- •1.1 Lead-in
- •1.2 Language input
- •1.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •1.3 Background information Politology and Political Science
- •1.4 Comprehension
- •1.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •1.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •1.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •1.5 Practice
- •1.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •1.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •1.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •1.5.6 Do it in English:
- •1.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •1.6 Dialogue
- •Can the study of politics be scientific?
- •Politics as public affairs
- •History and development of political science
- •Indian Sub-Continent
- •1.7 Role play Studying politics
- •1.8 Grammar back up practice with nouns & their determiners Practice with Nouns
- •What kind of noun is it? Is it a countable or uncountable noun?
- •Is the form of a noun correct?
- •Practice with Articles, Demonstratives and other Determiners
- •When and where do we use determiners?
- •If the underlined word or words are used incorrectly, make correction.
- •2. Should the definite article “the” be used?
- •3. Which article should be used?
- •4. Are the demonstratives (“this”, ”that”, ”these”, ”those”) used correctly?
- •2.1 Lead-in
- •2.2 Language input
- •2.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own:
- •2.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •2.3 Background information Sociology and Social Science
- •2.4 Comprehension
- •2.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •2.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •2.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •2.5 Practice
- •2.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •2.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •2.5.5 Scan the three texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •2.5.6 Do it in English:
- •2.5.7 Use the plan and helpful phrases given in Appendix 1 to profile the subject of sociology, methods and techniques. Surf the Internet, find extra information and base your presentation on it.
- •2.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •2.6 Dialogue
- •What is scientific method?
- •Areas of sociology
- •British society
- •2.7 Role play Social groups
- •2.8 Grammar back up practice with verbs (I) Practice with the Present Simple and the Present Continuous
- •1. What does the Present Simple denote?
- •2. What does the Present Continuous denote?
- •Practice with the Past Simple and the Past Continuous
- •1. Is the past simple used correctly?
- •2. Is the past continuous used correctly?
- •3.1 Lead-in
- •3.2 Language input
- •Developing vocabulary
- •3.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own.
- •3.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column.
- •3.3 Background information Political Power and Governance Systems
- •3.4 Comprehension
- •3.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers.
- •3.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •3.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •3.5 Practice
- •Economic Power versus Political Power
- •3.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •Figure 1: Characteristics of good governance
- •3.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps.
- •3.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •3.5.6 Do it in English:
- •3.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •3.6 Dialogue
- •What is social order?
- •Government Creates Social Order?
- •The British Class System
- •3.7 Role play Political System, State and Government
- •3.8 Grammar back up practice with verbs (II) Practice with the Present Perfect
- •1. What kind of action does the Present Perfect form denote?
- •2. Do we use any particular words to modify the Present Perfect?
- •3. What words help us denote the period of action under consideration?
- •4. Should we use the Present Perfect or the Past Simple?
- •Complete the sentences using the Present Perfect of the verbs in brackets.
- •Give a short summary of what each of the speakers has said.
- •Practice with the Present Perfect Continuous
- •5. Should the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous be used?
- •Practice with the Past Perfect
- •1. What kind of action does the Past Perfect denote?
- •2. Are any words used to underline the meaning of the Past Perfect?
- •Practice with the Past Perfect Continuous
- •1. What kind of action does the Past Perfect Continuous denote?
- •2. Which tense is usually used with the verbs not admitting of the continuous form?
- •3. Which tense do we usually use with non-terminative verbs?
- •Practice with adjectives
- •1. What is the place of an adjective in English?
- •2. What is the order of adjectives when we use two or more adjectives together?
- •Practice with Comparatives and Superlatives
- •1. Is the comparative or superlative form correct?
- •2. Is the comparative or superlative used correctly?
- •3. Is the parallel comparison used correctly?
- •4.1 Lead-in
- •4.2 Language input
- •Developing vocabulary
- •4.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own:
- •4.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •4.3 Background information Social Structure and Social System
- •4.4 Comprehension
- •4.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •4.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •4.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •4.5 Practice
- •Living in a Social Class System – Upward Social Mobility
- •4.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts. Ascription and Achievement: England
- •4.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-l and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •4.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •4.5.6 Do it in English:
- •4.5.7 Use the plan and helpful phrases given in Appendix 1 to profile the social structure and social system. Surf the Internet, find extra information and base your presentation on it.
- •4.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •4.6 Dialogue
- •The Process of Social Stratification
- •Questions on Social Stratification
- •Social Stratification in India
- •4.7 Role play What are Socio-economic Issues?
- •4.8 Grammar back up practice with future: will, going to and the present continuous for the future
- •1. When do we use will to talk about the future in English?
- •2. What is the difference between will and to be going to when used in predictions about the future?
- •3. When do we use the present continuous and to be going to to express future in English?
- •Practice with the Present Simple for the Future
- •1. What kind of events do we mean when we use the present simple for the future?
- •Practice with the Future Continuous
- •1. In what cases do we use future continuous?
- •Practice with the Future Perfect
- •1. In what cases do we usually use the future perfect?
- •Practice with the Future in the Past:
- •1. What occasions do we mean using the future in the past?
- •Appendix 1
- •Appendix 2
- •Contents
1.7 Role play Studying politics
Situation
Disagreement about the nature of political activity is matched by dispute about the nature of politics as an academic discipline. The discipline includes a range of theoretical approaches and a variety of schools of analysis.
What you must discuss:
Analyze various theoretical approaches with your interlocutors. Make sure whether the investigation within different traditions is worth taking into consideration to study politics objectively. Choose the one that you think is the most reasonable from the scientific point of view.
Work in groups (students A, B, C, D).
Student A
To understand the role of the philosophical tradition in political science you should mention that the origins of political analysis date back to Ancient Greece. A tradition is usually referred to as 'political philosophy'. Plato and Aristotle are usually identified as the founding fathers of this tradition. Their ideas have formed the basis of what is called the 'traditional' approach to politics. This involves the analytical study of ideas and doctrines that have been central to political thought. Although such analysis may be carried out critically, it cannot be objective in any scientific sense, as it deals with normative questions such as 'why should I obey the state?', 'how should rewards be distributed?' and 'what should the limits of individual freedom be?’ Ask your groupmates if they are able to comment the above information.
Make use of the helpful phrases:
I must confess ... .
At first ... seemed completely out of the question ... .
What I can see is ... .
Well, that’s another matter.
Hmm. But suppose ... .
I know next to nothing about ... .
Well, I obviously can’t make a decision now. Let me ... .
Then we can talk some more … .
There is no doubt … .
I am sure you are aware … .
Student B
You help your partner to consider the concept of the empirical tradition particularly concerned with the study of institutions and structures. You are aware that a descriptive or empirical tradition can be traced back to the earliest days of political thought. It can be seen in Aristotle's attempt to classify constitutions, in Machiavelli's realistic account of statecraft, and in Montesquieu's sociological theory of government and law. In many ways, such writings constitute the basis of what is now called comparative government, and they gave rise to an essentially institutional approach to the discipline. In the USA and the UK in particular this developed into the dominant tradition of analysis. You emphasize that the empirical approach to political analysis is characterized by the attempt to offer an impartial account of political reality. The doctrine of empiricism advanced the belief that experience is the only basis of knowledge, and that therefore all hypotheses and theories should be tested by a process of observation. You stress that by the nineteenth century, such ideas had developed into what became known as positivism. You explain to your interlocutors that this doctrine proclaimed that the social sciences should adhere strictly to the methods of the natural sciences. You induce your partners to have a discussion.
Make use of the helpful phrases:
Well, I'm very interested in hearing your views on … .
I’m sure it must have seemed unusual to you at first, but ... .
That’s usually the first reaction.
It’s really fairly simple.
That shouldn’t be a problem.
I am confident ... .
Let me just add that … .
I feel sure we can work something out.
Yes, I know that but … .
So, in conclusion, I'd like to stress that … .
Student C
Focus your interlocutor's attention on the scientific tradition. The first theorist to attempt to describe politics in scientific terms was Karl Marx. Using his so-called materialist conception of history, Marx tried to uncover the driving force of historical development. This enabled him to make predictions about the future based upon 'laws' that had the same status in terms of proof as laws in the natural sciences. However, you emphasize, enthusiasm for a science of politics peaked in the 1950s and 1960s with the appearance of a form of political analysis that introduced behaviouralism. You explain that behaviouralism is the belief that social theories should be constructed only on the basis of observable behavior, providing certain data for research. You mention that political analysts proclaimed that politics could adopt the methodology of the natural sciences and use research methods, such as voting behaviour, the behaviour of legislators, and the behaviour of municipal politicians and lobbyists. The analysis demonstrates that, for instance, 'democracy' is defined in terms of observable behavior. Thus, instead of meaning 'popular self-government' (literally, government by the people), democracy came to stand for a struggle between competing elites to win power through the mechanism of popular election. In other words, democracy came to mean what goes on in the so-called democratic political systems of the developed countries. You consider your information extremely interesting and induce your groupmates to speak out.
Make use of the helpful phrases:
Let’s be clear first of all over the general problems.
However, one or two comments have some validity.
It makes sense for us to … .
As things stand, … .
After all, … .
It’s beyond doubt that … .
It’s my perception that … .
That would be the best idea under the circumstances.
Could I say something on that point?
Could I just finish?
Student D
You have taken part in the exchange of ideas, but you assume that there is a variety of modern approaches. Amongst recent theoretical approaches to politics is what is called formal political theory, variously known as 'political economy', 'public-choice theory’ and 'rational-choice theory'. This approach has had its broadest impact on political analysis in the form of what is called institutional public-choice theory. The approach has also been applied in the form of game theory, which has been developed more from the field of mathematics than from economics. It entails the use of first principles to analyze puzzles about individual behaviour. The best known example in game theory is the 'prisoners' dilemma'. By no means, however, the rational-choice approach to political analysis has been universally accepted. You state that this approach to politics is based on the assumption that individuals are rationally self-interested actors. This has made modern political analysis both richer and more diverse. To traditional normative, institutional and behavioural approaches have been added not only rational-choice theory but also a wide range of more recent ideas and themes such as: feminism, 'new institutionalism', green politics, critical theory, postmodernism and so on. You finally conclude that political philosophy and political science are to be accepted simply as contrasting ways of disclosing political knowledge. You suppose that analyzing different approaches is significant for studying politology. You'd prefer to share your opinion with the opinions of your groupmates.
Make use of the helpful phrases:
My personal opinion is … .
I'm sorry I don't know much about it, but … .
I'm inclined to think that … .
You have my full support.
May I take a point?
Please do consider my words very carefully.
That's one way of looking at it, but … .
May I add something to that?
I'd like to outline the factors that … .