English Today

The modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between different countries seems less. For this reason it’s becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.

One billion people speak English today. That’s about 20% of the world’s population.

400 million people speak English as their first language. For the other 600 million people it’s either a second language or a foreign language.

English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, businessmen and universities.

English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and trade, sport and pop music.

80% of all information in the world’s computers is in English.

75% of the world’s letters and faxes are in English.

60% of all international telephone calls are made in English.

More than 60% of all scientific journals are written in English.

To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, foe every good specialist. Learning a language is not an easy thing. It’s a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it’s a must.

English is taught throughout the world and a lot of people speak it quite well. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.

Everyone will speak English soon – I’m sure of it. We all need to understand each other. To do that we need an international language, and that’s English.

Why Do We Learn Foreign Languages?

Why do people all over the world learn foreign languages? Perhaps because the world is getting smaller in a way: nations are more closely linked with each other than ever before. Companies operate world-wide, scientists of different nationalities cooperate and tourists travel practically everywhere. The ability to communicate with people from other countries is getting more and more important. And learning foreign languages broadens your horizonts too!

Before learners of a foreign language are able to communicate they have to acquire many skills. They must learn to produce unfamiliar sounds. They must build up a vocabulary. They must learn grammar rules and how to use them. And, last, but not least, they must develop listening, speaking, reading, writing skills and learn how to react in variety of situations.

Why is English a World language?

The population of British is only about 58 million. But throughout the world English is spoken by over 700 million people.

About 350 million people speak English as their first language in 12 countries, such as Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.

About 300 million people use English as a second or official language in over 60 countries, for example, in India. They usually use it when doing business or when completing official documents and forms.

It is estimated that at least 100 million people throughout the world use English fluently as a foreign language.

There are over 3000 languages in the world. So why has English become so widely spoken?

From about 1600, explorers, adventures, settlers and soldiers went out from Britain to found settlements and colonies overseas. They took the English language with them. At the height of their power, during the 19^th century, the British could claim that the sun never set in their Empire. Today almost all the countries of the old Empire have become independent. However, most of them are now members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and English is an important language for them.

After the Second World War the United States became what Britain had been in the 19^th century, politically and economically one of the most powerful nations in the World. As its power spread, the English language spread too.

Finally with the development of computer technology and the explosion of information, English truly became a global language. Today over 80% of the information stored in the world’s computers is written in English.

2.

1) Сравните следующие словосочетания по структуре

а) to speak English (the English language) – говорить по-английски;

b) to communicate (read, write) in English – общаться (читать, писать) по-английски.

2) В каком случае в конструкции употребляется, а в каком – не используется определенный артикль?

3)

1. Выделите две закономерности образования nationality word.

Country	Nationality
	Singular	Plural
England	(An? a? the?) Englishman (to drink) a lot of tea. He (to be) English.	The English people (to be) romantic. They (to be) English.
America	(An? a? the?) American (to be) practical. She (to be) American	The Americans (to come) from (the? 0?) USA.

2. В качестве какого члена предложения прилагательные, образованные от названий стран, в любом числе остаются без изменений?

3. С каким артиклем употребляется название нации в целом?

4. Найдите в тексте названия всех англоязычных стран и наций. Продолжите заполнение таблицы в ех. 3.1.

5. Прочитайте и переведите на русский язык следующие существительные: tea, a business, cuisine, a palm-tree.

Составьте словосочетания, добавив к каждому существительному прилагательное из колонки таблицы “Nationality words” (ex. 3.1), максимально подходящее по смыслу.

4) Найдите в текстах пять английских эквивалентов слова заимствовать.

Какие два из них имеют другие знакомые вам значения (см. ех. 20.3 Lesson 2, ex. 5.1, Lesson 4). Как взаимосвязаны лексические значения одного и того же слова,

Найдите в текстах перечисления сфер деятельности, оперирующих заимствованными словами. Приведите примеры таких терминов для каждой из них.

5) Заполните таблицу предложениями в активном и пассивном залогах, используя разные глаголы (см. ех. 2.1, ех. 4) – по образцам в таблице.

Active	Passive
The English people (to communicate) in English as their native language. – Англичане общаются на английском как на родном языке. Such words as … … … (to come) from (the? 0?) English (in? to? into?) (economy? economics?).	(The? 0?) English language is communicated in by English people. – На английском языке общаются как на родном англичане

Объясните: а) порядок слов в английской фразе:

- местоположение предлога in в английском и русском языках, его употребление в конструкциях разного залога;

- последовательность обстоятельств – from … (in? into?);

б) выбор предлога в конструкции to come (in? to? into?).

6) Найдите три синонимичные конструкции словосочетания язык международного общения.

К какой части речи относится каждый из эквивалентов слова международный? Почему вы так решили?

7) Подготовьтесь к ролевой игре на тему “The Role of English for People of Different Professions”.

Распределите роли участников.

Каждый готовит свое выступление на пять минут, главным образом, подчеркивая значимость английского языка для его профессии. Помимо черт различия все выступления характеризуются сходными особенностями и требуют ряда подготовительных упражнений.

Переведите слова на тему места работы каждого участника, а также контингенте для общения на английском языке:

- a teacher, an interpreter, a statesman, (a? the? 0?) director of the business-company, a linguist, a stewardess, a historian, an actor and a singer, a teacher of Russian, a geographer, a journalist, an announcer, an economist, a librarian, a tourist guide, a psychologist;

- a school, a (non)-linguistic university, a psychological service, a computer-centre, a travel-agency, the Parliament, a research-institute, (a? the?) library of foreign languages, a joint venture, a newspaper, an air port, a theatre, a bank, a kindergarten, a linguistic course, a radio-station;

- a (foreign) student, a tourist, a pupil, a passenger, a reader, a business-partner, a foreign celebrity, children, a spectator and a listener.

Составьте предложения о месте работы каждого специалиста. Образец:

The tourist-guide (to work) (in? at?) (a? the?) travel agency.

The journalist (to work) for a newspaper.

Составьте предложения о контингенте для общения на английском языке, чередуя конструкции: to speak …, to communicate in …

Образец:

1) The librarian (to speak) English with the readers.

2) The teacher (to communicate) with the students in English.

Объясните разницу в порядке слов в обеих конструкциях с точки зрения членов предложения. Какое слово во второй конструкции свидетельствует о грамматических изменениях?

Научитесь называть людей по профессии, используя следующие модели:

- I (to be) a historian. – Я историк;

- She (to work) as an economist. – Она работает экономистом.

Переведите на английский язык предложения, называющие:

- специальность (Я работаю переводчиком в течение … лет);

- место работы (Она работает в школе с … года).

Какое грамматическое время вам следует употребить, говоря об опыте работы? (См. ех. 15(1) Lesson 1).

8) Подготовьте выступления – каждый в соответствии с собственной ролью.

Роль ведущего – главная. Во-первых, ему предстоит подготовить вступительное и заключительное слово на основе текстов “The English Language”.

Во-вторых, ведущий составляет программу конференции, устанавливая последовательность выступлений, с которой он заранее ознакамливает всех участников.

В-третьих, ведущий предоставляет слово каждому участнику, используя специальную конструкцию. Раскройте скобки, употребляя глагол в пассивном залоге: The floor (to give) to …

Выступления остальных участников занимают пять минут каждое. Все получают карточки на английском языке, содержащие:

- ряд вопросов;

- перечень факторов для учета при ответах на вопросы;

- образцы конструкций, помогающих строить свои собственные высказывания;

- специально подчеркнутый лексический материал, которым оперируют представители той или иной профессии.

The English teacher (in? at?) (the? 0?) school

Why is it necessary for children and teen-agers to study English nowadays? Speak about: the role of English in our modern life and children as our future.

What forms do you teach English (in? at?)?

What is more difficult: to teach pupils or adults? Why? Compare their psychological features such as (the? 0?) degree of mobility, stability of nervous system. Which activity needs more freedom in behaviour: (to study) English or mathematics? Consider the role of communication and its features.

Do you teach in (a? the?) big form or small language groups? How many pupils are there in each group? Is it useful to study a foreign language in (a? the?) big group? Why is it impossible for children and teen-agers?

How do you (do? make?) your lessons interesting? Do your pupils only (do? make?) grammar exercises or discuss problems in English? What problems are interesting for teen-agers?

How do you (do? make?) your lessons interesting? Do your pupils only (do? make?) grammar exercises or discuss problems in English? What problems are interesting for teen-agers? Do your pupils read any English books in the original and communicate about them? What are these books? Are they about adults or (the? 0?) children of their age?

- Kindergarten

Why do most parents want to teach pre-school children English nowadays? Consider the role of English nowadays;

- children as our future;

- the possibilities of pre-school children who can (well?) remember nursery rhymes, imagine situations.

How do you make your lessons interesting for little children? Speak about role-plays? (to move), songs and rhymes in English. How are these forms of work interconnected with the features of a foreign language? Consider the role of communication for (to study) it.

What age is good to begin teaching English: 2 or 5 years old? Why is it so? How do native and foreign speech interfere with each other (in? at?) the early age? Can little children (well?) pronounce … all sounds …? Is it possible to teach 2 (year? years?)-old children English in (a? the?) bilingual family? Why do you think so? Speak about communication in both languages in everyday life.

Linguistic University

Why is it necessary to study a foreign language for young people nowadays? Speak about:

- the role of English in our modern life;

- young people as future adults;

- the possibilities to find an interesting and well-paid job with (the? 0?) knowledge of a foreign language. Speak about possible work abroad or (in? at?) (a? the?) joint venture in Russia/

What faculties does your university have? What specialists does it train? Which faculties are the most popular with young people nowadays? Why is it so? What aspect of the language do you teach?

Do you teach a foreign language in English or Russian? Do you have audio-visual aids to master pronunciation?

Non-linguistic university

Why is it necessary for young people to know English nowadays? Speak about:

- the role of English in our modern life;

- young people as future adults.

Does (the? 0?) knowledge of English help to find an interesting and well-paid job abroad or )in? at?) (a? the?) joint venture in Russia?

How long do you students study a foreign language? How many English classes a week do they have? Is it enough to master English? How many students do you have in (a? the?) group? Why is it so? Speak about the role of communication for (to study) a foreign language. Is it possible for 20 people to communicate at one and the same time?

Is teaching English different (in? at?) humanitary and technical universities? Speak about:

- technical terms from (the? 0?) English language;

- more logical way of (to think) for (the? 0?) students of technical universities.

How do these both factors help to study English grammar?

What faculties does your university have? Speak about the difference of lexical material for each faculty. Give examples.

What parts does the state exam in English include?

Speak about short and long-term linguistic courses. Are they fee-paid (very expensive)? Do both courses solve different tasks? What are these tasks?

A teacher of Russian for English students

Is it difficult for you to teach Russian in English? Can your students understand you well? Can you pronounce all English sounds correctly?

Do your students help you to master (the? 0?) modern English? Do you have much practice of communication in English? Does it help you to improve your own knowledge of the language?

A linguistic

Compare the main features of (the? 0?) English and Russian. Which grammar is simpler (more difficult) and why? (См. тексты “The English Language”.) Give examples in respect of cases and endings.

What is your scientific degree? How many textbooks (scientific articles) have you written?

What is the topic of your research? (Use Gerund –ing.) Why is this topic up-to-date? What is the aim of your investigation? What are the tasks? Model: The aim, the first (second, third, fourth) task is to …

What is your hypothesis? (If? provided?...) – Правильно используйте будущее время в сложно-подчиненном условном предложении.

What is the object of your research? What are the main theoretical statements?

Where do you apply the results of your investigation? Do you teach (in? at?) the linguistic university? Does your research have a subject? Who is the subject of your research?

Are the results of your research more theoretical or practical?

A tourist guide

Why is it important to know the culture of the country which language you study?

Do you hold excursions in Great Britain or (the? 0?) USA? Do you hold excursions for English and American tourists in Russia?

Speak about the most important places of interest in Great Britain (см. ех. 8(1) Lesson 2).

What aspects of the language are the most essential for you? Can you pronounce all English sounds correctly? Can English and American tourists understand your pronunciation and (the? 0?) modern English well?

A statesman

Speak about the international conflicts in which English-speaking countries participate. Give examples of multinational countries with two languages: the first and the second. What peoples and languages are there? Which language is more (less) important? Which language is official? What does it mean? How many people usually speak the first (second) language? Which language does the state force all people to communicate in? Does it course national conflicts?

Give examples of the terms politics borrowed from (the? 0?) English language. Why did most statesmen study English abroad? What country did you study the language in?

What aspects of the language are the most important for statesmen? Why should they pronounce English sounds as well as native speakers? Why can’t statesmen communicate with foreigners with the help of an interpreter? Say a few words about the role of direct communication for mutual understanding in (to solve) most important political problems. Mention the factor of respect for excellent knowledge of the language that (make? does?) our statesmen more reliable as the representatives of the country as a whole in the world arena.

(The? a?) director of the joint venture

Do you often go on business-trips abroad? Does your enterprise have branches abroad? What countries are they in? Do you often make contracts with foreign partners?

What aspects of the language are essential for you? What does your enterprise specialize in? Give examples of special terms in English you deal with in your work.

What is better: to speak English well or accept an interpreter’s help? Why is it so? Consider:

- the role of direct communication for mutual understanding;

- the additional factor of respect for good knowledge of the foreign language.

A computer programmer

Why is English the foundation of all computer languages? Why is it easier in respect of grammar? What mood of verbs are all computers languages are based on? Give examples of both these forms and special terms that computer science accepted from (the? 0?) English language. What aspect of (the? 0?) English language is the most important for you?

A historian

Why is it necessary to know the history of the country which language you study? Are you a writer, a scientist or both? How many (historic? historical?) novels have you written?

What periods of the history are the most interesting in (the? 0?) United Kingdom, (the? 0?) USA? Why is it so? Who are the most prominent (historic? historical?) characters in these countries?

How many times have you been (in? to?) Great Britain? What museums have you visited there? (см. ех. 8 (1а).

A geographer

Do you specialize in physical, (economic? economical?) or political geography of Great Britain, (the? 0?) USA? How many times have you been (to? in?) this country? Have you been (to? in?) different parts of (the? 0?) USA, Great Britain?

Speak about the geographic position of the country. What countries does it border on? Say a few words about the political and (economic? economical?) relations with other countries, exports and imports. What is it washed by?

Describe the relief of the country. What are its climatic conditions? Mention the average temperatures and rain fall. What minerals does Great Britain, (the? 0?) USA have? How does it influence the development of industry and agriculture?

An economist

Is (the? 0?) (economy? economics?) of Great Britain and (the? 0?) United States of America very strong nowadays? Why is (the? 0?) English language so popular all over the world? Is it connected with the role of a dollar as an important currency all over the world?

Give examples of the terms that come from (the? 0?) English language (in? to? into?) the sphere of (economy? economics?).

A librarian (in? at?) the library of foreign languages

Why is it necessary to read English books in the original? Does it help you to:

- master the language;

- know more about the country which language you study.

What books by English and American authors do you recommend for:

- (the? 0?) students of linguistic universities;

- (the? 0?) school-children of ordinary and special schools?

What aspects of the language are essential for you? What should readers know to find a book by themselves in (a? the?) catalogue?

A journalist

Why should you communicate in English without the help of an interpreter? Consider the role of direct communication in sincere (to talk) and (to get) true information about people.

What aspects of the language are the most important for you? Do you interview people of different professions? Should you know their professional terms? Give examples. Can you pronounce all English sounds correctly? Can the English people understand your pronunciation well? Can you understand (the? 0?) modern English?