Unit 7, student's book, page 52
Speaking
1 Work in small groups. What are the benefits of learning a foreign language?
Learning a foreign language provides the brain with beneficial exercise, which improves memory. It challenges the brain by making it recognise different language systems, and communicate within these systems. Learning a foreign language also improves problem-solving and decision-making skills, as well as making the user more effective at multitasking and in using and understanding their own mother tongue.
Reading
2 Read the essay about language learning, and compare your ideas from exercise 1.
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Learning a foreign language Speaking a foreign language, it is claimed, improves the functionality of your brain in several different ways. Learning new vocabulary and grammar rules provides the brain with beneficial ‘exercise’, which improves memory. As well as exercising the brain, it is thought that learning a new language also presents the brain with unique challenges. These include recognizing different language systems and ways to communicate within these systems. These skills improve your chances of success in other problem-solving tasks as well. It is said that students who study foreign languages do better, on the whole, in general tests in maths, reading and vocabulary than students who have only mastered their mother tongue. According to a study carried out by Pennsylvania State University, USA, multilingual people are able to switch between two systems of speech, writing, and structure quite easily. It has been proved that they are also able to switch easily between completely different tasks. One experiment required participants to operate a driving simulator while carrying out separate tasks at the same time. The experiment showed that multilingual participants were less distracted by the other tasks and therefore made fewer driving errors. It is believed that language learning can also improve your decision-making skills. When you speak a foreign language, you are constantly weighing up subtle differences in meaning of a word or the way that an utterance is made. This process is then transferred subconsciously to other situations in which judgement is called for, and decisions have to be made. Finally, learning a language can also improve your ability to use your mother tongue more effectively. As you become more aware of the way that a language works, you begin to apply it to the language that you use every day. The skills you obtain from learning a language, therefore, can make you a better speaker and writer in your own language. |
Keywords
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Words |
Meanings in English |
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Multilingual |
speaking, reading or writing in more than two languages |
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Simulator |
any device or system that simulates specific conditions or the characteristics of a real process or machine |
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Utterance |
something that is said, such as a statement |
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Multitask |
to do several things at the same time |
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Memory |
someone’s ability to remember things, places and experiences |
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Mother tongue |
The first and the main language that you learnt when you were a child |
Derivations:
multilingual (adjective)
multilingualism (noun)
simulator (noun)
simulate (verb)
simulation (noun)
utterance (noun)
utter (verb)
memory (noun)
memorise (verb)
memorable (adjective)
Learning a foreign language
It is said that speaking a foreign language improves the functionality of the brain by:
- Exercising the brain and improving memory.
- Presenting the brain with new challenges.
Learning new vocabulary and grammar rules provides the brain with useful exercise that improves memory.
The underlined relative pronoun 'which' refers to exercise.
Some of the challenges that the brain is presented with when learning a new language are:
- recognising different language systems
- recognising new ways to communicate within these systems
The underlined pronoun 'These' refers to unique challenges.
The underlined pronoun 'these' refers to different language systems.
Students who study foreign languages do better in general tests in Maths, reading and vocabulary than those who have only mastered their mother tongue.
The underlined relative pronouns (who x2) refers to students.
According to the study mentioned in the text, multilingual people are able to:
- switch easily between two systems of speech, writing and structure.
- switch easily between completely different tasks.
An experiment was done requiring participants to operate a driving simulator while doing other tasks at the same time.
The results showed that multilingual people are less distracted by other tasks and so made fewer driving mistakes.
They say that language learning can improve decision-making skills because when you speak a foreign language, you are always weighing up differences in the meaning of a word or the way the statement is said.
Weighing up differences in languages can be used in other situations requiring judgement and decision-making.
The underlined pronoun This refers to weighing up subtle differences in the meaning of a word or the way that an utterance is made.
The underlined pronoun 'which' refers to situations.
Another advantage of learning a foreign language is improving one's ability in their mother tongue more effectively.
Knowing the way a language works helps you to apply it to the language you use every day.
The underlined pronoun 'it' refers to the way that a language works
The skills you get from learning a foreign language can make you a better speaker and writer in your own language.
Vocabulary : Word-building
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Verb |
Noun |
Adjective |
Adverb |
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experience |
experience |
experienced |
------------------ |
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dominate |
dominance |
dominant |
dominantly |
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depend |
dependence |
dependent |
dependently |
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repeat |
repetition |
repeated |
repeatedly |
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correct |
correction |
correct |
correctly |
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Verb |
Noun |
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circulate |
circulation |
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dehydrate |
dehydration |
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advise |
advice |
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revise |
revision |
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concentrate |
concentration |