Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации
ГОУ ВПО Тульский государственный педагогический университет
им. Л. Н. Толстого
Л. Н. Полунина,
И. М. Бобровская
ЯЗЫК,
КОММУНИКАЦИЯ,
ОБЩЕСТВО
Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку
для студентов высших учебных заведений,
обучающихся по направлениям
«Гуманитарные и социальные науки»,
«Образование и педагогика»
Тула
Издательство ТГПУ им. Л. Н. Толстого
2011
Стр.1
ББК 81.2Англ–923
П53
Рецензент –
кандидат филологических наук Л. И. Бронзова
(кафедра иностранных языков Тульского филиала
Московского университета МВД России)
Полунина, Л. Н.
Язык, коммуникация, общество = Language, communication,
society: Учеб.-метод. пособие по английскому языку для студентов
высших учебных заведений, обучающихся по направлениям
«Гуманитарные и социальные науки», «Образование и педагогика»
/ Л. Н. Полунина, И. М. Бобровская.– Тула: Изд-во ТГПУ им.
Л. Н. Толстого, 2011.– 167 с.
ISBN 978-5-87954-514-2
Учебно-методическое пособие разработано с учетом рекомендаций Совета
Европы «Общеевропейские компетенции владения иностранным языком: Изучение,
обучение, оценка» и направлено на развитие коммуникативной компетенции
студентов в сфере профессионального общения. Издание включает в себя аутентичные
тексты, связанные с основными сферами гуманитарного знания, и разнообразные
упражнения для совершенствования навыков в основных видах речевой
деятельности. Пособие предназначено для бакалавров и магистров, обучающихся
по направлениям «Гуманитарные и социальные науки», «Образование и педагогика»,
а также для всех, кто самостоятельно изучает английский язык.
ББК 81.2Англ–923
ISBN 978-5-87954-514-2
© Л. Н. Полунина, И. М. Бобровская, 2011
© Издательство
ТГПУ им. Л. Н. Толстого, 2011
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ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ
Пособие «Language, communication, society» продолжает серию
учебных материалов по английскому языку для студентов
неязыковых факультетов высших учебных заведений (направления
подготовки «Гуманитарные и социальные науки», «Образование и
педагогика»).
Пособие разработано с учетом рекомендаций Совета Европы
«Общеевропейские компетенции владения иностранным языком:
Изучение, обучение, оценка» и направлено на формирование
коммуникативной компетенции в сфере профессионального
общения (уровень В1+). Издание включает в себя актуальные
аутентичные тексты, отражающие современные социо-культурные
реалии англо-говорящих стран, а также разнообразные задания для
развития навыков в основных видах речевой деятельности.
Пособие состоит из двенадцати разделов, посвященных
ключевым сферам гуманитарного знания. Каждый раздел
содержит пять блоков: «Reading», «Language in use», «Speaking»,
«Writing», «Supplementary Reading». Блок «Reading» открывает
опорный текст справочно-энциклопедического характера, который
сопровождается комплексом упражнений для совершенствования
произношения, усвоения лексического минимума и отработки
грамматического материала. Блок «Language in use» посвящен
расширению активного словарного запаса и развитию умения
распознавать основные лингвистические явления при чтении
профессионально ориентированных текстов. Блок «Speaking»
ориентирован на активизацию устной речи, выработку
способности строить связное высказывание, поддерживать речевое
взаимодействие и достигать желаемой коммуникативной цели.
Блок «Writing» включает в себя задания для совершенствования
письменной речи, связанные как непосредственно с письменной
коммуникацией, так и с конспектированием информации.
Завершает каждый раздел блок «Supplementary Reading», тексты
которого рекомендуется использовать для самостоятельной
работы (реферирование, аннотация, конспект).
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UNIT 1
LANGUAGE
WARMING UP
1. Is it possible to calculate how many languages there exist in the
world nowadays?
2. What is the main difference between natural languages and animal
communication?
3. What artificial languages do you know? Do you use any of them?
4. Here is a famous verse translated from English into Klingon, the
constructed language spoken by Klingons in the fictional Star Trek
universe. Guess what work the text is taken from.
taH pagh taHbe'. DaH mu'tlheghvam vIqelnIS.
quv'a', yabDaq San vaQ cha, pu' je SIQDI'?
pagh, Seng bIQ'a'Hey SuvmeH nuHmey SuqDI',
'ej, Suvmo', rInmoHDI'?
READING
The question ‘What is language?‘ is comparable with – and, some
would say, hardly less profound than – ‘What is life?’ Language is one
of the hallmarks of the human species – an important part of what
makes us human. Perhaps because of its familiarity we rarely observe
language, taking it rather for granted, as we do breathing or walking.
Almost everything that we do in our everyday lives depends on
language. In fact, it is hard to even imagine what our world would be
like without language. So much of what keeps people and societies
together depends crucially on language. We need language to make and
enforce laws; get and distribute valued resources; create and maintain
personal and public relationships; teach children our ways of ‘being’,
‘thinking’ and ‘doing’; preserve our past and plan our future. Language
allows us to make friends (and enemies), joke and argue with each
other, celebrate happy occasions and mourn sad ones.
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The modern definitions of language have been proposed by
different linguists. In his famous book Language: An Introduction to
the Study of Speech Edward Sapir defined language as “a purely human
and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and
desires by means of a system of voluntary produced symbols.” B. Bloch
and G.L. Trager consider language to be “a system of arbitrary vocal
symbols by means of which a social group co-operates.” In contrast
with Sapir’s definition this one puts all the emphasis upon the social
function of language and makes no appeal to its communicative
purpose. R.A. Hall, like E. Sapir, treats language as a purely human
institution “whereby humans communicate and interact with each other
by means of habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols.” The term
‘institution’ makes explicit the view that the language that is used by a
particular society is part of that society’s culture. R.H. Robins did not
give a formal definition of language; he pointed out that such
definitions “tend to be trivial and uninformative” and laid special
emphasis on the flexibility and adaptability of languages.
These definitions of language have served to introduce some of the
properties which some linguists have taken to be essential features of
languages as we know them. Most of them have presented the view that
languages are systems of symbols designed for the purpose of
communication.
In general a language can be defined as a system for encoding and
decoding information. In its most common use, the term refers to socalled
‘natural languages’ – the forms of communication considered
peculiar to humankind. Essential to this meaning is the systematic
creation and usage of systems of symbols – each referring to linguistic
concepts with semantic or logical or otherwise expressive meanings.
The most obvious manifestations are spoken languages such as English
or spoken Chinese. However, there are also written languages and other
systems of visual symbols such as sign languages.
A set of commonly accepted signs (indices, icons or symbols) is
only one feature of language. All languages must define the structural
relationships between these signs in a system of grammar, the context
wherein the signs are used (pragmatics) and the content specificity, i.e.
its meaning (semantics). Rules of grammar is one of the characteristics
sometimes said to distinguish language from other forms of
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communication. They allow a finite set of signs to be manipulated to
create a potentially infinite number of grammatical utterances.
Another property of language is that its symbols are arbitrary. Any
concept or grammatical rule can be mapped onto a symbol. In other
words, most languages make use of sound, but the combinations of
sounds used do not have any necessary and inherent meaning – they are
merely an agreed-upon convention to represent a certain thing by users
of that language.
Languages live, die, move from place to place, and change with
time. Any language that ceases to change or develop is categorized as a
dead language. Conversely, any language that is in a continuous state of
change is known as a living language or modern language.
(Adapted from Fasold, R.W., Connor-Linton, J.
An introduction to language and linguistics, 2006
and Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)
Expand your vocabulary
species – биологический вид
arbitrary – произвольный, случайный
to point out – указывать, обращать внимание
peculiar – свойственный чему-л.
to cease – прекращать делать что-л.
inherent – неотъемлемый, врожденный
POST-READING ACTIVITY
1. Discuss the following questions.
1. Can people do without a language?
2. Is a man born with a predisposition toward a particular language or
are all human beings genetically endowed with the ability to learn
and use language in general?
3. How can the sex or age of the speaker determine the use of
language?
4. What are the distinguishing features of language?
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5. What similar properties allow determining languages to be
genetically related?
2. Write the words given below in the correct column according to the
stress pattern.
ability
auditory
communicate
concept
consider
context
crucially
determine
develop
distinguishing
emphasis
infinite
inherent
linguist
obvious
consider
particular
peculiar
property
relationship
species
3. Match the words with their meanings.
1. argue
2. definition
3. distinguish
4. hallmark
5. inherent
6. method
7. preserve
a. see or point out the difference of something
b. a systematic procedure, technique, or mode of
inquiry employed by a particular discipline or art
c. maintain in its original or existing state
d. a formal statement of the exact meaning of a word
e. exchange views or opinions, especially heatedly or
contentiously
f. a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature
g. existing in something, especially as a permanent or
characteristic attribute
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4. Match the words to complete word combinations. Use them to form
the sentences.
1. artificial
2. basic
3. broad
4. common
5. communicative
6. cultural
7. essential
8. human
9. inherent
10. public
feature
a. background
b. definition
c. difference
d. language
e. meaning
f. part
g. practice
h. purpose
i. species
j. utterance
5. Find the noun that is usually uncountable in each line.
1. trait
nature
2. information combination
3. animal (n)
4. past (n)
5. study
6. language
individual (n) humankind
concept
research
word
definition
life
method
utterance
hallmark
convention
society
part
technique
speech
6. Put questions to the words or word expressions in the bold type.
1. Perhaps because of its familiarity we rarely observe language.
2. Almost everything that we do in our everyday lives depends on
language.
3. The modern definitions of language have been proposed by
different linguists.
4. B. Bloch and G.L. Trager consider language to be “a system of
arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates.”
5.
This definition puts all the emphasis upon the social function of
language.
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