UNIT 1

PICKING UP - Learning a new language

Before reading:
-What different ways are there of learning a language?
-According to you, what’s the most effective one?

Reading task 1:
1. Where do you think the text comes from?
2. Is it formal or informal?
3. Who is the writer? Where is he/she from?
4. Who is he/she writing to?
5. What different ways does the writer use to improve his/her Arabic?
6. Does he/she feel pleased with his/her progress?

Reading task 2: Read the text again and say whether these sentences are true or false.

1. The writer's teacher encourages students to speak in class.

2. The writer takes an active part in class.
3. The writer has no previous experience in learning Arabic.
4. The writer enjoys using Arabic outside the classroom.
5. The only way the writer can find out what a new word means is by asking someone.
6. His/her Arabic is still poor, but he/she manages to express his/herself and
understand simple things.

a-Vocabulary: find a phrasal verb in the text that means:

-Communicate -Learn -Look for

-Survive -Understand information in a
-Discover -Maintain the reference book
-Keep quiet same level -Mentally calculate
 UNIT 1
b-Word order: put the words in order to make sentences. More than one answer is possible
in some cases.
Example: was she she out angry when found very (When she found out she was very angry)

1.him up father to his told shut

2.up it you what it if know don't means look
3.difficult it across to was get idea the
4.Spanish on enough I've get got holiday to by
5.what he I out means work can't
6.catch I not saying they on could what to was
7.workers I up by job picked the watching the other
8.that him he keep so with fast can't walks I up

c-Think of an appropriate way to begin/end the expressions below:

1.I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with ..................
2.I catch on quickly when ..................
3.I can't work out why ..................
4.I have never been able to find out ..................
5................... and so I looked it up in a dictionary.
6................... but I managed to get by.
7................... but I couldn't get across what I meant.
8................... and I picked it up very quickly.
9................... and so I shut up !

d-Focus on verb tenses:

Find sentences or parts of sentences that illustrate the use of the:
a- Present simple c-Present perfect simple
b-Present continuous/progressive c-Present perfect continuous/progressive

e-Speaking: discuss with a partner your experience learning English or other

languages
. Ask and answer:
-what language it is/was
-why and how you are/were learning it
-what helps/helped you the most
-what difficulties you have/had and how you try/tried to overcome them
-if you like/liked the language and what your expectations are/were

Writing:
Write an informal letter telling someone close to you about your experience learning a
foreign language. You may want to include your expectations, your recommendations, and
some class experiences. Feel free to add any other relevant piece of information. Write
about 150-200 words.