Lead-In
Discuss with your partner.
- What role does English play in your life?
- What do you think makes English such a popular language?
- What is your favourite word or phrase in English?
Match the names of the following English-speaking countries to their flags.
How do you practise English outside the classroom?
English and English-Speaking Countries
Quiz Time!
Mark the statements as true or false. Use the Internet to help you. Correct the false statements orally.
English is known as a global language, and it holds such a place for a number of reasons. First , due to the expansion[annotation: expansion [ɪkˈspænʃ(ə)n] - laienemine] of the British Empire, the language was introduced and spread through the empire’s colonies[annotation: colony [ˈkɒləni] - asumaa, koloonia] and . Secondly, the Industrial Revolution, in Great Britain, continued to strengthen[annotation: strengthen [ˈstreŋθ(ə)n] - tugevdama] the position of English. With time, it became the language of science, technology, diplomacy .
Given[annotation: given [ˈɡɪv(ə)n] - teades] the economic power of the US and the UK, learning English is seen to make international commerce[annotation: commerce [ˈkɒmɜːs] - kaubandus] possible. What is more, global culture has been by English-speaking countries, especially the US. It is no wonder that so many popular songs, films and books are in English. Last but , now that the tourism industry has been using English as a common language for decades[annotation: decade [ˈdekeɪd], [dekˈeɪd]], it is more than likely to hold its strong position in the years .
- place
- expansion
- power
- way
- likely
- position
- increase
- strength
- method
- probable
- English has existed for more than years.
- English has its roots in the of Europe, in the languages of tribes: the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes.
- Cornish, Scottish Gaelic and are examples of Celtic languages.
- English was first used in the English Parliament in the 14th .
- English was Henry IV’s language.
- The major reason why English spread to other countries hundreds of years ago was .
Why do you think the video mentions that English will continue to change? In what way(s)?
Now You!
Work in pairs or small groups. Complete one or more tasks.
Task 1
Discuss in English.
Task 2
Interview a person who needs English for their work, studies or hobbies. You can record a video of the interview or simply write your answers down and present them to the class.
You can interview a real person or choose a celebrity who you know uses English for their work. In the latter case, think about how the celebrity would answer your questions.
Example questions:
- How have you learnt English?
- In what situations do you need English?
- Who do you usually speak English with?
- How often do you use English?
- How have you benefited[explanation: benefit [ˈbenɪfɪt] – kasu saama] from knowing English in your work/studies/hobbies?
- What other languages do you speak?
Task 3
Make a vocabulary list on paper or digitally.
In your vocabulary list, explain the following terms in English:
- lingua franca
- bilingual
- official language
- national language
- common language
- body language
- anglophone
- false friends
In addition, find out about the following:
- How many people in the world speak English?
- What are some other languages that are spoken in more than one country?
- Which languages in the world have the most speakers?
Add the answers to these questions onto your vocabulary list.
