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INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE CONTINUA

LENGUAS VIVAS BARILOCHE (A-052)

Profesorado de Inglés

Opción Pedagógica Distancia

LANGUAGE I

Tutor: Prof. María Fernanda Piva


Academic year: 2024
Unit 1: The English Language

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English Language I
Unit 1

Unit 1: The English Language

⮚ Part 1: The English Language: history, development, and present


status.

⮚ Part 2: Listening: audiotext related to the topics dealt with in the


unit.

⮚ Part 3: Speaking: introducing oneself.

⮚ Part 4: Use of language


4.1: The English Verb Tenses.
4.2: Elements of spelling and punctuation.

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Part 1: THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE


History, Development, and Present Status

A. Old English (before 1066)

READING TEXTS
Before reading
We have biological ancestors, from whom we inherit the tint of our skin,
the shape of our skulls, and everything about our bodies. We also have
cultural ancestors, from whom we inherit the society in which we live and especially
the language we speak. People in the British Isles have diverse biological ancestors, but
they all share a common cultural ancestry expressed in the language they speak. So in
studying English and its history, you can get to learn more about the inhabitants of the
British Isles, their national character, their customs, and how these have influenced
their language and its changes over the years.

Questions for thought and reflection

❖ What do you know about the origins of the English language?

❖ How important is it for an English language teacher to become


acquainted with the history of the target language?

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B. Modern English (1485 to the present)

READING TEXT

THE TUDOR ERA


The Tudors ruled England from 1485 to 1603. The first Tudor king was Henry VII. He
became king after the battle of Bosworth field, which ended the
War of the Roses (a series of dynastic civil wars fought in England
between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York). Tudor
England was a period of great change. The Split with Rome in 1534
occurred as a result of King Henry VIII's desire to divorce and
remarry. In November 1534, parliament passed an act that made
King Henry the head of the church in England. Under the influence of
Reformation and Martin Luther, Henry VIII ordered Bibles to be
published in English and took much money and land from the church.
Because of his actions Henry VIII laid the foundations of
Protestantism in England which under the rule of Edward and
Elizabeth would transform England from a Catholic to a Protestant
nation. By 1603 the Protestant Reformation in this country was complete. Queen

He Elizabeth I (the last of the Tudor monarchs) fought constantly with France and/or
Spain. Her army defeated the Armada in 1588, this began a period of colonial expansion.
All these actions built the image of English insularity.

In that era two styles of English evolved:

nry ❖ INKHORN – rich in foreign words, fancy.

❖ PLAINESS – the lexicon is rudimentary, they style is easy to understand, the words
are English.

VI The result was a mixture of both, a rich and beautiful language. One
of the personalities of that era was Shakespeare. He lived in
Stratford-upon-Avon during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In his
works he used both Inkhorn and Plainess. Shakespeare spoke a

II kind of Midland English and had one of the longest vocabulary of an


English writer ever (30.000 + words) He loved to experiment and
actually became so influential that some of his lines became
»quotable quotes« and have become a part of the lexicon. In his time
the language was still not standardized. The English that Shakespeare and most others

an chose to write in, was, in fact the language of the court.

S
Sir Walter Raleigh was one of Queen Elizabeth's favorites. Raleigh gained favour
through his extravagant explorations. His expeditions lead to the first settlement in
America, at Chesapeake Bay in 1607. In 1620, the Mayflower arrives in Cape Cod, and

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by 1640 around 25,000 people have settled there. By 1700,


inhabitants in the region number more than a quarter of a
million.

Sir Francis Drake was also one of the great explorers of the
Elizabethan age. Drake, along with several other explorers,
enabled England to begin the colonisation process that led to the British Empire
becoming so large.

The Elizabethan age witnesses the rapid geographical expansion of English in


the New World, with colonists arriving in droves. They come principally from
the Midlands and the North (settling in Pennsylvania) or are Irish or Scots
Irish (initially in Philadelphia, but moving swiftly inland). Immigrants from
across the world rapidly follow, flooding the language with new words from
a variety of nationalities.

In 1604, Robert Cawdrey's ‘A Table Alphabetical’, listing the meanings of over


2,500 'hard words', is published. It is the first English dictionary.

Across the Atlantic, the deluge of settlers from all over the British Isles influences the
development of different American accents. The early settlers come from the west of
England; the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’ from Norfolk. Even to this day, remnants of these accents
can be discerned in particular areas.

Many so-called ‘Americanisms’ today are actually remnants of Middle English that
crossed the Atlantic at this time: for example, 'I guess' for 'I think', 'gotten' for 'got',
'mad' for 'angry', 'fall' for 'autumn'.

American English features loan words from indigenous Indian languages as well as
from immigrant groups:

Indian languages – chipmunk, hickory, moccasin, moose, raccoon, skunk

Spanish – bonanza, canyon, coyote, lasso, mustang

Dutch – coleslaw, cookie, snoop, boss

German – delicatessen, dumb, hoodlum, pretzel, spiel

Yiddish – kosher, nosh, schmaltz, scram, enjoy

Italian – espresso, mafia, minestrone, pasta, pizza

French – bayou, butte, chowder, cent, poker, praline, saloon

By the middle of the 17th century, ‘thou’ was disappearing from standard usage, but it
was being kept alive in everyday life by members of the emerging Society of Friends, or
Quakers. They disapproved of the way singular 'you' had come to be part of social
etiquette and continued to use the ‘thou’ forms.

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Comprehension check

Answer the following questions about the text above.


1. When did the Tudor rule England?
2. When did Henry VII become the king of England?
3. What was the War of the Roses?
4. What happened in England during the reign of Henry VIII?
5. Who was the last Tudor monarch?
6. Which two styles of English evolved in that era?
7. Who was one of the more important personalities of that era?
8. Who was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourites?
9. What did his expeditions lead to?
10. When and where did the Mayflower arrive?
11. How many people have settled there by 1640?
12. How many inhabitants were there by 1700?
13. Who was the other great explorer of the Elizabethan age?
14. Where did the colonist that settled America initially come from?
15. When and who published the first English dictionary?
16. Where did the Pilgrims come from?
17. Which loan words entered the English language at that time?

Check your answers with the text.

C. The English Language Today

READING TEXT
ENGLISH, A LINGUA FRANCA

Why English?

English is considered an international language, that is, a language used to communicate


all over the world.
The need for a lingua franca (international language) appeared as a consequence of the
growth of international relationships through business, cultural interchange, sport
championships, scientific research, tourism and so on. A globalized world requires a
global means of communication, but why English?

The British conquest and colonization of remote and vast areas of the world during
three centuries and the American global economic and cultural expansion made the
English language and culture the most widespread in the world. In addition, scientific
and technological advances, films and television programmes, popular music, and

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fashions of clothing have all served to reinforce the prestige of English as an


international language.

Today, English is used more widely and for more purposes as a second language than
any other human tongue. About 400 million people speak English as a first language
and about 800 million use English as a second language and as a foreign language.
Moreover, it is the official or semi-official language in more than 60 countries and of
many international organisations, even air traffic control and communication at sea
around the world is in English.

English belongs to all those all over the world who speak and write it, who read its
literature, and who treasure it. They are its tomorrow.

Some basic characteristics of the English language

● SIMPLICITY OF FORM: verb forms are simple and require little change to form
tenses; adjectives and articles do not change according to the noun, e.g.:

a) to like (infinitive form)

I/ you/ they/ we like chocolate – He/ she /it likes chocolate (simple present)

I/ you/ he/ she/ it/ we/ they liked chocolate (simple past)

I/ you/ he/ she/ it/ we/ they will like chocolate (simple future)

b)

The red house is at the top of the highest hill. (singular)

The red houses are at the top of the highest hills. (plural)

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● FLEXIBILITY: The same word can be used as many different parts of speech, that
is, many nouns and verbs have the same form.

e.g: I’d like to drink some fresh water.

(verb) (noun)
Would you like to have a drink?

(noun)

You must water the plants more often.

(verb)

● OPENNESS OF VOCABULARY: The English language has a rich and growing


vocabulary since it admits words from other languages.

e.g: umbrella (Italian = ombra), marmalade (Portuguese), cargo (Spanish), café


(French), kindergarten (German).

Conclusion

To conclude, English is the language of millions and speaking it fluently may open the
doors of the world to you. Nevertheless, learning a foreign language is hard work which
requires discipline and dedication. English linguistic forms might be simple, but to
achieve native-like fluency implies the development of certain strategies we will work
on in this subject.

Comprehension check
Answer the following questions about the text above.
a) Why has English become the most widespread language in the world?

b) Why is it important to learn an international language?

c) What characteristics make English practical as an international language?

Check your answers with the text.

Questions for thought and reflection

❖ What are the advantages of having a lingua franca?


❖ What are the advantages of being multi-lingual for a country and for an
individual person?

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Forum 1.1:
In this forum we will discuss the appropriateness of using online translating apps.
Use any online translator and translate a common Spanish phrase or expression:
(for example:(después de correr una maratón) “¡Estoy muerto!”)

Then answer the following questions:

a. Is the suggested version appropriate translation to the phrase? Why


(not)? How do you say the phrase/expression in English?

b. What characteristics does each language have that affect meaning?

c. Now try translating (the English version) word by word (literal


translation). Is it effective? Why (not)?

d. What do we learn after this experience? What resources can you use
when words in English slip your mind?

We’ll share our views on this topic in the Forum from March 8th to March 13th.

N.B. Vocabulary and Further Practice activities will be


assigned for autonomous work. Yet, the topics / structures in
them will be included in the mid-term and final exams of the subject,
therefore they are compulsory.

The books can be downloaded from this site:


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZzU5a-z33j6ZXvyhNA46Fvp0IKPbuMDb?usp=share_link

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Part 2 - Listening Skills: English, International Language


and Lingua Franca

Listening Comprehension
Click on the link "English International Language" to listen to the audio.

Before listening activity


You are about to listen to a recording about the status of English as an
International Language. Think about everything you have learned on this topic so far.
What do you expect to learn more about in the recording? Write three predictions
below:

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY TIP
It is easier to take in new information when you already
know something about the topic. Recordings contain a
lot of new information that you will need to take in
quickly.

Before starting a listening comprehension activity, think about what you


already know about the topic. This will help you prepare your mind to
receive the new information and remember it.

Listening comprehension activity


Now read the following activity and decide which pieces of information you will have
to listen for in order to do the task.

Task 1
Complete the following sentences with the missing information.

1. English is spoken by about ........................ people worldwide.


2. Approximately .................... people speak English as a foreign language.
3. English started to be used in diplomacy after ............................
4. In the 21st century, the growing use of English is due to ......................................

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5. The future of English depends mostly on ................................

Now listen to the file and take notes to complete the sentences above.
Listen to the recording twice only.

After listening activities

Task 2
Read the following task:

Name as many areas where English is the official language as you can:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

If necessary, listen to the file again and then do the task.

Task 3
Read the following task:

Tick the reasons given in the recording as to why English has become a lingua
franca:

● British colonialism

● American capitalism

● American technological development

● Migration after World War II

● The expansion of the Hollywood film industry

If necessary, listen to the file again and then do the task.

Check your answers to the tasks above


with the key at the end of the unit.

How well did you do? If you haven't done very well, don't panic!
Listening comprehension skills will be developed all through the
course, and you will be given useful tips to improve them as we go along.

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Part 3 - Speaking: Introductions

During your teacher training course you will be asked to record and submit audiofiles.
You will have to record your speech and submit it for your tutor to analyse how well
you are doing and what you need to work on to improve your oral fluency.

Oral fluency is a measure of how well and how easily you can communicate your ideas
clearly and accurately in speech. Of course, correct pronunciation of individual sounds
and words is very important for fluency, for your listener has to be able to hear and
distinguish the words you are saying. However, stress, rhythm, and intonation can be
even more important, for they help make both single words and combinations of words,
like phrases, clauses, and whole sentences, understandable to your listener. Grammar
is the structure of the language and vocabulary holds the individual building blocks, so
both are also essential to fluency.

You will be able to keep track of how your fluency is improving by means of an Oral
Assessment Sheet your tutor will complete for you every time you submit an audiofile
for correction. You will be able to learn how your pro nunciation practice is going, and
how your speaking skills are improving. It's a good idea for students to write down
what you need to work on, whether it's pronunciation, a grammar point, vocabulary, or
just that more practice is needed in a particular area. This has to do with the
autonomous work which is required in a distance education programme.

You may feel awkward at first, but as you record more and more audiofiles you will feel
more confident and, together with your tutor's feedback, you will re alize how your
fluency improves over time. Therefore, you must bear in mind that you are
expected to speak freely, not to write a text and read it aloud. You won't be able to
improve your fluency by just reading aloud, will you?

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when recording audiofiles:

● Plan what you want to say, but do not write it out and read it aloud or memorize
it. Remember you can record as many files as you want before submitting your oral
production.
● Before recording, you can practise your speech in front of a mirror or a friend.
● Speak slowly and clearly.
● You must submit ONLY .mp3 or .wma files because of system compatibility issues.
● Always name audiofiles as instructed in "Lineamientos Generales":

SURNAME_Language I - Unit 1

Recording audiofiles is important in building oral fluency, but not as important as


taking the time to practise speaking. Practise and sharpen your oral fluency skills every
day. In order to do so, it's a good idea to organise a speaking group with your
cybermates over the Internet or engage in conversations with a native speaker
whenever possible.

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MANDATORY ASSIGNMENT
Assignment 1.1
Record an audiofile (.wma or .mp3 extensions only) discussing (not making choppy
sentences in disconnected answers) the following points:

● Why is English considered a Lingua Franca?

● What areas does this affect? Give examples.

● English as a first language vs English as a second language

REMEMBER: AS THIS IS A FREE-SPEECH ACTIVITY, YOU SHOULD NOT USE ANY


WRITTEN SUPPORT WHEN YOU RECORD YOUR ORAL PRODUCTION.

Length: 2 minutes approximately


Deadline: March 17th

You can use vocaroo to record and share the link to your audiofile.

Note: Save your file under the following convention:

SURNAME _Language I - Unit 1

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Part 4 - Grammar

4.1 Tenses
Questions for thought and reflection

❖ How many times have you found that you doubt in the verb tense choice?
❖ How well do you know your verb tenses?
❖ How can you account for the use of Present Perfect tense as opposed to Simple
Past tense?
❖ Do you know when you are expected to use the Passive Voice?

INTRODUCTION
Read the following letter written by Mikaela who is working as an au pair in London.
She is telling her friend Gisela about her experiences there.

17 Linwood Terrace
London N8 7TW

March 25th

Dear Gisela,

It was so nice to hear from you again. I hope you are getting on better with your boss, she
sounds terrible. If I were you I would give up that job and come to London. If I ask Mrs
Greene, she will find an English family which needs an au pair.

I have had a difficult time lately. Do you remember my old boyfriend James? Well,
yesterday he was sent to prison for stealing money from foreign girls like us. He knew I
wanted to be a model. He said he had lots of contacts in Milan. After I had given him
money to buy plane tickets he disappeared. I think I will never see him again. Then one
day, I was walking along Piccadilly Circus when I came across him with a Korean girl.
He went away, and I introduced myself to her. I told her my story, and at first she
thought I had made up everything but I managed to convince her.

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She told the police where he lived and they found a diary full of the names of the girls he
had already taken in. If I had known what he was like I would have never given him a
penny! I won´t trust another man for a long time!

Anyway, I must go now. I have to pick up the children from school in ten minutes. They
finish at 3 p.m. every day. I´ll write again soon again soon. Be careful.

Love,

Mikaela

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE: REVIEW OF STRUCTURES

Now search the letter and find an example of each of the following structures among
the words in bold:

1. the present simple

2. the present continuous

3. the present perfect

4. the past perfect

5. the past simple

6. the past continuous

7. the simple future

8. the passive voice

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

a. What tenses are used in the letter? What kind of actions or activities do they
express?
b. Why is the passive voice used?

Analyse the answers to the questions above:

● The present simple

e.g: She sounds terrible.

In this example the simple present expresses a fact.

Further exemplification:

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Mikaela thinks her friend doesn´t like her job.

● The present continuous

e.g: I hope you are getting on better with your boss.

The present continues is used to express an action that is happening or in process at


the moment of speaking.

Further exemplification:

Mikaela is writing a letter to her friend at this moment.

● The present perfect

e.g: I have had a difficult time lately.

This tense is used to express an action that started in an indefinite time in the past and
continues in the present.

Further exemplification:

Mikaela has worked as an au pair for three months. (She started three months ago
and continues working there.)

● The simple past and the past continuous

e.g: Then one day, I was walking along Piccadilly Circus when I came across him with
a Korean girl.
The simple past is used to express an action that started and finished at a definite
time in the past (one day). The past continuous expresses an action that was
happening or in process (was walking) at the moment something else happened
(came across).

Further exemplification:
They were going out when he suggested he could help her to become a model.

● The past perfect

e.g: After I had given him money to buy plane tickets he disappeared
The past perfect expresses an action that happened before another action in the
past. It is known as the past of the past. The action of giving him money took place

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before he disappeared so it should be made clear by the use of the right past tenses.
It is usually anteceded by expressions like after and before.

Further exemplification:

At first, the Korean girl thought she had invented everything (everything was
invented before the girl got to know about it and formed an opinion about the
situation.)

● The simple future

e.g: I won´t trust another man for a long time!

The simple future expresses a future action which has not been planned. It usually
refers to a future prediction or action likely to happen, but there is no certainty
about its happening. It is also anteceded by expressions like I think, I guess, I
suppose, probably, etc.

Further exemplification:

I think the Korean girl will also feel she can´t trust men for some time.

TASK 1
Write examples of the tenses analysed above based on the situation described in the
letter (see further exemplification).

TASK 2
Read the following story and put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense.

A PENSIONER´S STORY

I (1) ………………(watch) the news on TV when I (2)……………….(hear) a knock at the


door. I (3)……………….(retire) some years ago and I (4)………………(live) alone so
usually I (5)……………….(not open) the door in the evening.

For some reason on this occasion I (6)………………(go) to the door and (7) ……………
(open) it. Two young men in uniform (8) …………….. (stand) on the doorstep. One of
them (9) ……………….(explain) that someone (10)……………..(smell) gas outside my
house and that they (11) …………….(come) to investigate. Naturally I (12) ………………
(let) them in and even (13) ……………… (offer) them a cup of tea. They (14) ………………
(accept) gratefully. I (15) ……………… (leave) them in the living-room and (16)

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……………(go) into the kitchen. When I (17) ………………(come) back they (18)
……………… (go). I soon (19) ………………… (realise) my wallet (20) …………………
(disappear) with them!

Now check your answers with the key at the end of the unit.

FURTHER PRACTICE
Now you are going to make a thorough revision of verb tenses,
aspect and their use. In order to do so, you will have to work on
Unit 1 of the book “Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge
Advanced and Proficiency”.

As you do so, you will be revising the following items:

✔ Perfect tenses
✔ Other perfect forms
✔ Continuous forms
✔ The future
✔ Stative vs. dynamic verbs

You will probably find that this book contains advanced materials, explanations and
exercises. Don’t panic! You will get used to it as you go along. It is our aim that you can
move forward in your language skills by means of self study.

It would be a good idea for you to follow these steps as you work with unit 1 on
the book:

1) Before you read any explanation, take the entry test. Check your answers against
the key and then determine which your stronger points are and which tenses
need to be revised.

2) Focus on the explanations and read the examples carefully in your “Overview”
section (page 17)

3) Read the “Watch out!” section and try to understand the main contrast between
the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.

4) Try to focus your attention on those aspects which seem more difficult to
understand and get ready to work on each section of the unit separately to allow
more time for concepts and ideas to “sink in”.

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5) Work with all tasks and check your answers against the key.

6) After you have finished working on individual sections, take the “Exam Practice”
test to check whether you have internalised the use of tenses or need further
assistance.

STUDY TIP

Whenever one of the answers you provided does not match the key, go
back to the explanation section and try to find out what went wrong. Make
a conscious effort to understand. If after these steps, you still can’t see
where the mistake is, or if you do not agree with the information provided
by the key, get in touch with your tutor.

TASK 3

Complete the following text with the verbs in the correct tense. Write your
answers in capital letters or in colour so as to highlight them.

Ever since the day I …DECIDED... (eg. decide) to move to London, I …………………….. (1. worry) whether
the decision I …………………….. (2. take) was the right one. As I …………………….. (3. already sell) my
house and …………………….. (4. arrange) a new job, it is too late to change my mind. However, since
then, I …………………….. (5. hear) a lot of negative things about living in the capital, and lately some of
them …………………….. (6. begin) to bother me. I …………………….. (7. grow up ) in a fairly small town
and I …………………….. (8. spend) all of my life there. I …………………….. (9. always want) to live in a big
city and so when my company …………………….. (10. offer) me a job in their London office, I
…………………….. (11. grab) at the chance. But according to a programme I …………………….. (12. just
hear) on the radio, more and more people …………………….. (13. stop) working in London recently,
and a lot of large companies …………………….. (14. choose) to move away from the centre. Since then
I …………………….. (15. hope) secretely that the company would tell me that the move was off!

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4.2 Elements of Spelling and Punctuation


Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate structure and organisation. Spelling is the
action of writing symbols so that these constitute meaningful structure (words) that in
turn create longer structures (sentences, paragraphs, etc.) that convey meaning.

But in the current world where technology is used more and more for communication
purposes, what is the importance of correct spelling and punctuation? Isn't spelling
reform a good idea? Do we still need
punctuation?

The answer is simple: no matter how niggling


they may seem, details about punctuation,
mechanics, capitalization, and spelling are
important to master. Even with the spell-
checker and grammar checker eternally
activated, we can make plenty of tiny mistakes
that deeply affect sentence meaning. I know of an engineer who has repeatedly
reported inaccurate dollar amounts to clients because of his sloppy proofreading. I have
read government reports by well-published scientists where the colon was misused
more than a dozen times in a single report. Even capitalization rules can be highly
important to meaning: a student in geology, for example, must be aware of whether or
not to capitalize “ice age” (yes, when you mean the specific glacial epoch; no when you
mean any of a series of cold periods alternating with periods of relative warmth).
Finally, small mechanical errors (such as abbreviating a term or acronym improperly)
reflect a general sloppiness and disregard for convention.

Let's see this in a practical way. Here is the first paragraph of a student's essay. Read it
though carefully and decide whether it is a competent piece of writing.

This essay will examine a number of issues relating to the growth of communism in China
since 1900 and its later-day decline. In particular, we will explore the neo-feudal system
that excited before 1900 and how the grow of new China was closely linked with the
spread of communism the reasons for the failure of communism to achieve it's aims will
also be explore.

I hope that you spotted that there are at least four spelling mistakes and two major
punctuation errors in this introductory passage. Even if the students used a spell-
checker this would not have helped. Why not? Read the notes:

Notes

There are a number of mistakes in this paragraph. The spelling mistakes would not have
been picked up by a computer spell-checker because they are all valid English words,
even though they are being misused in this context.

✔ latter-day

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✔ existed
✔ growth
✔ missing full-stop between communism and the
✔ it's should be its
✔ not explore but explored

A reader, faced with a piece of writing like this, would immediately get a very poor
impression of this essay, whatever the content. From the very start, the writer would
be heading for a low grade and this would be hard to overcome. The first paragraph is
particularly important because it gives the reader the first impression, although every
sentence in the essay is important in its own way.

There is no doubt that accurate spelling and correct punctuation are very important in
setting the general tone of your writing. The marker will spot any difficulties in these
areas immediately and will, mentally at least, begin to mark your work down if there
are too many errors. There is a very close correlation between accuracy in these two
areas and your overall mark. A fluent, academic style of writing will invariably be
accompanied by good spelling and punctuation; the reverse is almost always tr ue as
well, and will pull down your marks.

In short, what effect do incorrect punctuation and poor spelling have?

● they can change the meaning or sense of a passage


● they can make a passage difficult to read
● they stop the flow of the passage
● they frustrate and irritate the reader
● they suggest the writer is at a low academic standard.

Task 1

Look at the following sentences. Is there anything wrong with them? Would you like to
make any changes?

1. I saw her in the morning she left her house at 10 oclock.

2. I like George in some ways unfortunately his eating habits put me of.

3. The teacher looked at her and said, ‘Your not working hard enough.’

4. The Birmingham Area registers about 70% of all patients in the UK

each year many of them are concerned with electronics.

5. I liked that film we saw last night and Lucy did to.

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English Language I
Unit 1

6. Albert Thomas 1932 - 1993 wrote some intresting guide books they
demonstrated a wide understanding of these areas..

7. It was a hot humid day and he was sat down reading a book when his sister Tracy
came to visit him she was sweating a lot.

8. She said that, 21% of students in the university were from the city.

Now check your answers with the key at the end of the unit

https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/punctuation-
rules.html

Forum 1.2
Rewrite the sentences below using proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Choose one and post it in the forum from March 18th to March 23rd. Explain your
changes. Use the link above to justify your changes.

Remember that forums set the ground for interchange and discussion. Discussing is not
arguing – discussing is sharing one’s views and having constructive conversations. So
you’re welcome to speak your mind!

1. There was only one thing to do work till dawn.


2. Several countries participated in the airlift Italy, Belgium, France and
Luxembourg.
3. Judge Richardson later to be nominated for the Supreme Court had
ruled against womens’ rights.

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English Language I
Unit 1

4. There’s no room for error said the physicist so we have to double


check every calculation.
5. The men in question Harold Keene Jim Peterson and Gerald Greene
deserve awards.
6. In last week’s New Yorkers one of my favourite magazines I enjoyed
reading Johansen’s article How to be a horrible wife.
7. Yes Tom said I’ll be home by nine.
8. Montaigne wrote the following A wise man never loses anything, if he
has himself.
9. The following are the primary colors red, blue and yellow.
10. In baseball a show boat is a man who shows off.

22
English Language I
Unit 1

Self-assessment

This is the end of Unit 1. Evaluate your performance throughout the unit
by reflecting on your performance. In order to do so, complete the items
below, stating percentages:

In this unit I have come across:


1. Things I knew …..…%
2. Things I had some idea about……...%
3. Things I did not know…...…..%
4. Things which were too difficult for me to understand…........%
5. Things that were new to me but I could understand….......%

Things I need to work on (list them)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Make sure you have submitted all your mandatory assignments for
correction.

23
English Language I
Unit 1

Key to Unit 1
Part 2 -Listening comprehension

Task 1

English is spoken by about 1.5 billion people worldwide.

Approximately 750 million people speak English as a foreign language.

English started to be used in diplomacy after the First World War / 1919 / the treaty of
Versailles

In the 21st century, the growing use of English is due to economic globalization.

The future of English depends mostly on the patterns of usage and public attitudes to English.

Task 2

Possible answers:

diplomacy, international communications, business, tourism, education, science, computer


technology, media, the Internet.

Task 3

✔ British colonialism
✔ American capitalism
✔ American technological development
✔ The expansion of the Hollywood film industry

Part 3 - Grammar I

Task 2

Suggested answers:

1) was watching 11) had come


2) heard 12) let
3) retired 13) offered
4) live 14) accepted
5) don´t open 15) left
6) went 16) went
7) opened 17) came
8) were standing 18) had gone
9) explained 19) realised
10) had smelt 20) had disappeared

Task 3

1. 've been worrying 4. have arranged


2. took 5. have heard / have been hearing
3. have already sold 6. have begun

24
English Language I
Unit 1

7. grew up 12. have just heard


8. have spent 13. have stopped
9. have always wanted 14. have chosen / have been chosing
10. offered 15. have told / told
11. grabbed

Part 7 - Elements of Spelling and Punctuation

Task 1

1. I saw her in the morning. She left her house at 10 o'clock.

2. I like George in some ways. Unfortunately, his eating habits put me off. (or: I like George. In some
ways ……. . Also note the spelling of the word off.)

3. The teacher looked at her and said, "You're not working hard enough."

4. The Birmingham Area registers about 70% of all patents in the UK each

year. Many of them are concerned with electronics. (Note the spelling of

patients/patents)

5. I liked that film we saw last night, and Lucy did too.

6. Albert Thomas (1932 - 1993) wrote some interesting guide books.

7. It was a hot, humid day and he was sitting down reading a book when his sister Tracy came to
visit him. She was sweating a lot.

8. She said that 21% of students in the university were from the city.

25

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