阅读教程第二册Unit-8-About-Language

Unit8AboutLanguageQuotations•1.Thegiftoflanguageisthesinglehumantraitthatmarksusallgenetically,settingusapartfromtherestoflife.•---Thelanguageabilityistheonlyhumanfeaturethatmakesahumanbeingdifferentfromotherformsoflife.•2.Humanbrainsaresoconstructedthatonebrainrespondsinmuchthesamewaytoagiventriggerasdoesotherbrain,allthingsbeingequal.Thisiswhyababycanlearnanylanguage;itrespondstotriggersinthesamewayasotherbaby.•----Ifallotherthingsremainequal,everyhumanbrainhasthesamestructurethatcanreacttoagiventrigger.Ababycanlearnanylanguagebecausehereceivesthesametriggersasanyotherbabydoes.•3.Languageisnotanabstractconstructionofthelearned,orofdictionary-makers,butissomethingarisingoutofthework,needs,ties,joys,affections,tastes,oflonggenerationsofhumanity,andhasitsbasesbroadandlow,closetotheground.•Languageisnottheworkoftheintellectualsorthedictionarymakers.Itistheproductofgenerationsofpeople’swork,needs,…,anditisbroadlyanddeeplyrootedinthecommonpeople.Pre-readingquestions•1.thedefinitionoflanguage:---ameansofverbalcommunication---aninstrument---asocialact---atraitsettinghumanbeingsapartfromotherformsoflife•2.originoflanguage:•“InthebeginningwastheWord,andtheWordwaswithGod,andtheWordwasGod”(GospelofJohn,1:1)“AndtheLordsaid,Behold,thepeopleisone,andtheyhaveallonelanguage;andthistheybegintodo;andnownothingwillberestrainedfromthem,whichtheyhaveimaginedtodo”(Genesis,11:6)---TowerofBabel•3.thedesignedfeaturesoflanguage---arbitrariness---duality---creativity---displacement•4.functionsoflanguage:---informative---interpersonal---performative---emotive---phatic---recreational---metalinguisticIn-reading•Reading1TowardsaGlobalLanguage•Reading2LanguageAcquisition•Reading3SingaporeEnglish•Reading4LearntoSpeakBodyLanguageTowardsaGlobalLanguage•Fastreadingquestions:•1.What’sthewritertalkingabout?•2.What’sthewriter’sattitudetowardsusingEnglishasgloballanguage?Readingfordetailedinformation1.Whyisagloballanguagenecessary?2.WhatisEsperanto?3.WhyisEnglishimportanttopeoplewhoneedtousecomputeratworkandtostudy?4.ChildrenarelearningEnglishasanearlieragenow.Why?5.IsEnglishwelcomeeverywhere?Why?6.WhathasAcademieFrancaisedonetoprotecttheFrenchlanguage?Understandingtheexpressions•1.Airspeak,usedbypilotsandair-trafficcontrollers,andpolicespeakusedininterantionalpolicing,arebasedonEnglish.---Theinternationallanguagesforpilotandair-trafficcontrollers,airspeak,andforpolicemen,policespeak,haveEnglishastheirbase.•2.Ofcoursemanynewlearnersarealreadyfamiliarwiththelanguage:Hollywoodandpopmusichavemadesureofthat.•---BecauseoftheinfluenceofHollywoodmoviesandpopmusic,manynewlearnershavealreadylearnedsomeEnglish.•3.SomenationsconsidertheuseofEnglishtobeachallengetotheirnationalidentity.•---SomecountriesthinkthattheuseofEnglishcandamageorcallintoquestiontheiridentityasapeopleornation.•4.Asasecondlanguagethatallowseasycommunicationacrossinternationalborders,EnglishistheanswertoPiotrandFrancoise’sproblem.•---Forpeoplewithdifferentmothertongues,English,asasecondlanguage,hasenabledthemtocommunicatewitheachotherwithoutdifficulty.Groupdiscussion•1.WhyareyoulearningEnglish?Giveasmanyreasonsasyoucanthinkof.•2.WhatreasonsdoyouthinkaccountfortheinternationaluseofEnglish?Reading2LanguageAcquisition