2. Digest “Why do we study foreign lаnguages?”
Dear colleagues! It's a well-known fact that knowledge of foreign languages
opens many doors before you, gives you many opportunities and advantages.
Knowledge of foreign languages has always been a sign of high culture and deep
erudition. It helps to promote cultural and technical cooperation among nations.
That's why one of the characteristic features of life in Ukraine nowadays is a great in-
terest in studying foreign languages, mainly English.
There is no doubt that English is the world's first truly universal language.
Today there about 1,5 billion English speakers in the world. It has become the world's
most important language in politics, science, trade and cultural relations. English is
one of the official languages of thirty states which represent different cultures. It is
one of the six official languages of the United Nations Organization and other
political organizations. Half of the world's scientific literature is in English. It is the
language of computers technology. More than 80% of information of any kind is
stored and exchanged in English. To know English today is absolutely necessary for
every educated person, for every good specialist.
English is a wonderful language. It is the language of the great literature. It is
the language of William Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens.
The great German poet Goethe once said “He, who knows no foreign language, does
not know his own one”. That is why in order to understand better the world around us
we have to study English and other foreign languages.
Besides the alive natural languages such as English, German, Chinese, Spanish,
French and others there is a number of artificial languages. The most widely spread
artificial language is Esperanto. It was created in 1887 by the Polish physician and
polyglot L. Zamengof on the basis of international lexicon with simple, extremely
normalized grammar. It consists of parts of several languages and is intended to help
people from different countries to communicate with each other. Of course,
Esperanto has many supporters in the world but I think that no artificial language can
be dominant in the world because of its invented nature. People prefer to
communicate with each other in the living language which is developing together
3. with them.
While learning any foreign language one must work hard. It's a pity that not
much attention is paid to studying foreign languages at schools. Sometimes English
lessons are boring and dull for pupils, though doing grammar exercises will improve
language skills and habits. Besides at school we study English for only a few hours a
week, which is not enough. That's why we have to work at our language development
outside school.
First of all we need to practise speaking. It is a good idea to meet after school
for a couple of hours with friends who want to improve English and discuss
everything in the foreign language. Of course, it is much better to communicate with
native speakers of English as their speech serves a good example which you should
follow. If this is not possible, practice speaking with your teachers, classmates, and
friends. It will help you a lot.
The next problem is that most grammar or writing exercises in textbooks are
very boring. An interesting alternative to exercises is to write letters. If you don't
have a pen-friend in the English-speaking countries, write to your friends in your
class. While writing a letter you would think about the grammar structure of the sen-
tences and consult the textbooks and dictionaries you have at home.
To improve the pronunciation it is necessary to have a good language laboratory at
school, though not all the schools can afford it. A good idea is to listen to cassettes,
imitating the sounds and intonation of native speakers of English. Record yourself on
a cassette recorder and you will have an accurate picture of how good your
pronunciation is.
Though there exist some problems connected with the learning foreign
languages in Ukraine, especially in small towns and villages, English is worth
studying. Let's remember a proverb, “As many languages you know, as many times
you are a person”.
Thank you for attention.
4. Оформление:
- политическая карта мира;
- выставка книг английских и американских писателей;
- иллюстрации учащихся к литературным произведениям английских и
американских писателей;
- высказывания знаменитых людей о важности владения иностранными
языками:
“A person is a personso many times, how many languages he knows”.
I. Gyote
"If you want to understand other peoples you should study their native language."
Pifagor
- пословицы о языке;
- аудиозаписипесен на английском языке;
- слайды с изображением достопримечательностейВеликобритании;
Compere: - Dear friends! We are glad to see you at our English party “English has
no equals”.
“Do you speak English?” – with this phrase begins the conversation between
two people, that speak different languages and want to find a common language.
It’s very good when you hear: “Yes, I do”, and start talking. People of different
countries and nations can talk with each other. So it is very useful to learn foreign
languages.
English is very popular now. It’s the language of computers, science, business,
sportand politics. It’s spokenall over the world. It is the official language of the
United Kingdom, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia. A lot of people speak English
in China, Japan, India, Africa and other countries. It is one of 6 official languages of
the United Nations. There are more than 750 million speakers of English in the
world.
Knowledge of English helps us to communicate with people from different
countries, to understand their culture, traditions and customs.
Quiz:
1. What kind of state is Great Britain?
2. What is the population of Great Britain?
3. When was London founded?
4. What is the longest river in Great Britain?
5. How is the flag of the UK called?
6. What animals are on the coastof arms?
What do they symbolize?
7. What is Stonehendge?
8. What brought popularity to Lewis Carroll?
9. What is the name of the special New Year’s Eve song?
5. 10. Name the church where almost an English Kings and Queens have been
crowned.
Answers:
1. a parliamentary monarchy
2. over 58 million people
3. by A. D. 300
4. the Thames
5. the Union Jack
6. the lion is a symbol of national strength
the unicorn is a symbol of purity
7. a prehistoric monument
8. his book“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
9. “Auld Lang Syne” by R. Burns
10. Westminster Abbey
NationalScottishsong and dance “Dance”.
Dance, dance, dance,
From morning till night,
And you’ll be
Happy, strong and bright.
Dance, dance, dance,
And never miss a chance
And than you’ll say
You’ll always say
That everything OK.
Clap, clap, clap,
From morning till night,
And you’ll be
Happy, strong and bright.
Clap, clap, clap,
And never miss a chance
And than you’ll say
You’ll always say
That everything OK.
Jump, jump, jump,
From morning till night,
And you’ll be
Happy, strong and bright.
Jump, jump, jump,
And never miss a chance
And than you’ll say
You’ll always say
That everything OK.
6. Compere: There is a proverb: “Knowledge is Power”. I agree with it. English is
studied as a foreign language in many countries. Many foreign students have their
studies in Great Britain’s universities. The most famous are Cambridge and Oxford
Universities. There are more than 200 different faculties in each of them.
Slides (name the sights):
1. Big Ben
2. Trafalgar Square
3. Westminster Palace
4. The House of Parliament
5. Westminster Abbey
6. The Tower of London
7. Cambridge University
8. Madam Tussaud’sMuseum
9. Stonehenge
10. The British Museum
Compere: - Knowledge of foreign languages and foreign cultures is becoming
more important nowadays. There are many reasons why we study foreign languages.
Now, in a period when we are reconstructing our economy, when there are many
joint ventures with foreign companies operating in this country, we need a great
number of specialists who know foreign languages. If you know foreign languages,
you can communicate personally or in writing with others who use these languages.
If you wish to make a career in science, you must read scientific books and
magazines in foreign languages. Knowing foreign languages, you can read the works
of foreign writers in the original. Great Britain gave the world a lot of talented writers
and poets such as William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, George GordonByron, Walter
Scott, Lewis Carroll and many others.
Alice in Wonderland.
(Scenes based on the book by Lewis Carroll)
Characters: Alice, White Rabbit, Duchess, Cheshire cat, March Hare, Mad
Hatter, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, gardeners (Two, Five, Seven),
queen, King, soldiers.
Scene 1
(Alice is sitting underthe tree and reading a book. The book bores her. She
yawns.)
Alice: What is the use of a bookwithout pictures or conversations? I find such
a bookvery dull. (Alice puts the book aside and closer her eyes. Sheis dozing. Then
she opens her eyes and sees the White Rabbit.)
White Rabbit (running close by Alice):
I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date.
(The White Rabbitstops and at his pocket watch.)
7. Alice: What a strange rabbit! I’ll follow him and see what he’s going do. I’m
burning with curiosity. (Alice runsafter the White Rabbitand they both disappear
behind the curtains. Alice’s voice is heard from behind.) Here is a large rabbit-hole,
and the White Rabbit has run into it. Let me follow him. Oh, dear, I’m falling! I’m
falling into a very deep well!
Scene 2
(Alive wandersthrough Wonderland and finallyreaches a neat little house in
the woods. TheWhite Rabbitcomes out of the house.)
White Rabbit: Oh, my twitching whiskers! The Duchess will have me
executed! Where can I have dropped them, I wonder! (Looks up and sees Alice.)
Mary Ann! Why, Marry Ann, what are you doing here? Well, don’tjust stand there!
Go get my gloves. I’m very late!
Alice: But late for what?
White Rabbit: My gloves!
(Alice dutifully goes into the house to look for the gloves. When she comes
back, the White Rabbitis just disappearingthrough thewoods again. Alice follows
him.)
Alice: Take your gloves! Here are your gloves! (To the spectators) Such a
strange rabbit! And why does he call me Mary Ann?
Scene 3
(Alice sees a house in front of her. She opens the door and goes in. Inside the
Duchess is sitting on a three-legged stool in the middleof the room, nursing a baby,
the cook is over the fire, a large cat is sitting on the hearth and grinning from ear to
ear.)
Alice: Please, would you like tell me why your cat grins like that?
Duchess: It’s a Cheshire Cat, and that’s why.
Alice: I didn’t know that Cheshire Cats always grinned. In fact, I didn’t know
that cats could grin.
Duchess: They all can, and most of them do.
Alice (politely): I don’tknow of any that do.
Duchess: You don’tknow much, and that’s the fact.
(The door takes the cauldron of soup off the fire, and at once sets to work
throwing everything within her reach at the Duchess and the baby. The Duchess
takes no notice of them – the babyin howling.)
Alice: Oh, please, mind what you are doing
Duchess ( in a hoarse growl):If every-body minded their own business the
world would go round much faster than it does.
Alice: Just think what work it would make with the day and night! You see, the
earth takes 24 hours to its axis.
Duchess: (to the cook): Talking of axes, chop off her head!
Alice: 24 hours, I think, or is it 12? I…
8. Duchess: Oh, don’tbother me. I never liked figures. (She beginsnursing her
child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it and giving it a violent shake at the end of
every line.)
Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes;
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it tease.
Chorus (in which the cook and the babyjoined): Wow! Wow! Wow!
Duchess:
I speak severely to my boy,
I beat him when he sneezes;
For he can thoroughly enjoy
The pepperwhen he pleases!
Chorus: Wow! Wow! Wow!
Duchess (flinging the babyat Alice): Here! You may nurse it a bit, if you like!
I must go and get ready to play croquetwith the Queen.
(The Duchess hurries out of the room. The cook throws the frying-pan after
her. The babyis snoring like a steam-engine in Alice’s hands.)
Alice: If I don’ttake this child away with me, they are sure to kill it in a day or
two.
(The little thing gruntsin reply. Alice and the child leave the house.)
My Heart’s in the Highlands
Robert Burns
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe –
My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.
Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,
The birthplace of valour, the country of worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands forever I love.
Farewell to the mountains high covered with snow;
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods;
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe –
My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.
9. Compere: - A more general aim is to broaden our intellectual and cultural
horizons through contacts with people of other cultures.
A knowledge of foreign languages helps people of different countries to
develop mutual friendship and understanding.
We Shall Overcome
Words and music by B. Dylan.
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
Some day.
R: Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe that
We shall overcome some day.
We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand,
Some day.
R: Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe that
We’ll walk hand in hand some day.
We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace,
Some day.
R: Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe that
We shall live in peace some day.
Compere: - English is the language of sports and glamour, Olympic Games
and international music festivals. When people meet at festivals, international
friendship camps, congresses, competitions, they can come into contactand learn to
know each other better.
NEVER LET YOU GO.
Dima Bilan
Heavy clouds, no rain
And every move causes pain
Ready riss, but no love
I feel I’m torn in half
Ardent look, but no heat
10. It’s not you really need
Baby, now it’s happened with us
We are dancing on broken glass
Can’t stand no more –
Never, never let you go
You are the one I’m searching for
Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone
Love’s carving it in the stone
Never, never let you go
Return the days we had before
Soul of my soul, blood of my blood
Love’s carving it in my heart
Gentle words, no aim
It seems we’re playing a game
Easy smile, but no fun
Sweet music for no one
Close embrace, but no more
Cold Champagne we forgot to pour
Baby, now it’s happened with us
We are dancing on broken glass
Can’t stand no more –
Compere: - So, English has no equals! Dispute it if you can.