English For Philology (NguyenThiBichThuy)
English For Philology (NguyenThiBichThuy)
English For Philology (NguyenThiBichThuy)
ENGLISH
For PHILOLOGY
Compiled by:
NGUYEN THI BICH THUY - MA.
The aim of this book is to help both the students of Philology faculty and those
who are interested in linguistics literature.
We would like to thank all those whose sources have been used in this book.
We are grateful too, to teachers, colleagues and students for their guidance in
the preparation of this book.
There are certainly short comings in the book we are ourselves responsible for.
We hope we will get more valuable comments and suggestions from the
concerned in order to improve the quality of the book.
PRESENTATION
Read the passage below.
At the age of sixty-five, Laura Ingalls Wibder could write a series of novels for young
people based on her early experiences on the American frontier. Born in the state of
Wisconsin in 1867, she and her family were rugged pioneers seeking better farm land,
they could go by covered wagon to Missouri in 1869, then on to Kansas the next year.
They returned to Winconsin in 1871 and traveled on to Minnesota and Iowa before they
were able to settle permanently in South Dakota in 1879. Due to this constant moving
Wilder’s early education could take place in a succession of one-room schools. From age
thirteen to sixteen, she could attend school more regularly although she never graduated.
Although her novels were written many years ago, young generation loves them very
much. They can understand her life and her ideas through her stories.
Grammar questions
1. Look at these sentences and find out what verbs are used in the underlined words.
They can understand her life and her ideas through her stories.
- “At the age of 65, Laura Ingalls Wilder could write a series of novels for young
people”.
- “They traveled on to Minnesota and Iowa before they were able to settle
permanently in South Dakota in 1879”.
- “From age thirteen to sixteen she could attend school more regularly, although
she never graduated.
2. Rule: We use _____________ + __________ to talk about present ability to do
something.
We use _____________ + __________ to talk about past ability to do
something.
PRACTICE
C. Jane and Joan are friends but each one always wants to be better than the other at
everything. Complete their conversation using can, could or be able to. Follow the
example.
1. Jane : I could read when I was only four years old.
Joan : Well, I could read when I was three!
2. Jane : I _____________ speak three languages.
Joan : That’s nothing! I ____________speak five languages.
3. Jane : Last week, with my savings, I ____________ buy myself a pony.
Joan : Really? Well, last week I _______________ buy a racing horse.
4. Jane : The garden of my house is so big that I _____________ walk to the end of
it.
Joan : That sounds rather small. The garden of my house is so big that I
___________ drive to the end of it in a car.
5. Jane : I _________ play the piano and the violin.
Joan : Is that all? I ____________ play the piano, the violin, the flute and the
trumpet.
6. Jane : When I was at school I ___________ read a whole book in a day.
Joan : How slow. When I was at school I _________ write a whole book in a
day.
7. Jane : Last year, I got so many presents on my birthday that I ____________ fit
them all in one room.
Joan : What a shame. Last year, I got so many presents on my birthday that I
__________ fit them all in my house – I had to rent the house next door
too!
8. Jane : I’m very fit. I_________ run a mile in less than four minutes.
Joan : Well, I ___________run a mile in less than four minutes – backwards !
Language review
1. Can is used to talk about the ability to do something. As with most modal verbs,
we use can with the infinitive without to of the verb:
I can speak two languages.
The negative is cannot or can’t:
Where’s the foreign language centre of HCM city university of Pedagogy? I can’t
find it.
In questions using can, we do not use do, but we reverse the order of can and the
subject.
Can you speak Japanese?
2. The past form of can is could. The negative of could is could not (couldn’t):
When I was young, I could speak English quite well.
Before this year, I couldn’t compose any poems.
We use could to say that someone had a general ability in the past.
Could you read a novel all day?
We do not use could to talk about individual situations. For individual situations we
have to use was/were able to:
He could speak French. When we got lost in Paris he was able to ask for directions.
However, we can use the negative form of could in both general and individual
situations.
He couldn’t translate the story into English because he lost the dictionary.
3. Can and could do not have other form such as infinitives or participles. If we need
to use these forms, we must use be able to am/are able to, was/were able to, etc)
instead of can and could:
I might be able to tell you about the main branches of linguistics.
They have been able to tell about problems of syllables and morphemes in
Vietnamese.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B :
A B
a. descriptive 1. the branch of linguistics that deals with how languages
grammar change, what kinds of changes occur, and why they occur.
b. computational 2. a linguist’s description or model of the mental grammar,
linguistics the units, structures and rules of speakers of a particular
language. The attempt to state what speakers unconsciously
know about their language.
c. grammar 3. the system of language, including its phonology,
morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon. The linguistic
knowledge of a speaker of a language.
d. comparative 4. a subfield of linguistics and computer science that is
linguistics concerned with computer processing of human language.
e. psycholinguistics 5. linguistic units composed of several sentences.
f. historical 6. the branch of linguistics concerned with linguistic
linguistics performance, language acquisition, and speech production
and comprehension.
g. discourse 7. the branch of linguistics that deals with language change
by comparing related languages.
B. Crosswords
Here are some very small crosswords. Can you complete them? You might need to
check one or two answers in your dictionary.
Crossword 1
1 2 3
5
Across Down
4. He’s perfect. He’s the …….. man for 2. Where one door shuts, another ……..
the job. (Proverb)
Crossword 2
1 2 3
5
Across Down
1. ………… not, want not. (Proverb) 1. ……………. there’s a will, there’s a way.
(Proverb)
4. If you don’t pay your rent, your 2. Everything he said was nice, but of course
landlord will ……… you. there was a ………. in the tail.
5. Keen and enthusiastic. 3. Come on, you’ve got to ………… into the
spirit of the occasion.
C. Word Games
1. Complete the spelling of the words below using the clues to help you.
not day | G H T
8 | G H T
noun of “see” | G H T
heaviness | G H T
80 | G H T
noun of “high” | G H T
may | G H T
not dark | G H T
not wrong | G H T
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
Reading
applied linguistics – the study of language teaching. (You will sometimes find that
stylistics and comparative linguistics are treated as sub-
branches of applied linguistics).
The branches have become more numerous over the years as the subject has grown but,
arguably, the principal developments in linguistics in recent years have been in stylistics,
sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics. As a consequence, a majority of the terms
discussed in this chapter are from these branches. The chapter begins with a short
introduction to each branch, followed by detailed entries, alphabetically arranged as
usual, on key items.
Comprehension check
A. True / False exercise: Circle T (for true) or F (for false) for each statement below.
1. When we study syntax, it means we’re studying one of the principal levels of
linguistics. T- F
2. We won’t have to talk about linguistics if we choose phonology as our major. T -
F
3. The branches of linguistics can be described like the metaphor of a tree. T -
F
4. Another description of linguistics branches can be the hub of a wheel with the
individual spokes radiating out T-F
5. The number of branches of linguistics hasn’t increased in recent years. T - F
B. Matching exercise
A B
Work in groups.
The languages that a person uses can tell us what group of society that person belongs to.
Do you agree with the idea? Support your opinion?
Listening
Listen to the following test and fill in the blanks with the missing words.
Idiom is language where the words are not used with their c _____ basic meanings.
If you go to the d ____________ once in a blue moon, you go very rarely. If you haven’t
seen someone for donkey’s years, you haven’t e____________ him for a very long time.
A f _________part of language is idiomatic. Here are some g
_____________examples.
Translation
Linguistics is the systematic study of language. Some people refer to it as the “science of
language” but I have avoided this description because it can be misleading. The popular
view of language is that it is regulated by precise laws which prescribe the “correct” use
of words, a little in the manner that Newtonian physics does the operation of the solar
system. But the merest acquaintance with language shows us it is not like that. Language
is notoriously slippery; words change their meaning and pronunciation form continually,
they never stay still. This fertile capacity of language for endless diversity means that any
attempt to reduce it to a set of laws is fraught with danger.
None the less, it is true to say that linguists approach language in a scientific manner.
First of all, they adopt an objective, or disinterested, stance. They have no axe to grind:
they are not concerned, like some politicians and educators, in enforcing or promoting
any “standards” of language use. Secondly, their method is empirical, that is they proceed
by observation, description and explanation. These are the three stages of linguistic
enquiry distinguished by the linguist Noam Chomsky. Linguists begin by observing the
way in which “people use language, on the basis of which they provide a description of
language use, and finally, when all the data has been analyzed, an explanation.
Explanations of language use are the stage at which linguists endeavour to establish the
underlying rules which speakers are following. It is a basic presupposition of modern
linguistics that language is rule-governed, i.e., those speakers obey an internalized set of
instructions in the way the construct and use sentences. The word “internalized” is
important here, because these rules are derived not from any kind of external authority,
like a dictionary or grammar, but from the speaker’s own intuitive knowledge, or
competence. Once the rules for particular languages have been mapped in this empirical
fashion the linguist hopes to provide a model which will explain how all languages work.
The production of this model, or universal grammar, is the pinnacle of linguistic enquiry.
\TALKING ABOUT PROBABILITY AND POSSIBILITY
PRESENTATION
Grammar questions:
1. Underline one verb that shows possibility in the present.
2. Underline two verbs that show probability and possibility in the past.
PRACTICE
A. Rewrite these sentences using the word in brackets. Follow the example.
1. It is possible that they did all the fundamental tasks of every language (might)
They might have done all the fundamental tasks of every language.
2. Perhaps they are reading about Plato and Aristoile. (could)
_______________________________________________________
3. It is possible that they will not devote to study archeological evidence much
longer. (may not).
_______________________________________________________
4. Perhaps they are talking about the cultural differences between English and
Russian. (might).
_______________________________________________________
5. Perhaps the children forgot to think of grammatical standard. (may)
_______________________________________________________
6. Perhaps David didn’t receive the letter. (might not).
_______________________________________________________
7. It is possible that Noah Webster’s manuscript will be read tomorrow. (could).
_______________________________________________________
8. It is possible that there are no books about homonymy left (might)
_______________________________________________________
B. Complete these sentences using the correct form of the verb in brackets. Follow the
example.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. International 1. the comparing of morphologically different forms of a
Phonetic word in a language to deduce facts about earlier stages of the
Alphabet (IPA) language (e.g. pairs such as please/pleasant demonstrate a
change involving front vowels in English).
B. Complete each sentence with the opposite of the word in brackets. Choose from one
of the following words. Use each word once only.
8. They all began to ............................. when they heard what had happened.
(LAUGH)
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task:
1. Language is the most effective way for communicating. Discuss. Do you agree
with the idea?
Reading
STYLISTICS
Stylistics is concerned with using the methodology of linguistics to study the concept of
“style” in language. Every time we use language we necessarily adopt a style of some
sorts: we make a selection from a range of syntactic and lexical possibilities according to
the purpose of the communication. The study of style has traditionally been the preserve
of literary criticism, but since the rise of linguistics there has been a more systematic
attempt to provide a “linguistic” foundation for literary effects, as well as a concern to
broaden the scope of enquiry to include non-literary texts: recipes, car manuals, sermons,
and so forth.
There are various sub-branches of stylistics, reflecting the diversity of approaches which
exist within the field itself. General stylistics is used as a cover term to refer to the
analyses of nonliterary varieties of language. The main focus of such studies is with
establishing principles which can account for the choices made by individuals and social
groups in their use of language. The problem for linguists is to establish a principled
framework which can cope with the almost infinite acts of communication which occur
between individuals, or groups. Once of the most influential models has been that of
Roman Jakobson, the Swedish linguist, presented at a conference at Indiana University in
1958. Despite the brevity of Jakobson’s paper, most discussions of the factors affecting
style have taken his model, which seeks to match six general functions of language to
their corresponding situational partners. The idea underlying this model is that all
language is oriented in some way towards one or more features of the communicative
situation. Language which is oriented towards the situational context, for example, is
likely to be referential in nature (a discussion of the weather will contain lots of
references to the elements), whilst language directed at the addressee, is likely to be
cognitive, i.e. persuasive, interrogative, or directive. The other functions can be paired as
below:
Phatic language (greetings, leave-takings, and so on) – oriented towards the contact or
channel of communication.
Emotive language (the expression of feelings and attitudes) – oriented towards the
addresser.
Metalingual language (language about language, e.g. requests for clarification, I don’t
understand/can’t read that) – oriented towards the code.
Poetic language (verbal play, e.g. figurative devices, humour, and so on) – oriented
towards the message.
Comprehension check
A. The answers to some questions are given as follows. Write down the question.
1. 1909 5. Referential
language
2. Bally 6. Cognitive
language
Work in groups:
Listening
PROFILE
Name : _______________________________________
Nationality : ___________________________________
Qualifications : ________________________________
Occupation :___________________________________
Early history
Linguistics, in the sense in which I have been describing it, first developed as a subject in
its own right in the late eighteenth century. Before then, language in the western world
had been the interest largely of philosophers and prescriptive grammarians – people
concerned to enforce particular language forms as “correct”. But in 1786, an Englishman,
Sir William Jones, delivered a paper demonstrating that the ancient Indian language, San-
skirt, bore striking structural similarities to Greek, Celtic, Latin and Germanic. The
conclusion which he drew was that all of these languages must have sprung from a
common source. So important was this discovery that for the next hundred years scholars
became preoccupied with tracing the original ancestor from which all these languages
were descended. Comparative linguistics became the dominant branch of linguistic
enquiry. This entailed a detailed comparison of different languages in terms of their
phonology, morphology, and lexis, with the aim of internally reconstructing the lost
original. As a result of these painstaking enquiries, we now have an evolutionary map of
languages in the western world which shows their individual lineage and their
relationship to the hypothetical ancestor, Indo-European.
TALKING ABOUT NECESSITY AND OBLIGATION
PRESENTATION
Grammar question
1. Complete the sentence:
Charles Dicken ___________ in a factory washing bottles to earn 6 shillings a
week.
2. Which verb in the sentence talks about Dicken’s obligation? What is its present
form?
PRACTICE
A. Complete these sentences using the correct form of have to. Follow the example.
1. When the telephone rang he had to stop composing the poem to answer it.
2. It expects I _______________ get a part-time job next year.
3. Our television broke down last week, so we _______________ buy a new one.
4. My parents have been on holiday for two weeks, so I _____________ look
after their dog.
5. If you fail the exam, you ______________sit it again next year.
6. You ______________ stay in bed for a week until you feel better.
7. Since Harold got his new job, he ______________ work every weekend.
8. I____________ wait for an hour in the supermarket last week.
B. Complete these sentences using must or have to. Follow the example.
1. My dictionary was stolen, so I have to borrow another one from the library.
2. The law says that everyone____________ wear a seat belt when they are traveling
by car.
3. You _________ give me this book as soon as you finish reading.
4. I like to sleep late, but I ________ start work at 8 am every morning.
5. I don’t like my hair. I _____________have it cut soon.
6. The doctor says I _________________stay in bed today.
7. You ________be back home before it gets dark or I will be worried.
8. I feel terrible. I _____________ sit down.
Language review
1. We use must and have to talk about something which is necessary. Must is more
personal than have to. We use must when the speaker feels the necessity or obligation
himself:
I must study hard. I really want to pass this exam.
2. We use have to when the necessity or obligation comes from a rule or situation we
have no control over:
I have to work late tonight. My teacher has told me to.
3. As must does not have any other forms such as an infinitive or participles, we use have
to when these forms are needed:
The translation was so difficult that he had to use different dictionaries.
If I don’t finish my report today I might have to work at the weekend.
They have so little vocabulary they have had to use a dictionary all the time.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. communication 1. The knowledge of a language represented by the
mental grammar which accounts for speakers’ linguistic
creativity. For the most part, linguistic competence is
unconscious knowledge.
B. By matching the numbers with the letters find the phrasal verbs with the meanings
given.
1 2 3
ARRIVE 5
BREAK CARRY JOIN CANCEL A
CONTINUE 2
4 5 DIE E
DISCOVER 4
FIND TURN ENTER BY FORCE H
FIND BY CHANCE 8
6 7 8 MATCH G
PARTICIPATE 3
CALL GET COME RECOVER D
9 10
PASS GO
A B C
OFF IN ON
D E
OVER AWAY
F G H
I J
OUT UP
6. The burglar ............................................... the house while the owner was away
on holiday.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Reading
SOCIOLINGUISTICS
The standard way in which sociolinguists investigate such use is by random sampling of
the population. In classic cases, like those undertaken in New York by Labov, or in
Norwich by Trudgill, a number of linguistic variables are selected, such as “r” (variably
pronounced according to where it occurs in a word) or “ng” (variably pronounced /n/ or
/ŋ/). Sections of the population, known as informants, are then tested to see the frequency
with which they produce particular variants. The results are then set against social indices
which group informants into classes, based on factors such as education, money,
occupation, and so forth. On the basis of such data it is possible to chart the spread of
innovations in accent and dialect regionally. One complicating factor, however, is that
people do not consistently produce a particular accent or dialect feature. They vary their
speech according to the formality or informality of the occasion. So tests have to take into
account stylistic factors as well as social ones.
At its outer edges sociolinguistics merges into the related area of stylistics, and in
particular, discourse analysis. Two sub-branches, ethnomethodology, and the ethnography
of communication, are concerned with style in its contextual and communicative
dimension. The first is devoted to analyzing conversation and the rules, or principles,
which govern turn-taking. Knowing when to speak and what counts as reply, as opposed
to an interruption, are important socializing factors in language use. The second is
concerned, on a much broader scale, with the effect of social and cultural variables on
what is loosely termed, “linguistic behavior”. Knowing whether to call someone “Mr.
Jones”, “Jimmy”, or “Jones”, for example, depends on a number of factors to do with the
situational context, the nature of our relationship and the cultural assumptions within
which we are speaking. “Terms of address”, as they are known, are a complex area of
study, not least because customs differ between countries and nationalities.
Comprehension check
1. How had dialects been studied before William Labov’s and Peter Trugill’s work?
2. What did Labov do in the early 1960s?
3. In what way are sociolinguists principally concerned with language?
4. What do generative linguists examine?
5. What does ethnomethodology study?
6. What does ethnography study?
What do you think?
Writing
Argue for or against studying in a foreign country. Here are some possible matters:
1. new language
2. new people; new culture
3. educational opportunities
4. job
5. being away from problems at home
Here are some difficulties:
Listening
Listen to the following text and fill in the blanks with the missing words.
1. When structuralism was in its prime, especially between c_______ and 1960, the
study of morphology occupied centre stage. Many major structuralists investigated
d______________ in the theory of word-structure (Bloomfield; Harris; Hockett…).
Nida’s course-book entitled Morphology, which was published e ___________
codified structuralist theory and f_______________ It introduced
generations of linguists to the descriptive analysis of words.
The structuralists g __________ that words may have intricate internal structures.
Traditional linguistics had treated the word as the basic h ___________ of
grammatical theory and lexicography, whereas. American structuralists showed that
words are analyzable in terms of morphemes. These are the smallest units of meaning and
grammatical function.
2. In structuralism grammar covers both morphology and syntax, whereas in
generative linguistics the term i __________ is employed in a much wider sense. It
covers not only morphology and syntax, but also semantics, lexicon and phonology.
Hence, there are rules of grammar in every linguistic module. Phonological rules,
morphological rules, syntactic rules and semantic rules are all regarded as rules of
grammar.
Translation
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
Buy if we were to award the credit for turning linguistics from the intensively narrow
scholastic position it occupied in the nineteenth century into the broad-based intellectual
discipline it is today there would be little disagreement in awarding it to the Swiss linguist
Ferdinand de Saussure, himself a nineteenth century linguist, who had the vision to see a
larger role for his subject. Saussure, sometimes called “the father of modern linguistics”,
never actually published any major work on the subject. But, after his death, his students
collected together his lecture notes and published them with the title Cours de linguistique
générale. Despite its slimness it had, and continues to have, a seminal influence on
linguistics. Saussure was instrumental in the development of structural linguistics. He
likened language to a game of chess in which each piece is defined by both its situation
on the board and its relationship with the other pieces. Thus a bishop operating on the
white squares has considerably more freedom of manoeuvre if its opposite number has
been taken, and a pawn occupying a central square is more powerful if supported by other
pawns. And just as games of chess, though all following the same rules, are all different,
so languages can be said to vary in a similarly principled manner.
PRESENTATION
Read the passage carefully.
William Shakespeare was the son of an English merchant. He was born in 1564 at
Stratford upon Aron. When he was 21, he left for London in order to find an opportunity
of showing his ability as an actor. He became a member of one of the chief acting
companies of the day, then. He shortly began writing plays for this company and in a few
years became famous and prosperous.
Shakespeare’s experience as an actor must have helped him a great deal to compose his
plays. His knowledge of the stage, combined with his poetical genius and deep insight
into the life and thoughts of his time, gave his plays a character of unsurpassed realism.
Grammar questions
1. They bought this book in order to/so as to read a text about sociolinguistics.
2. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
C. Jim is seven years old and he asks his mum a lot of questions. Complete her
answers using in order to/so as to and a suitable reason. Use the words in
brackets to help you. Follow the example.
1 Jim : Why do people go sunbathing ? 2 Jim : Why do people eat fast food ? (save
(get/tan) money)
Mum : They go sunbathing so as to Mum : _______________________
get a tan. _____________________
3 Jim : Why did Phil buy a boat ? (go 4 Jim : Why did Carrie go to teacher training
sailing) college? (become / teacher)
Mum :_______________________ Mum : _______________________
______________________ _____________________
5 Jim : Why did Oliver take an 6 Jim : Why did dad go on a diet? (lose
English course ? (learn weight)
English) Mum : _______________________
Mum : _____________________ _____________________
_____________________
7 Jim : Why should people stop 8 Jim : Why do people go on holiday ?
smoking ? (not/become ill) (relax)
Mum : _____________________ Mum : _______________________
_____________________ _____________________
Language review
1. We use in order to and so as to connect two clauses which explain why someone
does something:
He wanted to be a journalist so as to be famous.
He wanted to be famous in order to be rich.
2. We use in order not to and so as not to in negative sentences.
He used body language so as not to talk much.
He kept calm in order not to produce slips of the tongue.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. acoustic signal 1. Pertaining to physical aspects of sound.
b. agreement 2. The study of the physical properties of speech sounds.
c. acoustic 3. The sound waves produced by any sound source,
including speech.
d. allophones 4. A relationship between words of a sentence in which the
choice of one restricts the choice of the other (e.g. the
choice of a pronoun is restricted by the person, number, and
gender of its antecedent). See also subject verb agreement.
e. acoustic phonetics 5. Predictable phonetic variants of phonemes (e.g. [p]
and [p’] of the phoneme /p/ in English).
B. Which of the words on the right does not rhyme with the word on the left ?
The kind of informal English which is normal in ordinary conversation but is not
considered acceptable in more formal language is called “colloquial”. “Slang” is even
more informal language and consists mainly of particular words and phrases used
principally by one group of people, e.g. young children, teenagers, students, professional
people, working people etc. (The line between colloquial and slang words is not at all
clear and many words considered colloquial by some people would be considered slang
by others). After each conversation below, rewrite the conversation with the colloquial or
slang item in a more formal style.
Answer :
Peter : Smashing. Ta
4. Fred : I’m not too keen on this new guy in the office.
Alex : Yeah, he’s a bit of a big-head. Throws his weight around.
Fred : Yeah, if I get any more hassle from him, I’m going to tell him what I think.
Alex : Come off it. You haven’t got the guts. You’d get the sack.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
Work in pairs :
1. “Psycholinguistics” is a combined word? Can you say what it means based on its
formation?
2. Anyone can learn a foreign language. Do you agree with the opinion? Why or why
not?
PSYCHOLINGUISTICS
One of the hotly debated issues in current psycholinguistic studies, not unrelated to this
discussion, is the extent to which language activity can be seen as the responsibility of
discrete language modules in the brain, or as the output of general cognitive abilities used
in thinking and conceptualizing about anything. Some psycholinguists argue that
syntactic processing, the way in which we produce and recognize well-formed strings, is
carried out separately from other processes performed by the brain, whilst others argue
for a more wholistic view of linguistic and other competences. Much of the debate has
centered on evidence from the study of language abilities can exist separately from others.
Nevertheless, it is still a large step from evidence of this kind to the conclusion that
language is a wholly discrete cognitive ability processed in a series of autonomous stages
by autonomous components. The distinctive way in which language is interwoven with
other human activities would suggest otherwise.
What is at issue here is the relation between brain and mind. In popular thought these
terms are often used interchangeably, but it’s important not to confuse them. The brain is
the physical organ in the skull which controls bodily behavior and thought, and, like any
other organ, its operations can be observed. The mind, on the other hand, comprises the
mental and emotional capabilities which make us human. In contrast with the brain, it’s
not a physical organ and not open to direct observation. Clearly our minds are dependent
on our brains, but no one has yet managed to correlate their workings in any precise way.
In an earlier age theologians were exercised with trying to find the exact location of the
soul in the body. Attempting to determine the boundaries of the mind is proving no lesser
task.
Psycholinguistics, however, is only indirectly concerned with the brain; its principal
target is the human mind. As such it has gained considerably from the discipline of
psychology. Making an utterance involves selecting the appropriate information one
wishes to share (for whatever purpose), arranging it in such a way that its topic and focus
are clear and will attract the attention of our addressee, and performing it successfully.
There are various kinds of mental knowledge required here, including the
conceptualization of the message, its formulation in terms of a linguistic structure, and its
phonological processing. At the same time, however, it’s important to bear in mind that
language comprehension is not solely the preserve of autonomous linguistic processes.
We also rely on non-linguistic cues from texts, and knowledge of characters, entities and
events not explicitly mentioned, for a full interpretation. If an action takes place in a
restaurant, for example, the listener can infer the presence of a kitchen, even though it
may not be explicitly mentioned. This side of psycholinguistics connects with discourse
analysis and is concerned with how we make sense of texts. Evidence suggests that we do
so by constructing mental models or schemas based on our knowledge both of the world
around us and of its representation in language.
Comprehension check
Are the following statements about the text True or False? Say why
Discussion
Writing
When you write any kind of composition, and especially when you write an analysis, you
must operate on at least two levels: a general level that covers the whole topic and a more
specific level that gives parts, or divisions, of the general.
In the following example, there are two levels: one whole (general) and two equal parts.
Example:
In the exercise below, write two sentences to complete each short text. In your sentences,
name some specific parts of the topic introduced by the general beginning sentence.
Express your own knowledge and experience in the specifics.
LEARNING ENGLISH
There are several linguistic factors that make it difficult for a foreign student to learn
English.
First, _____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Second, ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Listening
GUATEMALA
Capital City
Average income
Religions
Languages
Industries
Export crops
Translation
MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY DEVELOPMENTS
It was America that many of the most important developments in mid-century linguistics
took place. In many respects these owed much to the concern of American
anthropologists to record the culture and languages of native Indian tribes, which were
rapidly vanishing before the concerted power of the white races. The problem, however,
was that no generally agreed descriptive framework existed to assist scholars in providing
a coherent account of what were sometimes called “exotic” languages. But in 1933, the
linguist, Leonard Bloomfield, published a book called Language, in which he outlined a
methodology for the description of any language. Bloomfield’s approach was rigorously
descriptive. It is sometimes referred to as descriptive linguistics, occasionally as
“structuralist” (in a slightly different sense than the Saussurean), and, despite the
revolutions that have occurred in linguistic thought it is still at the heart of much
linguistic practice. For Bloomfield the task of linguists was to collect data from native
speakers of a language and then to analyze it by studying he phonological and syntactic
patterns. The concept that all language is patterned was fundamental to these procedures.
Bloomfield argued that one of the principal ways in which items are ordered in a
language is in terms of, what are called its immediate constituents. These, in turn, can be
analyzed into further constituents, and so on, down to those at the ground level of words,
which are the smallest continents. A sentence is thus conceived of as a hierarchy of
interlocking continents, all of which can demonstrate their constituency, because they can
be either substituted by similar constituents, or redistributed to form other sentences.
PRESENTATION
William Blake, the English poet, painter, and engraver, who created a unique form of
illustrated verse, his poetry, inspired by mystical vision, is among the most original, lyric,
and prophetic in the language.
As a child, Blake wanted to become a painter. He was send to drawing of school and at
the age of 14 was apprenticed to James Basire, an engraver. In 1784 he set up a printshop,
although it failed after a few years, for the rest of his life Blake eked out a living as an
engraver and illustrator. His wife helped him print the illuminated poetry for which he is
remembered today.
Grammar questions
Look at the example pick out from the passage.
“In 1784 he set up a print-shop although it failed after a few years”.
What does the underlined clause express?
PRACTICE
A. Rewrite these sentences using the adverb in brackets. Follow the example.
1. She has all kinds of dictionaries, but it is still difficulty for her to translate this
quotation. (even though)
Even though she has all kinds of dictionaries, it’s still difficult for her to translate this
quotation.
It’s still difficult for her to translate this quotation even though she has all kinds of
dictionaries.
2. We did enjoy the film, but it was a little too long. (though)
_____________________________________________________________
3. Sandy thought she had failed the test, but she had actually passed. (although)
_____________________________________________________________
4. I had a map, but I still got lost. (even though)
_____________________________________________________________
5. He watered the plants often, but they died. (even though)
_____________________________________________________________
6. The weather forecast said it would be fine, but it rained. (although)
_____________________________________________________________
7. The book looked modern, but the content was horrible. (though)
______________________________________________________________
8. Lisa arrived early, but the books were sold out. (even though)
______________________________________________________________
B. Rewrite these sentences using the adverb in brackets. Follow the example.
1. He continued using hyperbole, even though he knew he should stop. (despite)
He continued using hyperbole, despite knowing he should stop.
2. Robber didn’t use any dictionaries although the translation had a lot of
morphological terms. (in spite of).
________________________________________________________________
3. Karen failed her history test, although she studied very hard. (in spite of)
________________________________________________________________
4. Amy was afraid of dogs, but she tried to be friendly to her neighbour’s pets.
(despite)
________________________________________________________________
5. Even though they searched all night, they couldn’t find the dog. (in spite of)
________________________________________________________________
6. She enjoyed the meal, even though her soup was cold. (despite)
________________________________________________________________
7. Although they were beaten, they enjoyed playing the game. (despite)
________________________________________________________________
8. He won the race, even though he had hurt his ankle. (in spite of)
________________________________________________________________
9. Though it was very hot, Amy still wore a jacket. (despite)
________________________________________________________________
10. Happiness is better than wealth, although wealth is very useful. (in spite of)
________________________________________________________________
Language review
Concession : although, (even) though, in spite of, despite
1. Although, though and even though are all adverbs for concession. They are used to
connect two clauses which we would not expect to be together. They are always followed
by a clause, but they can be used at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle position:
Although phonetics and phonology are difficult, they still like researching them.
They didn’t catch the teacher though they tried their best.
Even though they didn’t know many terms, they understood the content of the test.
Although is more informal than though. Even though is used for emphasis – to make
things very clear; even although is wrong.
2. In spite of and despite are also adverbs of concession and they have similar
meanings to although and though. They are used followed by a noun/pronoun or an –ing
form of a verb.
In spite of/Despite the slips of the tongue, they still kept calm.
They didn’t find complete synonymy despite/in spite of using a lot of different
dictionaries.
3. No adverb of concession should be used together with but:
Although there were a lot of terms in this text, they understood it.
Either one, or the other, should be used in the sentence.
VOCABULARY
Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. goal 1. (in artificial intelligence) The storehouse of facts in the
computer’s memory; (in linguistics) linguistic competence.
b. gloss 2. list of all morphemes and words; lexicon.
c. knowledge 3. The semantic role of the Noun Phrase toward whose
referent the action of the verb is directed (e.g. the theatre in
We went to the theatre).
d. lingua franca 4. A word in one language given to express the meaning
of a word in another language (e.g. “house” is the gloss for
the French word mansion); a brief definition of a difficult
word or expression.
e. dictionary 5. The major language used in an area where speakers of
more than one language live, which enables communication
and commerce among them.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
THE NEWSPAPER
2. The front page of a newspaper also contains articles that are, in the judgment of the
newspaper staff, the most important for that particular day. The headlines, the dark, large
titles, serve two purposes: they tell the reader what the article is about, and they indicate,
by size and darkness of the type, the importance of the story. Headlines help readers
choose the articles that they want to read. Because some readers read only the headlines
in papers, the wording of headlines is very important.
3. Just below the headline, at the beginning of the news article, are the abbreviations
for the different news services, for example, AP for Associated Press, UPI for United
Press International, and Reuters for Reuters Press. These abbreviations indicate the source
of the information, the press service that is responsible for the writing. The place that the
news originated is written just before the news service abbreviation. (News items like
these are factual and usually do not include the name of the author).
4. The opening paragraph of a news article is called the lead; it contains all the
essential facts of the story. A reader in a hurry could read only the headline and the first
paragraph of a story and know the most important information. The rest of the article
consists of additional details and explanation, organized according to importance. Thus,
the closing paragraph of a news story is usually not a conclusion – instead, it contains the
least important information.
5. This special newspaper style of writing is also evident in the length of the
paragraphs. They are short, so they are easy to read in a column, the long narrow lines of
print. Newspapers are generally printed in columns so they can be read faster: the reader’s
eyes can move down a column faster than on a line across the page.
6. Some articles have a “by-line” just under the headline that indicates who wrote the
article. Feature articles and articles written by columnists have “by-lines”. Any subjective
article, one that presents the writer’s point of view or opinion or that is not a serious news
article, is likely to include the author’s name in a “by-line” (for example, by John S.
Smith).
7. The opinions of the editors of the newspaper are found on the editorial page. Those
articles that have no author or “by-line” on that page are written by the newspaper staff to
express their opinions or suggestions about a local, national, or international problem.
8. Newspapers are written to read efficiently by the reader. Whatever the reader’s
interests or needs, he or she can satisfy them more quickly by understanding how a
newspaper is organized.
Comprehension check
Work in pairs:
Writing
Analyze English as a language that is difficult to learn (if you think it is difficult). Narrow
the topic down: what aspect of English is difficult (pronunciation, writing, listening
comprehension, etc.) ? Who is it difficult for? Why is it difficult? Give reasons. Give
examples.
Listening
Listen to the following text and fill in the blanks with the missing words.
Syntax is a tern in general use and in linguistics for the study of the c____________
in which words combine into such units as phrases, clauses, and d _____________
.The sequences that result from these combinations are referred to in linguistics as
syntactic e ___________ The ways in which components of words are combined into
words are studied in morphology, and syntax and morphology f _________are generally
regarded as the major constituents of grammar, although in one of its uses, grammar is
strictly g _________with syntax and excludes morphology.
Translation
LINGUISTICS TODAY
It is a tribute to the combined influence of Saussure and Chomsky that the study of
language has become increasingly important in the late twentieth century to non-linguists
as well as linguists. The concern with the language potential of human beings has meant
that a wide variety of disciplines, notably sociology, psychology and literary criticism,
have begun to take more interest in linguistics, and in so doing have left their own mark
on the subject, whilst the emphasis of Saussure on the symbolic functioning of language
has appealed to students of media and communication systems. At the same time,
however, the last quarter of the twentieth century has seen the development of alternative
models of language. These are not necessarily at variance with existing models; as often
as not they prioritize aspects with which they have not been primarily concerned.
Linguistics today then is a subject whose boundaries are forever widening and which
presents no single face to the world. In the current work of Chomsky and other
GENERATIVE grammarians it continues to grow in intellectual elegance and indeed one
of the strengths of Chomsky, and one of the principal reasons for his continued
dominance, is his ability to challenge, not simply other people’s orthodoxies, but his own.
The account of transformational grammar which exists today differs considerably from
that of its first heady outing. And yet, despite the inherent radicalism of linguistics there
is much that suggests continuity. The leading ideas of the subject are now in place and,
after many years in which it was considered as something of an “upstart” among
academic disciplines, it has finally achieved the respect it deserves as a major humanistic
discipline. Which is only what one would expect since the final subject matter of
linguistics is not so much language, as ourselves, our human existence in time and space,
and that will always be endlessly fascinating.
TALKING ABOUT REASON: BECAUSE, SINCE, AS, BECAUSE OF
PRESENTATION
Read the passage carefully
Charles Dickens, who wrote such unforgotten table stories as Oliver Twist and David
Copperfield was born to a poor family. When Charles was 12, his father was sent to
prison because he failed to pay his debts. Young Charles had to work in a dismal factory.
This terrible experience remained to haunt him even when he attained success with his
novels.
Because of his humble nature, Dickens never forgot what was like to be poor. He was
always concerned about the orphaned and the destitute. Dickens was a very respected
writer when he died in 1870. Till now, many people think that he is the greater of English
novelist.
Grammar question
1. Look at these examples picked out from the passage.
- “His father was sent to prison because he failed to pay his debts”.
- “Because of his humble nature. Dickens never forgot what was like to be
poor”.
2. Complete the rule: To express reasons we use:
because with ……………………
or because of with ……………………
PRESENTATION
A. Use the words in the box to make complete sentences. Follow the example
1 June was sad because we want to know more about
functional linguistics.
2 Henry got this book as they were enjoying themselves
3 Sally went to the reference since we are interested in linguistics and
literature
4 We often join this course there was a lecture on diachronic
linguistics
5 Paul arrived late the lecturer arrived
6 The day passed quickly her book about subject – prominent
language was lost
7 People think we are students in he missed the bus
philology department
8 The students stopped talking it helped him to write an essay about
terminology
1. June was sad because her book about subject – prominent language was lost
2. _______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________________________
7. _______________________________________________________________
8. _______________________________________________________________
]
B. Join these sentences, making sure they are in the right order, using the word in
brackets. Follow the example.
1. It was raining. The picnic was cancelled. (as)
The picnic was cancelled as it was raining.
2. The tree had to be cut down. It was dangerous. (since)
_________________________________________________________________
3. The smoke alarm went off. Kate’s cake was burning. (because)
_________________________________________________________________
4. The neighbours complained about the noise. The police stopped the party (because)
_________________________________________________________________
5. Karen bought the house. It had a big garden. (since)
_________________________________________________________________
6. There were road works. It took two hours to get home. (because)
_________________________________________________________________
7. Jenny couldn’t sleep. A dog was barking all night. (as)
_________________________________________________________________
8. They had watched a horror film. The children had nightmares. (as)
_________________________________________________________________
C. Combine these sentences using both because and because of each time. Follow the
example.
1. I like Jane Austen. She is a famous novelist.
a)I like Jane Austen because she is a famous novelist.
b) I like Gordon because of her fame.
2. Sue’s parents are proud of her. She is intelligent.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
3. Pat doesn’t like Mike. He is selfish.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
4. Brian married Sara. She is rich.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
5. Everyone trusts Katie. She is honest.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
6. Ivy was good at sports. She was very energetic.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
7. Dave has lost his keys. He is very forgetful.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
8. Mary didn’t have many friends. She was shy.
a) _____________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. derivational morphemes 1. a bound morpheme which is inserted in the
middle of another morpheme.
b. free morpheme 2. a bound grammatical morpheme.
c. bound morpheme 3. free function word or bound morpheme
required by the syntactic rules. cf. Inflectional
morpheme.
d. morpheme 4. single morpheme which can constitute a word
on its own.
e. inflectional morpheme 5. morphemes added to stem morphemes (lexical
content morphemes) to “derive” a new stem (i.e.
create a new word).
f. infix 6. a morpheme which can only occur attached to
another morpheme; prefixes, suffixes, infixes are
bound morphemes. C.f. free morpheme.
g. grammatical morpheme 7. smallest unit of linguistic meaning.
B. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in capital letters. In some
cases you will have to make a negative form by using the prefix dis-, in- or un-.
1. ACT
We must take .....................................before things get worse.
Don’t worry about the volcano. It’s been ....................... for years.
2. ADD
Are all those ............................... they put in food really necessary?
3. ADMIRE
This is an .................................................... piece of work.
4. ADVANTAGE
Unfortunately, you’ll be at a ......................................if you can’t drive.
5. ADVERTISE
He works for an ........................ agency.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
1. All of human work can be divided into two parts: the arts and the sciences. The
sciences, in general, are those parts of human work that require “knowledge”.
More specifically, science requires observation (watching the natural word),
identification (separating and naming the parts of a naturally occurring thing),
description (using words to make a picture), experimentation (trying to copy what
occurs in nature to learn from it), and theoretical explanation (forming a set of
ideas, a theory, that accounts for the occurrence).
2. The arts, on the contrary, are those areas of human endeavor that require skill.
Skill is a person’s ability to work well with a part of his or her body. Skill is talent
and technique. An artist is someone who does something well or makes something
well using hands and tools. Artistry is also a well-developed skill in one area of
manufacture. (The word “manufacture”, incidentally, once mean “to make by
hand”. Everything that was not “natural” was artificial, that is, made with tools
through skill by hand).
3. Today the word art has special meaning. Art is that which is beautiful; the painting
of skilled painters, for example, is enjoyed and appreciated by many people.
Weaving rugs and tapestries is another art. Ceramic work is also art: the shapes,
colors, and textures of bowls, vases, and pitchers make these clay items beautiful
to look at and enjoyable to use.
4. Human beings have always decorated their environments. A look back into history
shows that this is true. The walls of the caves (openings in the sides of hills or
mountains that were the first natural homes for people) were decorated with
paintings. Long before history was first written, people were gaining skill at
improving the appearance of their surroundings.
5. Another definition of art, therefore, is skilled production. If this definition of art is
correct, then there is art everywhere. The baker who makes tasty, attractive bread,
cakes, and pies is an artist. The person who arranges items for sale in a store is an
artist. The person who writes well is also an artist. The writer’s art is his or her
plays, short stories, or advertising. Furthermore, the composer of music, an art
form that is heard, not seen, is an artist.
6. Although there are many types of art, there are some basic principles in art too. All
kinds of art require the same general characteristics. The most important
characteristic of art is order. The elements, the separate parts, of a work of art must
be arranged so that there is a pattern, a design. The form itself is important. A
pleasing shape and balance are also necessary for art. Balance means the same
amount on each side. In art, balance means that a painting or piece of weaving has
a continuous pattern, that a ceramic pot is well-formed, that the interesting parts of
a structure are found on both sides. Harmony and contrast are also essential
aspects of art. The parts of the art must fit together; each must have beauty in itself
and look attractive with the other parts. In a figure of a person sculpted out of a
large piece of stone, for example, the head and body must match; the parts of a
sculpture must suit each other. The artist must carve appropriate sizes and forms
into the stone. Furthermore, the clothing and the base of the statue must be
appropriate so that the whole statue can be appreciated.
7. Art does something good for a human being. A beautiful thing is enjoyed, felt,
experienced. The appreciation of art results in a happier feeling and increased
understanding of people and the world. After reading a well-written book or
enjoying a well-presented play, a person feels inspiration to improve his or her
own circumstances because of the reminder that human beings have many
resources. In other words, art inspires the human spirit. Because of art, people’s
lives are better. The painter, the sculptor, the musician, the writer, the potter, the
weaver – all artists contribute to a better life for everyone.
Comprehension questions
Work in pairs:
1. What are the categories of human work?
4. What is skill?
5. What is an artist?
6. Three definitions of art are given in the reading. What are they?
8. How do we know that human beings have always decorated their environments?
Writing
Outline
- Does the newspaper keep you inform of the daily happenings in the world?
2. Freedom of press.
- Does the newspaper have absolute freedom?
Listening
Listen to the text and fill in the blanks with the missing words.
NEWSPAPER READING
Reading newspapers is good for students of my age, because I am in c __________six
and from next year, I shall d _________to taste real education. There are many benefits
e ________ from reading newspapers.
Translation
1. In many cultures, people make a distinction between fine art and folk art.
Although telling the difference between these two types of art is not always easy,
each has certain general characteristics that help to identify it. One characteristic
of folk art, for example, is that it is the product of ordinary people, the folk.
Furthermore, folk art is often traditional in composition and subject matter. Fine
art, in contrast, is usually the product of professionals who have studied art. These
professional artists are usually more strongly influenced by the contemporary
world and modern composition than by tradition.
2. Another difference between folk and fine art is that folk-art is often created to
decorate a functional object. For example, a person who decorates his or her home
by sculpting the wooden beam that holds up the roof is creating folk art. Fine art,
on the other hand, is usually purely decorative. Its only function is to add beauty
to its environment.
3. A third distinguishing characteristic of folk art is that it is “participatory”. This
means that the art is created through the active involvement of the participants in
the artistic project.
4. A final distinctive characteristic of folk art is that it tends to become rarer as a
society becomes more industrialized.
5. Because folk art tends to be traditional, it is often easy to identify the culture in
which a particular piece was created. Some patterns are repeated in many kinds of
folk art.
TALKING ABOUT RESULT : SO, THEREFORE, SO/SUCH … THAT
PRESENTATION
“The Pearl” by John Steinbeck is the retelling of a legend about a fisherman who find a
huge pearl, realizes that the discovery is destroying his life and returns the pearl to the
sea. It is told in a style so authetic that readers feel they are hearing the story from one of
the villagers who knows all the characters.
The work has been interpreted as an allegory of human desires the vanity of material
wealth, and the struggle between good and evil. The fisherman had dreamed of buying
peace and happiness with the pearl but he realizes that these spiritual gifts are beyond
price. They can not purchase. Therefore, Steinbeck himself writes in the introduction. “If
this story is a parable, perhaps everyone takes it his own meaning from it and reads his
own life into it”.
Grammar questions
Look at these examples picked out from the passage.
- “It is told in a style so authentic that readers feel they are hearing the story from
one of the villagers who knows all the characters.
- “Therefore, Steinbeck himself writes in the introduction” –
What do the underlined words refer to?
PRACTICE
A. Join these sentences, making sure that they are in the right order, using either so
+ adj + that or therefore. Follow the example.
1. Susan wrote an essay about personification. She went to the library.
Susan wrote an essay about personification therefore she went to the library.
2. Adrian was very annoyed. He had lost his dictionary.
_____________________________________________________________
3. Mr. Smith called the repair man. His television wouldn’t work.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Ben had a lot of work to do. He stayed in the office late.
_____________________________________________________________
5. There was a lecture on heric drama. They went to the workshop.
_____________________________________________________________
6. They handled it carefully. The plate was very old.
_____________________________________________________________
7. I read two books about existentialism. I felt tired.
_____________________________________________________________
8. The book was written by Daniel Defose. It was one of the best-known books.
_____________________________________________________________
B. Rewrite the following sentences using such + N + that. Follow the example.
1. “Beowuff” was so interesting that it became one of the best-known books.
“Beowuff” was such an interesting poem that it became one of the best-know
books.
2. Jason composed poems so well that he studied in Philology Department.
____________________________________________________________
3. The city was so big that we often got lost.
____________________________________________________________
4. The books were so good that they were all sold on the first day.
___________________________________________________________
5. The discourse analysic was so difficult that they couldn’t understand.
___________________________________________________________
6. The book was so bad that he couldn’t read it up.
___________________________________________________________
Language review
1. So and therefore are adverbs of result. We use them to join two clauses which
explain the result of something. Therefore is more formal than so:
Michael wants to be a famous novelist so / therefore he’s trying to write a lot of
novels.
2. We can also use so/such… that .. to explain the result of something. We use so
before an adjective or adverb and such before a noun:
adverb
Gary wrote so badly that people stopped to reading his books.
He was such a bad writer that he became quite famous.
noun
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. fiction 1. writings that are valued as works of art, esp fiction,
drama and poetry.
b. poetry 2. a type of literature describing imaginary events and
people, not real ones.
c. poetic 3. a play for the theatre.
d. drama 4. a collection of poems or poems in general.
f. literature 5. like or suggesting poetry, esp in being imaginative,
graceful and showing deep feeling.
B. Join one word on the left with one from the right to make a two-word partnership.
Use each word once only. Write your answers in the boxes.
1. car a. aid 1
2. civil b. band 2
3. common c. board 3
4. department d. box 4
5. first e. card 5
6. notice f. clip 6
7. paper g. lights 7
8. playing h. machine 8
9. pocket i. money 9
C. Proverbs
1. Match each of the following common proverbs with the most appropriate situation
from the list below.
2. Well, the cassette recorder he gave you may have a few defects, but you shouldn’t
complain. It cost you nothing.
3. I’m not impressed by fine speeches. Why doesn’t the government do something?
4. Don’t wait till you’ve got flu. Try not to catch it.
5. If you’re in a foreign country, you should get used to the customs there.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
1. Read the text quite quickly. Find five words (not more) that you don’t know and
check them in your dictionary.
2. Compare with a partner the five words you each looked up.
Reading
In reality, each tendency has its own proficiency and deficiency. Let us take surrealism
and realism as examples. Everyone appreciates that the surrealism school produces all
legends and chimerical hobbies; they provoke the reader’s curiosity by adventures into an
extraordinary, fairy-like world or by delving into an unearthly sight, but ultimately they
make people feel bitter upon being returned to practical life. But others realize that the
super-realism school stimulates the tendency of nobleness and supports man’s aspiration
or at least helps him in overcoming the rigidity of his fate. This allows man to sense
himself escaping for a moment the bitter reality of life.
Quite opposite to surrealism, the schools of naturalism and realism try to adapt truth
without discussion or criticism and have the aim of helping society and people to see their
usual abominable faces in the mirror of life.
Their only object is to reflect truth, but in the process they usually pay attention to
flagitious and anguish truth.
Nevertheless, there are those who appreciate that naturalism as well as realism are
unconcerned with future life, because they want to be loyal to life for a time. Life always
contains its past and implicates its future. It has numerous transformations and constant
renewals.
Bringing up the opposite attitudes of the schools of Letter, I intend to prove that art
should be adequately nuance.
The keen insight (observation) of the realistic pen is needed to discover bitterness of
society and man’s feeling.
The elegant and thoughtful lines of surrealism are needed to analyze the delicate and
gentle fibers of soul.
The frank and rough words of naturalism are needed to fully describe the abuses of
society.
The lively images of symbolism are also needed to attain to the “crystallized beauty” of a
poetical and dreamlike world. The delicate remarks of Romanticism are needed to fully
express the deepest human mysteries and to enumerate the vague ephemeral, but very real
aspects of feeling.
In brief, to attain to art, literature should touch the human being in his entirety.
Each tendency is merely one aspect (angle) of the soul. Art must encompass numerous
nuances in which the changes of tendencies are simply the changes of food for sensation.
Literature should be imagined as a flower garden with innumerable scents and colours
expressing life – real life with flexible and numerous aspects.
Comprehension check
Work in pairs:
Listening
1. a) playing in a band
b) playing the piano
3. a) hiking
b) playing video games
4. a) collecting stamps
5. a) painting
b) reading
6. a) reading
b) playing sports
Translation
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Each group of people has stories. Some of them they tell to their children to teach the
values and beliefs their society. Some stories have just one purpose, to entertain people
perhaps to make them laugh.
In any case, the literature of a community is an important part of the culture. Rules define
what a short story is, how a poem is written, and how a play is performed. Writers learn
the art of writing so that they can teach or entertain well. Good writers become famous
for their skill.
Poets, the writers of poetry, usually choose smaller topics to write about. Using the tools
of poetry (word pictures, rhyme, rhythm, and beat) the poet creates music with words.
This unit contains two short stories, a small collection of poems, and a short play. Each
section has an introduction. As you read, look for definitions of these terms:
climax foreshadowing
PHRASAL VERBS WITHOUT AN OBJECT
PRESENTATION
Read the passage carefully.
Hans Christian Andersen was the famous Danish author, whose fairy tales have been
translated into more than 80 languages and have inspired plays, ballets, films and works
of sculpture and painting. Born in Odensen, he suffered from poverty when he was 14, he
ran away to Copenhagen.
Andersen had poetry and prose brought out and plays produced beginning in 1822.
Andersen traveled in Europe, Asia and Africa and went on writing novels, plays, and
travel books, but it was his more than 150 stories for children that established him as one
of the great figure of world literature.
Grammar question
The underlined verbs are called phrasal verbs. Do you know why they are called phrasal
verbs?
PRACTICE
A. Complete these sentences using the phrasal verbs in the box. Use the pictures to
help you. Follow the example.
turn up (appear) look out (be careful)
move in (start living in a house/flat) set off (start a journey)
take off (plane leaving the ground) get by (manage)
break down (stop working)
stand up (change from sitting to standing)
1. The play- writer was nervous when the plane took off
2. This car is so old, it ___________________ all the time.
3. My brother always ____________________ when dinner is just ready.
4. We should __________________ soon if we want to arrive before dark.
5. Everyone ___________________ when the boss arrived.
6. We __________________ last week, but we haven’t unpacked yet.
7. It won’t be easy to put all our furniture in there, but I’m sure we’ll .
8. _______________! There’s a hole in the floor.
B. Complete these sentences using the phrasal verbs in the box. Don’t forget to
change the tense where necessary. Follow the example.
particle
The poet was tired so he sat down. (sat on something)
Sometimes the particle changes the meaning of the verb completely.
particle
I think the poet set off at 6 o’clock. (start a journey)
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. novelette 1. an invented story in prose, long enough to fill a complete book.
b. style 2. a short novel, esp one of poor literary quality.
c. folk-song 3. a song in the traditional style of a country or community.
d. novel 4. a manner of writing that is characteristic of a particular writer,
historical period, or type of literature.
B. Ambiguous Words
The following sentences have two different meanings, due to the ambiguity of the words
in italics. Explain the two meanings of each sentence.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
Reading
Most people think of a story as a plot, a sequence of events that make up a story.
However, the content of a story is not only the plot. It includes the development of the
characters, theme or topic, and structure too. In fact, the actions that make up the plot
must be significant; they must be somehow related to the meaning of the story. Conflict is
the necessary element of plot – a clash of ideas, actions, desires. This conflict may occur
between two people, between a person and the world around him or her. Also, the conflict
is more likely to be a matter of judgment in a well-written story. The “good” and the
“bad” elements are more difficult to define than in a poorly written story.
Furthermore, between the development of the conflict and the end of the story, there must
be a change in the central character, another character, or the action. The moment at
which that happens is called the climax. At the climax, the excitement is the highest, the
audience is anxious to know what will happen, and the story could develop any of several
ways. The climax is the turning point; after the climax, the story comes to an end. A
writer tells the plot to the readers in two ways – through the action, dialog, and interaction
of the characters or through narrative, telling the story. A good writer is more likely to use
action and dialog to develop the story than to tell the story.
However, in some modern stories, the reader might wonder what the outcome is because
the final result often is left to the reader.
The second element in a short story is the characterization – the way that the people in the
story are presented. They may be described directly or explained to the reader in terms of
the dialog, action, and interactions. Some characters in stories are very well-developed;
these are said to be “round” characters. Others are “flat” because they are not developed
by the writer. These flat characters serve as background people for the main character or
characters. The third part of the story is the theme or topic. This is the purpose that the
writer had in beginning to write the story. It is the general statement about life that is the
base of the story. The theme is the reason why the story is successful: it presents a part of
life and human nature that is capable of being explained in a situation. The reader who is
trying to figure out what the theme is should look at the characters and the plot; the
problems that these people face are like the problems that ordinary living people will face
in everyday life.
Another important aspect of a short story is the point of view. In some stories, the author
tells us about the characters. The viewpoint of a character can make a story very
interesting because the reader is involved with a personality, not only with a plot.
Comprehension check
Writing
B. Write a paragraph of about 100 words based on the information given above.
Translation
TIẾNG VIỆT
1. Một dân tộc có mạnh thì tiếng nói của dân tộc ấy mới sống được. Nhưng tiếng
nói của dân tộc mất, thì dân tộc ấy cũng không còn.
2. Tiếng Việt quả là tiếng nói quật cường của một dân tộc quật cường.
3. Tiếng Việt còn là nhờ tinh thần bất khuất của dân tộc. Và dân tộc Việt Nam còn
là nhờ ở tiếng Việt còn.
4. Tiếng Việt tượng trưng sức sống mãnh liệt của dân Việt.
Notes:
PRESENTATION
Jack London’s life was not easy and long. He lived less than forty years; but he saw more
and did more during those years than many other men see and do in almost a century.
Jack London’s father was poor and there were many other children in the family. They
always needed money and the boy who was older than the other children had to help as
much as he could.
Like many other poor boys in California, Jack found work on the ships which went from
Africa to the countries of the East. But the ships paid the boy very little and when Jack
came back to California he had almost nothing. So he left home again to look for work in
the big cities, in the great forests and on the great lakes and rivers of Canada. He never
had a day’s rest and he worked from morning to night. But when the day’s work was over
he could hear a lot of interesting stories workers and their lives.
Grammar questions
1. Look at these examples:
- “The boy who was older than other children had to help as much as he could”.
- “The ships which went from Africa to the countries of the East”
What relative pronouns are used in above examples?
2. Are relative pronouns in the above sentence the subject or the objects?
PRACTICE
B. Mike is looking for the train station, but he has got lost so he asks a woman for
directions. Mike repeats the directions to check he understood them. Rewrite the
directions using a relative pronoun. Follow the example.
1. Woman: Turn left at the corner. The new bookshop is there.
Mike: Turn left at the corner where the new bookshop is.
2. Woman: You will be on a main road. It is very wide.
Mike: ______________________________________________________
3. Woman: Go straight down this road. It leads to the library.
Mike: ______________________________________________________
4. Woman: Just before the park, you will pass an old man. He sells newspapers.
Mike: _______________________________________________________
5. Woman: Cross the road. You will see some new buildings ahead. They are being
painted.
Mike: ______________________________________________________
6. Woman: The university is the big building. It is next to the new bookshop.
Mike: ______________________________________________________
Language review
1. Defining relative clauses identify the subject or object of the sentence. This
information makes it clearer to the reader or listener exactly what is being discussed.
He’s the man who wrote “An anthology of English literature”.
It’s a fiction story that interests children.
1.2 Who is used to talk about people:
Sandra is a dramatist. She has collected and analyzed slips of the tongue.
Sandra is a dramatist has collected and analyzed slips of the tongue.
1.3 That is used to talk about things, although we can also use which/ to talk about
things in a more formal way:
This is the conversation I studied it this morning.
This is the conversation that I studied this morning.
I want a book. I want it to have various personification.
I want a book which has various personification.
In informal, spoken English, that can also be used to talk about people:
There’s the novelist. I told you about her.
There’s the novelist that I told you about.
1.4 Whose takes the place of possessive pronouns like his and her, and is used to talk
about who owns the noun:
This is the philosopher. I borrowed his interesting book.
This is the philosopher whose book I borrowed.
1.5 Where is used to talk about places:
We must understand the context. The meaning of a sentence is uttered there.
We must understand the context where the meaning of a sentence is uttered.
1.6 When is used to talk about times?
It was February. His new books of sonnets and lyrics were published.
It was February when his new books of sonnets and lyrics were published.
1.7 These words, used to introduce the relative clause, are called relative pronouns.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrases in B
A B
a. essay 1. a collection of poems or pieces of writing on the
same subject or by the same writer.
b. authorship 2. a piece of writing, usually short, on any subjects.
c. pseudonym 3. a type of literature describing imaginary events and
people, not real ones.
d. manuscript 4. a plan or an outline of the events in play or novel.
e. plot 5. a person in a novel, play.
f. author 6. the identity of the write of a book.
g. character 7. the writer of a book, play.
h. fiction 8. a document, piece of music, etc that is written by
hand, not printed.
i. authology 9. a person’s name that is not her or his real name, esp
one used by an author, pseudonym.
B. By matching the numbers with the letters find the phrasal verbs with the meanings
given.
1 2 3
BE SIMILAR TO 6
LOOK RUN TURN CONTINUE 1
ESCAPE 2
4 5
EXPERIENCE H
SET SLIP EXTINGUISH 8
INVESTIGATE B
6 7 8 MAKE A 5
TAKE CARRY PUT MISTAKE
MANAGE F
9 10 REJECT 3
START A J
GO GET JOURNEY
A B C
D E
UP DOWN
F G H
BY OUT THROUGH
I J
ON OFF
1. If you’re finding it difficult to _________ on your salary, why don’t you ask for a
rise?
6. You’d better __________ your cigarette because smoking isn’t allowed in here.
7. If you ___________ working so hard, you’ll make yourself ill.
8. The advantage of __________ early is that you’ll be able to miss all the traffic.
9. Don’t ______________! I don’t want to borrow anything; I just want a quick word
with you.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
Work in pairs:
Reading
Writers and poets have always occupied a place of very high esteem in Vietnamese
society. Their writings reveal the spirit of the Vietnamese, as a nation and as individuals,
who, well acquainted with struggle, tribulation, and hardship, find their rich literary
heritage a source of comfort, hope and inspiration.
Many poems and literary works were written with the advent of Chữ Nôm. However the
Vietnamese found Quốc Ngữ’s simple written form a more accessible means of
communicating their thoughts and ideas. Through it, Vietnamese literature was enriched
with new ideas of Western thought and culture. European literature, translated for the first
time by famous Vietnamese writers, influenced Vietnamese prose and poetry with new
literary forms which expressed ideas in novel ways and also reflected the mounting
nationalism of the time.
THE TALE OF KIỀU: Nearly every Vietnamese reads and remembers a few chapters of
a 3,254 verse-story published 200 years ago. Considered the cultural Bible and window to
the soul of the Vietnamese people. “The Tale of Kiều” has also been acclaimed by non-
Vietnamese and translated into other major languages. One may wonder how “The Tale
of Kiều came to occupy its special position in Vietnamese literature and why the
complicated tale of a woman’s personal misfortunes has come to be regarded by a whole
people as the perfect expression of their essential nature, their national soul.
To the Vietnamese, regardless of age, gender, geography or ideology, Kiều is the heart
and mind of their nation, the mirror of their society, past and present. To them, its author,
Nguyễn Du is the faithful interpreter of their hopes and the discreet confidant of their
misfortunes.
But literary beauty and diversity alone cannot wholly explain the immortality of Kiều.
What makes Kiều as pertinent today as it was two centuries ago, is Nguyễn Du’s ability
and courage to lay bare the whole spectrum of Vietnamese society. The vices, virtues,
ugliness, beauty, noble acts, vile tricks, intrigues, all entangled in a seemingly hopeless
tragic-comedy reflect the true face of Vietnam. Kiều also personifies the inherent
contradiction between talent and misfortune of disaster, the cause and effect relationship
between Tài (talent) and Mệnh (fate) as illustrated by the tales opening lines:
“Within the span of a hundred years of human existence, what a bitter struggle is waged
between talent and fate”, and the conclusion: “When one is endowed with talent, do not
rely on it”.
Deep in their hearts and behind their smiling modesty, the Vietnamese know they are not
lacking in Tài. At the same time they do not understand why this Tài which has helped
them preserve their independence against formidable foreign invasions and enabled them
to develop and nurture a respectable culture and civilization, has failed to bring them the
lasting peace and durable prosperity deserve.
Comprehension check
Discussion
Work in groups
Listen to the text and fill in the blank with the missing words.
Reading is a very important activity growing c __________ for it brings the world
to their doorsteps. It also makes the task of learning more enjoyable. Children like d
_______________to to stories. We all are aware of this from our e ____________
experience. They like to see pictures for pictorial representation makes the whole
story vivid and f ___________. Beginning with fairly tales and children’s stories one
can progress to geographical and g________________ knowledge. Reading books of
every kind helps in the development of a child’s intelligence and personality. There are
books about birds, about social h ______________, about inventions, wild life or i
____________. They serve a purpose. They activate the intellectual curiosity of a person
and lead him to further reading. A person who reads a great deal will normally do well
in j a _______________ or a discussion; he or she will be in a position to organize
other activities and above all will never be lonely or solely k _____________ on human
company. A person who is fond of reading will stay away from l ________________
agitations and activities. It is more likely for such a person to develop greater
sensitivity and also greater appreciation of nature.
Translation
CHARACTER
What is character?
Methods of characterization
- Characters are explained the reader in terms of their behavior, speech, interaction,
and thoughts …
From these two main methods, there are five specific ways by which a writer can
portray his character:
a. by what the character says.
b. by his/her action.
c. by indicating his / her thoughts and feelings.
d. by the way he / she interacts with other character in the story.
e. by the way other people treat him / her in the story.
Types of character
1. Flat character
- Flat character is built on a single idea or quality. (Duong Tang in Tay Du Ky or Luc
Van Tien in Luc Van Tien)
- Flat character can be summed up in one sentence (Luc Van Tien is a young man of
virtue).
- Flat character is seen as static character (Its imaged is essentially unchanged form the
beginning to the end).
2. Round character
- Round character is more complex, more varied, full of changes, surprises and
unexpectedness.
- In most cases round character undergoes some changes in one or another aspect of
his/her personality or outlook as result of a crucial event in life.
- Round character has real effect: It has the unpredicted ability of life: life within the
pages of a book.
- The character must be believable. (His/ her speech and action must be consistent with
his/her background and motivation. A shoe boy does not talk and behave like a university
teacher).
PRESENTATION
Leo-Tolstoy is the famous Russian novelist, profound social and moral thinker, and one
of the greatest writers of realistic fiction of all time. He was born in 1828 at Yasnaya
Polyana, the family estate south of Moscow. He was orphaned at the age of 9, then raised
by relatives and educated by French and German tutors. After a brief, futile attempt to
improve the condition of the serfs on his estate, he plunged into the life of high society,
which he candidly recorded in his diary with vows to reform. In 1862 he met a woman
whom he loved at first sight and married her. In the next is years he raised a large family,
successfully managed his estate, and wrote his two greatest novels. “War and Peace”
(1865-1869) and “Anna Karenina” (1875-1877).
Grammar questions
1. What words do the relative clauses modify?
a. _____________which he candidly recorded in his diary with vows to reform”.
b. _____________ whom he loved at first sight and married her”
2. Are relative pronouns in the above sentences the subjects or the objects?
PRACTICE
A. Rewrite these sentences using whom or which
Follow the example.
1. Martha, who I share a flat with, is my best friend.
Martha, with whom I share a flat, is my best friend.
2. Philology Department, which we study in for 2 years, has been built for a few yeas.
______________________________________________________________
A B
a. lyric 1. a long poem about the deeds of great men and women, or
about a nation’s past history.
b. prose 2. expressing the writer’s feelings.
c. lyricism 3. writing arranged in line, often with a regular rhythm or
rhyme scheme, poetry.
d. lyricist 4. written or spoken language that is not in verse.
e. verse 5. the expression of strong emotion, esp in poetry, art,
music.
f. epic 6. a person who writes the words of songs.
B. In this exercise you must put each of the words below into the correct list depending
on its stress pattern.
1. ▼ 2. ▼
advertise
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
3. ▼
4. ▼
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................ ...............................................................
5. ▼ 6. ▼
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
........................................................
...............................................................
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
A lifetime actively involved in the revolutionary cause provided To Huu with the raw
material from which he crafted his stirring literary works.
At the age of 17 he led the Hue Democratic Youth League and was imprisoned by the
French. At 25, he was chairman of Thua Thien – Hue Province’s uprising board in the
1945 August Revolution. By 31, he was already an alternate member of the Party Central
Committee. This honour was followed by a position on its Secretariat (1958-1980), and
on the Politburo (1976-1986). He also served as director of the Nguyen Ai Quoc Party
School.
With his genuine talent and the volume, quality and far-reaching influence of his writing,
To Huu came to symbolize the essence of Vietnamese revolutionary poetry.
Many people encountering the values and ideals of the Vietnamese revolution were struck
by the lines:
To Huu welcomed peace with the Strong Wind collection, which celebrated what he saw
as the joy of the North as it constructed a socialist state, and the nation’s anxious
sentiments towards the South, which was languishing under the yoke of the US and its
puppet administration.
After the start of the 21-year struggle for national reunification, To Huu’s verses
symbolize the nation’s iron-clad determination:
But To Huu is perhaps best known for his many poems about President Ho Chi Minh.
Sang Thang Nam underscores the close bond that many Vietnamese people felt with Ho
Chi Minh.
Following Ho Chi Minh’s death in 1969, To Huu found words for the grief that many
people were unable to express.
It is as if he expressed love for the aged father of the nation on behalf of the Vietnamese
people.
To Huu’s poetry has left an indelible imprint on the life and times of Ho Chi Minh. It is
his single-minded devotion that makes him great: “Besides revolutionary activities, I
write poems, also for the revolutionary cause”. He has parted from us, but his verses will
remain forever.
4. What did To Huu’s poems effect patriotic fighters in the French colonial prisons?
6. What did To Huu express in his poems about President Ho Chi Minh?
Literature enriches life experiences. Give examples to prove that. Do you prefer
short stories or long novels?
Listening
Listen to these people talking about books and movies. Check (3) the best word
that describes what they say about each one.
a b c d
fascinating
silly
strange
wonderful
odd
boring
a b c d
boring
terrific
dreadful
ridiculous
interesting
exciting
Translation
POINT OF VIEW
- Point of view is a literary term that refers to the particular voice, angle of vision or
perspective from which the story is told.
- Point of view influences how the writer presents the information, describes
characters, setting, object etc…
a. Omniscent:
- The story is told by the writer, using the third person.
- The writer knows almost everything about their character and event: this all-knowing
narrator tells us not only what the characters are doing, saying but also what they are
thinking and feeling.
- The writer may give judgment of the characters and their actions.
- This point of view is subjective: the reader views the story through the subjective
writer.
- The reader sees the story from the point of view of one of the chosen characters.
- Things emerge before the reader as that chosen character can infer.
- This point of view is objective: the reader does not view the story through a
subjective writer.
- It gains a sense of unity: The world is seen through the mind and senses of only one
person.
- It offers a limited scope: The reader can go only where the chosen character goes.
- It gives a sense of unity: readers get the story directly from a participant. A modern
variation of the first person point of view is stream of consciousness: the narrator’s very
thoughts become the medium of the story.
d. Objective point of view:
- This point view is achieved through factual details which can be perceived by the
senses.
- The writer if the emotionless narrator: he reports in the matter-of-fact manner the
events of the story.
- Readers have to figure out for themselves what the narrator are like.
- It is objective: The reader views the story objectively through the external
details.
- It offers little chance for interpretation for it relies heavily on external action and
dialogue.
- We can determine and analyze the point of view by asking ourselves the following
questions:
+ Who tells the story?
+ Is the narrator consistent? If the point of view changes, can you explain why?
+ What inferences have you made about characters or action from the narration?
+ How would the story be different if it were told from another point of view?
PRESENTATION
Read the passage carefully
All of us here in the village as fishermen. My father was a fisherman. He began to take
me out or see when I was very small. I met Hemingway in 1933. He was my father’s
friend. They often went fishing together and sometimes I went with them. Hemingway
was a good fisherman and a skillful sailor.
Once, Hemingway came to me and asked me to act in a film of his book “The Old Man
and The Sea”. He said that he wanted everything and all the characters in the film to be as
they were in real life. He thought the actor who played the old man didn’t know anything
about fishing and said I could take the actor’s place in the part where he caught the fish.
I was very glad to do it. But acting wasn’t easy for me. I tried as hard as I could, but the
film director and Hemingway was not satisfied. After having tried many times, finally
succeeded in acting that film.
Grammar questions
1. How many sentences can be turned into Direct Speech in the passage?
2. Turn these sentences into Direct Speech.
3. Give the rules when turning Direct sentence into Indirect sentences.
PRACTICE
A. Last year, Melissa tried to get a job as an assistant in a camera shop.
This is what she told the manager who interviewed her.
However, after she started work the manager found out she had lied to all the questions
at the interview. Report the lies that Melissa had told the manager. Follow the example.
1. She told the manager she was 23 years old, but she wasn’t.
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________
9. _____________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________
B. One evening while Sam was listening to the radio he heard this news report.
“There has been another bank robbery in the city. It is the third robbery in less than a
week. The robber escaped with a lot of money and a lady’s expensive jewelry. No one
was injured during the robbery. Video cameras filmed the man while he was taking the
money. Police think that the same man did all three robberies. They have a description of
the man. He is about 30 years old and about 1.6 metres tall. At the time of this robbery he
was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and white running shoes. The police would like
anyone who recognizes this man to ring them”.
Later Sam’s Friend Julia asked him about the news report. Complete Sam’s answers.
Follow the example.
1. Julia: What was on the news last night?
Sam: There was a report that said there had been another bank robbery in the city.
2. Julia: Another one! There have been a lot of robberies recently.
Sam: Yes, the reporter said ______________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. Julia: Did the robber steal much money?
Sam: Yes, they said ___________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
I thought the novelist would be able to write some more interesting books.
1. When we want to report what someone says, we can do it in two ways. The first way is
direct speech, using the words that were actually said. In writing, we use quotation
marks (“…”) to show this type of speech. We usually use verbs like say or think in
front of, or after, the speech. When someone is saying something to another person, we
can use tell:
“I am going to buy some English novels of the nineteenth century”. She said.
“I want you to read Rudyard Kipling’s best known books,” she told him.
2. The other way se can talk about what someone says is by using indirect or reported
speech. In indirect speech we do not use quotation marks. The tenses, word order,
pronouns, and other words may be different from those used in direct speech. We can
also add that between the reporting verb (said, thought, told) and the reported speech:
“I’ll be a publisher” he told her. He told her (that) he would be a publisher.
“I like the work by Izaak Walton” she said. She said (that) she liked the work by
Izaak Walton.
2. Tenses almost always change when we use reported speech. This is how most
tenses change.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B.
A B
d. description 1. a play for the theatre, radio or television.
h. dramatis personae 2. a light or amusing play or film, usu with a happy
ending.
b. comedy 3. a writer of play.
f. tragedy 4. saying in words what sb/sth is like.
e. scene 5. a sequence of continuous action in a play.
a. drama 6. a serious play with a sad ending.
B. Emphasis
Sometimes you want to be able to say something in a stronger way. Complete the
dialogues below using one of the following strong adjectives :
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Reading
THE DRAMA
The drama is yet another activity which helps develop and express human personality. It
adds an extra-dimension to the relationship between human beings. Men and women who
are normally shy and introvert may emerge as entirely different beings on the stage.
Drama gives them an opportunity to shed or camouflage their inner beings and for a short
while acquire a brand new extrovert personality.
The drama is in many ways a direct offshoot of reading. Those who read a great deal
possess active imaginations and may indulge in a lot of play-acting in the privacy of their
study. Moreover, being always on the look out for good plays and good roles, they may
read a lot.
There is another aspect to the drama. It develops confidence and a young child can
get rid of the initial stage shyness more easily than an adult. An appearance on the stage
also gives the child a sense of importance. Applause brings him recognition; a role
confers an identity. More than this, appearance on the stage also helps them to relate to
others. In some ways it is an effective check on inflated ego. Rehearsals are as much a
team work as any sports event and every actor is quick to realize that the success or the
failure does not depend on any single person. It is the result of a combined effort. Thus
the drama helps both the shy and the out-going to arrive at a balance in their personalities.
Comprehension check
Discussion
Work in groups.
1. According to the author is drama the only way for us to relax? Why?
2. What are the most significant benefits for students taking part in a drama?
3. Do you think team work is necessary for us? Reasons.
Listening
Listen to the following text and fill in the blanks with the missing words.
THE PLAY
Writing
As a poet, describe a scene that moved you to write a poem. You might need to do some
research to get additional information for your composition. Add a diagram or picture to
your composition, if one will help the reader understand your description. Plan out your
composition before you start writing.
Translation
SETTING
I. What is setting?
Setting refers to the background against which the action of the story takes place. It
involves the place, time, social and physical environment of a story.
- Time: The theme of the story: It may cover several years, the whole historical period,
or just an evening.
- Social environment: Readers have an insight into a particular society through the
description of the manners, customs or rules of that society.
- Setting suggests action: readers may come away with certain expectations or feeling
suggested by the setting.
- Setting helps express the theme: A skillful writer emphasizes the theme by providing
the most appropriate surrounding for it.
- Setting helps reveal the character’s personality, his/her will to live or limits of
strength can be tested through his / her response to the environment at some crucial
moment in his/her life.
- Setting helps create the atmosphere of the story. A setting may suggest cheerfulness,
excitement, fear, mystery or sadness.
- Setting help make a story believable: the writer uses the details describing scenes,
places, people… which serve as the representation of the story and strike readers as real
within the context of the story.
In summary, setting is not there just for the decoration. Instead it is real participant in
the action and of vital importance to the development of the character.
QUESTIONS IN INDIRECT SPEECH
PRESENTATION
Read the passage carefully
Once Mark Twain arrived at a small town. He was to give a lecture there. Before dinner
he went to a barber’s shop. The barber asked him if he was a stranger in that town and he
answered he had just arrived there. And the barber continued to ask him if he would go to
Mark Twain’s lecture because Mark Twain was going to give a lecture tonight and asked
whether he had booked a ticket yet.
Mark Twain said that he had not ticket for the lecture. The barber said that he was afraid
Mark Twain would have to stand because the theatre tickets had been sold out. Mark
Twain smiled and said that he always had to stand when he gave a lecture.
Grammar questions
1. Pick out indirect questions from the passage.
2. Look at the indirect questions in the passage. What word has been added? What
form of questions is this?
3. Complete the rule
PRACTICE
A. Change these direct questions into reported questions. Write your answers on the
lines provided. Follow the example.
1. “Did you enjoy the book about Jane Austen?” he asked me.
_____________________________________________________________
2. “Is your teacher here today?” she asked me.
_____________________________________________________________
3. “Have you been here long?” they asked us.
_____________________________________________________________
4. “Do they always compose interesting poems?” he asked.
_____________________________________________________________
5. “Are these your essays?” she asked me
_____________________________________________________________
6. “Were you in the workshop yesterday?” the boy asked me.
_____________________________________________________________
7. “Does she have a dictionary now?” he asked.
_____________________________________________________________
8. “Will you give me the book by Gareth Lloyd Evans?” she asked him.
_____________________________________________________________
9. “Do you know when you’ll have time to see me?” Helen asked Roger.
_____________________________________________________________
10. “Which story do you prefer – the fairy or the historical one?” the salesman asked
me.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
B. Several years ago, Michael joined a club which arranges dinners for single, young
people. He had to fill in a form and answer questions about himself. His friend Brad
wants to know about the questions on the form. Look at the form and complete
Michael’s. Answers. Follow the example.
Language review
1. When we report questions we change various words (tenses, personal pronouns,
possessive adjectives, here-and-now words) in the same way as in reported speech.
However, in reported or indirect questions the word order may also change and we do
not use a question mark.
2. When we report “yes/no” questions, we use if or whether in the reported statement:
“Did the popular sonnets and lyrics express real feelings?”
He asked them if/whether the popular sonnets and lyrics had expressed real feelings.
3. When we report questions that contain a question word, we include the question word
in the reported statement. Note that the subject of the question is moved:
“When did many imitators of Chaucer appear?”
She asked them when many imitators had appeared.
VOCABULARY
A. Match a term in A with a phrase in B
A B
a. poet 1. a piece of creative writing in verse esp one expressing deep
feelings.
b. laureats 2. a writer of poem.
c. poetic justice 3. a poet officially appointed to write poem for state occasion.
d. poetic licence 4. the freedom to change the normal rules of language who
writing verse.
Here are some examples of jokes which some people find quite amusing. (Other people
think they are just silly).
Match the question on the left with the answer on the right.
5. Where does a large gorilla sit when it goes to the e. Time to get a new one.
theatre?
7. If your clock strikes thirteen, what time is it? g. The letter “g”
8. What can you make but can’t see? h. A table
12. What’s the best thing to put in a fruit cake? l. Anywhere it wants to.
14. Will you still love me when I’m not beautiful n. I don’t know. He won’t tell
any more? me.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Pre-reading task
Reading
THE POETRY
Of prancing poetry.
Here is a paraphrase of the poem: There are no ships that can take us to faraway places
the way that a book can, nor are there any fast horses that can compare to the excitement
of poetry. A trip (within a book) is available to even the poorest of people with out any
cost. How careful with money is the carrier of the human spirit. It doesn’t cost much to
read; the rewards are great.
Notice that there are sentences that are turned around, unusual words like courser and
chariot and that there is a beat, called the meter, to the poem. The poet was also careful to
rhyme the last words of every other line (away and poetry, toll and soul). The message of
the poem is also appropriate; the message of a poem is often a simple thought like this
one.
Robert Frost, another famous American poet, wrote many poems about the rural life. He
took simple scenes from everyday life and added ideas to them. One example is the
following poem. On the surface it is a thought by a man who stops along a country road
to watch the snow fall, but there is a second level of meaning – that there is much to do in
the rest of one’s life.
1. What could snow mean besides white flakes from the sky?
________________________________________________________________
Writing
Explain each of them and express your opinion about the attitude of the poet. And
what do you think of war? Is it necessary?
Listening
1. a) science fiction
b) 9 action movie
2. a) musical
b) comedy
3. a) horror movie
b) love story
4. a) science fiction
b) comedy
5. a) musical
b) Western
6. a) action movie
b) science fiction
Translation
THEME
I. What is theme?
Theme refers to the point or meaning of the story, the attitude or personal values that
promoted the author to write the story. It is the writer’s revelation about life of human
being stated or implied in the work.
To determine the theme of a story, we can ask ourselves what the truth about the world
and people the story reveals, what its central insight is, what view of life it offers.
We can start the search for theme with an analysis of the elements of a fiction work
because the theme itself is the unifying force that links the various elements of a story
together. Also the theme can be seen as successful when it is supported by the other
factors in the work.
The reader’s interpretation of the theme of a story may be influenced by his /her own
experiences or his/her personality. So the meaning he derives from the story may be as
new and important as what the writer intends. Yet, he/she is expected to base his/her
interpretation on the proofs that exist within the story.
Not all stories have theme. A ghost story may be just intended to scare the reader or to
provide suspense. The purpose of a murder story may be just to pose a problem to
challenge the reader to find out the answer. Theme exists only when the writer has
something to say about life and people and intends to use his/her story to illustrate it.
Theme/subject: A subject is what the story is about. A theme shows what the story says
about the subject.
Theme/topic: A topic is what an essay is about. A theme reveals a truth about the topic.
Themes usually deal with general areas of human experiences such as love, death,
marriage, freedom, the nature of man and society, the relationship of man to the
environment, the ethical or moral responsibilities… In brief, these are the problems that
confront people in their daily life.
KEY CONCEPTS
PLOT
I. What is plot?
c. Crisis: The leading character is forced to make the biggest and most important
decision.
d. Climax:
a. The facts:
What, in a few sentences, is the content of the story?
b. Previous events:
How are they introduced?
c. Initiating force:
What action gets things under way?
d. Conflict:
What is the problem?
e. Climax:
Where does the “turn” in the action occur?
f. Solution:
Is the conflict resolved or not?
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
- Figurative language includes words and impressions that are not taken in the literal
sense.
- It enables readers to get at the mood of the writer or to have profound understanding
of what is meant.
- With just a few words, the writer can communicate volumes about feelings and
expressions.
UNIT 2
concept (n) khái niệm
directory (n) sách chỉ dẫn
language analytic (phr) ngôn ngữ phân tích tính
literal (adj) theo nghĩa đen
literary (adj) thuộc về văn học
literate (adj) biết đọc, biết viết
literati (n) giới nhà văn, nhà nghiên cứu
văn học
persuasive (adj) thuyết phục
poetic language (n) ngôn ngữ văn chương
semantics (n) ngữ nghĩa học
stylistics (n) phong cách học
synthetic language (phr) ngôn ngữ tổng hợp
world language (phr) ngôn ngữ thế giới
UNIT 3
communication (n) giao tiếp
definite (adj) rõ nghĩa
human language (phr) ngôn ngữ loài người
information (n) thông tin
linguistic competence (phr) khả năng sử dụng ngôn ngữ
linguistic performance (phr) tiềm năng ngôn ngữ
linguistic theory (phr) lý thuyết ngôn ngữ
listener (n) người nghe
modern linguistics (phr) ngôn ngữ hiện đại
sociolinguistics (n) ngôn ngữ xã hội học
speaker (n) người nói
standard form (phr) dạng chuẩn
system (n) hệ thống
UNIT 4
agglutinative language (phr) ngôn ngữ chắp dính
descriptive linguistics (phr) ngôn ngữ học miêu tả
development (n) sự phát triển
dialect (n) tiếng địa phương
euphemism (n) uyển ngữ
general linguistics (phr) ngôn ngữ học đại cương
isolated language (phr) ngôn ngữ đơn lập
language activity (phr) hoạt động ngôn ngữ
linguistic practice (phr) thực hành ngôn ngữ
machine translation (phr) dịch máy
parent language (phr) ngôn ngữ cơ sở
psycholinguistics (n) ngôn ngữ tâm lý học
source language (phr) ngôn ngữ nguồn
speech errors (phr) lỗi lời nói
target language (phr) ngôn ngữ đích
UNIT 5
abbreviation (n) chữ viết tắt
announcement (n) thông báo
capacity (n) năng lực
contemporaries (n) bạn đồng nghiệp (báo chí).
description (n) sự mô tả
dictionary (n) từ điển
form (n) hình thức
gloss (n) lời chú giải
goal (n) mục tiêu
knowledge (n) kiến thức
linguagranca (n) ngôn ngữ chung
penetrate (v) thấm nhuần
structure (n) cấu trúc
volume (n) tập
UNIT 6
UNIT 7
applied linguistics (phr) ngôn ngữ học ứng dụng
bound morpheme (phr) hình vị phụ thuộc
disruption (n) gián đoạn
essay (n) tiểu luận
free morpheme (phr) hình vị tự do
functional linguistics (phr) ngôn ngữ học chức năng
language policy (phr) chính sách ngôn ngữ
lecture (n) thuyết trình
morpheme (n) hình vị
press (n) nhà xuất bản
pun (n) chơi chữ
subject – prominent language (phr) ngôn ngữ thiên chủ ngữ
terminology (n) thuật ngữ
theme-prominent language (phr) ngôn ngữ đề-thuyết
UNIT 8
adequate (adj) tương xứng
conference (n) hội nghị
drama (n) kịch
fiction (n) tiểu thuyết
gradation (n) sự phân đoạn
literature (n) văn học
naturalism (n) chủ nghĩa tự nhiên
nuance (n) sắc thái
personification (n) nhân cách hóa
poetic (adj) thuộc về thơ ca
poetry (n) thơ ca
proverb (n) tục ngữ, châm ngôn
realism (n) chủ nghĩa hiện thực
romanticism (n) chủ nghĩa lãng mạn
surrealism (n) chủ nghĩa siêu thực
symbolism (n) chủ nghĩa tượng trưng
tendency (n) khuynh hướng
UNIT 9
action (n) hành động
ambiguous word (phr) từ mơ hồ
antagonist (n) vai phản diện
central character (phr) nhân vật trung tâm
character (n) nhân vật
climax (n) cực điểm
conflict (n) mâu thuẫn
desire (n) sự mong muốn
idea (n) ý tưởng
meaningful (adj) nhiều nghĩa
meaningless (n) sự vô nghĩa
plot (n) bố cục
protagonist (n) vai chính diện
sequence (n) sự liên tiếp
short story (phr) chuyện ngắn
structure (n) cấu trúc
theme (n) chủ đề
topic (n) đề tài
UNIT 10
abstract (adj) trừu tượng
author (n) tác giả
characterization (n) đặc điểm
emblem (n) biểu trưng
emotional (adj) xúc động
forceful (adj) có hiệu quả
humane (adj) nhân văn
imagination (n) tưởng tượng
lyric (n) thơ trữ tình
metaphor (n) phép ẩn dụ
novelist (n) người viết tiểu thuyết
portray (v) mô tả
pseudonym (n) bí danh
publish (v) xuất bản
purpose (n) mục đích
report (n) bài báo
rhyme (n) vần
symbol (n) hình tượng
UNIT 11
UNIT 12
analyze (v) phân tích
coherence (n) mạch lạc
determine (v) quyết định
epic (n) sử thi
inference (n) suy luận
omniscient (adj) thông suốt
paragraph (n) đoạn văn
prose (n) văn xuôi
setting (n) bối cảnh
summary (n) tóm tắt
unity (n) đoàn kết
verse (n) khổ thơ
REFERENCE
*
* *
Giáo trình “ANH NGỮ CHUYÊN NGÀNH NGỮ VĂN 2” của Tổ Ngoại ngữ chuyên
ngành trường Đại học Sư phạm Tp. Hồ Chí Minh (Triển khai giảng dạy thí điểm, lưu
hành nội bộ năm học 2003-2004). Ban Ấn Bản PHNB sao chụp 600 quyển, xong ngày 25
tháng 9 năm 2003.