Англійська мова у сучасному світі

   Looking at the past is an important step towards understanding the future.

   Any serious study of English in the 21^st century must start by examining how English came to be in the state it is not a spoken by those who speak it. What factors have ensured the spread of English? What does it process tell us about the fate of languages in unique political and cultural contexts? In what domains of knowledge has English developed particular importance and how recently?

   English is remarkable for its diversity, its propensity to change and be changed. This has resulted in both a variety of forms of English, and also a diversity of cultural contexts within which English is used in daily life.

  The main areas of development in the use and form of English will undoubtedly come from no native speaks. How many are there and where are they located? And when and why do they use English instead of their first language? We need to be aware of the different place that English has in the lives of native speakers, second language user and those who learn it as a foreign language.

Britain’s colonial expansion established the pre- conditions for the global use of English, taking the language from its island birthplace to settlements around the world. The English language has grown up in contact with many others, making it a hybrid language which can rapidly evolve to meet new culture and communicative needs.

The story of English in the 20^th century has been closely linked to the rise of the US as a superpower which has spread the English language alongside its economic, technological, and cultural influence. In same period the international importance of other European languages, especially French has declined.

There are kinds of English speakers: those who it as a first language, those for whom it is a second or additional language, and those who learn it as foreign language. Native speakers may feel the language belongs to them, but it ill be those who speak English as a second or foreign language who will determine its world future

1. Match the paragraphs and the headlines below:

2. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) . Quote from the text to support your choice:

1. It is irrelevant to know where English came from and how it developed.

2. Learning about the evolution of English language helps us to understand the role of languages in cultural centuries.

3. English is a permanent language, one which has remained unchangeable for centuries.

4. Non-native speakers determine the fields in which English is used around the world.

5. During colonial period English spread through the word without suffering influence of other languages.

6. There are different kinds of English speakers in the world.

3. Find in the text words that mean the same as:

1. stage in progress ( 1^st paragraph)
2. destiny ( 1^st paragraph)
3. special ( 1^st paragraph)
4. heterogeneity 8 2^nd paragraph)
5. certainly ( 3^rd paragraph)

4. The following words on the left were taken from the text. Match them with their meaning on context.

1. understanding (line1)                                         a) increase

2. state ( line3)                                                        b) mixed

3. contexts (line 5)                                                  c) comprehending

4. propensity (line7)                                               d) speaker or writers of a language

5. users (line 13)                                                     e) tendency

6. expansion (line15)                                              f) communities

7. settlements ( line 16)                                           g) extra

8. hybrid (line 17)                                                   h) environment

9. additional (line 24)                                              i) condition

5. Now insert some of the words above in the gaps bellow.

1. In most children there’s a ____________ to prevaricate or do something naughty.
2. ______________ of modern technologies can achieve better results at school.

3. The ______________ of languages is due to better means of communication.

4. Multicultural societies are made up of _____________ groups.

5. Parents know that their children must learn an ___________ language besides their native one.

6. In most cultural _________ understanding people means speaking their language.

7. Communication begins by ____________ other people messages.

8. The “ ___________ of nation” is a term often used in politics.