EF C1.1 p 32. Tips to become an expert language learner. Written Mediation

You are an advanced English learner at the C1 level at the EOI. Your friend John has decided to take up Spanish classes this year. He has never learnt a foreign language before and he has been placed in the A1 Spanish class. He has asked you for some advice on how to learn vocabulary. Send him an email giving him some tips based on the infographic below. (150 words)

Tips to become an expert language learner

1. Select and record

 

 

2. Contextualise and personalise

 

3. Review

 

4. Use  

 

Sample answer: 

Hi John!

I am so glad you decided to start learning Spanish. And of course I would love to give you some helpful (1)__________.

First of all, select the most useful words in Spanish. And then write them down in a notebook (2)__________ that you can access them later.

Secondly, try to learn new vocabulary in context. (3)___________, what I advise is that you look at some examples where the word is (4)_____________ used and then try to create your own.

Thirdly, you need to revisit newly learnt words (5)_________ time intervals. That (6)___________, it becomes less and (7)________ easy to forget them.

Finally, to effectively memorise new words, you've got to use them in interaction (8)__________ others. In other (9)__________, you need to make (10)____________ you effectively incorporate them (11)_________ your conversation.

So, there you (12)___________ it John. The basic principles which I have followed to learn English.

Good luck!

 

KEY

 

1. advice/tips 

 

 

 

2. so

 

 

 

3. Therefore

 

 

 

4. being

 

 

 

5. at

 

 

 

6. way

 

 

7. less

 

 

 

8. with

 

 

9. words

 

 

10. sure

 

 

11. into/ in

 

 

 

12. have

 

Open World p 11. Foreign Languages in Kindergarten? Written Mediation

 

Read the instructions for the task. With the information given, produce a text using your own words.

Task description

You are a member of the School Council at your local school. At one of the meetings one of the items on the agenda is whether kindergarten students should be taught foreign languages. You decide to express your opinions about it based on an article you have recently read. Consider whether it might be helpful for children to learn a second language at such a young age or whether it is a case of too much, too soon. Write the presentation you would like to make in front of the other School Council members explaining your views.

Article

Kindergarten introduces foreign language lessons

Happy Kids Kindergarten in Leeds has caused controversy by introducing foreign language classes for its students- some as young as two years old. Many parents are supportive of the new scheme, claiming that it gives their children a head start when they learn foreign languages later in life or when looking for a job, and at the same time they also become aware of the world's cultural differences. Others, though, say that these classes will simply confuse the students and affect the progress of language learning in their own language.

Sample answer

These days there seems to be a general consensus about the importance of knowing at (1)_________ one foreign language, (2)______________ reminds me of a quotation by Roger Bacon, (3)___________ once said, "knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom." 

Disagreement arises, (4)____________, over whether it is appropriate to start a foreign language programme as early as kindergarten. On one hand, some people (5)_________ argue that we should introduce children to foreign languages in their early years. (6)___________ others are convinced that teaching foreign languages to young learners can delay progress in their mother tongue. (7)___________, we need to examine both sides of the argument before we reach any conclusion.

Firstly, by teaching foreign languages to children, we can make it easier for them to learn languages in the later stages of their education. For (8)__________, even learning the alphabet of a foreign language can be useful. In this (9)___________, students would find it easier to learn languages in more detail when they get older.

Secondly, having a second language (10)____________ one's sleeve when job hunting is likely to help a candidate to get a certain position. This is very often the case in most jobs in international business or in the hospitality sector in tourist areas. As a (11)___________, there is a lower unemployment rate among people who speak foreign languages.

Furthermore, foreign language lessons teach kindergarten students about how diverse the world is. For (12)_____________, they learn that people in foreign countries speak other languages and have different cultures. As a (13)__________, students learn to respect other cultures at a young age.


On the other hand, opponents of foreign language teaching in kindergarten argue that it can hamper the development of a child's language acquisition in their mother tongue. In (14)____________, when children are still building their basic vocabulary in their own language, learning foreign words might disrupt this. (15)_______________, students could fall behind in their language development.

All things (16)______________, I feel that kindergarten children have much to gain from learning foreign languages, (17)___________ they not only prepare them for future language learning and employment but they also familiarise them with the diversity of the world (18)__________ the fact that it can delay their own language betterment. Young children have an amazing ability to learn foreign languages, (19)__________ why not exploring this as early as (20)_____________.

KEY

1. least

 

 

 

2. which

 

 

 

3. who 

 

 

 

4. however 

 

 

 

5. would 

 

 

 

6. While 

 

 

 

7. Therefore 

 

 

 

8. instance/example 

 

 

 

9. way 

 

 

 

10. up 

 

 

 

11. result/consequence 

 

 

 

12.  instance/example 

13. result/consequence

 

 

 

14. particular/fact

 

 

 

15. Consequently

 

 

 

16. considered

 

 

 

17. since/because/as/for 

18. despite

 

 

 

19. so

 

 

 

20. possible

Open World p 11. Vocabulary Practice

 underestimate: /ˌʌndərˈestɪmeɪt/

to not realize how good, strong, determined, difficult, etc. somebody/something really is. Sp. subestimar.

E.g.

Never underestimate your opponent.
Their ability should not be underestimated.
 

underestimate what, how, etc… 

Don't underestimate how difficult this is going to be.
Don't underestimate what she is capable of.

Do people often underestimate the importance of human relationships in successful companies?

 

albeit /ˌɔːlˈbiːɪt/

used to add information that reduces the force or importance of what you have just said. Although. "Although it may be"

E.g. 

He finally agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help us.

He accepted the job, albeit with some hesitation.  

The evening was very pleasant, albeit a little quiet. 

He tried, albeit without success. 

The nation is adapting, albeit slowly, to the new global economy.

Chris went with her, albeit reluctantly.

 The United States finally agreed, albeit unwillingly, to support the UN action.

 

When was the last time you finally agreed to do something, albeit unwillingly? 

bold claim

(of people or behaviour) brave and confident; not afraid to say what you feel or to take risks.

E.g.
It was a bold move on their part to open a business in France.
The wine made him bold enough to approach her.

A bold and fearless warrior

The following year he made a bold step to expand his business.

It was a bold attempt to win back public confidence.

In a surprisingly bold statement, the couple said they had no intention of marrying

Deciding to emigrate is a bold decision for anyone to make.

Investors have become used to the company’s bold initiatives.

Making a film from the book was a bold experiment, and it worked.     

Tell us about a bold step you have made 

 

living proof 

be living proof of something/that…
​to show by your actions or qualities that a particular fact is true.

if someone is living proof of a particular fact, they are a good example of how true it is.

E.g.

These figures are living proof of the government's incompetence.
He is living proof that age is no barrier to new challenges.

The living proof of government economic incompetence 

Do you have a friend who is living proof that you don’t need a college degree to be successful?

 

in the region of
​used when you are giving a number, price, etc. to show that it is not exact. Synonym: approximately.

E.g.

He earns somewhere in the region of €50 000. 

A grant somewhere in the region of £2,500

It is estimated that the global temperature will increase somewhere in the region of 1,5°C this century. What could be the consequences of such an increase?

 

filter out

to remove somebody/something that you do not want from a large number of people or things. Sp. filtrar.

Net users can filter out unwanted emails with software
The test is used to filter out candidates who may be unsuitable.
The software filters out internet sites whose content is not suitable for children.

The software is well suited to small mobile phone screens because it filters out unnecessary information

At the first meeting we filter out all unsuitable candidates. 

Do you have the ability to filter out unnecessary information? How do you do it?

odds
(usually the odds) the degree to which something is likely to happen. Sp. probabilidades.

E.g.

The odds of us achieving our sales targets are very poor.
The odds are very much in our favour (= we are likely to succeed).
The odds are heavily against him (= he is not likely to succeed).
The odds are that (= it is likely that) she'll win.
What are the odds (= how likely is it) he won't turn up?

What are the odds that the virus will disappear? 

 

get by
get by (on/in/with something)
​to manage to live or do a particular thing using the money, knowledge, equipment, etc. that you have. Sp. arreglárselas.

E.g.
How does she get by on such a small salary?
I can just about get by in German (= I can speak basic German).

What languages can you just about get by in?

 

Verba volant scripta manent

spoken words fly away, written words remain. Sp. las palabras vuelan, lo escrito queda (lo escrito, escrito está y a las palabras se las lleva el viento.)

 

scribble

to write something quickly and carelessly, especially because you do not have much time.

Sp. garabatear

E.g.

He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving.

What kind of things do you usually scribble? 

 

Do you know this English saying?

"If you don't use it...

 

 

KEY

 

... you lose it."

It means that if you don't continue to practice or use an ability, you might lose that ability.

Examples: If a person doesn't exercise his or her physical body, he or she will likely lose strength, stamina and endurance. The same applies to a person that doesn't practice a new skill, whether it is learning to drive, speaking a foreign language, etc. he or she may forget or lose those skills.

What can you do in order to make sure you incorporate the new words you learn into your conversations?

 

Do Ex 5

Do Ex 6 

What would you like to remember from this article? 

Open World p 11. Tips to become an expert language learner. Written Mediation
Open World p 11. Foreign Languages in Kindergarten? Written Mediation
Open World p 11 . Minority Languages. Extra Listening
Open World p 11 . The Adventure of English - Birth of a Language. Extra Listening
Open World p 11. Fry's English Delight. Listening
Open World p 11. English as a world language. Listening
Open World p11. Second language learning. Listening. Sentence Selection
Open World p 11. Languages. Extra Speaking
Open World p 11. Learning English. Speaking
Open World p 11. Learning Languages. Speaking
Open World p 11 . Languages. Oral Mediation
Open World p 11. OED Word of the Year expanded for 'unprecedented' 2020. Cloze

Open World p 11 . Minority Languages. Extra Listening

You will hear a woman called Helena Drysdale being interviewed about her research for a book on minority languages. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.

0 Helena spent...

A a couple of years round Europe gathering information

B over two years gathering information

C two years in Northern and Eastern Europe researching for a new book

D two summers in a row in Europe doing research while on holiday


1 The main purpose of Helena's journey was to
A establish precisely where Europe's minority languages are spoken.
B investigate the effects of climate and location on language.
C calculate the exact number of minority languages in Europe.
D assess the current condition of Europe's minority languages.

2 One problem of living in the mobile home was that
A there wasn't much space.
B the children had nowhere to play.
C it became very hot.
D they all got bored with each other.

3 What does Helena say about the people she met?
A Not all of them spoke a minority language.
B Some were more willing than others to express their views.
C Intellectuals gave more biased information than other people.
D Older people had a rather unbalanced view of the situation.

4 We learn that people who were punished for speaking Provençal
A did not take their punishment seriously.
B felt they were treated unfairly.
C were made to feel embarrassed.
D regretted what they had done.

5 What point does Helena make about some local people in a tourist area?
A They are not interested in preserving their culture.
B They complain too much about tourists.
C They sell their land in order to make large profits.
D Their actions are not consistent with their opinions.

6 According to Helena, language
A enables people to express their emotions.
B is an expression of one's identity.
C is the key to integration.
D makes everyone different.



KEY

1. D

2. A

3. B

4. C

5. D

6. B

Script

(P = Presenter; H = Helena) 

P: With me today on Infospeak is 
journalist and writer, Helena 
Drysdale. Hello, Helena, and 
welcome to the programme. 

H: Thank you. Good morning. 

P: Helena, you spent the last two years 
travelling round Europe doing 
research for a forthcoming book. 
What were you trying to find out? 

H: Yes, we went in search of Europe's 
minority languages to determine 
exactly what state they're all in, 
particularly given today's climate of 
mass culture and so on. We travelled 
right up to northern Scandinavia 
and the Arctic circle, where the Sami 
reindeer herders live, and we got 
down as far as Corsica and Sardinia 
in the sunny Mediterranean. 
Then there were the mountains 
of northern Italy where Ladin is 
spoken, and we had a rather wet and 
rainy time in Brittany in the west 
of France with its Celtic Breton. 
Thirteen countries and fifteen minor 
languages in all. 

P: By 'us' and 'we', you're referring to 
your family, of course. 

H: Yes, my husband Richard, and our 
two young children, Tallulah and 
Xanthe - not forgetting the Mob, of 
course, our trusty mobile home. 

P: What was that like? Two years 
together in a mobile home can't have 
been easy. 

H: It got a little cramped at times, 
particularly when the weather kept 
us in. The kids couldn't run around, 
they'd start playing up, tempers 
would overheat, and everyone fell 
out. But apart from that, fine. 

P: Yes, I can see. And how did you go 
about gathering your information? 
What were your sources? 

H: I did some research in the library 
and on the Internet after we came 
back, but the only real way to get the 
kind of information I was looking 
for was by actually talking to people. 
We met writers, teachers and 
artists, who generally gave a more 
intellectual analysis of the situation, 
and we were able to balance that 
with the more down-to-earth, 
personalized accounts of people in 
the rural areas. That's where many of 
these languages are most frequently 
spoken and also where people, 
particularly the older generation, 
seemed less reluctant to open up and 
give us their honest opinion. 
P: And I imagine they had some very 
interesting stories to tell about the 
past. 

H: Yes, indeed. For example, we often 
heard stories of punishments that 
people received for speaking their 
own language at school. One old 
lady in the south of France told 
us how she used to have to wear a 
stone or a stick round her neck if 
she was caught speaking Provencal. 
She had to keep it on until someone 
else committed the same offence 
and then they'd have to wear it. And 
whoever had it at the end of the day 
was made to pay a fine, or sometimes 
even beaten. 

P: Hard to believe, really. 

H: Mm. She's able to laugh about it now, 
but at the time it was considered 
deeply shaming to have to wear le 
symbole, as she called it. Sometimes 
it could be a wooden shoe or a 
pottery cow, which represented the 
country bumpkin, someone to be 
despised. 

P: And were these punishments 
effective? Did they contribute to the 
decline of some of these languages? 

H: Yes, they lowered the status of a 
language. But sometimes they helped 
to keep a language going - at least in 
the short term, anyway. They caused 
resentment and made people more 
defiant towards the authorities. You 
know, it can be a bit like pruning 
a tree - if you cut it back, it grows 
much stronger. But there were and 
still are other more powerful forces 
which represent a much bigger 
threat to the survival of Europe's 
minority languages. 

P: By that you mean globalization, I 
presume. 

H: That's right. And tourism. Now 
although tourism can give a language 
status by attracting outside interest 
in it, it can also have a negative effect 
on local cultures. You know, in one 
place we visited, the natives moan 
about the influx of outsiders and how 
they buy up land at giveaway prices 
to build holiday cottages, and how 
its destroying their culture, and so 
on. But then the very same people 
are selling up their farms so they can 
run hotels or open souvenir shops. 
Understandable, perhaps, but they're 
encouraging the very thing they're 
complaining about. 

P: Are languages like Sami and 
Provencal endangered species, then? 

H: Well, I think it's true to say that if no  
positive action is taken, they'll simply 
die out. The problem is that some 
people are indifferent, and even 
hostile to their own language. They 
think it's of no use in the modern 
world, which they so desperately 
want to be part of. Fortunately, 
though, there are enough people 
around who realize that to lose your 
mother tongue is like losing a part 
of yourself. Your language makes 
you who you are. And if you spoke 
a different language, you'd be a 
different person. But people on their 
own can only do so much. It really is 
up to the European Union to legislate 
to ensure the survival of minority 
languages. 

P: And how exactly do you legislate to 
save a language? 

H: Well, I think there are several things 
you can do. Firstly, of course, the EU 
would have to bring in... 

Vocabulary

Herder: a person whose job is to take care of a group of animals such as sheep and cows in the countryside. E.g. goat herder. Reindeer herder.
Trusty: that you have had a long time and have always been able to rely on. Reliable. E.g. a trusty friend. She spent years touring Europe with her trusty old camera.
Cramped: a cramped room, etc. does not have enough space for the people in it. E.g. working in cramped conditions.
Play up/ play somebody up: to cause somebody problems or pain. E.g. The kids have been playing up all day. My shoulder is playing me up today. The kids couldn't run around, they'd start playing up, tempers would overheat, and everyone fell out.  
Temper: if somebody has a temper, they become angry very easily. E.g. a violent/short/quick, etc. temper. He must learn to control his temper. She broke the plates in a fit of temper. After an hour of waiting, tempers began to fray (= people began to get angry). 
Fall out: to have an argument with somebody so that you are no longer friendly with them.
Go about: to start working on something. Tackle. Sp. Emprender: E.g. You're not going about the job in the right way. How should I go about finding a job?
Down to earth: sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly.
Account: a written or spoken description of something that has happened. E.g. She gave the police a full account of the incident. The diaries contained detailed accounts of the writer's experiences in China.
Reluctant: hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do. Sp. Reacio. E.g. She was reluctant to admit she was wrong.
Open up (to somebody): (British English also open out (to somebody)) to talk about what you feel and think; to become less shy and more willing to communicate. Sp. Abrirse, sincerarse. E.g. It helps to discuss your problems but I find it hard to open up. He only opened up to her very slowly.
Country bumpkin: a person from the countryside who seems stupid. Sp. Paleto.
Despise: to dislike and have no respect for somebody/something. Sp. Despreciar. E.g. She despised gossip in any form. He despised himself for being so cowardly.
Defiant: /dɪˈfaɪənt/ openly refusing to obey somebody/something, sometimes in an aggressive way. Sp. Desobediente, desafiante. E.g. a defiant teenager. The terrorists sent a defiant message to the government.
Prune: to cut off some of the branches from a tree, bush, etc. so that it will grow better and stronger. Sp. Podar. E:g. When should you prune apple trees? He pruned the longer branches off the tree. Prune something back: e.g. The hedge (Sp. seto) needs pruning back.
Cut sth back: to make a bush, etc. smaller by cutting branches off. Prune. E.g. to cut back a rose bush.
Moan: /məʊn/ to complain about something. E.g. What are you moaning on about now? They're always moaning and groaning about how much they have to do. Bella moaned that her feet were cold.
Influx: the fact of a lot of people, money or things arriving somewhere. Sp. Afluencia. E.g. a massive/sudden influx of visitors. The influx of wealth into the region.  
Buy something up: to buy all or as much as possible of something. E.g. Developers are buying up all the land on the island. They buy up land at giveaway prices.
Giveaway prices: low.  
Sell sth up: to sell your home, possessions, business, etc, usually because you are leaving the country or retiring.
Species: (sg=pl) /ˈspiːʃiːz/ a group into which animals, plants, etc. that are able to breed with each other and produce healthy young are divided, smaller than a genus and identified by a Latin name. E.g. a rare species of beetle. There are many species of dog(s). A conservation area for endangered species.
Die out: to stop existing. E.g. This species has nearly died out because its habitat is being destroyed.
Be up to somebody: to be somebody's duty or responsibility; to be for somebody to decide. E.g. It's not up to you to tell me how to do my job. Shall we eat out or stay in? It's up to you.