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30 / English is one of the most dominantlanguages inthe world and has an impact on every area of work. There is no doubt that English plays such an important role in the world that it is impossible to ignore it.
1) It’s the most commonly-spoken language in the world
Depending partly on how you count, in addition to the approximately 400 million native speakers, English is understood and/or spoken by1-1.6 billion people. With over a quarter of the world speaking the language, there’s always someone to practise with, especially when you travel.
2) It’s the language of international business
With world business headquarters predominantly in the financial hubs of the UK and USA, English has long been the default language of trade. Therefore,English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce. Researchfrom all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English.
3) It’s easy to learn
This is debatable depending on who you speak to, but it’s generally accepted that English isn’t the most taxing language to get to grips with. The vocabulary is simple to grasp and, in its development, it has been influenced by many other languages.Therefore, many speakersof those languages can see where the vocabulary of English came from and quicklyadapt to understand the basics of the language.
4) You can say things in a hundred different ways
One of English’s most valuableassets is its flexibility: you can often find many different ways to express the same thing thanks to its wide range of vocabulary. It’s said to have wellover 750,000 wordsand is adding new ones every year.
5) It can be used around the world
English is also hugely important as an international language and plays an important part even in countries where the UK has historically had little influence. Therefore, if you have the basics of the English language you canmake yourself understood in nearly every corner of the world.
6) It’s the language of the internet
Most of the content produced on the internet (50%) is in English. So knowing English will allow you access to an incredible amount of information which may not be otherwise available.
(adapted and accessed in December 2017)
I
READING
AComplete the sentences according to the ideas in the text.
1.People cannot deny the importance of the English language because…
2.You can use English to communicate in…
3.If you don’t know English, you won’t …
BFind evidence in the text for the following:
1.The importance of the English language is felt in different areas.
2.English is pre-condition for successin the job market worldwide.
3.The vocabulary in English is constantly developing.
CChoose the most suitable synonym for the underlined word as it appears in the text.
1.“Depending partly on how you count, …”
a.a littleb.whilec.moment
2.“(…) predominantly in the financial hubs of the UK and USA”
a.focusb.centresc.areas
3.“This is debatable depending on who you speak to”
a.questionableb.doubtfulc.hesitant
4.“One of English’s most valuable assets is its flexibility”
a.aspectsb.rewardsc.advantages
II
WRITING THROUGH READING
Write a short argumentative text (around 100 words) presenting other reasons for English to be such an important language nowadays.
III
LANGUAGE USE
AChoose a word from the box to complete the following paragraph.
During the medieval and early modern periods, the influence of English spread throughout the British Isles, and from the early seventeenth century onwards its1. ______began to be felt throughout the world. The complex processes of exploration, colonization and overseas trade that characterized Britain’s external relations for several centuries led to significant change in English.
2. ______were absorbed from all over the world, often via the languages of other trading and imperial nations such as Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. At the same time, new 3. ______of English emerged, each with their own nuances of vocabulary and grammar and their own distinct
4. ______. More recently still, English has become a 5. ______, a global language, regularly used and understood by many nations for whom English is not their first 6. ______.
(accessed in December 2017)
BComplete the sentences with the following connectors.
1.Everyone recognises the importance of speaking English ______they travel abroad.
2.My friends have enrolled in a language school ______they can improve their speaking skills.
3.______his international career, Ronaldo must have good English skills.
4.Most businessmen speak English ______another foreign language.
5.The British consider theirs a powerful language. ______, most of them don’t want to learn any other language.
CRewrite the following sentences starting them as suggested and without changing their meaning.
1.Although English is an important language, it is not an official language in many countries.
In spite of______
2.I speak English fluently but I do not have a perfect accent.
______. However,______
3.My sister speaks French and Spanish very well but she is not very fluent in English.
Although______
4.Scientists don’t travel much in their jobs but they do lots of research in English.
Despite______
5.In spite of learning very easily, Martha doesn’t speak English as fluently as she would like.
Even though______
Link up to you! 101
I. READING (80 p)
A. (3X9 p)
1.… of its impact on every area of work.
2.… any part of the world.
3.…have access to half of the information on the internet.
B. (3X7 p)
1.“English is one of the most dominant languages in the world and has an impact on every area of work.”
2.“it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce.”
3.“It’s said to have wellover 750,000 wordsand is adding new ones every year.”
C. (4X8 p)
1.a; 2.b; 3.a; 4.c.
II. WRITING THROUGH READING (40 p)
Open answers.
III. LANGUAGE USE(80 p)
A. (6X5 p)
1.influence; 2.Words; 3.varieties; 4.pronunciations; 5.lingua franca; 6.language
B. (5X5 p)
1.when; 2.so that; 3.Owing to; 4.and; 5.Therefore
C. (5X5 p)
1.…being an important language, English is not an official language in many countries.
2.I speak English fluently. …, I do not have a perfect accent.
3.… my sister speaks French and Spanish very well, she is not very fluent in English.
4.… not travelling much in their jobs, scientists do lots of research in English.
5.… she learns very easily, Martha doesn’t speak English as fluently as she would like.
Link up to you! 101