Speech Practice

10. Match the collocations from the extract and cite their context. Do not speak from memory at this stage, but make the maximum use of the textbook, memorizing the precise language of the original wordings.

Example: ‘Compounded’ collocates/goes with ‘elements’. This collocation/word partnership is found in the second paragraph where it says/reads/writes/goes that English, when the Anglo-Saxons first conquered England, was almost a ‘pure’ or unmixed language and made new words for new ideas compounding elements.

compounded	reasons		takes the place	-significance
adaptable	characteristics		on the other	of the freedom
suitable and attractive	world-wide		case	ways
inherent	heterogeneousness		in this	tenses
inflected	elements		sentence	endings
in the matter of	of vocabulary		use to	way
natural	vehicle		compound	regard
significant	inflections		lack of	hand
copiousness	consequence		in a small	clarity
for historical	language		roundabout	full advantage

11. Answer the questions with regard to the previous discussions.

1. Why is it that English has received such a global spread?

2. What are the roots of the famed heterogeneousness in the English language?

3. What has the language gained and lost with the development of simplicity of inflection?

4. What are the attractions and challenges of studying an inflected and uninflected language?

5. Does fixed word-order create more ease or constraint?

6. Why does English need periphrases?

7. What is the share of intonation in conveying the meaning in an uninflected language like English?

8. Do you rate the said characteristics of English as its attractions or repulsions?

Talking and Discussions

12. Now that we realize this basic distinction between languages – they may be either inflected or uninflected – share:

• which of the two kinds of languages you would rather study in addition to your current English Language course, owing to their general characteristics and your preferences;

• whether you had a good or hard time studying languages at school, with regard to their inherent characteristics.

Role Play

13. Act out a conversation assuming the roles and following the tasks spelt out below:

Let’s say you step in to help a first-year student with their homework. Now he/she is in distress, at a loss and laments over having chosen the English language over others that are structurally more congenial to Ukrainian. They believe they would have been better off:

• Dealing with homogeneous vocabulary falling within fewer rules and admitting fewer exceptions;

• Having an unmistakable understanding of the words’ relationships in the sentence-significance;

• 

  Quick Reference:

  step in – включатися (в щось), втручатися

  distress – страждання; біда, лихо

  at a loss – в розгубленості

  lament – [lə'ment]гірко скаржитися; нарікати

  congenial – близький по духу; споріднений;

  better off – в кращому положенні/стані

  baffle – ставити в безвихідь; збивати з пуття

  dismal – ['dızm(ə)l] гнітючий, похмурий

  Enjoying the freedom of word-order in sentence construction;

• Never dealing with the nightmare of auxiliary verbs and other syntactic words;

• They would never have been baffled by intonation patters and that kind of thing.

Your task: Reassure the fellow-student, suggesting that things are not that dismal and English can suggest a whole lot of delights and excitement, with reference to what you have previously learnt and discussed.