English for Human Resources

Seminar 1.

Make a diagram (spidergram) to illustrate the peculiarities of West-Saxon culture. You may concentrate on one aspect (e.g., family, religion, houses, clothing, etc.) or some of them. State (include in your diagram|spidergram) 7 facts you think are interesting.

Seminar 2.

Write a 10-sentence story about runes. Imagine you have to explain what runes are to primary school children (at an English school, of course).

Seminar 3.

Make up 5 multiple choice tests on Old English Morphology. E.g.:

1. In Old English the category of tense of the verb had …. members.

a) four;

b) three;

c) two;

d) five.

Seminar 4.

Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/society_01.shtml. Write a summary of the text English and Norman Society by Dr. Mike Ibeji.

Seminar 5.

Make a chart. The columns: the historical event which influenced the development of the English language; the linguistic consequences. Choose 5 events.

4. Listening questions.

The audiofile The Common Tongue is a record of a book on the history of the English language (sorry, I do not tell you the title of the book and its author in order not to tempt you to search the web for the printed copy). Listen and answer the questions. The information you will hear may be included in you module tests and referred to at seminars. Your answers are due 6 March, 2014.

1.According to the author, there were to groups of the newcomers to the British Isles in the 5^th c.? What were they? How were their intentions different?

2.Did the Celts give up easily? What consequences did their resistance have for the Celtic language?

3.What feature of the English language is described as ruthless? Why?

4.What language is referred to as a “parent” of the English language? Why?

5.Why does the author mention Sanskrit?

6.Romans came back. But not with a sword. What does the author mean? What historical event is being referred to?

5. Video materials

You are to watch one of the parts in the series of programmes about the history of the English language “The Adventure of English” (Part 1. The Birth of Language). Do the tasks to ensure your ‘watching’ (listening) comprehension. Your answers are due 6 March, 2014.

TASK 1. Answer the questions.

a. Why does the presenter begin his survey of the birth of the EL in Friesland, the northern province of the Netherlands?

b. Why is the number of Celtic borrowings limited in the EL? What words of the Celtic origin does the author mention?

c. How many words were there in OE?

d. What does the author mean by ‘layering of words’ as one of the specific features of English?

e. Who wrote the first ever history of the English people?

f. What is the ‘poetic energy’ of OE attributed to?

g. What is the significance of the Monastery of the Lindisfarne for the English language? What happened to it?

h. Why is King Alfred considered to be the defender of the EL? What are his achievements?

i. The white horse was carved after … .

j. What were runes mainly used for?

k. What did Alfred intend to do to promote literacy and restore the English language?

l. Why and when was the territory of the British Isles divided into two parts? What were the conditions of the treaty?

m. Name the borrowings from Old Norse (Danish) mentioned in the story.

n. What was the influence of Old Norse on English grammar?

o. What groups of words (in terms of meaning – semantics) came into the English language after the Norman Conquest?

TASK 2. Match the statements TRUE (T) or FALSE (F).

a. Pevensey castle is a Celtic fortress in the south of Britain.

b. The Kentish dialect was more prominent than the others in OE and gave rise to what we now call English.

c. Runes contained only straight lines to be carved into wood or stone.

d. The Germans brought the Latin characters (letters) with them.

e. With the beginning of the Scandinavian invasions the only kingdom to resist the conquerors was Wessex.

f. William, the Duke of Normandy, thought he had the right to claim the throne of England.

English for Human Resources

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1315