Language Focus: The Future of English

Geographically English is the most widespread language on earth and it is second only to Mandarin Chinese in the number of people, who speak it. The International Telecommunication Union has five official languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. The influence of these languages upon one another will inevitably increase. It is reasonable to ask if changes in English can be predicted. There will doubtless be modifications in pronunciation though there is a tendency that may bring British English more into line with American English and may bring them both a little nearer to Spanish and Italian. Furthermore it may help to narrow the gap between the pronunciation and spelling. Advanced technological education, computer programming, machine translation and expanding mass media will also contribute toward narrowing this gap. In vocabulary further changes are expected if the present trends continue. New words and terms will no longer be taken from Greek and Latin, instead they are likely to become a part of international technical vocabulary that is increasingly shared by Russian, French and Spanish and that is slopwly emerging as the universal scientific language.

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What symbols does the English flag contain? How is it different from the Union Flag? 2. What is the origin of the “three Lions of Anjou” and where is the symbol used? 3. What alternative names for England and the English do you know? What do they mean? 4. What are the national anthem and the unofficial national anthems of England? 5. What are the national anthem and the unofficial national anthems of England? 6. What are the principal geographic characteristics of England and what is its climate? 7. What is the population of England and what were the principal waves of migration to the island of Great Britain? 8. What were the traditional counties of England and where does the word come from? 9. What is the English capital's population and what is called Greater London? 10. What are the major landmarks of London and what river does it stand on? 11 What monu­ments of pre-Roman England can you name? 12. What imprint did the Roman Empire leave on England and what physical evidence of its occupation can still be found? 13. What were the most ancient tribes on English territory and who were the invaders after the Romans? 12. What important event marking a new era happened in the 11^th century? 13. When did the shift from the feudal system to democracy in England begin? 13. What was the role of castles in English history and what are some of the most famous of them? 14. Who are the most famous monarchs of the Tudor dynasty and what are they famous for? 15. What were the reasons for the Civil War of 1642 in England?

B. 16. What colonies did the British Empire have and for how long? 17. What lan­guages and dialects are spoken in England? 18. Does England have a central government of its own? 19. What are the most famous English schools and when were they founded? 20. How is English law different from that of Scotland and Northern Ireland? 21. What is law enforcement and what is the formal name for Scotland Yard? 22. What is the official Church of England and how did it come into being? 23. What are the most famous British TV channels and newspapers? 24. What are the most popular kinds of sports and competi­tions in England? 25. What are the most renowned English figures of literature? 26. What are the major English Bank Holidays and what festivals are they associated with? 27. What can you say about the English cuisine before the Gastronomic Revolution of the 1960s? 28. What do traditional English breakfast and Sunday dinner consist of? 29. What other dishes and drinks are now popular in England? 30. What English icons can you name? De­scribe them. Do you know of any other icons not mentioned in the textbook? 31. Who are the famous historic and legendary figures of England?

II. Supply the word or phrase from the vocabulary list which correctly completes the sentence:

shires, Home Counties, the Buckingham Palace, Picts, Boudicca, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Angles, Saxons and Jutes, the Danelaw, the Iceni, the Tower of London, the Golden Age, Stonehenge, Civil War, the Commonwealth of Nations, the common law, the BBC, Tithings, Hadrian wall, the Protestant Church of England, hundreds

1. The traditional counties come from the... that were formed after the various King­dom, such as Mercia. Wessex, Kent, etc. 2. A county was made up of..., which themselves were made up of.... 3.... is a semi-archaic name for the English Counties bordering Lon­don. 4. The meridian at which the longitude is 0 degrees passes through.... 5.... is the official residence of the Queen. 6. The massive stone circles to the north of Salisbury in the South of England called... date from 3100 ВС. 7. In the 1^st century AD the Romans had a wall built from east to west known now as... to protect themselves from the inhabitants of Scotland at that time called.... 8. The most notable uprising of Celtic population against the Romans was that of... led by.... 9. The Germanic tribes of... progressively settles England after the Romans pushing local tribes to the north. 10. The Vikings plundered and later settled England eventually ruling... from the late 9^th century. 11.... has always been the royal palace, fortress and prison in the English capital. 12. Henry VIII created... to be able to divorce and marry again as he wished. 13. Elizabeth's reign is often referred to as... of English culture. 14. The attempts of Charles I to get more power than it was acceptable to people led to the major... of 1642. 15. The British Empire was replaced by the association of former colonies called.... 16. English law is known generally as.... 17.... is one of the world's most powerful broadcasting corporations.

III. Decide whether the statements are true or false:

1. Traditional English cuisine is very bland. 2. The Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London are still called les rosbif. 3. Yorkshire pudding is a famous English desert. 4. Tra­ditional oat porridge was typically English. 5. The most popular take-away food always used to be from the ubiquitous Fish and Chip Shop. 6. The only widespread wines in the past used to be champagne, sherry and port. 7. The English always drink their tea with milk. 8. Thatched cottages in England are the most inexpensive housing. 9. A hackney carriage is a taxicab that is allowed to travel the streets looking for passengers to pick up. 10. King Arthur is a historic figure of the 5^th century England. 11. Arthur's knights engaged in fab­ulous quests, famously including one for the Holy Grail. 12. Winston Churchill reached the height of his fame as the heroic prime minister of Great Britain during World War II. 13. English winters usually have much snow. 14. England is the most populous and the most ethnically diverse nation in the United Kingdom. 15. The Home Counties were originally Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, and Essex. 16. There are four airports in London, and Gatwick is one of them. 17. Westminster Abbey is crammed full of the tombs of personalities from world history over the past thousand years. 18. In England a hundred was a division of a shire for administrative, military and judicial purposes under common law.

IV. Write the letter of the best answer according to the information :

a) Christianity arrived in Britain before the Church of Rome was created.

b) Christianity was brought to England by the Church of Rome.

c) Christianity was brought to England by the Norman invasion.

a) Soccer refers to the rival form of football developed within certain nations.

b) Football refers to the rival form of soccer developed within certain nations.

c) Football and soccer are the same in England.

a) Cricket originated in Australia.

b) Cricket originated in the USA.

c) Cricket originated in England.

a) JRR Tolkein is famous for his Harry Potter books.

b) JRR Tolkein is famous for the "The Lord of the Rings".

c) JRR Tolkein is famous for his books about King Arthur.

a) May Day has its roots in ancient pagan rituals reinforced by the Roman Day of Flora.

b) May Day was created by the international Socialist congress of 1889.

c) May Day was introduced by Margaret Thatcher during her reign as Prime Minister.

a) Fireworks Night celebrates an attempt of English Roman Catholics to blow up Par­liament and King James I.

b) Fireworks Night celebrates the Queen's birthday.

c) Fireworks Night is held on New Year's Eve.

a) Boxing Day is the second day of Christmas.

b) Boxing Day is All-England Boxing tournament.

c) Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when all empty boxes are thrown away.

a) Christmas crackers are a festive dish eaten with cheese.

b) Christmas crackers is a popular party game after Christmas dinner.

c) Christmas crackers are paper rolls containing a small explosive and a gift.

V. Identify the events in English history related to the following names:
Richard the Lionheart, Lord Nelson, the Roman Emperor Claudius, Boudicca, Egbert of Wessex, William of Normandy, Simon de Montfort, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromvell, King Oswiu of Northumbria, William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Guy Fawkes, Venerable Bede, King Arthur, Winston Churchill

VI. Match the events in the first column to the dates in the second column:

The Romans led by Julius Caesar landed in Great Britain – 1707

The uprising of Celts against the Romans ked by Boudicca – 1642

The Battle of Hastings – 43 AD

The Union Flag was adopted – 829

Margaret Thatcher was forced by the public to resign – 1900

Separation of the English Christian Church from Rome – 1265

The end of the Wars of the Roses – 1534

The Viking raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne – 55-54 ВС

The first English Parliament – 1485

The beginning of the Industrial Revolution – 1660

The restoration of monarchy – 1096

Winston Churchill was made war leader – 183 9-1902

The Victorian Era – 1940

The beginning of undivided Saxon rule in England – 2nd century AD

The foundation of Oxford University – 1750

The Roman Occupation began – 793

The Elizabethan era – 1491-1547

Christianity arrived in Britain – 1066

The English Civil War – 61-62 AD

The rale of Henry VIII – 1533-1603

VII. Match the following words and word combinations to their correct meaning:

Alba – The name of old administrative units controlled by a sheriff

Bobbies – The famous London dialect

Riding – The London Underground

The Picts – National holiday, a day-off

Public schools – The name for England given by Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy

The Danelaw – Rich fruit cakes eaten on Mothering Sunday

“Tube” – The English capital with surrounding areas

Shires – A survey of English population, their property and lands for taxation purposes

Redbricks – A name for London policemen

“Bangers” – Private schools not ran by the state

“Luddites” – An old name for the traditional subdivision smaller than a county

Don – The financial centre of London

Bank holiday – Viking and Slav settlers in France who conquered England in the 11-th century

Greater London – The judicial members of the House of Lords

Beefeaters – A territory ruled by the Vikings from the late 9^th century

Law Lords – Professor at Oxford

Domesday Book – British sausages

Square mile – The saboteurs of the English Industrial Revolution

Simnel cakes – The oldest inhabitants of Scotland and England

The “West End” – Universities built in Victorian times from red brick

The Normans – The Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London

Cockney – The main theatre district