Vocabulary practice

I. Read and translate the text using a dictionaryif necessary.

II. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following:

отделять ... от, значительно отличаться, очерчивать (придавать или принимать форму, вид), влиять на наше поведение, толкова­ние (объяснение) реальности, языковой барьер, неязыковое об­щение, представлять большой интерес для, передаваться через язык, именно по этим причинам, остро ощущаемая проблема, сопротивляться чему-либо, требования мировой торговли, вести переговоры о деловых сделках, отказаться от затеи, обанкротить­ся, учредить комитет, запретить, поощрить, расхолаживать, не­правильное поведение, принятые нормы, поддерживать (утверж­дать), различать, нарушитель (закона), точный, простой пример, благосостояние общества, народный обычай (нрав), повинове­ние чему-либо, нарушение (насилие), суровое наказание, разде­лять мнение, яркий пример, придерживаться взгляда, отражать, чтить своих родителей, критерий оценки, прямая взаимосвязь.

III. Supplythe missing words or word combinations choosing among those given below.

1) Language is ... of culture that sets apart humans from other living beings. 2) People depend upon language, ... it describes and shapes our reality. 3) Languages differ in the number of colors that are .... 4) The language barrier ... to nonverbal communication. 5) A culture's most important aspects are communicated to people .... 6) Many societies experience ... of the English language. 7) English ... rock music throughout the world. 8) English is not ... welcomed in all countries. 9) «Linguistic integrity» ia somewhat ... in France. 10) A survey.... that many discos had gone bankrupt. 11) The newspaper Le Monde responded to this campaign ... . 12) Violation of laws can lead to .... 13) Folkways ... how far we should stand while ... with one another. 14) It is important... that this is not ... upheld. 15) Values ... as criteria for ... the actions of others. 16) Most values remain ... during any one person's lifetime.

relatively stable, serve, evaluating, to note, universally, govern, conversing, severe penalties, with a dry sarcasm, revealed, a passion, enthusiastically, pervades, pervasiveness, through language, extends, recognized, for, a critical element

IV. Studythe following words and word combinations and use them in sentences of your own:

to set apart ... from, to differ in striking ways, to depend upon, to influence smth, to lead to, to ask smb for, to extend to, to be of great interest to, it is for these reasons (this reason), a sensitive issue, to remain resistant to, to experience, to stem from, to pervade smth, to drop the idea, to go bankrupt, to go so far as, to view smth as appropriate behavior, to be precise in defining, to demand obedience to, to raise little (great) concern, to be universally upheld, to be (un)likely, to serve as, a direct relationship, to view ... as abasic value, socially shared.

Comprehension exercises

I. Reread the text and answer the following questions.

l)Why is it stated that the major aspects of culture include language, norms, sanctions and values? 2) How can you account for the fact that language is a critical element of culture? 3) Do you agree that people depend upon language in their life? State your reason. 4) Can you give any examples of gestures of nonverbal communication that differ in different languages? 5) Why is language of great interest to the sociological perspective? 6) What can you tell us about the efforts of the French government to maintain the linguistic integrity in France? 7) What are the other aspects of a culture besides language? 8) How do sociologists distinguish between norms? 9) What examples of formal and informal norms can you give? 10) Can you distinguish between mores and folkways? 11) What do you think about the classification of distance zones suggested by the anthropologist Edward Hall? 12) What do sanctions indicate? 13) How can you prove that values influence people's behavior?

II. Define the following key terms and memorize the definitions:

language, norms, mores, folkways, sanctions, values.

III. Speak on the elements of culture and their aspects in brief and illustrate your reports withexamples or situations of your own taken from the Russian lifestyle.

IV. Speak about language as the foundation of culture.

V. Comment on the domination of other languages byEnglish. Can you name anyother reasons for this domination besides the twoones mentioned in the text? Will English continue dominating the languages of the world?

VI. Comment on the efforts of the French government to maintain the linguistic integrity in France. Why aren't they effective? Do you share the sarcastic approach of the newspaper Le Monde to this campaign?

VII. Express your opinion. Should we try to maintain the linguistic integrity in Russia? How can you account for the domination of English in our country? May it lead to the domination of the American culture over the Russian ways and traditions? What do you suggest we should dotoprevent it?

VIII. Comment on the statement that the United States remains resistant to official use of languages other than English and to the introduction of bilingual, bicultural education. Don't you think that this hostilitydoes more harm than good to the American culture robbing it of the cultural diversity?

IX. Name and comment on the American values suggested by the sociologist Robin Williams. Can you go on with this list? Can you offer a list of basic Russian values and account for your choice?