world_matters

Why do people learn English?

What’s the longest word in English?

How many people speak English?

How many words are there in English?

What’s the most common letter in English?

Where does English come from?

1

We can't answer that question exactly, but here's a recipe we came across the

Latin and Greek)

25 grammes other mixed languages Mix all the ingredients together. Cook slowly for 1,000 years

2

English is the main language in 30 countries, and there are about 375 million people who speak it as their first language. It is also used as an official language in over 70 other countries such as Cameroon, Tanzania, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Fiji, and is a second language for about 350 million people. One in two Europeans can speak English quite well and can have a proper conversation, and in the future even more Europeans will be able to speak it. All in all, there are about 1,000 million (a billion) people who can't speak English, but they're learning it!

3

There are about 300,000 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary. However, there are many scientific and technical words that are not in the dictionary (for example, there are over a million types of insect). An educated English speaker only uses about 30,000 words.

4

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the name for a lung disease caused by breathing in dangerous dust and is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconios is

5

The letter 'e' is used more than any other. Ernest Wright was very interested in this fact, and wanted to see if it was possible to communicate without using this letter at all.

He wasn't able to write very much! In the end, he wrote a 200-page novel, Gadsby, without using any words containing the| letter 'e'. Sadly, it was not a great success, but here is a bit of it:

A glorious full moon sails across a sky without a cloud. A crisp night air has folks turning up coat collars and kids hopping up and down for warmth.

4c Work in groups. Write a sentence (as long as possible) without any words containing the letter ‘e’. Students whose sentence is the longest are the winners.

Make a list of the words containing more than ten letters.

4.d. Tell the class about Russian or any other language you know about. You can use FAQs from the webpage as a plan.

5. Listening

5a Work with a partner to discuss the following.

What languages are spoken in Scotland?

What can you do to prevent a language from disappearing?

5b Listen to a radio interview with Bradana MacKinnon, spokesperson for the Society for the Promotion of Gaelic. Tick the things that are mentioned. Track 19.

1statistics about people speaking Gaelic

2the differences between Gaelic

in Scotland and Ireland

3the economy of the Gaelic-speaking Community

4investment in cultural events

number of Gaelic-only speakers in

4 It’s also true to say that since there has been a revival in the Celtic culture and language.

a the 1960s b the 1930s c the 1960s

5 There has been a huge in the

number of young children being educated in Gaelic in primary schools

6 At the moment we’re trying to raise our profile and we have a new fund-

animal, is unique and worth protecting.

Language plays a commanding role as a means of communication. When we communicate with other people, we use our facial expression, eye contact, body movement, intonation, volume of voice, clothing, body decoration, time, space and many other ways to transmit information. Such means of communication without words are called nonverbal communication. People had developed nonverbal communication skills long before they began to talk.

Some researchers are sure that nonverbal communication is more powerful than verbal communication. Ray Birdwhistell of the University of Pennsylvania has estimated that 30 or 35 percent of human communication occurs through words, the rest through nonverbal modes. The first scientific study of nonverbal communication was Charles Darwin’s book ‘The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals’ (1872). In this work Charles Darwin studied facial expression.

Nonverbal communication can be communicated through gesture and touch, by body language or posture, by facial expression and eye contact as well as through object communication such as hair-styles or even furniture. In other

words nonverbal communication can be considered ‘silent language’ which serves to express feelings without using words.

Nonverbal communication takes place simultaneously with verbal communication. For example, When we agree or disagree with somebody, we often nod or shake our head to convey positive or negative feelings. We can show a person that we are pleased with him or her or want to be friendly patting him or her on the shoulder. The words of love and affection are often accompanied by a hug or kiss.

Many aspects of nonverbal communication are greatly influenced by culture. People from different cultures interpret nonverbal behavior differently. For example, in Australia winking at women is improper; in Finland folding one’s arms shows arrogance and pride; In Greece waving is an insult.

Direct eye contact is a sign of respect and attention in America and Europe; whereas in some Asian countries downcast eyes are a sign of respect and attention. In many Asian cultures, the bow signifies the culture’s concern with status and rank. In Japan low posture is an indicator of respect. In the United States, where people are usually informal and friendly, Americans often fall into chairs or slouch when they stand. In Germany and Sweden, where people are more formal, slouching is a sign of rudeness and poor manners. In Ghana and in

Turkey, sitting one’s legs crossed is extremely offensive.

Proximity and touching behavior often convey attitudes of liking and affection in many cultures. Latin America and Southern Europeans use touching behavior frequently and have a closer distance for conversation. In Thailand, patting an adult on the head is offensive.

In different countries people have different ways of greeting each other. Arab men often greet by kissing on both cheeks. In Thailand people greet with both hands closed in front of chest. In Japan, men greet by bowing, and in the United States, people shake hands.

Even the high or low pitch of the tone and volume of the voice play a very important role in communication and bay be interpreted differently. Arabs speak very loudly to show strength and sincerity. Germans use a commanding tone to show authority and selfconfidence. In Japan, raising one’s voice often means a lack of self-control. For Japanese people a gentle and soft voice reflects good manners.

We should remember that what is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. For example, the ‘OK’ gesture in the American culture is a symbol for money in Japan. The same gesture is obscene in some Latin American countries; while

for Chinese or people in the South of France it is zero or nothing.

People’s nonverbal actions can say us much more than their words. For example, your partner wants to show you that he I calm. Relaxed and selfconfident, but his voice quavers and you notice his hands shake. That indicates that in reality this person is nervous and lacks confidence. Observing a person’s body language you can understand if he or she is telling the truth or lying. When someone tells a lie, he or she often makes many speech errors, hesitates, flushes or turns pale.

Physical appearance. Eye contact can show a variety of emotions such as warmth, disapproval, irritation, distrust, surprise, interest, attention, sadness and so on.

Good communication techniques in both verbal and nonverbal ways help you become a successful communicator. If we want to avoid breaks in communication and personal relationships, we should take into consideration cultural differences and behave in an appropriate way both verbally and nonverbally. If you observe a person’s gestures, posture, facial expression and movements, you will be able to catch the right information. Remember that a sincere smile and a friendly expression facilitate communication and help remove the barrier between interlocutors.