Unit 2

Losing Our Languages

Deborah Soong

की� जा�एगी� (Hindi)

Webpage(English) 網頁

(Chinese)

páginas web(Spanish)

вэб старонак(Russian) يبحثفي

(Arabic)

Teaching Activities

Index

Teaching Activities1st period 1. Warm-up

2. The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs 1-5

3. Reading – Paragraphs 1-5

2nd period 1. The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs 6-8

2. Reading – Paragraphs 6-83. Post-reading

3rd period 1. Word File2. Sentence Patterns3. Expansion4. Writing Practice

4th period Oral & Listening – Unit 2

Warm-up

Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases

Reading-Paragraphs 1-5

Chinese

English

Hindi

Spanish

Russian

Arabic

E

E

S

A H

R

C

Check the answers.

1. Which language do you think is the most important one in today's world? Give your reason(s).2. Which language do you want to learn as a second language? Give your reason(s).

Back

Listen to paragraphs 1- 5.

Skip

Now,answer the following questions.

Indicate T (True) or F (False) for the following statements. T F□ □ There are as many as 5,000 different languages in the world.□ □ Mandarin and Spanish are two of the dominant languages in today's world.□ □ Hindi and Swahili are two unimportant regional languages in India and Africa.□ □ Young people in developing countries learn about new events and ideas mainly from the elders in their community.

The time may soon come when we say goodbye to most of the world's languages.

原句＝→ The time [when we say goodbye to most of the world's languages] may come soon.→ The day when most of the languages in the world are gone may come before long. when 所引導的形容詞子句修飾 the time ，但因為較長，所以移至動詞後。

Today humans express themselves in over 6,000 different languages, but that is quickly changing.

原句＝→ Today human beings let others know their thoughts and feelings by using more than 6,000 different languages.→ Today people speak in more than 6,000 various languages to express what they think or feel.

Many experts predict that over half of these languages will disappear within the next 50 years.

比較 within 與 in ：within 強調「在…範圍之內 ( 不超過 ) 」in 是指「再過一段時間」• He'll arrive within an hour. ( 一小時以內 )• He'll arrive in an hour. ( 一小時之後 )

原句＝ more than half of these languages will die out after less than 50 years

After 100 years, the world may use only a dozen major languages.

After 100 years, the world may use only a dozen major languages.→ A century later, humans may speak in merely a few important languages.

Why? When people from different cultures live and work together much more than before, change takes place.

The languages of the world's dominant cultures are replacing those of the smaller cultures.

原句＝ The languages of the world's major/most important cultures are taking the place of the languages used by the minor/less important ones.

You're learning English right now. Could this be the beginning of the end for the Chinese language?

could 委婉地推測其可能性 可用於疑問句，也可用於肯定句 和否定句。• She could be telling a lie.• What he said couldn't be true.

the Chinese language : Chinesethe English language : English

Of course not. Mandarin remains the healthy, growing language at the heart of Chinese culture.

Of course not.→ The fact that we are learning English doesn't mean the end for the Chinese language.

原句＝ Mandarin continues to develop well and is still the central and most important part of Chinese culture.

Mandarin steadily continues to spread among Chinese people worldwide.

原句＝ Mandarin is continuously spoken by more and more Chinese people all over the world.

Elsewhere, Swahili grows in Africa. Spanish continuesto thrive in South America.

Hindi rules India. And of course almost everyone these days wants to learn English.

Hindi rules India. → Hindi is the dominant and the most important language in India.

However, many less common regional languages haven't been so lucky, because most young people have stopped learning them. 

less common regional languages→ languages only spoken in certain regions and therefore not universally used as those major languages

When less common languages disappear, two factors are to blame: trade and technology. Most international trade takes place in major world languages such as English or Mandarin.

are to blame→ are responsible for the bad result→ are to be blamed 以主動語態代替被動takes place = is carried on = is conducted　 進行such as : like 例如 • On weekends, she likes to do outdoor activities such as gardening, picnicking, and hiking.

Cultures that isolate themselves from international business and major world languages have difficulty prospering.

have difficulty/trouble/a hard time + Ving 做…有困難　• I have difficulty getting up early.• The man has trouble falling asleep.原句＝ Cultures that keep themselves completely apart from international trade and dominate languages in the world are not able to prosper easily.

Most children respect their own culture and traditions. But when it comes to getting a job, knowing a major world language is often essential.

to 是介系詞，其後接名詞或動名詞 .• When it comes to politics, Jerry gets excited.• When it comes to driving tests, my sister has a lot of experiences.when it comes to getting a job→ speaking of/talking about getting a job

It may mean the difference between success and failure.

原句＝→ Whether a person knows a major world language may decide whether he/she can get a job.→ Whether a person can get a job may depend on whether he/she can speak a major world language.

For many, using a less common regional language simply isn't very helpful in today's world.

simply 為副詞，主要置於動詞前加強語氣。• This piece of work simply isn't good enough.

Technology affects languages in an even more fascinating way.

even 「甚至，更加」，用來加強比較級。• You can do even better if you try.

Technology affects languages in an even more fascinating way.→ Technology has an effect/influence on languages in an even more interesting way.

Modern media such as radio and television give young people in developing countries much knowledge about the world.

a developing country 開發中國家a developed country 已開發國家an underdeveloped country 未開發國家

These young people can learn about places they've never visited.

Their minds open to new events and ideas. This knowledge doesn'tcome in words from the mouths of their parents or the elders in their community.

原句＝ They are exposed to new events and ideas.

原句＝ This knowledge about the world is not conveyed by their parents or the elders in their community (in their own language).

It usually comes in the language ofdominant culture. It's not surprising then that young people are drawn away from their regional languages.

draw away (from) 　把（注意力從…）轉移到…• Our attention was often drawn away by the noise outside.原句＝ young people start paying attention to a dominant world language and thus gradually stop using their own regional languages Back