The benefits of a bilingual brain

What do you understand by these words? Discuss with your partner.

Bilingual /monolingual / multilingual / mother tongue / native speaker / first language /second language.

Watch the video and answer the questions.

True or False

1. A bilingual brain may work differently to a monolingual one.

2. Compound bilinguals develop two codes simultaneously.

3. A coordinate bilingual works with one set of concepts.

4. For subordinate bilinguals, the use of the first language is not important in order to learn the second.

5.The left side of the brain is dominant in logical and analytical processes and the right in emotional and social processes.

6. Children like adults only use one side of the brain to learn a language.

7. A multilingual brain has a lot of advantages.

8. Multilingual brains have denser gray matter.

9. Demencia and Alzheimer are delayed in multiligual brains.

10. Scientists have always thought that bilingualism is beneficial for children.

11. Problem solving tasks take place in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex.

12.Bilingualism makes you more intelligent.

Discuss Wide your partner.

Do you enjoy learning languages? Why?

What other languages would you like to speak?

What do find easy and difficult about learning a language?

How will languages be useful to you in the future?

KEY

1.True

2. True

3. False

4. False

5. True

6. False

7.True

8. True

9. True

10.False

11.True

12.False

Conference aims to 'replace English spelling system'

The English Spelling Society plans to host a conference this year to update the traditional English spelling system to make learning easier.

For adult learners and school pupils alike, mastering English spelling can be a daunting task. Silent letters, alternative spellings, and words that simply don’t follow the rules; it’s no wonder that many people struggle. The English Spelling Society is hoping to change this.

Working alongside the American Literacy Council, this weekend the group announced plans to host the first International Spelling Congress. The event, set to take place in late 2015, will aim to draw up a list of proposals for an improved English spelling system, which delegates will then vote on. It follows a separate study published last year which revealed that 40 per cent of Britons rely on autocorrect technology to monitor their spelling and more than one in five would panic if they were forced to abandon this technology.

Commenting on the planned conference, Stephen Linstead, chairman of The English Spelling Society said: “The intention is that the preferred new system should run alongside traditional spelling as an informal alternative and, if it gains sufficient support among English speakers, would eventually replace it.” He continued: “The case for updating traditional English spelling is based on the growing evidence that our extremely irregular spelling system has a substantial economic and social cost. “When you consider the damning statistic that English speaking children take up to two years longer to acquire basic literacy skills than their counterparts in some other European countries and that 1 in 6 people in the UK are functionally illiterate with children no better at spelling than their parents’ generation, then there is a very strong case for re-evaluating English spelling.”

Formed in 1908, The English Spelling Society was created to raise awareness of the irregularity of English Spelling. But, while the group has yet to produce “many concrete results”, Mr Linstead argued earlier in the year that the time could be right for “renewed interest in the subject”.

“The last attempt at statutory spelling change – the Spelling Reform bill of 1953 led by parliamentarian and Spelling Society member James Pitman – failed to elicit change,” said Mr Linstead in his article. Over the next few years, our priorities as a Society, will be to publicize existing evidence for the costs of traditional spelling, while encouraging more research in areas such as the levels of functional adult illiteracy in English speaking countries.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate learning.

b. There have been other International Spelling Congresses.

c. The new spelling system will replace the traditional one immediately.

d. The reading and writing skills of adults are inadequate to manage daily living.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What makes English spelling so complicated?

b. How do some British people cope with spelling difficulties?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. modernize (par.1)                   b. similarly  (par.2)                         c. supervise (par.3)

d. help (par.4)                            e. consciousness (par.5)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

1. “The case for updating traditional English spelling is based on the growing evidence that our extremely irregular spelling system has a substantial economic and social cost.”

Mr. Linstead said …………………………………………..

2. English spelling is irregular. That’s why the English Spelling Society was created.

If  …………………………………………………………….      

3. They will publicize existing evidence for the costs of traditional spelling

            Existing evidence ………………………………………..

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

How can the Internet be a helpful tool when learning a foreign language?

Languages of Love

Michelle Obama described the most-tweeted picture ever with the words, "That's my honey giving me a hug."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22699938

What can you see in each picture? Where do people use these words to show they like someone?  

Read on to find out!

A quick guide to the language of love around the world.

1. Little cabbage (French)  Petit chou

"Chou" (cabbage) is the French equivalent of "sweetheart". "Chou" conveys the idea of being small and round and is used to describe French puff pastry.  "Chou" is said to resemble a baby's or child's head too.

2. Pumpkin (Brazil / Portuguese) Chuchuzinho

"Chuchu" is the word for "squash" - but strangely similar to the French "chouchou". The ending "zinho", meaning "little", emphasises fondness.

3. Egg with eyes (Japanese)  Tamago gata no kao

In Japan, women are frequently called "an egg with eyes" by those who love them. This is a great compliment, as having an oval, egg-shaped face is considered very attractive in Japanese culture.

4. Lump of sugar (Spanish) Terrón de azúcar

Like "honey" in English, sweet foodstuffs of one kind or another make popular terms of endearment in numerous languages. This popular one in Spanish, "terrón de azúcar" also means "sugar cube".

5. Fruit of my heart (Indonesian)  Buah hatiku

Although the term can be used romantically, featuring in love songs and poems, today it is most often used to express affection for children. Advertisers use the term to appeal to family-oriented customers, especially young middle-class couples: "The best gift/food/product for 'the fruit of your heart'".

6. Gazelle (Arabic)  Ghazal

If you believe the poets, hunters can die of love-sickness after a single glance from a gazelle. Today too, a man may say to a woman, "You have the eyes of a gazelle" ("Laki uyounul ghazal").

7. Little elephant (Thai)Chang noi

Elephants are special animals to Thai people. They are supposed to bring good luck. White elephants especially. "Little elephant" can be used affectionately by an adult to a child.

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22699938

The rise of the portmanteau words

EVER SINCE THE SMOKING BAN in enclosed public places came into force last July, there has been a marked upsurge in smirting, proving that the British public can adapt and adopt new words.

‘Smirting’ is a portmanteau word, formed by packing parts of two words together to create another, combining the sense of each (‘smoking’ and ‘flirting’). Smirting is a cousin of smog (smoke + fog).

A portmanteau was a suitcase that hinged in the middle like a book, allowing you to carry clothes in one side and anything else in the other. The word is itself a portmanteau, formed by combining ‘porter’, the French for ‘to carry’, with ‘manteau’, meaning ‘coat’ or ‘cloak’.
In 1896, Punch invented “brunch”, combining breakfast and lunch.

Today the portmanteau is probably the most fertile vehicle for neologisms. Countries have been formed by packing two place names together: Tanzania, for example, was formed in 1964, linguistically speaking, by combining Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
This is only a guesstimate (guess + estimate), but the internet (international + network) has produced thousands of new portmanteau words: blog (web and log), webinar (a web-based seminar), wikipedia and so on.

Combining the names in a famous couple can be a way of implying that they are a brand, indistinguishable as individuals: Billary (Bill and Hillary Clinton); the famous actor couple Brangelina.

Portmanteau words

1 Find the portmanteau words in the text formed from the two words on the right.
Example
blog web + log
…………………………………. guess + estimate
…………………………………. smoke + fog
…………………………………. international + network
........................................... web + seminar

2 Which words have been used to make these portmanteau words?
Brangelina …………………………………. ………………………………….
fanzine …………………………………. ………………………………….
heliport …………………………………. ………………………………….
email …………………………………. ………………………………….
internet …………………………………. ………………………………….
infocommercial …………………………………. ………………………………….

3 Which words are made from these two words?
…………………………………. breakfast + lunch
…………………………………. emotion + icon
…………………………………. Spanish + English
…………………………………. motor + hotel
…………………………………. situation comedy
…………………………………. shopping + alcoholic

4 Use a portmanteau to complete each of these sentences.

1 One of the best places for ………………………………… in our city is the restaurant at the Central Hotel. They offer a wide variety of food in their buffet and you can eat as much as you like.

2 Every evening, the sports presenter on the news presents an …………………………………. Often, cars are advertised.

3 You won't want to miss this one! Take a moment to register for our next …………………………………. Robert Plant will share tips for improving reading speed.

4 The company directors took off and landed at the hotel ……………………………………….. .

5 When we checked into the …………………………………… it was already dark.


Key

1. guesstimate, smog, internet.
2. Brad Angelina, Fan magazine, Helicopter airport, electronic mail, international network, information commercial.
3. brunch, emoticon, Spanglish, motel, sitcom, shopaholic.
4. 1 brunch 2. infocommercial 3. webinar 4. heliport 5. motel

Smoking ban lights up love life

The days when smoking was cool are supposed to be long gone and smokers are supposed to be out of fashion. That's the theory. In fact, in Ireland, where a complete ban on smoking in bars, pubs and restaurants has been in place for over a year, having a quick drag has replaced speed dating as the best way to spice up your love life.

The cosy courtyard of the Temple Bar pub in Dublin looks like any other outdoor venue on a sunny evening. People stand around drinking, gossiping and moaning about work. But look closer and you'll find a different situation. Everyone is smoking and, in between drags, they are practising their best, light-hearted chat-up lines as well.

Welcome to the practice of smirting (smoking and flirting), a craze which has swept Ireland. Since the introduction of the ban in 2004, pubs and bars opened outside areas for smokers to gather and with them came a more relaxed attitude to meeting people. Now people find themselves striking up conversations over a quick fag.

On one level, it is unsurprising that those hanging out in smoking areas seem to be having more fun. Smoking is an intrinsically social habit. You meet a wider mix of people and the opportunities to start a conversation are many and easy. Nor is it simply hardened smokers who hang out outside, there are also people who weren't really smokers at all but they'd go outside for a cigarette.

This increase in social smoking is one of the more worrying aspects of smirting. Anti-smoking campaigners believed that the ban would improve health and stop people smoking. But many young Dubliners admit that they have increased their consumption of cigarettes because of the social benefits.

Question 1 Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Give evidence from the text.

a) Smirting is very popular in Ireland.
b) Nowadays, people who smoke have more chances to chat with new people.
c) Only regular smokers are found in these open spaces.
d) Young Irish smoke more now than they used to do.

Question 2 Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) Why is it said that smoking is a social habit?
b) What is the most negative aspect of smirting?

Question 3 Find words in the text that are synonyms of the words below.

a) prohibition (par.1)
b) complain (par.2)
c) start (par.3)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Anti-smoking campaigners supposed that the ban would improve people’s health.
The ban…
b) Since the introduction of the ban in 2004, pubs and bars have opened outside areas for smokers.
If the ban…
c) People stand around drinking, gossiping and moaning about work. However, look closer and the situation is different.
Although…

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
What do you think of the smoking ban introduced in Spain?

Acronyms

Name the Acronym


Fill in the blank with the correct acronym from the box.


BBL / CUL8R / TTFN / PMJI

FYI / LOL / FAQ / GTG

IDK / BTW / ASAP / SETE


1. laugh out loud _______________________

2. smiling ear to ear ________________________

3. got to go ____________________________

4. by the way ___________________________

5. I don´t know _________________________

6. Ta Ta for now ________________________

7. pardon my jumping in __________________

8. see you later _________________________

9. be back later _________________________

10. as soon as possible ___________________

11. frequently asked questions _____________

12. for your information __________________


Key to” Name the Acronym”


1. LOL
2. SETE
3. GTG
4. BTW
5. IDK
6. TTFN
7. PMJI
8. CUL8R
9. BBL
10. ASAP
11. FAQ
12. FYI

China Protects its Language from English

Chinese authorities have taken steps to protect its language from the increasing use of English and other languages. The People’s Daily Online website says, “with economic and social development, foreign languages are increasingly being used in all types of publications in China, including in newspapers, books, e-books and on the Internet”. China’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) said the invasion of English words and abbreviations in Chinese texts is “abusing the language”. Its website stated English has, "severely damaged the standard and purity of the Chinese language and disrupted the harmonious and healthy language and cultural environment, causing negative social impacts".

Officials from GAPP issued clear guidelines on how all Chinese publishers must now act, saying: “It is banned to mix at will foreign language phrases such as English words or abbreviations with Chinese publications, creating words of vague meaning that are not exactly Chinese.” This means abbreviations and acronyms that are currently widely used in Chinese publications, such as WTO, GDP and even IBM, must now be replaced with their Chinese equivalents. One editor at a Beijing publishing house said the translations would be time-consuming and confusing. He said: “I wonder how many people understand 'guoji shangye jiqi gongsi,’ when IBM is instantly recognizable.”

Question 1 (2 points)Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a.The department is only concerned about the purity of the Chinese language
b.It’s not OK to use English in a word combination with a Chinese word.
c.There are rules for publishers on alternatives to foreign languages.
d.All Chinese editors of publishers think the new rules are sensible.

Question 2 (2 points)Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What has caused the “invasion“ of English in the Chinese language and what are its effects?
b. What will publishers have to do now?

Question 3 (1.5 points)Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. upset (par1)
b. as one pleases (par2)
c. unclear (par2)

Question 4 (1.5 points)Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Foreign languages are increasingly being used in newspapers
They .....................................
b. One editor at a Beijing publishing house said the translations would be time-consuming and confusing.
One editor said “...........................................
c. The department has taken action because English is abusing thir language.
If .................................

Question 5(3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
How much has English got into your language?

I don't like fish, Mom

Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

By John Scott Lewinski November 07, 2008
Not all University of Oxford researchers are uptight and humorless, "irregardless" of what you might think. In fact, a bunch of them compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Expressions in the English language -- just because we needed one.

Though maybe "you could care less," the scholars in question keep track of linguistic mangling and overused buzzwords in a database called the Oxford University Corpus. The voluminous record keeps track of books, magazines, broadcast, online media and other sources, watching for new overused, tiresome phrases and retiring those that fade from use (or misuse).

The great hierarchy of verbal fatigue includes:
1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

A Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare is a new book by Jeremy Butterfield that "takes a thorough look at the English language and exposes its peculiarities and penchants, its development and difficulties, revealing exactly how it operates."

I'm a notorious pain-in-the-neck when it comes to poor word choice and business-speak. The words above (and so many more) are crutches for weak vocabularies.

My most hated fake/real word is incentivize. Eg. "I will incentivize the staff with a talk titled RIP Good Times."

I also get annoyed when people start statements with "hopefully", as in "Hopefully, someone will read this post and leave a comment that illustrates my genius."

For the record I take no responsibility for my own actions or statements.

I don't speak English