1. Why did Helen take a course in Russian?
2. Is it easy to study a foreign language (especially Russian)?
3. What were her problems?
4. Do you have any difficulty in learning English?
5. What are the main problems?
6. What do you think is the best way of learning a foreign language?
Helens Experience of Learning Russian
Helen, an English teacher, took a course in Russian last year because she was offered a job in Moscow. She wanted to be able to go shopping and to have basic conversation in Russian. When she returned to England after a year, she received a letter from another teacher. He was about to take a similar course before taking up a job in Moscow. This is the letter she wrote to him about her experiences while she was learning Russian:
Learning a foreign language when youre adult isnt easy. Its a long, slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. When I was studying Russian, I found I could cope with grammar if I had my grammar book beside me, and with writing if I had my dictionary beside me. But when I went into the language laboratory it was awful. I heard this really fast flow of language and at first I couldnt understand a word. After Id practised listening to the same piece four or five times it was a bit better but I still didnt have the courage to speak into the microphone. When I actually had to speak Russian in the classroom with my teacher and other students, I forgot all the grammatical rules and vocabulary I had learnt. I felt such an idiot as I wasnt able to express what I wanted to say and even when I managed to speak it was at a really primitive level. In fact, I gave up learning Russian after just one year and I still regret the fact that I dont speak it.
Project Work
Choose one of the topics concerning the English language and make a presentation. For the information consult:
http://www.uni-due.de/SVE/,
http://www.macmillandictionary.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_English_language, http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/learning, http://www.englishclub.com/learn-english/learn-english-how.htm. Appendix 2 contains some tips how to make your presentation better.
Ø The history of the English language
Ø The place of the English language in the world culture
Ø The varieties of English
Ø Useful tips for learning English
Vocabulary
| language | |
| widespread | |
| along with | |
| major | , |
| progressive science and technology | |
| official (language) | () |
| native speaker | |
| to exceed | |
| foreign | |
| intellectual vitality | |
| field of knowledge | |
| scientific | |
| by no means | |
| spelling | |
| pronunciation | |
| exception | |
| idiomatic | |
| tense system | |
| simplicity | |
| flexibility | |
| the latter | |
| to mean | |
| to borrow | |
| to reverse | |
| mother tongue | |
| population | |
| feature | , |
| to dominate | , |
| to reflect | |
| to fall into |
UNIT 2
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| THE FACULTY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT OF KEMEROVO STATE UNIVERSITY | 
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