| 1 |
my first language if Russian. |
| 2 |
A lot of people from Soviet Union are bilingual in their native language and Russian. |
| 3 |
i might be fluent in English in several years. |
| 4 |
i'm not reasonably good at English. |
| 5 |
i can get by in English for keeping simple conversation. |
| 6 |
i know a few words of French. |
| 7 |
i can't speak a word of Japanese. |
| 8 |
i can have a conversation in simple themes, such as weather. |
| 9 |
i speak some themes about spaceship, but it's a bit rusty. |
| 10 |
people pick up a bit of new words or phrases when they're on holiday in foreign countries. |
| 11 |
more people speak English than any other language. |
| 12 |
however, non-native speakers now greatly outnumber native speakers. |
| 13 |
a recent report suggested that the number of non-native speakers had already reached 2 billion, whereas there are around 350 million native speakers of English. |
| 14 |
The British Counsil predicts within five years about half the world's population -- over 3.5 billion people -- will speak English. |
| 15 |
why such enthusiasm for English? |
| 16 |
in a word, jobs. |
| 17 |
English has become the dominant language of international business, academic conferences, science and technology and, of course, tourism. |
| 18 |
also, about 75% of the world's correspondence is written in English and 80% of all electronic information is stored in English. |
| 19 |
According to Dr. Jurgen Beneke of the University of Hildesheim in Germany, by far the majority of interactions in English now take place between non-native speakers. For example, at a Toyota factory in the Chech Republic, English was chosen as the working language of the Japanese, French and Chech staff. |
| 20 |
the way that people study English is also changing. |
| 21 |
in South Korea, for example, the national government has been building English immersion schools all over the country, where teenagers live in an all-English environment for up to four weeks at a time. |
| 22 |
in these 'English villages', students check in to their accommodation, go shopping, order food, go to the bank. |
| 23 |
take cooking classes or acting lessons -- all in English. |
| 24 |
and they appear to enjoy the experience -- when we visited one acting class, a student was pretending to be the film star Orlando Bloom to the obvious amusement of his classmates. |
| 25 |
so what happens to a language when it becomes a world language? |
| 26 |
it seems that the answer is difficult to predict because this phenomenon has never happened before. |
| 27 |
however, what is already evident is that these new speakers of English aren't just using the language -- they're changing it. |
| 28 |
Jean Paul Nerriere, a former French IBM executive, believes that the future of English belongs to non-native speakers. |
| 29 |
for the international business community, he always recommends a version of the language which he calls 'Globish' -- a combination of 'global' and 'English'. |
| 30 |
he describes it as English without its cultural associations. |
| 31 |
it's a simpler version of the language. |
| 32 |
so, for example, speakers of Globish don't use idioms and they definitely don't try to tell jokes. |
| 33 |
it has a limited vocabulary of about 1500 words and the speakers use accurate but uncomplicated sentence structures. |
| 34 |
in fact, Nerriere suggests that native speakers will need to use Globish or they may feel left our of the conversation. |
| 35 |
to be honest, i'm quite bad at languages. |
| 36 |
i know a few words of French that i learned at school, but i can't speak a word of anything else. |
| 37 |
my first language is Swiss German, but i live near the border. |
| 38 |
so, i'm reasonably good at italian. |
| 39 |
i can also get by in French. |
| 40 |
we went to Lyon last Summer and i picked up the language very quickly. |
| 41 |
my mother is Spanish and my father is French so i'm bilingual. |
| 42 |
i'm also fluent in English, which i need for work. |
| 43 |
i can have a conversation in German, but it's a bit rusty. |
| 44 |
i don't know any Japanese ~ i can't speak a word of Japanese. |
| 45 |
i speak enough German for holidays ~ i can get by in German on holiday. |
| 46 |
my sister can speak Chinese very well ~ my sister is fluent in Chinese. |
| 47 |
i haven't spoken Portuguese for a long time ~ my Portuguese is a bit rusty. |
| 48 |
i learned a few words of Italian on holiday ~ i picked up some Italian on holiday. |
| 49 |
i can speak both Turkish and Spanish perfectly ~ i'm bilingual in Turkish and Spanish. |
| 50 |
in the year 1000, english had approximately 40 000 words. |
| 51 |
the English language was taken to North America by settlers in the 17th century. |
| 52 |
a hundred years ago, many people were using French as an international language. |
| 53 |
Cambridge University Press has been publishing English-language teaching books since 1975. |
| 54 |
by the 21st century english grown to over 500 000 words. |
| 55 |
immigration, new technologies, popular culture and even war have all contributed to the growth of English. |
| 56 |
at present, over a billion people are now learning English worldwide. |
| 57 |
however, more people speak Mandarin Chinese than any other language. |
| 58 |
i started studying spanish after i wen to Argentina on holiday last year. |
| 59 |
i'd never been to south america before and i couldn't speak a word of spanish. |
| 60 |
while i was travelling around the country, i picked up enough words and phrases to get by. |
| 61 |
i was told that my pronunciation was quite good. |
| 62 |
so when i got home i decided to learn Spanish properly. |
| 63 |
a friend recommended a school and i've been going there for about six months. |
| 64 |
i always enjoy the lessons and the language is taught in an interesting way. |
| 65 |
i think that i've learned a lot since i started. |
| 66 |
it's not all fun, though -- at the moment i'm studying for my first exam. |
| 67 |
Jess, i didn't think you were coming. |
| 68 |
i couldn't miss my favorite uncle's birthday, could i? |
| 69 |
well, i am honoured! |
| 70 |
you're looking well. and so are you. |
| 71 |
i can't believe, you're fifty. |
| 72 |
how's uni going. |
| 73 |
i'm in my final year now, but i might stay on my ... |
| 74 |
and you know, i'm studying again, don't you? |
| 75 |
you're doing an open university, aren't you? |
| 76 |
it's sth i've wanted to do for ages. |
| 77 |
what course are you doing? |
| 78 |
i'm doing a Master's in computing and IT. |
| 79 |
i was told that you're really enjoying it. |
| 80 |
but i have to say i found the first few assignments a bit scary. |
| 81 |
so does everyone at the beginning. |
| 82 |
don't worry, it does get easier. |
| 83 |
but it's difficult juggling my studies, family and work. |
| 84 |
sometimes i don't. nor do i. |
| 85 |
and i don't have all your other commitments. |
| 86 |
i guess, it's hard to motivate yourself, studying on your own all the time. |
| 87 |
you don't have to study on your own. |
| 88 |
there are tutorials you can go to every month. |
| 89 |
and the online support you get from tutors and other students is excellent. |
| 90 |
but i have a great social life at my friend's uni. |
| 91 |
so i think i'd still prefer to be on campus. |
| 92 |
but the open university is much more flexible. |
| 93 |
everything's online. |
| 94 |
so i choose where and when i want to study. |
| 95 |
that isn't advantage i suppose. |
| 96 |
and i had to take out huge student loan to cover my fees and expenses. |
| 97 |
at least i didn't have to do that. |
| 98 |
so how long is it going to take you to finish your course. |
| 99 |
well, that's the other good thing. it's up to me. |
| 100 |
some people get the Master's in one or two years, but most people take longer. |
| 101 |
your aunt Gale was hoping to do her first degree in four years, it actually took eight. |
| 102 |
but she got ... |
| 103 |
don't forget she was looking after the children at the same time. |
| 104 |
do you think you'll finish you degree by the end of next year. |
| 105 |
everyone here is doing a Master's degree. |
| 106 |
you're doing an Open University course, aren't you? |
| 107 |
yes, i am. at long last. it's sth i've wanted to do for ages. |
| 108 |
what course are you doing? |
| 109 |
i'm doing a Master's in computing and IT. |
| 110 |
oh, i was told you're really enjoying it. |
| 111 |
i am, but i have to say i found the first few assignments a bit scary. |
| 112 |
so does everyone at the beginning. don't worry, it does get easier. |
| 113 |
how do you manage to do commitments? sometimes i don't. |
| 114 |
nor do i. |
| 115 |
your Aunt Gale was hoping to do her first degree in four years - it actually took eight. did it? |
| 116 |
do you think you'll have finished your degree by the end of next year. |
| 117 |
no, i don't. but i'm quite optimistic - i think at the rate i'm doing, i should finish before my eighty-fifth birthday. |
| 118 |
hello, Jess. your aunt and i were just talking about you a minute ago. |
| 119 |
how is everything going? have you finished your essay yet? |
| 120 |
yes, i have. i finally handed it in yesterday, but it really did take ages to write. |
| 121 |
you worked very hard on that, didn't you? |
| 122 |
yes, i did. by the way, i hear you've met someone new. |
| 123 |
a guy called Tim. is that right? |
| 124 |
yes, it is. i wasn't going to tell anyone. |
| 125 |
i was trying to keep it a secret. |
| 126 |
honestly, this family. did Aunt Gale tell you? |
| 127 |
no, she didn't. it was your mum. |
| 128 |
you haven't told anyone else, have you? |
| 129 |
no, i haven't. well, only your cousin Nicky? |
| 130 |
oh no, not Nicky. i do hope she doesn't find out who it is. |
| 131 |
that's a disaster. |
| 132 |
is it? why? does she know this guy? is he a student too? |
| 133 |
no, he isn't. but she does know him, he's Nicky's ex-boyfriend. |
| 134 |
i don't speak German, but my younger brother does. |
| 135 |
Ian didn't go to college, but his sister did. |
| 136 |
my parents haven't been there, but we have. |
| 137 |
Penny doesn't like golf, but her brothers do. |
| 138 |
Tom enjoyed the play, but i didn't. |
| 139 |
we're not going out tonight, but they are. |
| 140 |
i've never seen anything like this before. neither have i. |
| 141 |
i had very good mark this term. did you? that's great. |
| 142 |
let's go to the movies. shall we? ok. and after the cinema we could go for a drink somewhere. |
| 143 |
she doesn't eat meat. i think she's a vegetarian. she does eat meat, but not very often. |
| 144 |
she wants to buy a new house, but he doesn't. |
| 145 |
we should finish before we leave. shouldn't we? yes, we can't leave until we finish. |
| 146 |
i used to play rugby when i was younger. did you? i didn't know that about you. |
| 147 |
were they living in London when he got the job overseas? yes, they were. |
| 148 |
i wouldn't ever do that to him. would you? well, that's good to know. |
| 149 |
you didn't do the dishes last night. i did do the dishes. these aren't the dishes from last night. |
| 150 |
i love cheese, but my husband doesn't. he hates it. |
| 151 |
is it ok if we stay tonight? yes, it is. |
| 152 |
i won't say anything. nor will i. |
| 153 |
he's very tired. so am i. |
| 154 |
you didn't lock the door. i did lock the door. |
| 155 |
you aren't ready yet, are you? no, i'm not. |
| 156 |
pass me that pen, will you? |
| 157 |
you never listen to me? i do listen to you. why would you say that? |
| 158 |
i love romantic comedies. i don't. |
| 159 |
i thought i had set the alarm, but i hadn't. |
| 160 |
you have just arrived at our university, haven't you? |
| 161 |
i live in Leeds, but i was born in Poland. were you? that's funny. so was my girlfriend. |
| 162 |
was she? where in Poland was she born? |
| 163 |
she's from a city called Lublin. |
| 164 |
is she? so am i. |
| 165 |
that's a coincidence. isn't it? |
| 166 |
yes, it is. and have you learnt any Polish? |
| 167 |
no. my girlfriend speaks Polish, but i don't. |
| 168 |
neither do i. well, i do speak a little Polish, but not much. |
| 169 |
we came to England when i was just two years old. |
| 170 |
anyway, are you hungry? |
| 171 |
would you like to eat sth at the canteen? |
| 172 |
yes, sure. let's have some lunch, shall we? |
| 173 |
yes, that's a good idea. |
| 174 |
everyone here is doing a Master's degree. well, i'm not. |
| 175 |
did you go to the seminar yesterday? |
| 176 |
i do work very hard, but i still find the course difficult. so do i. |
| 177 |
some universities do give scholarships, but we don't. don't you? |
| 178 |
i'm the only person here who went to a state school, aren't i? are you? |
| 179 |
if i were you, i wouldn't eat in the college canteen. wouldn't you? why not? |
| 180 |
do you like doing exams or prefer continuous assessment? are you? i don't enjoy either. |
| 181 |
i've been invited to apply for a PhD, but the fees are too high. they are, aren't they? |
| 182 |
have you ever stopped to consider how stressful school life is becoming because of tests and exams? |
| 183 |
why on earth do we make kids do tests in their second year of primary school? |
| 184 |
this just encourages parents to pile on the pressure. |
| 185 |
i know sever-year-olds who have private tuition to help them pass their maths test! |
| 186 |
and there are parents who coach three-year-olds so they can perform will in their interview for the 'right nursery school'. |
| 187 |
how do you interview a three-year-old? |
| 188 |
i see from your cv, young Tom, you didn't do very much in the first six months of your life. why was that? |
| 189 |
i also know parents who don't allow their children to go out near exam time. |
| 190 |
they expect them to stay in and study every night and they refuse to let them play sport, watch tv or listen to music. |
| 191 |
no wonder kids resent having to do exams. |
| 192 |
i remember spending hours in exam rooms pouring out facts that i had squeezed into my brain the night before. |
| 193 |
that is what exams force us to do. |
| 194 |
it's an input-output model and there is generally only a right or a wrong answer. |
| 195 |
however, according to educationalist Ken Robinson, if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original. |
| 196 |
and we are running national educational systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. |
| 197 |
he says we have to stop thinking this way. |
| 198 |
we are, after all, supposed to be educating children for the future, but we have no idea what today's kids will need to do in their working lives. |
| 199 |
to prepare them, Robinson believes we should try to develop learning environments where they are encouraged to be creative and discover things for themselves. |
| 200 |
we should also remember to see them as individuals. |
| 201 |
just because a child fails an exam doesn't mean they are a failure. |
| 202 |
they might be a brilliant inventor or computer programmer, a wonderful singer or comedian. |
| 203 |
still, most of us continue to believe we can only achieve success through passing more and more exams when there are so many who manage to succeed without them. |
| 204 |
try googling the biographies of young entrepreneurs such as Adam Hildreth, who started a social networking site called Dubit Limited when he was fourteen and ended up being worth millions. |
| 205 |
obviously, he believed he could achieve his goals without passing the right exams. |
| 206 |
his motivation came from doing sth he wanted to do, he enjoyed being creative. |
| 207 |
of course, no one wants to fly with a pilot or be treated by a doctor who hasn't proved their ability by passing exams. |
| 208 |
however, how many more Adam Hildreths are sitting in classrooms around the world just being tested instead of being discovered? |
| 209 |
surely education should encourage, not discourage creativity. |
| 210 |
the language attracted the attention of educators all over the world, but its development was interrupted by the Second World War. |
| 211 |
after the war, both the British prime minister and the president of the United States were looking for ideas that might promote world peace. |
| 212 |
they both gave speeches that supported the use of Basic English. |
| 213 |
in the past 60 years, the language has had some success. |
| 214 |
in some parts of East Asia, teachers are still using Ogden's word lists. |
| 215 |
however, in the main, the language has disappeared. |
| 216 |
now that we know that there are many more non-native than native speakers of English. |
| 217 |
some linguists have recently asked whether we should revisit Ogden's ideas. |
| 218 |
there is even a version of the wikipedia website which is written in "Basic English" for non-native learners of the language. |
| 219 |
acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid a house to arrest a suspected murderer. |
| 220 |
they don't know what he looks like but they know his name is John. |
| 221 |
inside the house, they find a surgeon, a lorry driver, a mechanic and a fireman, all playing cards. |
| 222 |
without hesitation or asking any questions, they arrest the fireman. |
| 223 |
how do they know the fireman is the murder? |
| 224 |
the answer to the puzzle is printed at the bottom of the page. |
| 225 |
but if you don't know it, try not to look yet. |
| 226 |
read this article and then force yourself to think a little harder. |
| 227 |
in the 1960s, Edward de Bono, a Maltese doctor and writer, invented the phrase 'lateral thinking'. |
| 228 |
he believes that we understand the world by building up patterns based on experience. |
| 229 |
these patterns teach us to recognise familiar problems and situations. |
| 230 |
and allow us to make simple decisions quickly. |
| 231 |
however, de Bono argues these patterns can also stop us from seeing the solution to a problem. |
| 232 |
Edward de Bono thinks that for every problem, you need to check your assumptions. |
| 233 |
what did you assume when you read the puzzle above? |
| 234 |
to think laterally means you must avoid making assumptions about a problem and make yourself think outside the box. |
| 235 |
now think about the fireman puzzle again. |
| 236 |
have you got the solution yet? |
| 237 |
well keep reading then think again. |
| 238 |
Edward de Bono once asked some children to suggest ways of estimating the height of a tall building. |
| 239 |
some suggestions were asking the architect and also dropping a stone from the top, and measuring the time taken to fall. |
| 240 |
but one boy refused to take the question seriously. |
| 241 |
put the building on its side and measure it. |
| 242 |
the class laughed. |
| 243 |
Edward de Bono managed to demonstrate that this was actually a very sensible idea. |
| 244 |
you can measure the building, de Bono pointed out, in a photograph. |
| 245 |
and if you put sth else in the photograph - that you know the height of - you can easily calculate the height of the building. |
| 246 |
in fact, children are often good at lateral thinking. |
| 247 |
with less life experience, they bring fewer assumptions to a problem, and so look for different solutions. |
| 248 |
so, if you can't answer the murderer puzzle yet, try asking a young person the same problem. |
| 249 |
you might be surprised at how simple they find it. |
| 250 |
my worst exam nightmare was definitely my French oral exam. |
| 251 |
when i was at school, this was over twenty years ago now. |
| 252 |
kids weren't taught how to actually speak French. |
| 253 |
we just did loads of grammar exercises and translated texts and stuff. |
| 254 |
so i knew quite a lot of grammar and my written French wasn't too bad. |
| 255 |
but i didn't have a clue how to have even the most basic conversation. |
| 256 |
i think i did quite well on the written papers. |
| 257 |
but when it came to the oral exam, i couldn't understand a word the examiner was saying to me. |
| 258 |
he seemed to be speaking incredibly fast. |
| 259 |
and i just got so nervous i couldn't think. |
| 260 |
the only thing i knew how to say was. |
| 261 |
which means i don't understand of course. |
| 262 |
so every time the examiner asked me a question, i just said. |
| 263 |
that was all i said in the whole exam. |
| 264 |
the examiner probably thought i was an idiot. |
| 265 |
but at the end of the exam he did tell me that i had very good pronunciation. |
| 266 |
i still failed though, obviously. |
| 267 |
have you ever tried taking natural medicines to cure an illness? |
| 268 |
did anyone help you do your homework when you were a child? |
| 269 |
which songs do you remember singing when you were at primary school? |
| 270 |
when you were a child, did your parents ever let you stay up late. |
| 271 |
has anyone ever forced you to study sth that you didn't want to? |
| 272 |
have you ever pretended to be ill to avoid going to school or work? |
| 273 |
if you saw sb hitchhiking, would you stop to give them a lift? |
| 274 |
have you ever tried to learn another foreign language? |
| 275 |
what kind of mistakes in English do you keep making? |
| 276 |
where do you think you'll end up living when you retire? |
| 277 |
have you stopped listening to the music you liked when you were 16? |
| 278 |
when you were a child, did your parents make you do jobs around the house? |
| 279 |
do you usually remember to send your friends a birthday card? |
| 280 |
would you allow your children to choose what they studied at school? |
| 281 |
Jack said that he hadn't cheated in the exam ~ Jack denied cheating in the exam. |
| 282 |
it was difficult for me not to laugh at Wendy's letter ~ i couldn't help laughing at Wendy's letter. |
| 283 |
i'm sorry but you haven't been appointed to the post ~ i regret to tell you that you haven't been appointed to the post. |
| 284 |
i needed a drink of water and so i stopped running ~ i stopped running to drink some water. |
| 285 |
i think it would be a good idea to take the train ~ i suggest taking the train. |
| 286 |
don't forget the lights when you leave ~ don't forget to switch off the lights when you leave. |
| 287 |
i think Derek has forgotten the meeting ~ Derek appears to have forgotten the meeting. |
| 288 |
my neighbour said he would call the police ~ my neighbour threatened to call the police. |
| 289 |
a witness reported seeing Terry at the scene of the crime. |
| 290 |
the children could hardly bear to leave their pets behind. |
| 291 |
Sophie, over here. i got you a coffee. thanks Chloe. |
| 292 |
great to see you. it's been ages, hasn't it? |
| 293 |
yeah, a couple of month at least. how's it going? |
| 294 |
yes, still doing the same part-time job because it means i can go to auditions if any acting work comes up. |
| 295 |
otherwise pretty good, thanks. what about you? |
| 296 |
i'm fine, i'm still working at the advertising agency and life's really busy at the moment. why's that? |
| 297 |
i've started doing some evening classes. really? like what, exactly? |
| 298 |
well, last night i did creative writing. |
| 299 |
it sounds fun, but actually it's quite challenging. |
| 300 |
how do you mean? well, we have to write sth in class every week. |
| 301 |
yesterday i had to imagine i was an animal and write a story about a typical day -- things like that. |
| 302 |
yeah, i see what you mean. |
| 303 |
what's the teacher like? he's great, really enthusiastic and supportive. |
| 304 |
he's written a couple of novels, so i guess he knows what he's talking about. i'm sure he does. |
| 305 |
what else are you doing? |
| 306 |
well, on mondays i do a photography course. |
| 307 |
i got a new camera for my birthday and there are lots of things i don't know how to do. |
| 308 |
such as? things like taking close-ups. |
| 309 |
getting the photos to print out properly, that sort of things. |
| 310 |
in some ways it's even more difficult than creative writing. is it? how come? |
| 311 |
there's a lot of theory, it even involves some physics. |
| 312 |
but doing evening classes does help me relax more. |
| 313 |
in what way? well, you know, in my old job i used to work late most evenings. |
| 314 |
now i don't, and i've found that if i force myself to do sth different in the evenings. |
| 315 |
it helps me sleep better. |
| 316 |
maybe you should join my dance class too. |
| 317 |
that will tire you out. what sort of dancing? |
| 318 |
it's a dance exercise thing. |
| 319 |
i think they do that at the place i go to. |
| 320 |
it's great. i go every friday night. |
| 321 |
really? who with? with a few people from work. we're all beginners. |
| 322 |
but it's great fun. you should come, you'd love it. |
| 323 |
well, i see if i'm free and i'll let you know. |
| 324 |
well, try and come tomorrow evening, because i'm off to the US on Sunday. are you? how long for? |
| 325 |
two weeks. for work or for pleasure? |
| 326 |
it's a holiday. first i'm going to my cousin's wedding in New York. |
| 327 |
we'd like to do sth more creative than yoga. like what, exactly? |
| 328 |
we're not sure. maybe carpentry. |
| 329 |
i can't stand exams. why's that? bad memories from school, really. |
| 330 |
i'm doing a jewellery-making class at the moment. how's it going? really well. i love it. |
| 331 |
Richard wants to learn Chinese. does he? |
| 332 |
yes, he needs it for work. |
| 333 |
Clare is starting her own business. Really? who with? it's just her at the moment. |
| 334 |
Alex has written a screenplay. no way! what about? it's a thriller, i think. |
| 335 |
but i don't know the story or anything. |
| 336 |
we've got to give in our application forms soon. who to? i think you can just leave them with the secretary. |
| 337 |
i got this camera for less than half price. did you? where from? on a website my brother told me about. |
| 338 |
our teacher's going away next week. how long for? almost a fortnight, i think. |
| 339 |
what a coincidence. i was thinking about you recently. were you? why was that? |
| 340 |
i was wondering if you still doing that jewellery class. |
| 341 |
no, i gave that up a few months ago. how come? |
| 342 |
well, we moved house in March, so it's a bit far. |
| 343 |
really? where to? near hear, actually. |
| 344 |
anyway, how's it going? are you still teaching? |
| 345 |
yes, but not for much longer, thankfully. what do you mean? |
| 346 |
well, i'm starting my own training business. what sort of training? |
| 347 |
presentations, mainly. |
| 348 |
you've always been good at that kind of thing, haven't you? |
| 349 |
i guess teaching helps. |
| 350 |
absolutely. anyway, enough about me. |
| 351 |
what's Shelford Street like? |
| 352 |
great. it's much bigger place than our old one. |
| 353 |
of course, life is a little different these days. |
| 354 |
different? in what way? well, since we had the baby. |
| 355 |
a baby. congratulations. i had no idea. |
| 356 |
first, i'm going to my cousin's wedding in New York. are you? who with? |
| 357 |
my brother, Dave. i'm rather nervous about the whole thing, though. really? how come? |
| 358 |
Dave and i don't really get on particularly well. how do you mean? |
| 359 |
we tend to argue quite a lot. |
| 360 |
yes, families can be difficult, can't they? |
| 361 |
what else are you doing? after the wedding i'm going on a trip that my friend Mike's organised. are you? what sort of trip? |
| 362 |
we're going walking in the Rockies. |
| 363 |
how long for? five days. |
| 364 |
oh, i can't wait. and you? got any holiday plans? |
| 365 |
no, no holiday this year, i'm afraid. |
| 366 |
why's that? i've put in an offer on a flat and i'm saving up. wow! what's it like? |
| 367 |
well, it needs a lot of work doing to it. |
| 368 |
if you want to learn a new language, the very first thing to think about is why. |
| 369 |
are you just fed up with not being able to communicate when on holiday? |
| 370 |
or perhaps you're interested in the literature, films or music of a different culture. |
| 371 |
and you know how much it will help to have a knowledge of the language. |
| 372 |
whatever your reasons, there is a lot of truth in this old Czech saying. |
| 373 |
you live a new life for every new language you speak. |
| 374 |
if you know only one language, you only live once. |
| 375 |
assuming you know what and why you want to learn, how are you going to do it? |
| 376 |
and the traditional classes are an ideal start for many people. |
| 377 |
they provide structure, support and environment where you can practise under the guidance of someone who has an excellent knowledge of the language. |
| 378 |
but nowadays there are many more possibilities. |
| 379 |
the web. there are hundreds of websites with exercises including audio and even videos. |
| 380 |
think of all the ways you can use your current interests to learn a language. |
| 381 |
listen to some songs in the language and look up the lyrics online. |
| 382 |
don't expect to understand everything, just enjoy getting used to the language. |
| 383 |
readers. novels written or adapted especially for language learners. |
| 384 |
research shows that reading is a highly effective way of improving your language ability. |
| 385 |
we all lead busy lives and learning a language takes time. |
| 386 |
becoming fluent in a language will take years, but learning to get by takes a lot less. |
| 387 |
children do learn languages more quickly than adults. |
| 388 |
research has shown that you can learn a language at any age. |
| 389 |
we use echo questions and questions with question tags to keep a conversation going. |
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