ENGLISH AS A NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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Allison Byrd
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1 DIVERSIFICADO SCHOOL FINAL RECOVERING. ELEVENTH LEVEL T. GINNA A. BARRERA OLAYA 2016 NAME: LEVEL: ENGLISH AS A NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE India has two national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English. Hindi is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an associate official language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves twenty-two regional languages for official purposes. Dozens of distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which share many characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these languages, Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is mainly in the north of India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the southern states of India, where people speak many different languages that are not much related to Hindi, there is more resistance to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a lingua franca to a greater degree. Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a toehold on the Indian subcontinent, when the East India Company established settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, formerly Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is never far away from everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English than any other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms, grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and culture. In India, English serves two purposes. First, it provides a linguistic tool for the administrative cohesiveness of the country, causing people who speak different languages to become united. Secondly, it serves as a language of wider communication, including a large variety of different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in certain spheres of influence and in public domains. Generally, English is used among Indians as a link language and it is the first language for many welleducated Indians. It is also the second language for many who speak more than one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge between the major countries of the world and India. English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament, judiciary, broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a Hindi-speaking teacher giving their students instructions during an educational tour about where to meet and when their bus would leave, but all in English. It means that the language permeates daily life. It is unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities. The importance of the ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly because English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for internet communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a standard not because it has been approved by any standards organization but because it is widely used by many information and technology industries and recognized as being standard. The call centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge expansion of internet-related activity, establishing the future of India as a cyber-technological super-power. Modern communications, videos, journals and newspapers on the internet use English and have made knowing English indispensable. The prevailing view seems to be that unless students learn English, they can only work in limited jobs. Those who do not have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality jobs. They cannot communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of India s rich social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help with their children s school homework every day or decide their revenue options of the future. A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people into Indian society. There would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community about the importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen of the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It has been used as a medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting

2 both before and since India s independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The impact of English is not only continuing but increasing. 1 According to the writer, the Indian constitution recognizes a. 22 official languages. b. Hindi as the national language. c. 2 national, official languages. d. 2 national languages. 2 English's status as a lingua franca is helped by a. its status in northern India. b. the fact that it is widely understood in urban centres. c. the fact that people from the south speak languages not much related to Hindi. d. it shares many grammatical similarities with Hindi. 3 In paragraph 3, 'toehold' means that English a. dominated India. b. changed the names of some cities in India. c. has had a presence in India. d. has been in India longer than any other language. 4 Hindi-speaking teachers a. might well be heard using English. b. only use English. c. only use English for instructions. d. do not use English. 5 In paragraph eight, it says 'the prevailing view', which suggests that a. the view is correct. b. the view is held by the majority. c. the view is incorrect. d. the view is held by the minority. 6 English in India a. is going to decrease. b. has decreased since independence. c. causes disagreement. d. is going to have a greater importance. DOUGHNUTS Fried dough has been made all around the world. Dutch settlers who brought apple and cream pies, cookies and cobbler to the New World also introduced doughnuts. Their doughnuts were called olykoeks, or oily cakes sweet dough balls fried in pork fat. Early doughnuts were often filled with apples, prunes or raisins. The name doughnut may refer to the nuts put in the middle of the dough ball to prevent an uncooked center or possibly to dough knots another popular shape for the olykoeks. Today, doughnut and donut are used interchangeably. There are three stories about why doughnuts have holes in the center. In 1847, Elizabeth Gregory was known for making a very fine olykoek with a hint of nutmeg and a filling of hazelnuts or walnuts. Her son, Hanson Crockett Gregory was a 16 year-old sailor who invented the doughnut hole. One story says that on June 22, 1847, Captain Gregory s ship hit a sudden storm. He impaled the doughnut as a spoke on the steering wheel to keep his hands free. The spoke drove a hole through the raw center of the doughnut. Captain Gregory liked the doughnuts better that way, and the doughnut hole was born. In the second story, he didn't like nuts, so he poked them out and ordered the ship's cook to remove the centers from doughnuts. The third version comes from an interview with the Captain Gregory in the Washington Post. Gregory didn't like the greasiness of doughnuts twisted into various shapes, or the raw center of regular doughnuts. He suddenly had the idea to punch a hole with the ship's tin pepper box. When he got home, he taught this new doughnut trick to his mother.

3 Making a hole increased the surface area exposed to the hot oil and eliminated the uncooked center. Here's part of the interview with 85 year-old Captain Gregory: "Now in them days we used to cut the doughnuts into diamond shapes, and also into long strips, bent in half, and then twisted. I don't think we called them doughnuts then--they was just 'fried cakes' and 'twisters.' "Well, sir, they used to fry all right around the edges, but when you had the edges done the insides was all raw dough. And the twisters used to sop up all the grease just where they bent, and they were tough on the digestion." "Well, I says to myself, 'Why wouldn't a space inside solve the difficulty?' I thought at first I'd take one of the strips and roll it around, then I got an inspiration, a great inspiration. I took the cover off the ship's tin pepper box, and--i cut into the middle of that doughnut the first hole ever seen by mortal eyes!" Well, sir, them doughnuts was the finest I ever tasted. No more indigestion--no more greasy sinkers--but just well-done, fried-through doughnuts. 7 Which of the following items was not introduced by the Dutch? a. cookies b. cobbler c. cream pies d. ice cream 8 Which of the following is definitely TRUE about doughnut holes? a. The doughnut hole was invented to make it taste better. b. The doughnut hole was invented by a sailor. c. The doughnut hole was invented as a result of a bad storm at sea. d. The doughnut hole was invented inside a pepper box. e. The first doughnuts brought to America by the Dutch were... 9 What does the word "introduced" mean in the following sentence? 10 Fried dough has been made all around the world. Dutch settlers who brought apple and cream pies, cookies and cobbler to the New World also introduced doughnuts. a. made b. discovered c. brought to a new place d. fought 11 What could be a title for this passage? a. How the Donut Changed Over Time b. Donuts Around the World c. Nicknames for Donuts d. The First Bakery 12 Why do you think the Washington Post interviewed Captain Gregory? a. They wanted to know how the doughnut hole came into being. b. They wanted to know the places he had sailed to. c. They were interested in why doughnuts were so greasy. d. They believed someone else invented the doughnut hole. 13 Which of the following was NOT a nickname for doughnuts as described by Captain Gregory? a. greasy sinkers b. twisters c. olykoeks d. fried cakes 14 What inspired Captain Gregory? a. The idea that he could put filling in the doughnut b. The idea of cutting a hole into the center of the doughnut. c. He wanted to think of a new name for doughnuts. d. The idea of starting a bakery 15 Captain Gregory... a. brought the donut to America b. invented the doughnut c. added filling to the doughnut d. improved the doughnut

4 16 Doughnuts were originally made with nuts in the center to.. a. make the doughnuts easier to fry b. make the doughnuts less oily c. make the doughnuts taste less doughy d. make sure the center was fully cooked PHRASAL VERBS 17 Match the phrasal verb with its definition LOOK FOR CARRY ON TAKE UP BRING UP CUT DOWN PICK UP TAKE OFF CHECK IN COME ACROSS SET UP STABLISH FIND BY A CHANCE REGISTER LEAVE GROUND CUT SOMETHING AT ITS BASE COLLECT RAISE A CHILD BEGIN A HOBBIE CONTINUE SEARCH 18 Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time expressions where necessary. a. She said, "I am reading." She said that she was reading. b. They said, "We are busy." They said that c. He said, "I know a better restaurant." d. She said, "I woke up early." She said that e. He said, "I will ring her." f. They said, "We have just arrived." They said that g. He said, "I will clean the car." h. She said, "I did not say that." She said that i. She said, "I don't know where my shoes are." She said that j. He said: "I won't tell anyone." k. John said, "I love this town." John said l. "Do you like soccer?" He asked me. He asked me m. "I can't drive a lorry," he said. He said n. "Be nice to your brother," he said. He asked me o. "Don't be nasty," he said. He urged me p. "Don't waste your money" she said. She told the boys q. "What have you decided to do?" she asked him.

5 She asked him r. "I always wake up early," he said. He said s. "You should revise your lessons," he said. He advised the students t. "Where have you been?" he asked me. He wanted to know MODAL VERBS What are some important things to think about when you plan your career or look for a job? Read the article on advice for people looking for jobs. Which suggestion do you think is the most useful? The Right Job for You What are some important considerations1 when you look for a new job? According to experts, you ought to think about these things: First, know yourself! You should ask yourself exactly what you want from a job. Is it money, interesting work, nice co-workers, or something else? Different people want different things from a job. Assess2 yourself. Where3 are you now, and where do you want to be? You also might want to think about your personal relationships. Consider which relationships are going well, which ones are not, and, most importantly, why. This will help you understand how you relate to people you work with. Make changes! If you had problems in another job (maybe you were always late, or you did not finish projects), then you should make changes before you take a new job. It is too late when you are in the job. Decide what you don t want! If you just want a nine-to-fi ve4 job, you had better not work for a company that expects you to be on call If you have an interview, prepare! You should find out about an employer s business before your interview. Study the company s website. You could also call the company. Ask to speak with someone about the job. Of course, many of these ideas are common sense,6 but a lot of people just don t think about them. As a result, they are very unhappy in their jobs. 19 Circle the correct words. a. Everyone wants the same things / different things from a job. b. Looking at your personal relationships can / cannot help you learn more about how you relate to coworkers. c. It is easy / difficult to make changes after you have started a new job. d. Everyone / Not everyone uses common sense when they look for a job. 20 Unscramble the words and add you to write sentences that give advice. Sometimes more than one answer is possible. a. Decide what you want from a job / should / really. You really should decide what you want from a job. / You should really decide what you want from a job. b. Had better / think about the hours you prefer / really. c. Ought to / decide if you want to be on call 24-7 / perhaps. d. Maybe / look for job advertisements online / should. e. Tell your family about your plans / ought to / probably. f. Really / shouldn t / get discouraged. g. should / ask for advice from a career counselor / I think. h. really / take a job you don t like / had better not! 21 Complete the requests for job advice from an online forum. Add should. Sometimes you also need to add a Wh- word. a. I ve been offered my dream job. However, it is far from my family and friends. Should I take the job? Arthur, New York, NY b. I need help to make plans for my career. I talk to?

6 Ari, Toledo, OH c. I ve been looking for a job for several months. I finally have an offer, but it s not the perfect job for me. However, I really need money. I take the job? Camilla, San Francisco, CA d. I absolutely hate my job! I want to look for another one, but I have lots of student loans. I do? Samuel, Miami, FL e. I would like to change careers, but I don t have experience in the career I like. My friend told me to do volunteer work to get experience. I do this? Eleni, Austin, TX f. I m almost finished with school and I don t know what kind of job I want. I do? Katya, Denver, CO g. My parents think money is the most important thing in a job. I want to look for a job that makes me happy. I listen to my parents? Helen, Seattle, WA.

Name. Read each sentence and circle the pronoun. Write S on the line if it is a subject pronoun. Write O if it is an object pronoun.

Name. Read each sentence and circle the pronoun. Write S on the line if it is a subject pronoun. Write O if it is an object pronoun. A subject pronoun takes the place of a noun in the subject of a sentence. Subject pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. An object pronoun takes the place of a noun that follows an action