Learning a Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and effort. Nowadays it is especially important to know foreign languages.
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Over 300 million people speak English as their mother tongue. It is the national language of Great Britain, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is also one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa. As a second language it is spoken in India, Singapore, Pakistan and many other former British and US colonies in Africa and Asia. Millions of people speak English as a foreign language. It is the major international language of communication in politics, science, business, education, mass entertainment and international tourism. Half of the world’s scientific literature is in English. It is also the language of computer technology.
English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization. English is a wonderful language. It is the language of William Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens.
The great German poet Goethe said, “He, who knows no foreign language, does not know his own one”. To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated man, for every good specialist.
Task 3. Read these pieces of advice how to study language and add your advice.
Spend the time!
By far the most important factor is how much time you are immersed in the language. The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out of the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.
Listen and read every day!
Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time.
Focus on words and phrases!
Build up your vocabulary, you’ll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have accumulated plenty of words through listening and reading.
Take responsibility for your own learning!
If you do not want to learn the language, you won’t. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest that you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to.
Relax and enjoy yourself!
Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, but this will happen on a schedule that you cannot control. So sit back and enjoy. Just make sure you spend enough time with the language.
Task 4. Answer the questions:
1. Is it easy for you to learn a foreign language?
2. Why do people learn foreign languages?
3. Why do you learn exactly English?
4. Do you like English?
5. What can you say about your friends’ English?
6. What is an ideal English lesson for you?
7. Can you understand American/ English songs and films without translation? Is it difficult for you?
Литература
1. Английский для бакалавров. Гл. ред. Г.Д. Орлова. Тула: Тул. гос. ун-т., 2006. – 299 с.
2. . Английский для бакалавров. Гл. ред. Г.Д. Орлова. Тула: Тул. гос. ун-т., 2006. – 220 с.
3. Асеева Л. А. Практика устной речи (коммуникативное обучение) [Текст] / Л. А. Асеева ; ФГБОУ ВПО «УрГПУ», – Екатеринбург, 2006 – Ч1. – 89 стр.
4 Восковская А. С. Английский язык для вузов [Текст] / А. С. Восковская. – Ростов н/Д: Изд-во Феникс, 2010. – 349 с.
5. Сладкевич А. Г. Учите английский язык! Интенсивный курс [Текст] / А. Г. Сладкевич. – Екатеринбург : Банк культурной инофрмации, 1993. – 192 с.
6. Числова А. С. Английский для гуманитариев [Текст] / А. С. Числова , ГОУ ВПО «Ростовский государственный университет», – Ростов н/Д., 1999. – 161 с.
7. www.history.com / topics