B1IPLo2 – The English Language
The Future of English. Listen to the following extract. Fill in the missing words.
DM: Just 10 years ago, _______________ English speakers were second only to Chinese
speakers in number. But British language _______________ David Graddol says English will
probably drop in dominance by the middle of this century to rank, after Chinese, about
equally with Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu, a south-Asian _______________ closely related to
Hindi. He points out that the decline will not be in total numbers of English speakers, but in
relative terms.
GRADDOL: "The number of people speaking English as a first language continues to
_______________, but it isn't rising nearly as fast as the numbers of many other languages
around the world simply because the main population _______________ has been largely in
the lesser developed countries where languages other than English have been spoken."
In a recent article in the journal Science, Mr. Graddol noted that three languages not now
near the top of the list of the most _______________ spoken might be there soon. These are
Bengali, Tamil, and Malay -- spoken in south and southeast Asia.
But another expert on the English language says Mr. Graddol _______________ the future
of its dominance. David Crystal of the University of Wales, the author of the Cambridge
Encyclopedia of the English Language, says about one-and-a-half-billion of the world's sixbillion people speak it as a second tongue compared to the 400-million native speakers.
CRYSTAL: "Nobody _______________ knows what's going to happen because no language
has ever been in this position before. But all the evidence suggests that the English language
_______________ is rolling down a hill and is getting faster and faster and faster and
accreting new foreign language users unlike any other language has ever done before. I
don't myself see that process stopping in the immediate future. David Graddol, I know, thinks
even that _______________ is going die in the not-too-far distant future, but personally I
think there is no sign of this."
DM: David Graddol does not _______________ English's expansion as a second language,
but his sense of proportion differs. While Mr. Crystal says more than three times as many
people speak it as a second language than as a first, Mr. Graddol says that only recently
have the second language speakers _______________ the number of native English
speakers.
_______________ the total, he disagrees with the notion that English's growth as a second
tongue means it will become the world language to the exclusion of all others.
GRADDOL: "We have actually __________ _____ with the idea of dominance meaning that
a language actually pushes out other languages and takes over the world as it were. That's
not actually what seems to be happening. Precisely because people are learning English as
a second language, they are not actually __________ _____ their first languages. They are
becoming bilingual or _______________. So the spread of English around the world is
actually creating a greatly increased bilingualism and multilingualism."
Mr. Graddol says this will put people who speak only English at a competitive disadvantage.
In the new linguistic world order he _______________, he says most people will switch
between languages for routine tasks and that monolingual English speakers will find it
difficult to participate fully in society.
GRADDOL: "In India, for example, someone might speak five, six, even seven languages
and not think that is a particularly _______________ thing. But there will be some activities
like going down to the market and buying vegetables that they might be able to do only in,
say, Tamil. Then when they go home, they will talk to their family in another language, but
when they go to college they will use probably English."
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
DM: Mr. Graddol notes that _______________ in parts of Asia are already looking
_______________ English. In the next decade, he says the most important language to
learn for job opportunities is likely to be Mandarin Chinese.
For Wordmaster, I'm David McAlary on VOA's Coast to Coast.
Listening Comprehension
True or False
1. According to David Graddol, English will remain dominant. …………………………….
2. The number of English speakers continues to rise as fast as the number of southAsian language speakers. ……………………………………………………………………
3. Bengali, Tamil, and Malay are top of the list. ……………………………………………….
4. David Crystal is the author of the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English language.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5. What’s happening with English is a unique phenomenon. ……………………………….
6. David Graddol contends that second language speakers surpass native English
speakers. ……………………………………………………………………………………….
7. Speaking English as a second language means giving up one’s first language. ………
8. Monolingual speakers might be in a difficult position. ……………………………………..
9. In India, people can speak up to seven languages. ………………………………………
10. The language of the future might be Mandarin Chinese. …………………………………
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
Find for the following words the equivalent expressions in the text.
1. expert:
………………………………………………………………..
2. to fall, to diminish:
………………………………………………………………..
3. to indicate:
………………………………………………………………..
4. to grow:
………………………………………………………………..
5. noted:
………………………………………………………………..
6. extensively:
………………………………………………………………..
7. proof:
………………………………………………………………..
8. speeding up:
………………………………………………………………..
9. absorbing:
………………………………………………………………..
10. force:
………………………………………………………………..
11. outnumbered:
………………………………………………………………..
12. expels:
………………………………………………………………..
13. conquers:
………………………………………………………………..
14. predicts:
………………………………………………………………..
15. to transfer:
………………………………………………………………..
16. probably:
………………………………………………………………..
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
Vocabulary
native speakers:
a native speaker of English, mother-tongue speakers of English
second to
preposition
scholar:
a person who has great knowledge of a certain academic subject, such
as literature, history, etc (and an ability to pass it on to others): He is
one of the country’s leading scholars. She is a language scholar of
some note/standing. (= an admired expert in one or more languages).
scholarly: of or like a scholar: His work shows great scholarly care.
scholarship [U]1 the work of a scholar: His scholarship is not good; he
makes many false statements. scholastic: fml2: relating to scholars
and their work: His scholastic ability is not of the highest. (= not very
good).
expert:
a person having some special knowledge, skill, experience, etc, esp
one who is qualified by special training and employed to do certain
things because of this: That doctor is one of the country’s leading
experts on the human brain. expertise [U] the ability of an expert: She
showed great expertise in doing the difficult work.
master:
a person, usually a man, of great skill, knowledge, and experience:
What a master of the subject he is! masterly in the manner of a
master: His argument against the new law was masterly.
authority:
a person who is known to be an expert (on something): She is one of
the world’s leading authorities on fish.
consultant: a person to whom people go for advice: He is a consultant on business
in South America. She is an art consultant for a big publishing
company. consultancy [U] the business of being a consultant
specialist:
1
[U] uncountable
2
fml: formal
3
[C] countable
4
Infml: informal
a person who has special interest or skills in a limited field of work or
study: a government specialist in foreign affairs specialize, -ise to
study (some particular thing) so much as to become an expert in it: He
specialized in tropical diseases. specialization 1 [U] the act of
specializing 2 [C]3 an example or result of this speciality also
specialty [C] infml4 something one specializes in
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
Arabic – Arab
Arabic is used for the languages spoken in Arab countries; in other cases, the normal
adjective is Arab. Arabian is used in a few fixed expressions and place names. (e.g. Saudi
Arabian, the Arabian Sea). (From M. Swan, Practical English Usage)
Hindi: a language spoken in North central India. Hindi is one of the two official languages of
India and is closely related to Urdu.
Urdu: an official language of Pakistan which is also widely used in India, esp. by Muslims.
Urdu is related to Hindi and is usu. written in Persian script.
tongue:
[C] literary a language: The men spoke in a foreign tongue.
language:
1 [U] the system of human expression by means of words, sentences,
etc 2. [C] a particular system of words, etc as used by a people or a
nation: He is learning two foreign languages. 3 [C; U] any system of
signs, movements, etc, used to express meanings or feelings: The
actions of the cat were clearly part of his language of anger. 4 [U] a
particular style or manner or expression: She liked the poet’s beautiful
language. 5 [U] the words and phrases of a particular group, science,
profession, etc: The paper was written in very scientific language. 6 [U]
words and phrases that are impolite or shocking: bad language, strong
language
Bengali:
1 [C] a person who comes from, or whose parents come from Bengal 2 [U] the
language spoken by the people of Bangladesh or West Bengali in India
Tamil:
1 [C] a member of a people of South India and Sri Lanka 2 [U] the language
spoken by these people
Malay:
(also Malayan) of the people or language of Malaysia
evidence:
[U (of, for)] 1 (esp in science or law) words which prove a statement, support a
belief, or make a matter more clear: Several witnesses gave evidence about it.
2 objects which do this: When the police arrived he had already destroyed the
evidence (= papers, films etc) that showed he was guilty. evidence(s) of/that
signs or proof of/that: There are evidences that somebody has been living
here. bear/show evidence of to show signs or proof of: The child bears
evidence of having been badly treated. in evidence able to be seen and
noticed: Mrs Jones was very much in evidence (= very noticeable) at the party.
Mr Jones was nowhere in evidence. (= could not be found).
proof:
1 [U,C] (a) way of showing that something is true: I believe what you
say, I don’t want any proof. I wouldn’t demand proof of identity from a
friend. Have you any proof that he’s been fighting. He says he isn’t
guilty but we shall need proof of that. 2 [U] the action of being shown to
be true or a fact: Is life on other worlds capable of proof? 3 [C] a test or
trial to find out whether someone or something has a (necessary)
quality, standard of strength, etc (often in the phrase put to the proof):
A soldier’s courage is put to the proof in battle. This material will stand
any proof (= pass any test) of the hardness claimed for it by its makers.
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
4 [C] math a test made of the correctness of calculation 5 [C] geom the
reasoning that shows a statement (theorem) is true.
dispute:
1 to disagree about; call into question; doubt: The honesty of his intentions
was never disputed. 2 to argue about (something), esp angrily and for some
time: They disputed for hours (about) where to go.
question:
genl to raise doubt about: I question whether I could have arrived in
time. She never questioned his honesty.
a second tongue, a second language
bilingualism
mutilingualism, multilingual, polyglot
monolingual
Mandarin Chinese:
the official form of the Chinese language; the language of Bejing and
northern China and of educated Chinese people generally.
The History of English – Videos
Anglo-Saxon
Who came?
What did they bring? What Which
did they leave?
bring?
words
did
they
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
The Age of the Dictionary
What is the subheading of this part?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
How do you explain such a subheading?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Who was the great lexicographer who wrote the “Dictionary of the English language? How
long did it take him to finish the dictionary? Give the dates.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Give the size of the dictionary. How many entries did it contain? What’s the joke here?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Which words can you now look for in that dictionary? What do they mean?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Which new book was started? When? How long did it take to be finished? What happened to
the editors? Was composing that book a funny task?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Check tommyrot, balderdash, snuff bumble.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
Global English
Fill in: English has shown a unique ability to ……………………., …………………….,
……………………., and, if we’re honest, ……………………..
How did English travel the world?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
From how many languages did English pilfer words?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“The written alphabet bears no correlation to how it sounds.” Does it remind you of
something?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
What about spelling?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Which Englishes are mentioned here? What are they made up of?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
David Graddol, English and the Future – Text
from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1720_ten_years/page9.sht
ml
The class is divided in four teams. Each team summarizes and presents its part to the class.
David Graddol is a British applied linguist, writer, broadcaster, researcher and consultant on
global English.
TEAM
1
Learners of the future
The world is changing so fast that English, perhaps the most worldly of languages, is
struggling to keep up. One thing is for sure: the English learner of the future will be different
from those of the past, will be looking for a different kind of English and will expect to learn it
in ways which reflect the technology and lifestyles of the 21st century.
Learners in the future are likely to be much younger. Across the world, English is being made
a central component of more general educational reform. English is losing its position in the
foreign languages curriculum, where it was taught mainly to teenagers and has been
reinvented as one of the basic skills which you need to learn when you first go to school.
Textbooks and audio visual materials, methods of teaching and expected outcomes are
already being transformed.
TEAM
2
Young Learners
Young children are often said to be better at language learning than older learners but they
also have special challenges. Young children don't usually have the kind of instrumental
motivation and determination for learning English that older learners often have (though their
parents and relations may). English lessons must therefore be fun and rewarding. Young
learners also have less experience at learning and so fewer cognitive strategies for
remembering things, or coping with the discouraging setbacks that are typical of any learning
curve. Highly visual websites with interactive games which rely less on written text will
provide accessible support for such learners.
As General English becomes something done when you're young, teenagers and young
adults will be seeking more specific needs and knowledge areas. In fact, one of the
consequences of the universalisation of English is the convergence between knowledge,
skills and English. So learning about anything in future - whether computers or football - may
come with an element of specialised English learning.
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B1IPLo2 – The English Language
TEAM
3
Why Learn English?
The reasons why people learn English are also changing. Globalisation is bringing together
more people than ever who speak different languages and who are turning to English as the
means of communication. The English learner of the future may be less worried about
sounding exactly like a native speaker and more concerned about how to use English
effectively in cross-cultural communication. We may be hearing more non-native speakers in
dialogues and a wider range of the 'New Englishes' now used around the world.
Technology will allow English to come to you, rather than you having to go to a special place
to learn English. Podcasts and downloadable computer programs hint at the range of things
to come as the distinction between televisions, computers, mobile phones and mp3 players
gets more blurred. And it is not just the technologies which are converging; it is also
increasingly difficult to tell the difference between providers of educational content, service
providers and hardware manufacturers. That may be one reason why support for learning
English is coming from an increasing number of sources.
TEAM
4
Learning English has always involved both pain and pleasure, private slog and social activity.
Traditional learning provided take-it or leave-it mixes of these as well as of content but in
future learners will expect to be able to choose a formula which suits their cultural and
psychological dispositions, or their particular needs at that moment. They, rather than their
teachers, will decide how, what and when they will learn. Websites will provide the kind of
support needed by learners to chart a pathway through the material and monitor progress.
Communication
Above all, learning English is about communication and an important part of learning English
is being able to exchange views and make friends with people all over the world. As learners
become younger, this has a dark side as well. Issues of security and transparency of identity
will become greater. Despite the growing independence of learners, trusted institutions and
brand names will remain important.
Lastly, in envisioning the learners of the future as younger and more demanding, it is also
worth considering the teachers of the future. The paradox is, as English becomes spoken by
more and more people in the world, the number of English teachers will fall.
Vocabulary
to keep up:
to maintain at the present level
setback:
a stopping or delay in one's progress; reverse or defeat.
learning curve:
the rate at which someone learns something new, the course of
progress made in learning something
concerned about:
worried about
blurred:
vague
slog:
a long, tiring walk or march. long, laborious work. a heavy blow
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