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answer. If you want to go into international business, then Spanish and Chinese is good for you. If you are trying to learn another language in order to help your kids, then I suggest any and every language tutor or class that you can get your hands on (there is no loss here). Even if your child wants to learn Latin (although it is not very helpful in modern conversational language). But it will enrich you child's knowledge, and more than likely they will find a use for it (research, teaching, etc..) If you want to go into the FBI, CIA I would suggest Arabic. The right language to learn depends on each individual person and aspirations. Just make sure that the language you choose to learn is correct. Try and become fluent, but learn greetings in all and every language you can think of; here, it is the effort that you make in trying to please whoever you are dealing with that really counts, and this could give you the one up that the next person doesn't have.

8. Read the text and supply the missing 40 word part. English by no means the 'universal' language

Languages are not only communication tools, but in their dive__ __ __ __ __1) and ethnicity they a__ __2) also integral parts o__3) world culture. Communication a__ __4) development policies which a__ __5) not based on res__ __ __ __6) and support for a__ __7) languages amount to a de__ __ __8) sentence for the majo__ __ __ __9) of languages in t__ __10) world. It is gene__ __ __ __ __11) accepted that in t__ __12)

stati__ __ __ __ __16) show that no mo__ __17) than ten percent o__18) the world’s popul__ __ __ __ __19) speak English as a nat__ __ __20) language. English is b__21) no means a ’universal’ ton__ __ __22) just yet - and i__23) my eyes it i__24) unsuitable as one, al__ __ __25) with all other nati__ __ __ __26) languages.

Personal experience wi__ __27) show that a person tal__ __ __ __28) in a second (non-native) lang__ __ __ __29) will never reach qu__ __ __30) the same level o__31) fluency as the nat__ __ __32).

The beauty of nati__ __ __ __33) languages is in th__ __ __34) differences, their complexities, t__ __35) subtlety of their tu__ __ __36) of phrase - but i__37) is these same trea__ __ __ __ __38) that make national

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lang__ __ __ __ __39) too difficult and t__ __40) non-neutral for intercommunication. This is a reason why an easy-to-learn, auxiliary language like Esperanto should be used to solve the language problem - speakers of all languages, large and small, should have a real chance of learning a second language to an expressive, highly communicative level.

9. Is it difficult for you to study English? Why? Do you have your own ideas how to make the process of studying more interesting and easier? Brainstorm ideas!

Study

languages

10. Read the following tips and add them to your list. Become a child again!

Look at the language you are trying to learn as a totally new thing, accept new words and sentences in their context instead of trying to translate them word-for-word back in to English. Children don't question their native language as they're growing up and learning it, they just accept...

Make learning a part of your life

Make your learning an active part of your life. Recent research in adult learning shows that you're likely to remember 20% of what you read and 30% of what you hear ... and a staggering 90% of what you see, hear, say and do. So, practise by doing things like saying phone numbers out loud, making shopping and other lists, memorising orders in a bar or restaurant.

Keep a check on your progress

Keep a check on your progress. If ever you feel you're not learning fast enough, you may be underestimating how much progress you're actu-

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ally making. Go back every so often to something you did early on to prove to yourself how much you've learnt.

Set short-term goals

Be realistic and don't expect miracles. Language learning takes time and commitment - don't expect to be fluent overnight and don't be hard on yourself when you can't remember everything you've learnt.

Set yourself some short-term goals - the thought of a visit in a few months' time to a place where the language you're learning is spoken is a real incentive to learn.

Don't worry about mistakes

Don't worry too much about mistakes. It's a normal part of the learning process, and you'll learn much more quickly by having a go at speaking than by saying nothing until you're word perfect. Generally, people are only too pleased to hear you trying to speak their language and make allowances if you don't get it exactly right.

Repeat activities

Don't feel you must always forge ahead with new material. Repeating activities is an excellent way of building familiarity with the language. So if you're tired and your mind is wandering, instead of giving your language learning a miss do some activities you've done before and which won't require as much concentration.

If you find your concentration wavering, remind yourself of why you wanted to learn in the first place. This helps to keep you focused.

Listen to native speakers using audio and video clips

If your ambition is to speak the language, you need to train yourself to listen without always seeing it written down. You might find this hard at first but it pays off when you come to speak it. You won't always be trying to pronounce it like English.

Improve your accent and your confidence by listening to speakers on the audio and video clips over and over and imitating them closely - out loud. The more you do this, the more you'll find yourself becoming comfortable with the sounds of the language.

Don't let grammar worry you

Don't let grammar worry you - but don't go out of your way to avoid it either. Grammar is simply the term for the mechanics of a language, and basic knowledge of the rules of grammar will allow you to say what you want to say instead of having to rely on set phrases.

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11. There are at least 20 hidden words. Find them!

12.Find the words from Ex. 11 in the text above and read them aloud.

13.Ask each other questions and answer them.

1.which / will / language / one / over / role / of / take / the / an / international?

2.it / are / people / languages / lazy / when / to / English / learning / comes?

3.it / script / study / to / the / a / language / that / quicker / same / is / has?

4.to / the / on / choice / of / right / the / what / language / learn / does / depend?

5.beauty / what / the / the / of / language / is?

14. Do you agree with the following statements? Prove it.

1) Having mastered one foreign language, second and subsequent ones can be learned with much less pain and effort.

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2)Esperanto (an artificial language invented in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof, a Polish physician and philologist, and intended for international use which is based on word roots common to the major European languages.) should be taught in more places.

3)Any language is divided up into so many different components - one cannot be equally good in all of them. Having a boy/girl friend or spouse who speaks another language does not automatically mean that you will learn it quicker.

15. What is TOEFL:

-Teacher Of English For Learners;

-Translation Of English Fiction Literature;

-Teaching Of English as a Foreign Language;

-Test Of English as a Foreign Language?

16. Read the text about TOEFL and find the paragraphs about:

1)The TOEFL test gives you more choices about where you want to study.

2)The TOEFL test gives you the skills you need to communicate in reallife, academic situations.

3)The TOEFL test gives you more convenience and flexibility.

4)The TOEFL test is fair and accurate.

The TOEFL® test measures your ability to communicate in English in colleges and universities. Accepted by 6,000 institutions in more than 130 countries, including almost every university in the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, that rely on TOEFL scores for admissions, scholarship and graduation decisions. It is the most widely accepted English-language test in the world.

The entire test is taken in one day, which saves you travel time and costs. And, there are more than 4,000 test centers to choose from.

You can retake the test in just 7 days, if you want to improve your scores.

In the classroom and on campus, you will be able to communicate your ideas effectively.

Listen to lectures, read textbooks and online research, write academic papers and e-mails, and speak with other students and professors.

All test takers have a similar test-taking experience, which eliminates the inconsistency of interviews that could negatively impact your scores.

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Scores are objective and unbiased. Tests are scored anonymously by ETS-certified experts.

17. Match the words and the pictures (pic. 16, a – i):

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Employee ID card;

Learner's permit or any temporary ID (e.g., driver's license);

Photocopy of ID.

19. Before you start reading explain the words in italics and then match them with the synonyms from the box. Then read the text and try to retell all the main points to your partner. You may use the

What to Expect on Test Day

The following information will help you understand test center guidelines, policies and procedures.

Test center administrators cannot make schedule changes.

Friends or relatives are not allowed in the test center during the test.

You should dress comfortably for any room temperature.

You are required to write (not print) and sign a confidentiality statement at the test center. You cannot test without it. Your fees will NOT be refunded.

Your picture will be taken and placed at your assigned station and on your score report.

Scratch paper is provided and must be returned at the end of the session.

If you have a problem with your computer or need assistance, raise your hand.

Testing premises are subject to videotaping.

Personal Items

You will receive instructions on where to put personal items.

If you bring them into the testing room, they will be collected by test center staff.

If you do not follow directions, you cannot take the test.

Any violation of this procedure may result in cancellation of your scores, dismissal by the test center staff, or banning from future testing. Test

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centers and ETS assume no responsibility for personal items or devices that you bring into the center.

Seating

The test administrator will assign you a seat.

Timing

The TOEFL PBT (paper-based test) takes about 3½ hours.

Each section has a time limit. If you finish a section early, you cannot go to another section.

20. There are two types of TOEFL: the computer-based and paperbased tests. Read the text and find the answers to the questions:

-What is the most popular test format?

-What is checked during the test?

-What types of questions are there in the test?

-What is the total score?

-What rating does an essay receive?

The computer-based test

The length of this test is flexible. It depends how long you take to answer the questions.

The computer-based test was taken by more than 300,000 people in 1998-1999. There are over 300 centres around the world offering the test on computer.

Before you take the test there are seven tutorials on how to use a computer to take the test. These are NOT part of your test.

The test has four sections:

listening, structure, reading, writing.

The listening and structure sections use mostly multiple-choice questions. Full instructions are given on how to answer the questions.

The reading section has comprehension questions on reading passages.

In the writing section you have 30 minutes to write a composition.

The paper-based test

This test lasts less than 3 hours.

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There are three sections and each section has a minimum of 140 questions.

The three sections are:

listening comprehension, structure and written expression, reading comprehension.

All the questions are multiple-choice.

Scoring

If you take the computer-based test you will be able to see your scores for listening and reading immediately. Your exact scores for the other sections will not be available immediately as your writing will need to be marked.

For the computer-based test you will receive four scaled scores: Listening (0-30), Structure/Writing (0-30), Reading (0-30), and a total score (0-300). The essay will receive a rating between 1 and 6.

If you take the paper-based test you will receive a score with a maximum of 677.

If you had a chance to take TOEFL, what format would you choose? Why?

21. Work in 4 groups. Read the following advice for improving your reading/listening/speaking/writing skills and tell the rest of the group what you should do.

Group 1. Reading skills

1. Read as much and as often as possible in English.

-Read texts on a variety of topics. (Read both academic and non-academic materials. Read about subjects that interest you and that DON’T interest you.)

-Write basic questions to test your understanding of a text. (Write questions and answers about the first paragraph. Then guess what might be discussed in the next paragraph.)

-Use your knowledge of grammar to try to comprehend difficult sections of a passage. (Think carefully about the relationship between independent and dependent clauses. Look at pronouns and find the nouns that they refer to. Look at relative pronouns (who, that, which, whom, whose) used in adjective clauses (for example, The student whose classmates are taking the TOEFL test....) and find the nouns they refer to.)

2. Continually expand your vocabulary knowledge.

-It is important to increase your vocabulary on many subjects because you

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