TALKING MY LANGUAGE VOCABULARY Talking about languages Work in pairs. How many of the languages in the picture do you recognise? Complete the sentences about using foreign languages with these words and phrases. ccurate express get by ftuenty mastering picked it up struggled 1 rmnot very but | can hold a conversation and make myself understood, 2 I know the basies ~ enough to traveling there, 3 really _ ‘0 | just gave up. 4 | get frustrated when I cant. when tt with French when I was at school, mmysett. from talking to 5 Inever went to clas. Just. peonie 6 ma bit embarrassed to speak sometimes because I know I have e strong 7 | grew up bingual so | speak Spanish and Japanese 8 I'mnot interested in the language, {just Went to be able to read It for my Job. ‘Work in groups. Use some of the language from Exercise 2 to discuss these questions. + What languages have you stucled? + What languages do you know at least a few words in? What can you say? + How did you learn? Do you use these languages now? How well do you know each one? READING 4 0 ‘You are going to read an article about ‘hyperglots’ people who speak many languages. Work in pairs. Look at the photos and the title opposite then discuss how these words and numbers might bbe connected to the topic. 72 a parot oweeks _ globalisation translator genes 10,000 mstaxes Read the article and check your ideas from Exercise 4, According to the article, are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? 1 Mezzofant spoke 72 languages uenty 2 Some people who heard Mezzofanti speak probably ‘couldn't know if he was fluent, 3 There is no proof that Mezzofent really was rmuttlingual 4 Globalisation wll create more hypergiots. 5 Hyperglots often posess genetic advantages. 6 Hypergiots aim to speak all their languages fluently Workin pairs, Read the comments that follow the article and discuss these questions. + Which comments do you agree with and which do you disagree with? Why? + What did you find most interesting about the article? + Did you read anything about the habits of hyperglots that could help you study better? Understancing reading texts and improving your vocabulary Involves more than just learning single words. You also need ‘te notice the connected words and grammar 8 Find these words in the article and notice the connected words and grammar. ‘er evidence alow ierms 9 Work in groups. Cover the article and complete the sentences. Then check your ideas. 1 But. far. 2 There evidence he could use ‘many languages 3 There will rowing inthe future, 4 Top. may genes _ allow ‘get the thel taining. 5 They often inited terms —— inaiviavar languages 6 They opportunities language closer to home, 10 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions. + Think of tno examples where there are growing numbers of something. Why are they growing? + Howls your English in terms of vocabulary, speaking, listening ete.? What can you doo Improve these ferent aspects? + What opportunities do you have to practise English?LA Michael Erard’s new book investigates the master linguists or ‘hyperglots’ The 18th century itolion priest Carcinal Giuseppe Mezzofant is @ legend ‘among inguists They say he studied 72 languages. 30 of which he mastered He spoke another nine fuently though not perfectly, and could hold basic ‘conversation in ct least eleven more. And ail hot without leaving aly! One sory suggests he picked up Ukranian in just two weots, afer masiing c visor ‘rom there, But haw far I his true? Certainly the figure of 72is too high and some people pothaps exaggerated how fusnt ne was. He lived afc time when travel was Giffcult and learning other languages wos stil unusual. Therefore, many reports of his abilities come from vistors who were probably struggling to ‘xpre88 themselves in taian There were aso those who, while appreciating his good accent and accurate grammar. described him as merely « parrot \wno sald nothing of interest. However, cocording fo Michael raid, author of the book Mezzofantis Gift there is suffcient evidence to believe he could use many languages. ford ciso argues that there are many hypergltsin the werle ody and that. with globalsation, here will be growing number inthe fture For example, ‘Alexander Arguelesf fuent in around twenty languages and has studied 60 He stucles nina nours @ Gay. own trom fouriaon Before he got marred! The Hurgotion fransicto: Kato Lomb worked with sateen, and you can watch a YouTube vdeo of Alex Rewving speaking eleven longuages at ine oge of iwenty ‘A central question o the book ie whether hypergiots are born oF mage. {Are their achiavements genetic or da hypergts hove secrets that normal language learners can learn from? Erards conclusions agree wih research on ighiy falented peop In other areas such a8 sport and music These people ‘generally have acwantages they ore bon with top athieles may have genes ‘hat allow them fo gst the mos rom thairharing: hypergioks seam to possess ‘excellent memories and have brains thet are more efficent in processing speech sounds. However. becoming the best ciso requires alot of hac work Some argue that the ciference between a top performer and someone whos Just very goods that the top performer has practised for 10.000 hours instead ‘6,000. ‘The fact is that most ordinary language leamers lack these natu ‘achanioges ond simply don't have that much time. Soi here any hope for Us? Eraral believes thare is ane that reseorch on hypergicts con offer some: Useful lessons. For exomple, they offen hove limited ambtions in terms of individual languages: hey happy to get by, or fo be only able to read. or Not to have @ perfect accent Theyre practical: i they can't travel, they look fer opportunites o use the language closer fo home. Some simply imagine fe ah renee elo ce risiinn oper eka cha MICHAEL ERARD @ COMMENTS Jangleamer: ve actually 100 Kate's book about language laoming and | hink the best adios so ead what youre interested in and e0 lot ‘hughd: eee te — ‘ondiyw: er at ea a eT BTS SOE awa hs te ak ects ia os) eee sca RC CT eT oe ‘Unit 1 First class 11