MODULE 2-1. ENGLISH AS A CONTACT LANGUAGE OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Unit 2-1. PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Guidelines for extensive reading of ESP texts
Extensive reading of ESP texts has not been emphasized in traditional English as a foreign or second language teaching. In Ukraine English instruction at the university level is usually the intensive reading course, which implies close study of short passages, including syntactic, semantic, and lexical analyses along with translation to study meaning. A plausible definition of extensive reading as a language learning procedure is that it is reading: (1) of larger quantities of material or longer texts; (2) for general understanding; (3) with the intention of gaining specific experience and acquiring special information from the text. (4) Extensive reading is individualized, with students being offered a choice of texts they would want to read; (5) the texts may or may not be discussed in class.
Text 2-1. PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
(Based on David Graddol’s English Next. Why global English may mean the end of English as a Foreign Language)
More people than ever are on the move. Between 1960 and 2000 the total number of international migrants had doubled to 175 million, representing nearly 3% of the world’s population. Many migrants seek a better life in one of the more developed countries which encourage the immigration of skilled workers to counterbalance their ageing workforce. This is changing the social and linguistic mix of the destination countries.
For example, London is now widely regarded as the most multilingual city in the world – a study in 2000 found that children in London schools spoke over 300 languages.
Historically, the movement of people has been the main reason for language spread. It still has important linguistic consequences today.