Geum.ru

Е. В. Захарова язык и культура великобритании в условиях европейской интеграции предисловие данное учебное пособие

Вид материалаУчебное пособие
Unit iii. english of today – regionally and culturally defined
Ii. vocabulary focus
Iii. interpretation
Iv. speaking personally
Подобный материал:
1   ...   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   ...   35

UNIT III. ENGLISH OF TODAY – REGIONALLY AND CULTURALLY

DEFINED


I. READING COMPREHENSION


A. Pre-reading Task. Answer the questions:


1) Do you know any regional variations of British English?

2) What is the role of slang words in the life of the language?


B. Now read and translate the text. You can make use of the following words and word-combinations:

Have a bearing on smth – иметь отношение к ч-л, значение для ч-л

Distinguishable – различимый

Sensitive – чувствительный

Set smth apart from – отделять, разделять

Derive from smth – происходить, вести свое происхождение

Scouse – 1. лобскаут, матросское рагу (мясо тушеное с овощами и галетами)

2. уроженец Ливерпуля

3. ливерпульский вариант английского языка

inflection – (грам) 1) флексия 2) изменение формы слова (обыкн. окончание)

Geordie – 1) (горн. проф.) предохранительная лампа

2) углекоп.

3) уроженец северо-восточной Англии

4) английский язык северо-восточной части Англии


Cockney – 1. кокни (лондонское просторечие)

2. (пренебр.) – кокни, уроженец Лондона, особенно восточной части)

in the vicinity – вблизи

contemporary – современный

dominance – господство, влияние, преобладание

domination – власть, владычество

account for – объяснить

woefully – печально

grasp – способность восприятия, понимания

exposure to smth – подвергание к-л внешнему воздействию

ensure – обеспечить, гарантировать

rejoice – радоваться

sloppy – (разг.) безграмотный (язык)

indelibly – неизгладимо, неразрывно

drift – перемещаться

evaluate – оценивать

buzz-word – 1. ученое или специальное словечко,

слово, способное произвести впечатление на непосвященного;

«умные» технические, бюрократические и т.д. термины.

2. усилительное слово (часто бессмысленное), используемое в профессиональном жаргоне

dingbat – болван, псих

catchphrase – модные, легко запоминающиеся словечки, фразы

rhyming – рифмующийся

celebrity – знаменитость

commonplace – обычное, будничное событие


Regional variations in accent, vocabulary and pronunciation are of great importance in British life, as well as having an important bearing on the question of standard English. Some of the more easily distinguishable accents are those of Cornwall, the West Midlands, Tyneside, Northern Ireland and Clydeside, although to a sensitive ear there are dozens of separate regional accents in Britain, and hundreds of minor linguistic peculiarities which set one region, one town, even one village, apart from another. The city of Liverpool, for example, has a very strong and recognizable accent, known as ‘Scouse’, deriving from a mixture of Lancashire, Irish and Welsh influences, and those speaking with this accent are referred to as ‘Scousers’, after a sailor’s stew of meat and potatoes called lobscouse.. One version of ‘Scouse’ was brought to national and world attention by the success of The Beatles in the 1960s.The phrases, slang and inflections which characterized the speech of The Beatles, however, were but one version of what is in fact a highly complex set of linguistic practices operating within the city of Liverpool. People from Newcastle and Tyneside, in the north-east of England, are called ‘Geordies’ after a mining lamp designed by George Stephenson and anyone brought up in the vicinity of London’s Cheapside is known as a Cockney, originally the name for a spoilt city child.

One factor influencing all the varieties of English in contemporary Britain is the economic and cultural domination of the United States. Especially since the end of the Second World War, the issue of American influence on British life has been hotly debated. Some people fear that sharing a language with the most successful nation on Earth will erode Britain’s own linguistic identity and also accounts for Britons’ woefully poor grasp on other European languages, while others argue that the global dominance of English ensures Britain’s continuing cultural vitality. It does seem that , through exposure to popular music, cinema and computer technology, British people are becoming more and more familiar with the various speech patterns of the USA. Distinctive American rhythms, intonations and slang are becoming common throughout Britain, not only in pubs and clubs but to an increasing extent also in more formal contexts such as education and the media.

All these issues have important implications for the question of British identity. The ways in which the English language is used continue to be of great importance, for those who adhere to standard English as well as for those who accept and rejoice in the latest slang words and phrases. The number of official and authoritative bodies who accept that language is a constantly changing and vibrant part of culture is increasing. For example, dictionary compilers are more likely to include recent slang words than they used to be.


The type of language referred to as slang is more than a level of formality. That is, slang cannot be understood simply as informal, colloquial, careless, sloppy language even though these notions are indelibly connected with the idea of slang in many people’s minds. Slang is, first and foremost, group language. This restriction-at least in its origin – is the key feature of slang. That is, slang has an extremely important social function to fulfill with regard to the groups that create it: it helps to establish solidarity and is associated with group identity. While slang usage may drift upward into the language of the more powerful and outward into that of out-group users, this is far from automatic; and by the time this happens, the original group will probably have long since turned to a different expression.

The fact that slang is typically connected with the subcultures of youth is perhaps what leads many people to see it as informal, colloquial, careless or sloppy, for that is how many people evaluate young people’s language, the language of the (as yet) weak, the (as yet) outsiders.

A 2001 survey of seven- to fourteen-year-olds’ language listed scores of buzz-words, ranging from the familiar such as ‘wicked’, ‘radical’ or ‘dingbat’, to the less common, such as ‘savage’ or ‘vicious’ (for excellent), ‘trev’ (a designer-clothes wearer , ‘minging’ (ugly or disgusting) and ‘talk to the hand’ (because I’m not listening). Unsurprisingly, television shows provide many new catchphrases . Pop music also changes language from month to month. Rhyming slang is also increasingly common in young street culture, though its connections with Cockney are far off and the emphasis is on using celebrities’ names in a way that makes the commonplaces of everyday teenage life more interesting, for example, ‘Britney Spears’ for beers.


С. Referring back to the text, write questions to go with these answers:


1. ___ 1. These are the accents of Cornwall, the West Midlands, Tyneside, Northern Ireland and Clydeside

2. ___ 2. It’s derived from a mixture of Landcashire, Irish and Welsh influences

3. ___ 3. It was in 1960.

4.--------- 4. They are called ‘Geordies’.

5.----------- 5. It was originally the name for a spoilt city child.

6.------------ 6. The economic and cultural domination of the U.S. influences all the varieties of English in contemporary Britain.

7. ___ 7. It happens through exposure to popular music, cinema and computer technology.

8. -------- 8.It’s , first and foremost, group language.

9. ___ 9. It’s typically connected with the subcultures of youth.

10.------------- 10. Because it makes the common-places of everyday teenage life more interesting.


II. VOCABULARY FOCUS


A. Translate the following word-combinations into Russian:


a level of formality: scores of smth; to be likely to do smth; ranging from; a designer-clothes wearer; a recognizable accent; to be brought to national and world attention; a spoilt child; to be hotly debated; sharing a language.


Reproduce the situations in the text in which they are given.


B.Find the English equivalents in the text:


Основная особенность; неудивительно; из месяца в месяц; составители словарей; отвратительный; изобретенный к-л; первоначально; опасаться; компьютерные технологии; иметь важные последствия.


Use them in sentences of your own.


C. Match the words which collocate with each other:

1. formal a. ear

2. cultural b. accent

3. sensitive c. context

4. distinguishable d. peculiarities

5. linguistic e. domination


D. Match the words which are close in their meaning:

1. sloppy a. ruling

2. rejoice b. present-day

3. woeful c. careless

4. domination d. revel

5. contemporary e. deplorable


E. Match the words having the opposing meaning:

1. woeful a. neat

2. contemporary b. pleasurable

3. rejoice c. submission

4. sloppy d. lament

5. domination e. old


F. Match the words and their definitions:

1. to think carefully about smth before making a judgement about its value, importance, or quality
a. buzzword

2. a word that has become very popular, especially a word relating to a particular activity or subject
b. woefully

3. making a mark that is impossible to remove
c. celebrity

4. in a way that shows you feel sad
d. evaluate

5. a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport
e. indelible


G. Translate the following sentences into Russian:


1) The performance of each employee is evaluated once a year.

2) His speech was full of buzzwords and empty promises.

3) Every phrase has been indelibly engraved in my mind.

4) She shook her head woefully.

5) The hotel is well known for its celebrity guests.


H. Insert prepositions where necessary (with; to; for; on):

1. to influence __ smth 6. to be familiar __ smth

2. an influence __ smth 7. __ an increasing extent

3. to share smth __ smb 8. to adhere __ smth

4. to account __ smth 9. to refer __ smth

5. exposure __ smth 10. to be associated __ smth


I. Complete the sentences using the words in the box:

commonplaces domination implications

referred influences contemporary

identity celebrities’ deriving

varieties recognizable accent


1) The city of Liverpool, for example, has a very strong and ___, known as ‘Scouse’, __ from a mixture of Lancashire, Irish and Welsh __.

2) One factor influencing all the ___ of English in ___ Britain is the economic and cultural __ of the United States.

3) All these issues have important __ for the question of British __.

4) The type of language __ to as slang is more than a level of formality.

5) … the emphasis is on using ___ names in a way that makes the ___ of everyday teenage life more interesting…


J. In which meanings are the following words used in the text:


1. to drift

a. to be pushed along very slowly by the movement of air or water

b. to move somewhere slowly as though you do not know where you are going

c. to do something or happen in a way that is not planned


2. grasp

a. the ability to understand smth

b. a very tight hold of smb or smth

c. power that smb has over smb or smth


3. to account

a. to form, use or produce a particular amount or part of smth

b. to be the reason why smth exists or happens

c. to give an explanation for smth bad that has happened, especially smth you are responsible for.


III. INTERPRETATION


A. Paraphrase the following phrases. Comment on them.


1) The type of language referred to as slang is more than a level of formality.

2) Slang is first and foremost group language.

3) The number of official and authoritative bodies who accept that language is a constantly changing and vibrant part of culture is increasing.

4) Slang has an extremely important social function to fulfill with regard to the groups that create it: it helps to establish solidarity and is associated with group identity.


B. Answer the following questions:


1) Can you say anything concerning the social aspect of regional variants in accent, vocabulary and so on? Can it be applied to our country, too?

2) How is the economic and cultural domination of the United States manifested in contemporary Britain? In other European countries? Are there any ways of resisting it?

3) Why do you think dictionary compilers are more likely to include recent slang words now than they used to be?

4) Why is it so difficult to compile dictionaries of slang?

5) What gives rise to slang as part of the subcultures of youth?

6) What are sources of slang?


IV. SPEAKING PERSONALLY


Discuss with your partners the following statement:


‘Some people fear that sharing a language with the most successful nation on Earth will erode Britain’s own linguistic identity and also accounts for Britons’ woefully poor grasp on other European languages, while others argue that the global dominance of English ensures Britain’s containing cultural vitality’.


Which point of view to your uphold?

In you discussion try to use the following expressions:


I agree entirely

I agree absolutely with

My own view/opinion is exactly

I’m of exactly the same opinion

I don’t think anyone would/could disagree with

I can’t say that I share this view

I’m not at all convinced

I see things rather differently

That’s not the way I see it