Chomsky, the first to suggest that our ability to talk is innate.
You can read the transcript for the first ten minute of the documentary here.
This BBC's Horizon documentary also hears from the godfather of linguistics, Noam Chomsky, the first to suggest that our ability to talk is innate.
You can read the transcript for the first ten minute of the documentary here.
lunes, 30 de junio de 2014
How do languages change and evolve?
A few weeks ago Alex Gendler published the Ted Ed-lesson How do languages change and evolve?, where he explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.
Ted Ed lessons offer a neat framework for us to work on lessons, consisting of watching the lesson, answering comprehension questions about the video lesson, giving us ideas to further explore the topic, and offering ideas for discussion.
Self-study activity:
Watch the lesson and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 students.
1 In the beginning, all of humanity spoke a single language.
2 Some very different languages stem from the same language.
3 Ancestor and protolanguage are different things.
4 Pronunciation is a key element in deciding whether two languages are related.
5 By finding out about a language linguists can also get to know about the origin and lifestyle of the people who spoke that language.
6 One of the problems researchers find is telling the difference between a language and its dialects.
7 There is evidence that the major language families were all related at some stage.
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, all of humanity once spoke a single language until they suddenly split into many groups unable to understand each other. We don't really know if such an original language ever existed, but we do know that the thousands of languages existing today can be traced back to a much smaller number. So how did we end up with so many?
In the early days of human migration, the world was much less populated. Groups of people that shared a single language and culture often split into smaller tribes, going separate ways in search of fresh game and fertile land. As they migrated and settled in new places, they became isolated from one another and developed in different ways.
Centuries of living in different conditions, eating different food and encountering different neighbors turned similar dialects with varied pronunciation and vocabulary into radically different languages, continuing to divide as populations grew and spread out further.
Like genealogists, modern linguists try to map this process by tracing multiple languages back as far as they can to their common ancestor, or protolanguage. A group of all languages related in this way is called a language family, which can contain many branches and sub-families. So how do we determine whether languages are related in the first place?
Similar sounding words don't tell us much. They could be false cognates or just directly borrowed terms rather than derived from a common root. Grammar and syntax are a more reliable guide, as well as basic vocabulary, such as pronouns, numbers or kinship terms, that's less likely to be borrowed. By systematically comparing these features and looking for regular patterns of sound changes and correspondences between languages, linguists can determine relationships, trace specific steps in their evolution and even reconstruct earlier languages with no written records. Linguistics can even reveal other important historical clues, such as determining the geographic origins and lifestyles of ancient peoples based on which of their words were native, and which were borrowed.
There are two main problems linguists face when constructing these language family trees. One is that there is no clear way of deciding where the branches at the bottom should end, that is, which dialects should be considered separate languages or vice versa. Chinese is classified as a single language, but its dialects vary to the point of being mutually unintelligible, while speakers of Spanish and Portuguese can often understand each other.
Languages actually spoken by living people do not exist in neatly divided categories, but tend to transition gradually, crossing borders and classifications. Often the difference between languages and dialects is a matter of changing political and national considerations, rather than any linguistic features. This is why the answer to, "How many languages are there?" can be anywhere between 3,000 and 8,000, depending on who's counting.
The other problem is that the farther we move back in time towards the top of the tree, the less evidence we have about the languages there. The current division of major language families represents the limit at which relationships can be established with reasonable certainty, meaning that languages of different families are presumed not to be related on any level.
But this may change. While many proposals for higher level relationships, or super families, are speculative, some have been widely accepted and others are being considered, especially for native languages with small speaker populations that have not been extensively studied.
We may never be able to determine how language came about, or whether all human languages did in fact have a common ancestor scattered through the babel of migration. But the next time you hear a foreign language, pay attention. It may not be as foreign as you think.
Key:
1F 2T 3F 4F 5T 6T 7F
Ted Ed lessons offer a neat framework for us to work on lessons, consisting of watching the lesson, answering comprehension questions about the video lesson, giving us ideas to further explore the topic, and offering ideas for discussion.
Self-study activity:
Watch the lesson and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 students.
1 In the beginning, all of humanity spoke a single language.
2 Some very different languages stem from the same language.
3 Ancestor and protolanguage are different things.
4 Pronunciation is a key element in deciding whether two languages are related.
5 By finding out about a language linguists can also get to know about the origin and lifestyle of the people who spoke that language.
6 One of the problems researchers find is telling the difference between a language and its dialects.
7 There is evidence that the major language families were all related at some stage.
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, all of humanity once spoke a single language until they suddenly split into many groups unable to understand each other. We don't really know if such an original language ever existed, but we do know that the thousands of languages existing today can be traced back to a much smaller number. So how did we end up with so many?
In the early days of human migration, the world was much less populated. Groups of people that shared a single language and culture often split into smaller tribes, going separate ways in search of fresh game and fertile land. As they migrated and settled in new places, they became isolated from one another and developed in different ways.
Centuries of living in different conditions, eating different food and encountering different neighbors turned similar dialects with varied pronunciation and vocabulary into radically different languages, continuing to divide as populations grew and spread out further.
Like genealogists, modern linguists try to map this process by tracing multiple languages back as far as they can to their common ancestor, or protolanguage. A group of all languages related in this way is called a language family, which can contain many branches and sub-families. So how do we determine whether languages are related in the first place?
Similar sounding words don't tell us much. They could be false cognates or just directly borrowed terms rather than derived from a common root. Grammar and syntax are a more reliable guide, as well as basic vocabulary, such as pronouns, numbers or kinship terms, that's less likely to be borrowed. By systematically comparing these features and looking for regular patterns of sound changes and correspondences between languages, linguists can determine relationships, trace specific steps in their evolution and even reconstruct earlier languages with no written records. Linguistics can even reveal other important historical clues, such as determining the geographic origins and lifestyles of ancient peoples based on which of their words were native, and which were borrowed.
There are two main problems linguists face when constructing these language family trees. One is that there is no clear way of deciding where the branches at the bottom should end, that is, which dialects should be considered separate languages or vice versa. Chinese is classified as a single language, but its dialects vary to the point of being mutually unintelligible, while speakers of Spanish and Portuguese can often understand each other.
Languages actually spoken by living people do not exist in neatly divided categories, but tend to transition gradually, crossing borders and classifications. Often the difference between languages and dialects is a matter of changing political and national considerations, rather than any linguistic features. This is why the answer to, "How many languages are there?" can be anywhere between 3,000 and 8,000, depending on who's counting.
The other problem is that the farther we move back in time towards the top of the tree, the less evidence we have about the languages there. The current division of major language families represents the limit at which relationships can be established with reasonable certainty, meaning that languages of different families are presumed not to be related on any level.
But this may change. While many proposals for higher level relationships, or super families, are speculative, some have been widely accepted and others are being considered, especially for native languages with small speaker populations that have not been extensively studied.
We may never be able to determine how language came about, or whether all human languages did in fact have a common ancestor scattered through the babel of migration. But the next time you hear a foreign language, pay attention. It may not be as foreign as you think.
Key:
1F 2T 3F 4F 5T 6T 7F
miércoles, 15 de enero de 2014
Talking point: Learning English
This week's talking point deals with our grasp of English and the way we learn English. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily and you can overcome vocabulary issues when you get together with your friends.
How many languages do you speak?
How well do you speak each one?
What are your reasons for learning English?
Do you think people from your country are generally good at languages? Why (not)?
What are the main difficulties of English for learners?
Are you happy with the way you are taught English?
How could the teaching method be improved?
Do you think English will one day become a world language?
What other languages might take the place of English in the future?
What are the good and bad things about the popularity of English around the world?
1. What is a complete immersion in language learning?
2. Why is it seen as such a good way to learn a language?
3. Is it possible to get some of the benefits of a complete immersion without going to an English-speaking country? If so, how?
4. How beneficial is the Erasmus programme for learning a language?
To illustrate the topic of immersion in language learning, watch this video from the Learning English Video Project where foreign students living in Cambridge talk about their experience with immersion.
How many languages do you speak?
How well do you speak each one?
What are your reasons for learning English?
Do you think people from your country are generally good at languages? Why (not)?
What are the main difficulties of English for learners?
Are you happy with the way you are taught English?
How could the teaching method be improved?
Do you think English will one day become a world language?
What other languages might take the place of English in the future?
What are the good and bad things about the popularity of English around the world?
1. What is a complete immersion in language learning?
2. Why is it seen as such a good way to learn a language?
3. Is it possible to get some of the benefits of a complete immersion without going to an English-speaking country? If so, how?
4. How beneficial is the Erasmus programme for learning a language?
To illustrate the topic of immersion in language learning, watch this video from the Learning English Video Project where foreign students living in Cambridge talk about their experience with immersion.
jueves, 26 de septiembre de 2013
European Day of Languages
Today we celebrate the European Day of Languages.
The Council of Europe set up this day 13 years ago to foster and promote language learning throughout Europe because it was thought there have never been more opportunities to work or study in a different European country than now but lack of language competence prevents many people from taking advantage of this situation. In addition, learning other languages is a way of helping citizens to understand each other better and overcome cultural differences.
To celebrate the European Day of Languages, the Council of Europe has prepared a number of activities that try to raise Europeans' awareness of the diversity and variety of the languages spoken throughout the continent and the need to speak more than one foreign language.
I have gone through these resources and have made a selection of those which might help us to both become aware of the objectives of the day and develop our grasp of English. Feel free, however, to vist the webpage of the European Day of Languages to gain a full scope of all the suggestions and information gathered by The Council of Europe.
The Council of Europe set up this day 13 years ago to foster and promote language learning throughout Europe because it was thought there have never been more opportunities to work or study in a different European country than now but lack of language competence prevents many people from taking advantage of this situation. In addition, learning other languages is a way of helping citizens to understand each other better and overcome cultural differences.
To celebrate the European Day of Languages, the Council of Europe has prepared a number of activities that try to raise Europeans' awareness of the diversity and variety of the languages spoken throughout the continent and the need to speak more than one foreign language.
I have gone through these resources and have made a selection of those which might help us to both become aware of the objectives of the day and develop our grasp of English. Feel free, however, to vist the webpage of the European Day of Languages to gain a full scope of all the suggestions and information gathered by The Council of Europe.
- Take a quiz to test your knowledge about the languages of Europe.
- Self-evaluate your language skills.
- Read and/or download the Passport to the European Union to find out some basic information about each of the countries in the Union. (For Básico 1 and Básico 2 students.)
- Let's Explore Europe is a flipbook that you can read online or download in PDF format. (For Básico 1 and Básico 2 students.)
- The students at Newbury Park Primary School teach you key phrases in a wide range of languages and a bit about the country where that language is spoken. The video where the programme is introduced is good listening practise for intermediate students.
There are lots of video clips around that dwell on the importance of language learning. I've selected two more for the European Day of Languages.
Speaking English in French
German submarine
This is an oldish ad for Berlitz language courses.
English Vinglish
Next! How are you doing today, mam?
I want a…
I asked how you, how you were doing today.
I’m doing…
What is the purpose of your visit to the United States?
My sister is certain in reading.
What?
Hello? English tuition?
I can come in?
You may not.
But?
You need to ask “May I come in?”
My name’s Laurent.
Eva.
Salamankan.
I Shashi from the India.
Not Shashi. Not from the India. From India.
Why India, not the India, why America, the United States of America?
My English… weak.
Mam, how will you manage in our country if you don’t know English?
Like you´re managing in our country without knowing Hindi?
Speaking English in French
Lady: Excuse me? Excuse me? Sorry. Do you speak English?
Man 1: No, I don't sorry.
Lady: My car's broken down and I wondered if you could tell me where to find a garage.
Man 1: Well you know, that's wasted on me. I don't, I don't understand what you're saying.
Lady: You don't speak English at all?
Man 1: Not a word, no. That's one of those things really I wish I had paid more attention in school, but you know. Excuse me, excuse me, sorry. Do you speak any English?
Man 2: English? No.
Man 1: That's a problem, I don't either. I can't understand her...
Lady: Hi, my car's broken down and I need to find a garage.
Man 2: No, I'm so sorry, I don't understand that at all.
Lady: Alright, well, thanks.
Man 1: I'll tell you what, if you go down that way, about half a mile. There's a village. There might be somebody there that speaks English.
Lady: Ich speaken bisschen deutsch; Sprecken Sie Deutsch?
Man 1: Deutsch? Nein? Sprichst du Deutsch?
Man 2: Deutsch? Nein. Nur ein oder zwei Wörter. Ich bin nicht fließend.
Man 1: Sorry we could not help. Sorry about that. Hey, you never know, next time you're over , maybe we'll have learned a bit of English...
Man 2: Oder Deutsch vielleicht.
Man 1: Ja, das wäre toll.
Lady: Thanks anyway.
Man 1: I CAN speak English.
Man2: So can I.
German submarine
Mayday, mayday. Hello, can you hear us?, can you hear us? Over. We are sinking! We are sinking!
Hallo! This is German coast guard.
We are sinking! Sinking!
What are you thinking (seenking?) about?
Speaking English in French
German submarine
This is an oldish ad for Berlitz language courses.
English Vinglish
Next! How are you doing today, mam?
I want a…
I asked how you, how you were doing today.
I’m doing…
What is the purpose of your visit to the United States?
My sister is certain in reading.
What?
Hello? English tuition?
I can come in?
You may not.
But?
You need to ask “May I come in?”
My name’s Laurent.
Eva.
Salamankan.
I Shashi from the India.
Not Shashi. Not from the India. From India.
Why India, not the India, why America, the United States of America?
My English… weak.
Mam, how will you manage in our country if you don’t know English?
Like you´re managing in our country without knowing Hindi?
Speaking English in French
Lady: Excuse me? Excuse me? Sorry. Do you speak English?
Man 1: No, I don't sorry.
Lady: My car's broken down and I wondered if you could tell me where to find a garage.
Man 1: Well you know, that's wasted on me. I don't, I don't understand what you're saying.
Lady: You don't speak English at all?
Man 1: Not a word, no. That's one of those things really I wish I had paid more attention in school, but you know. Excuse me, excuse me, sorry. Do you speak any English?
Man 2: English? No.
Man 1: That's a problem, I don't either. I can't understand her...
Lady: Hi, my car's broken down and I need to find a garage.
Man 2: No, I'm so sorry, I don't understand that at all.
Lady: Alright, well, thanks.
Man 1: I'll tell you what, if you go down that way, about half a mile. There's a village. There might be somebody there that speaks English.
Lady: Ich speaken bisschen deutsch; Sprecken Sie Deutsch?
Man 1: Deutsch? Nein? Sprichst du Deutsch?
Man 2: Deutsch? Nein. Nur ein oder zwei Wörter. Ich bin nicht fließend.
Man 1: Sorry we could not help. Sorry about that. Hey, you never know, next time you're over , maybe we'll have learned a bit of English...
Man 2: Oder Deutsch vielleicht.
Man 1: Ja, das wäre toll.
Lady: Thanks anyway.
Man 1: I CAN speak English.
Man2: So can I.
German submarine
Mayday, mayday. Hello, can you hear us?, can you hear us? Over. We are sinking! We are sinking!
Hallo! This is German coast guard.
We are sinking! Sinking!
What are you thinking (seenking?) about?
miércoles, 25 de septiembre de 2013
Talking point: Speaking a second or third language
Tomorrow we are celebrating the European Day of Languages, so it seems more than appropriate that this week's talking point revolves about the benefits of speaking a second language. The topic is taken from a question that came up in the Student Opinion section of The New York Times Learning Network last year, Do you speak a second or third language?, where they informed about the discoveries made by cognitive neuroscientist Ellen Bialystok, who states that children who are bilingual have a way of thinking that helps them better distinguish important information from the less important.
Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss the questions below.
What languages do you speak?
Are you or someone you are close to able to speak two (or more) languages fluently?
What's your experience of speaking the second or third language?
Do you think in one language and “translate” your thoughts when you wish to speak in your other language(s)?
Have you found yourself thinking in the new language at times?
If you have bilingual friends or acquaintances, have you noticed whether they have sharper minds than most other people?
Have you noticed any advantages other than being able to communicate with more people?
What is the hardest part about learning a new language? The best part?
Do you think that learning about the culture of the second language may be useful to learn the language?
Is it important to be a man or a woman to better grasp the second or third language?
Is it important to have reference books like dictionaries or grammars or just read for pleasure in the second language?
Do you think that being good at expressing yourself in your own language,both in speaking and writing, helps to learn another language?
How important do you think it is having a good memory?
What other qualities are important to learn a second language?
In preparation for your conversation session and to gain some insight into the advantages of being bilingual, you can read the two posts I mentioned before or read The New York Times article “The Bilingual Advantage” by Ellen Bialystok.
Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss the questions below.
What languages do you speak?
Are you or someone you are close to able to speak two (or more) languages fluently?
What's your experience of speaking the second or third language?
Do you think in one language and “translate” your thoughts when you wish to speak in your other language(s)?
Have you found yourself thinking in the new language at times?
If you have bilingual friends or acquaintances, have you noticed whether they have sharper minds than most other people?
Have you noticed any advantages other than being able to communicate with more people?
What is the hardest part about learning a new language? The best part?
Do you think that learning about the culture of the second language may be useful to learn the language?
Is it important to be a man or a woman to better grasp the second or third language?
Is it important to have reference books like dictionaries or grammars or just read for pleasure in the second language?
Do you think that being good at expressing yourself in your own language,both in speaking and writing, helps to learn another language?
How important do you think it is having a good memory?
What other qualities are important to learn a second language?
In preparation for your conversation session and to gain some insight into the advantages of being bilingual, you can read the two posts I mentioned before or read The New York Times article “The Bilingual Advantage” by Ellen Bialystok.
Chris Young for The New York Times
We have already published a couple of posts on this blog about the advantages of being bilingual or mastering a second language: The advantages of being bilingual and The Guardian article Being bilingual boosts brain power.
domingo, 10 de marzo de 2013
Before Babel: In search of the first language
In our extensive listening series this week we feature a BBC oldie, Before Babel: In search of the first language, an early 1990's Horizon documentary. In this programme Horizon focuses on the development of languages in the world and an attempt to reconstruct the first spoken words and unravel the mystery of the speaking ability, something that is unique to humans.
In the programme, Horizon meets a groups of scientists who are trying to work out the secrets of speech, which includes a father who filmed every second of his son's first three years in order to discover how we learnt to talk, the autistic savant who could speak more than 20 languages, and the first scientist to identify a gene that makes speech possible.
We can also listen to Noam Chomsky, the first linguist to suggest that our ability to talk is innate. A unique experiment shows how a new language can emerge in just one afternoon, in an attempt to understand where language comes from and why it is the way it is.
On the downside, however, no subtitles available, I'm afraid.
In the programme, Horizon meets a groups of scientists who are trying to work out the secrets of speech, which includes a father who filmed every second of his son's first three years in order to discover how we learnt to talk, the autistic savant who could speak more than 20 languages, and the first scientist to identify a gene that makes speech possible.
We can also listen to Noam Chomsky, the first linguist to suggest that our ability to talk is innate. A unique experiment shows how a new language can emerge in just one afternoon, in an attempt to understand where language comes from and why it is the way it is.
On the downside, however, no subtitles available, I'm afraid.
miércoles, 6 de marzo de 2013
Talking point: How good is your grammar?
On 4th March National Grammar Day was held, which is a good excuse for us to reflect on the way we learn English and on our grasp of grammar at a time when some official exams seem to have turned a blind eye on directly testing grammar; when there is a heated debate in countries like the UK and US about the limited knowledge of English a good share of the immigrants have; and when some British universities which participate in European projects complain about the poor language awareness of some of the students who come from the continent.
Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss the questions below, most of which are taken from The New York Times learning network, in a lesson by KATHERINE SCHULTEN.
And if you wish to know how good your grammar is, you may like to try your hand at this Guardian grammar and punctuation quiz, where you have to answer 14 multiple-choice questions similar to those that year 6 pupils (11 years old) will sit in a National Test in spelling, grammar and punctuation in June.
Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss the questions below, most of which are taken from The New York Times learning network, in a lesson by KATHERINE SCHULTEN.
- How good is your grammar?
- How well do you speak and write in English?
- Do you have better grammar when you write than when you speak?
- How important is grammar for spoken and written communication?
- What grammar errors do you make most often?
- What errors do others make that cause you to cringe?
- Have you ever taught English grammar to anyone?
- In general, do you agree with the statement that education today emphasizes “expressing yourself” more than correctness?
- Do you agree with John Challenger, who says that for younger people the content of the message is far more important than the structure?
- Can someone with terrible grammar still be a clear thinker?
- Would you hire that person for a job? Why or why not?
- What importance do your English teachers give to grammar?
- Are grammar lessons boring?
- How much of the class time is devoted to grammar?
- And your homework?
And if you wish to know how good your grammar is, you may like to try your hand at this Guardian grammar and punctuation quiz, where you have to answer 14 multiple-choice questions similar to those that year 6 pupils (11 years old) will sit in a National Test in spelling, grammar and punctuation in June.
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