3. Answer the questions:

1) Is English more difficult to learn than any other languages?

2) To be good at English, do you have to sound like an English person?

3) Are some people better than others at learning languages?

4) Does that mean that confident people are more successful at learning languages than shy people?

5) What is your main reason for learning English?

6) What opportunities do you have to practise English in your spare time?

7) How do you personally prefer to study English?

8) What is the secret of language learning?

9) Why is good pronunciation desirable for English speaker?

4. Agree or disagree:

1. Everyone should be able to speak at least two languages.

2. There is no one way to learn a language.

3. Experience is better than training.

4. Grammar is an easy thing.

5. To be good at English, you must work hard every day.

6. Sounding like an English person does not mean you are good at English.

7. Some English sounds may create difficulties for the students.

8. You can learn English only if you live in an English-speaking country.

9. English is the most popular foreign language in Russia.

10. There are thirty-two letters in the English alphabet.

5. Speak about the importance of the English language for you.

6. Complete the tag-questions and let your groupmates answer them.

1. You know everything about English grammar,…?

2. You can tell an American from² an Englishman when you talk to them…?

3. English is taught in all institutes in Russia,…?

4. You will start learning Chinese this year,…?

5. Students don’t like to write tests in English or other foreign languages,...?

6. Your parents have never learnt English or other foreign languages,…?

7. Nowadays all educated people should know English,…?

8. Students at your institute speak English during the intervals as well as at the English lessons,…?

7. Discussing the Topic!

One of the reason why a lot of people all over the world learn English is that English has taken the position of the world language. It means that:

• 750 million people all over the world use it

• it has become the language of the planet

• it’s the first truly global language

• it’s the main language of business, sports, science

• it’s one of the richest language

• three quarters of the world’s mail are in English

• English is the world’s computer language

Everyone can easily think of more reasons to give if asked why he or she wants to know English. Some of such reasons are below:

• It’s fun

• My parents want me to do it

• I like reading English

• I like speaking English

• I want to use English in my future job

• I want to use computer programmes in English

• I like English songs

• My friends are learning English

• I want to go to Britain or the USA or Australia some day

• I want to travel and meet a lot of people, then I’ll talk to them in English

• I would like to read English and American books in the original

• I don’t know

• I want to be successful in my career

There are many ways of learning a foreign language. But most people begin learning it at school. This is what they do to master the language and keep it up and brush it up:

• have grammar and vocabulary drills

• read texts, write dictations etc.

• Sing songs in English

• Speak about different things

• Make up and act out dialogues

• Watch videos and educational programmes

• Translate texts and poems into Russian

• Learn things by heart

• Learn words in isolation\ in context

• Learn …words at a time

Many people learn foreign languages outside school or after classes. These are the things that they usually do:

- borrow English books from the library and read them

• watch English films, educational programmes at home

• have a pen friend (pen pal) and write letters to him\her

• take an English course outside institutes

• have private lessons at home

• go to the international summer camp

• use educational computer programmes

• go to the English-speaking country