15. Have you ever seen animals talking? What do you know about animal talk?

Being in Moscow I always visit a Zoo. The animals I watch most of all are chimpanzees. Chimpanzees communicate in a number of different ways. To start with they greet each other by touching hands. They warn each other of danger by screaming and making loud noises. When they move their lips a lot, they are scared. They show affection by hugging and grooming each other.

15. What do you think about regional dialects? (Should all speakers of a language use the same form or not? Should dialects be encouraged or discouraged?)

1)I think regional dialects are important to a language because things should not always be identical, it’s boring. Nothing in nature is exactly the same. Different regions of a country have different landscapes and features and this adds to the richness of our culture. So it should be with language. Therefore I believe that regional dialects should simply be accepted. They should be neither encouraged nor discouraged.

2)I think regional dialects should be discouraged because it would be better to standardise the language in order that everyone understands each other. When people misunderstand each other it can eventually lead to conflict. Differences make people feel apart from others and this can become an unhealthy influence on the unity of a society.

19. Is it important to learn a foreign language? Why?/Why not?

1)It is important to learn languages in the modern world because we need to be able to communicate with people from different parts of the world. Knowing another language, or languages, can help in career prospects and can also be useful when travelling. Learning another language can give insight into other cultures, too. When you learn a language you don’t only learn how people speak but also about their attitudes to life and their customs. I think everyone should learn at least one foreign language and the earlier they begin to learn it the better.

2)Many people nowadays are learning foreign languages. It’s important for anyone who wants to work or study abroad. For example, if you’re interested in working in another country, or in having a job that involves working with foreigners, it’s necessary to know at least one foreign language. In my country, nearly every university student knows another language. English is the most popular, but it’s not the only one people are learning. I have friends who have learned two or more new languages.

20. What ways of learning a foreign language do you know?

Most of them study languages at school, but there are other ways to learn. For example, there are free courses on the Internet.You can also learn with CDs and DVDs. And, of course, you can always buy a book and study without a teacher.

21. How could learning a foreign language be made more enjoyable?

But learning only from books can be a bit boring, so it’s nice sometimes to do some extra things to make learning more njoyable. For instance, it’s fun to watch films from other countries, or to listen to international music and try to learn the song lyrics. And there are many people who improve their English by making friends on the Internet and staying in touch with them.

22.Which language would you most like to learn and why?

I speak English and French, and I like them both because you can use them in so many countries. But I’d also like to learn an Asian language. I’m considering Japanese, because I’m interested in traveling in Japan.

23. Should students be taught a foreign language from a young age? Why/Why not?

Yes, it’s better to begin learning a foreign language from a young age, because it takes many years to master a language. You are also more likely to speak with a better accent if you begin speaking the language as a child.

23. Would you sign up for a summer course in a foreign country? Why/Why not?

I’d love to take a summer course in a foreign country. It would be an excellent way to improve in a foreign language, and it would also be a wonderful travel experience.

23. Are you quite fluent in a foreign language? What do you need to improve on?

I can speak English well, but I’d still like to improve. In particular, I’d like to have a larger vocabulary. I also make mistakes in grammar.

23. What in your opinion is the hardest thing to learn when studying a foreign language? Why?

In my opinion, the hardest thing about a new language is the grammar. Even if you know a language well, it’s still easy to make mistakes when you are speaking, and it takes many years of practice to avoid those mistakes.

27. Do you know how and why the English and Russian languages have changed over the years?

To begin with, the language spoken in England was a variety of regional dialects. Eventually, one of them came to be recognised all over the country. This old English language was then further influenced by invaders over the years.

Originally the Russian language started out as a closely related group of dialects too. Gradually a common language was used for literary and commercial purposes and the Church played a large role in creating one official language.

The languages continue to change with time, some new words are added and other words disappear from use. Some words change because they are adaptations of words used previously. Other words are adopted from other languages and new terminology is introduced due to technological advances. On the other hand, some words are used less and less, until eventually they disappear from our vocabulary. If we take a dictionary from 100 years ago and compare it to a dictionary published last year we will notice many such differences. Language is a living entity that reflects our hanging world.

28. Do you think homework is valuable? (Has homework any educational value for children? Should children be encouraged to spend time on other activities after a long day at school? How well does homework help prepare students for the type of work they will have to do at university? Should teachers spend more time preparing lessons rather than marking homework?)

I am going to talk about the value of homework. Although nobody likes having homework to do, it is an important part of learning. It gives students an opportunity to look at what they have been taught in class and practice or make sure they understand it in their own time. Sometimes it gives students an opportunity to consider any questions they might have about the topic. However students should have time for other activities after school too and not only homework. This is important because after studying all day at school, students need to rest their brains. Concentration levels fall after long periods of study and education experts recommend regular breaks and changes of activity. When students move on to university they will need to read and study their chosen subject on their own. Homework in the earlier years of education prepares them for this. It develops the ability to organise their studies and discipline themselves. Many teachers complain about the amount of time they spend marking homework. However by looking at what students can do on their own, a teacher can see where students are having difficulties and help them in these areas. It is a way of assessing students’ progress and as such it contributes to their lesson planning because they know what areas to focus on in the lesson to help the students learn.

28. Some people consider reality television shows to be low quality television. Others, however, find them an enjoyable and unique form of entertainment. What is your opinion? Why do you think reality television shows are of such interest to some people?

In the past decade reality television shows have become some of the most popular shows on television. But despite their popularity they are often criticised for being very low quality television. As far as I’m concerned, some reality television shows can be enjoyable entertainment while others can exploit the people taking part in them.

Many of the shows are popular because audiences can see how other people behave when they live together under stressful conditions. Sometimes the people in the show are humiliated and sometimes they can appear very courageous. It seems to me that audiences enjoy this type of reality show because the people who take part are just ordinary people and viewers can imagine themselves in their shoes. Unfortunately, this type of show can be very poor quality and may exploit the people who take part.

Another type of reality show that attracts large audiences is the one based on some kind of talent. The participants usually want to become famous as singers or dancers. This type of programme shows ordinary people make their dreams come true and audiences can relate to this idea. Also, it can be very entertaining watching talented performers on these programmes. Overall (в общем и целом), I believe that reality television shows are popular because they offer the audience the chance to escape from their own lives and to feel the experiences of the people who participate in the shows. Sometimes reality television shows can be very poor quality but they can also be very entertaining.

28. Some people say that because children today spend so much time using computers, they are losing the ability to communicate with other people. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the opposite is true. What is your opinion?

There are many arguments both for and against young people spending a lot of time on computers. I feel that even though young people spend a great deal of time using them, it does not harm their ability to communicate. In fact, I think it improves that ability.

One of the benefits of youngsters using computers is that they are spending time writing. Writing is an important communication skill and young people can develop and improve it by writing e-mails and sending messages. Another thing that helps them develop communication skills is the rise of social networking. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter let young people communicate with people from around the world. Young people have never had so many ways to communicate with so many different people as they do today.

One drawback of spending a lot of time on the Internet is that young people do not have as much face-to-face contact as they used to. I would say that this isn’t necessarily because of computers. It is because our way of life has changed over the years. Many young people are not allowed out, especially in the evenings, so computers are often their only way to keep in contact with friends.

To sum up, most people who complain about the time young people spend on computers do not understand computers or the Internet. Computers are just one of the ways that young people can use to develop good communication skills.