tffirtgffiffigffi effid

ilearffiEmg

why learn English? The first selection in this chapter argues that
English is a universal language that people around the world use to
communicate in a variety of different areas. The second selection looks
at the case of one particular nation, Mongolia, where the government is
implementing an extensive national education program to make its
residents bilingual in English, a move that has become popular in a
number of countries.

Whoever comes to learn, wiil always find a

teacher.
anon),Tnous
-German,
----
iJ,-::i
,,ffieil;;i-.I;r"lfi,"lr,ll:,
?'i':.1: . :'-,,'' - :..
.'
'---.. ::j l_i l'
'' 1:
i
1

-:-:'.-

ffi wtrat is happening in the photo below? why is good communication lniportant
for people with this job?

ffi wtrat challenges are faced by people when they speak clifferent lang[rages?
How can they communicate?

ffi Wnat has been your own experience of learning rnglish? How do you thirrl{. tfiat
people best learn languages?
 EstgEEsEe as a UmBwcrsaE Language

Try to guess the meaning of new or unfamiliar words i

as you read. To do this,
break them into smaller words, into prefixes and
suffixes, or use clues from the
context-the words that come before and after the new word.

meaning for the italicized words in the following excerpts (parts)

taken from the reading
selection- use the hints about word structure and context
to herp you.
1 . English as a [hz'iuersal Langrage (Erint: ?his is the
titre, which often, but not
always, relates to the main idea. Break the rvord into
its two parts: uniuerse
and the suffix -ol, which simply makes an adjective
of a noun, and think about
their meanings.)
@ beautiful
(G) difficulr
@ elobal
@ political
2. And several hundred mjl[on more [people] have some knowledge
of English,
which has official or semroffici al status in some 60 countries.
(d[lrut: Look at
the words that come before and after anci decicle which
option mat<es the most
sellse, considerilg the iclea expressed in the title.)
@ existence (conclition, usage, rank)
(E\ enjoytnent
(?) problems
@ rejection (hatrecl, clislike)
3' Although there may be as many people speaking the various di.atectsof Chinese
as there are English speakers, Engrish is certainry
more widespread
geographicarly . . . (Himt: A compariso* is bei,g
,racre
betrveen those u,ho
speak Engrish and those who speak clifferent di,ctLects
of chinese.)
(I) words
@ dialogs
@ lists of rules
(o) ways of speaking

Chapter 1

H
4. English is certanly more u-rid.es7tread. geographica)ly. @{fuet: Break this word
into its two parts and think of what each one means.)
(Fr restricted
(G) extended
(t\ regional
@ popular
5. English is not replacing other languages; il is szt.pplenzentittg them. (Hiitt:
Think of the worcl supplg, which starls out the way this word cloes. Also, lake
note of the general idea of the article expressed in its title.)
@ proving its suPerioritY over
(G\ taking the place of
@ being used in addition to
@ being used exclttsivelY bY
6. Englishpreua'ils in transportation and the media. Cffimt: Once again, consider
the general idea of the article.)
@ exists
@ preserves
@ continues
@ predominates

7. Mat"i,tinze traffic uses flag and light signals, bui "if vessels needed to
communicate verbaliy, they would find a common language, in'hich would
probably be English. . . " (X{lnt: Notice the rn ord uessek, rn hich mea11s slzi'ps.)
CD sea

@ ait
@ ground
@ rail
8. It is a foreign tongLle for all six member nations. @int: Consider that this
word also refers to a part of the body.)
(7) challenge
(e) figure
@ trade
(5) language

Skimming is a useful way to get an overview of a reading selection. To skim, move

your eyes quickly through the whole readinS, making sure to look at titles,
headings, and illustrations. Do not stop for details or worry about words you
don't understand. Keep going like a fast-moving train from beginning to end.
Afterward, you will have a general idea of the contents. Then you can read the
selection again with better comprehension.

Language and Learning

 Take two minutes and skim the reading below
Then look at the list of themes below. put a check
in front of the themes related to
ideas that are discussed in the reading.

I How Engllsh is taught in clifferent countries

I Where English is taught
E The use of English among young people
fl The use of English in literature ancl poetry
O The use of English in business, science, and diplomacy
I comparisons of the use of English and the use of some other ranguages

!!'rtroduction
ls English truly a universal language, or will it be at some
time in the near
future? The following selection from the book Megatrencls
2000 presents one
opinion on this subject and supports the opinion with numerous
details and
statistics. Answer the questions below. Then read to
see if you agree with the
authors' opinion.
E Are you learning rnglish because you
thinlt it is a universal language, or is
there some other reason for you to learn it?
E what uses does rearning rngish have
for peopre from your curture?

EmgEEsfr &s a UmswcrseE

LffiF?guegc
English is becoming the worrd's first trury universal ranguage.
it is the
native language of some 400 million people in 12 countries.
That is a lot
fewer than the B8b million people or so who speak Mandarin
chinese. But
another 400 miltion speak English as a second ranguage.
And several
hundred million more have some knowledge of English,
,rorriot, has official
or semiofficial status in sorne 60 counkies. Although there nzay be
as many people speaking the various dialects of
cirinese as there are
English speakers, English is certainly more widespread geographically,
more genuinely universal than chinese. And its usage is growing
at arr
extraordinary pace.

6 chapter 1
 Today there are about 1 billion Engtish speakers in the world, and the
number is growing. The world's most taught language, English ls not
replacing other languages; it is supplementing them:
More than two hundred and ffi million chinese study English.
In eighty-nine counffies, Eng[ish is either a colnmon second language or
widely studied.
In Hong Kong, nine of everyten secondary school students study En$ish.
, In Fbance, state-run secohdaly schools reqtrire students to study four
years of English or German; most-at least 85 percent-choose English.
I]1 Japan, secondary students are required to take six years of
English
before graduation
fviedEa a nd Transportatiorl
c English Prevails in
transporbation and the
media. The travel and
communication language of
the international airwaves is
English. Pilots and air traffic
controllers sPeak English at
all international aiiPotts.
Maritime traffic uses flag
and light signals, bu!, "if
vessels needed
communicate verballY, theY
would find a conunon
language, which would
probably be English," saYS
the U.S. Coast Guard's
Werner Siems.
Five of the largest broadcasters-CBS, NBC, ABC, the BBC, and the
CBC*-reach a potential audience of about 300 mitlion people through
English broadcast. It is also the rnost popglar language of satellite TV'

The li'iformatlon Age

E The language of the information age is English.
F More than 80 percent of all the information stored in the more than 100
million computers aroundthe worldis in English.
Eighty-flve percent of international telephone conversations aIe
conducted in English, aS axe three-fourths of the world's mail, telexes, and

* In addition to the flve broad.casters mentioned, CNN news reaches 186 miliion househoids
and hotel rooms around the world.

Language and Learning 7

 cables. computer program instruciions and the software itself are often
supplied only in English.
German was once the language of science. Today more than 80 percent
of all scientiflc papers are published first in Engiish. over half the worlcl's
technical and scientific periodicals are in English, which is also the
Ianguage of medicine, electronics, and space technologr.

!nternational Business
English is the language of international business.
when a Japanese businessman strikes a deal anywhere in Europe, the
chances are overwhelming that the negotiations were conducted in English.
r< Manufactured goods indicate their
country of origin in English: "Made in
j Germany," not Fabriziert i,n Deutschland,.It
is the language of choice in multinational
corporations. Datsr-rn and Nissan write
international memorandums in English. As
early as 1985, 80 percent of the Japanese
Mitsui and Company's employees could
I speak, read, and write Engtish. Toyota
I provides in-service English courses. English
i classes are held in Saudi Arabia for the
!'i ARAMCO
n n A nrrll\ ---^-^r----- --, t on three continents
workers and
English is the international language of business. for Chase Manhattan Bank staff.
DlpIormaey
L English is replacing the dominant European lae'rguages of, centuries
past. English has replaced French as the language of diplomacy; it is one of
the official langu-ages of international aicl organizatiorrs such as Oxfar"n and
Save the Children as weli as of UNESCO, NATO, ancl the IlN.

LiErgua Frariea
nr Engiish serves as a coimnon tongue in counties'a}-lere people speak
rr-{anydifferent languages. In hedia, nearly 200 d_ifferent languages are
spoken; only 30 percent speak the official language, Hindi. when Rajiv
" Gandhi addressed the nation after his mother's assassination, he spoke in
English. The European Fbee Tl'ade Association works oniy in English even
though it is a foreign tongue for all six member countries.
Oftuc[aE Larnguage
i'r English is the official or serniofficial language of 20 Afrlcan countries,
including sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, and south Ar.rica. students
are instructed in English at Makerere University in Ugand4 the University
of Nairobi in Keny4 and the University of Dar es salaam inTanzania.

o
(D Chapter 1

br
 o is the ecumenical language of the World Council of Churches,
F:ngUsh
and one of the official languages of the Oi;rmpics and the Miss Universe
competition.
Youtlr Gultune
n English is the
language of
intemational youth culture. Young
people worldwide listen to and sing
popular songs in English often
without fully understanding the
Iyrics. "Break dance," trap tnusic,"
"bodybuilding," "windsurfing," and
"computer hacking" are invading
the slang of German youth.

Souree: "English as a Universal Language"

Megatv'ehds 2000 (Patncia Aburdene &
often people leam English to understand the lyrics of
popular music. John Naisbitt)

I ..',

'':r_.:;;i,:. r: .: :; ,

Scanning is different from skimming. You skim for general ideas. You scan for specific
facts or details. To scan, move your eyes quickly over the reading until you come to
the specific piece of information that you want. lf you know that it is in the middle
or toward the end of the reading, start tlere. Do not be distracted by other items.
Concentrate. When you find what you want, use it. Then go to the next point.

ii,:l:::.-t:,.r;:;..1;:r":,r,;,',;;.,1'ltlli'il,'l;r'::::j':-,:,,:tl,-,.;,..,i.'l' The selection supports its

ideas with many and varied statistics from the time the article was written. Scan for the
fn!!o:,r-rino infnrn'r=finn enr! ,.rrrrito it in tho hl:nkq
t v!iv !! r! !o

1. the number of English speakers in the world:

2. the number of Chinese studying English:

3. the approximate number of computers in the world:
4. the percentage of scientific papers published first in English:
5. the number of different languages spoken in India:

6. the number of A-frican countries in which English has official or semiofflcial

Language and Learning

 €0 .-,,:.,r .,,, ,r: :::.:.:..., .-: _,.:.' r. ,1:; ,, WOfkWithanothef Studgnt.TaketUfnS
asking and answering the following questions. After you finish, compare your answers
with those of another pair of students.

1. why do the authors feel that English is more universal than chinese?
2. Where is English used as a conrmon second language?
3. In your opinion, why do people in many parts of the world study English? why
are you study'rng English?

4. In what situations can you imagine that a knowledge of English could mean the
difference between life and death?
5. How has technology helped to make Engtish popular?
5. can you explain the meaning of li,nguaJranca inthe selection? Is English a
Iingua franca or not? Why?
7. What trnglish terms or phrases are conlmon in your culture?

Analyzing summary statements

on reading comprehension tests, you may be given several statements and asked
to select the one that best summarizes a selection. tn order to do this, first read the
statements and see if any of them does not match the information in the reading. tf
so, eliminate it. Next, look at the other statements and decide which one best
expresses the main idea of the reading selection. This statement must be shorf (one
sentence) but complefe. tt should not just state a secondary idea or summarize
small details of the selection. tf there are subheads in the selection, they can help to
remind you of the important ideas that should be included in a summary statement.

Practice Choose the statement betow that best summarizes the article Engtish as
a Universal Language. Then explain your answer.

(7\ Engtish is replacing the dominant European languages of the past, and
serves as a common means of communication in lndia and Africa and
for scientists all over the world.
@ English is the most important language in the world for transportation,
information, business, diplomacy, trade. and communication among the
youn8.
(e) English is the predominant language in the world because it is spoken
by rnany more people than any other language and is used in most
multinational companies.

TestEmg Notes
SIae TGEFr,o iBT Test over 2,300 colleges and universities in the United
states,and canada require students who do not speak English as their first
language to take the TOEFLo itnst
oF ENGIJSH AS A FoREIGN

1CI Chapter 1
 IANGUAGE). But many more organizations around the world accept
TOEFL@ scores. Many practice tests are coflunercially available to help you
prepare for the TOEFL@ test. These are available in bookstores and from the
hntemet. In addition, there is a lot of information on the Internet about the
TOEFL@ test, including the official website at

TOEXC@ Tesr The TOEIC@ GEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAI

COMMIJNICATION) is used by companies, government agencies, colleges, and
urriversities to measure En$ish-language proficiency. More than 4.5 million
non-native English speakers around the world take the TOEIC@ test every year.
More information about the TOEIC@ test can be found at .j r.:! ,; j , E

TOEF"j, and TOEIC are registefed trademarks of Educationat Testing Service @TS).
This publication is not endorsed or approved by ETS.

:.,:. .:,:.:,. : ::',_ _:.::::r:r:: :..:,

,'' .,.. tt ,,

.;:-:;'.;:;,;.,':ii,!i1::1i,:a St,,,t,i.::;i,,,''i',i , ::.r'r ' ,i .,, ,',1 ., , . I

Acronyms are words formed from the first letters of a phrase, such as LASER,
which stands for lightwave amplification by stimulated emission of !'adiation or
SCUBA-self-eontained underwater breathing apparatus. Abbreviations are letters
that stand for names and phrases, such as UN-[.!nited ruations-or they are ths'
first letters of a word such as tnc. for lncorporated.

i:
following acronyms and abbreviations stand for? tf you don't know ask a classmate,
look in a dictionary, or on the lnternet. Write the information in the blanks. The first flve
I

il

l' items were used in the reading selection on pages 6-9.

1. ABC
2. BBC
3. CBC
4. I]NESCO
5. NATO
6. NAFTA
7. etc.
8. RADAR
9. INTERPOL
10. ASAP
11. CD
ad
Language and Learnin8 tt
 12. D\D
13. ESL

14. TOEFL

tn a small group, tell what you think about the

following opinion. Do you agree with it, or do you
agree with the article? Explain. what
reasons do you have for your point of view? compare
the opinions of your group with
those of other groups.

"This article expresses a one-sided and nationalistic

view in favor of the
English language. The authors admit that French used
to be the ranguage of
diplomacy and German used to be the language of
science. Now it is the turn of
English to predominate in these two areas, but it will
soon change. There is no
doubt about that! Technology is actua[y helping other
languages to expancl,
not just English. No one can predict the future.
There ur"**uiy important
languages jn the world today. No one ranguag"
.url uu ,-,.ir.r.ut.,,
"tuirr-,io
, i . . : : ., ,.,.: ::::.:. ,:,
Look at the map of the world on page 13, read its
legend (the
explanation of the shading and the explanation under
the map), and answer the
following guestions.
'1. What do the shaded parts of the
map inciicate?
2. What is the difference between the tr,vo types of shading?
3. on w-hat continents is English spoken as the mother
tongue in some countries?
4. On what contirents is English spoken as a second language?
5. which of tl-iese two groups is larger? \r,,hich is mor.e
important for the status of
English as a globat language?

Read the paragraph below ancl discuss the questions

thai
follow on page 14.

Afttaa$< GE'B Es,?gE csBi

In 1994, the French curturar Minister promoted a raw, wrrich rras

continued into 2006, requiring that 3,000 English words
widery used in
France be replaced by newly createcl Flench equivalents.
He felt the
French were losing an important part of their o,rit.rr"
by using English
words. This woulcl mean changing "prime iime,,to
h,ezme cre Eratzc{,e ecozrte,
or calling a "corner kick" in soccer a.jet cte coi,n. Arthor:gh goveirrment
officials will have to folow trre new lavr, the French
constitutionar
congress ruled that the law violates the "freedom
of expression,, of the
general public.

12 chapter 1
 o
(o'
'=

6)
.E
) .9
O
o
tI a
F .E
U)
f, c,
bo
(o
=
bo
c
;C
o
C.)

o a:n
(E.-
z
o .e ul
tr OA
c[
dJ 0)
o
tlj O(o
TL EC)
z
.9c
U)
o
:tr
'=:
E o-
O(q
stg
IJ(E
(oE
o)^,
pk
'c >,
(trE
_e3
6o.
o- 6.1

tsCE
:Q)
'= c)
OP
O:'
< .13

=o
Oe
,G
-o
-0)
sbo
0J !9
ilsp
ol!
:bo
: lP
. Poo (L)

,i .8
(uo
o :: E?
v;i
o IE
XN
o, O)

I (!
-J
E
.
>.=
: (E<
0-
a)
t Ei
o
a)
OI
PC)
(/) :c!?
:c,
1 tr T go6
tri.=

Language and l-earning 13

 1. Do you think the minister was right in trying to keep foreign words out of the
French language?
2. Does your language include words of English origin? What are some examples?

3. What words do you know in English that come from other languages?

Mongolians Learn to Say

"Progress" in English

; t,',, ... : .tl i.,,tl,.ill , . .:.:: , .,. .. . '.. GUSSS the

meaning of the word or expression in italics by breaking it apart into smaller words, into
prefixes and suffixes, or by using clues from the context. Use these skills, the hints
given in parentheses, and your own logic to help you finish each statement with the
correct option.

1. She searched for the English words to name the razortooth fish swimming
around her stomach on her faded blue-and-white T-shirt. (Hint: Arazor \s an
instrument that men and women use to shave their facial or leg hair.)
Therefore, arazortooth fish is a fish
(7) with whiskers or hair
(fi with very sharp teeth
@ that swims quickly
2. Camel herders (people who take care of camels) may not yet refer to each
other as "d't Ld,e ," but Mongolia, thousands of kilometers from the nearest
English-speaking nation, is a reflection of the steady march of English as a
world ianguage. (Ilint: Dude is an English slang word used to talk to a male
friend.) Therefore, the first part of the sentence means that the coilunon
people in rural Mongolia do not
(7) have much skill for herding animals
(G) speak the way young men like to speak
(?\ know English perfectly at this time
3. The rush toward English in Mongolia has not been ui,thout i,ts bumps. (Ilint:
Think about what bumps are like on a road.) So, this sentence means that the
process of learning English in Mongolia has been
@ somewhat difficult
@ really simple
@ often boring

14 chapter 1