VOIR AUSSI:
Place de l'anglais dans le monde

THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD

By the year 2002, an estimated one and a half billion people (a quarter of the world's population) will speak English. For some 400 million people - the majority of whom will be living in the United States and the United Kingdom - English will be their first language. But for another 1.1 billion, English will be a second or third language essential tot their professional and their personal lives.

English is becoming the language of choice for business, science and popular culture. Three quarters of the world's mail, for example, is written in English, as is up to 80% of the electronic mail on the Internet.

Soon, more people will speak English as a foreign language than speak it as their mother tongue.

"There has never been a language spoken by so many people in so many palces," says Professor Davis Crystal - author of the Cambridge Encyclopediae of the English Language. But why is English rising above all of the world's other tongues?

There are no clear linguistic reasons for English's global dominance.

The grammar is complicated, the pronunciation is eccentric, and the spelling peculiar. But as Crystal says, "logic is not essential when choosing a global language. A language becomes powerful when a nation becomes powerful".
This power may be military or cultural or economic... Wave dollar bills in front of someone, and they will learn complicated spelling and grammar..."

Time, July 2000

I) COMPREHENSION
A- underline the right answer:

a) This document is
- an extract from a novel
- a magazine article
- an advert

b) This document is about:
- the predominance of English in the world
- The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English language
- foreign languages in English-speaking countries


B- Underline the correct answers or complete with information from the document:
1 - By 2002, English will be spoken by
- three hundred million people
- 25% of the human race
- half of the world population

2- Most English speakers will live in
a).............................
b).............................

3 - English is becoming the international language for
a)...............................
b) ..............................
c)...............................

4- ..................% of the world's mail and ............ fifths of the electronic mail is written in English.

5 - Soon, more and more people will speak English as their mother tongue because .............................................................

6- What are the linguistic reasons that make English a difficult language to learn?
a) .................................................
b) .................................................
c) .................................................

7- English is popular because of
a) the influence of the UK
b) the influence of the USA
c) Professor Crystal

8- the world influence of the English language is due to ................................................................



C- VOCABULARY
Find equivalents in the text for:
1- un milliard
2- le courrier:
3- bientôt:
4- langue maternelle:
5- l'orthographe
6- puissant(e)
7- le pouvoir/la puissance
8- agiter
9- les billets de dollar
10- apprendre

II- COMPETENCES LINGUISTIQUES
A/ NUMBERS
Write down in letters the following numbers:
a) 2002
b) 1,500,000
c) 400
d) 3/4
e) 80%
f) 2000

B/ GRAMMAR
a) Find and underline two expressions of the future in the text.

b) Comment se forme le futur en anglais? ....................................

c) Make one personal sentence using the future tense:
...........................................................................................

III - PRODUCTION ECRITE. Write 6 lines about:

Do you consider that English takes too much importance in the world today? Justify your answer.

OR

Do you enjoy learning, speaking and listening to English? Justify your answer.

CORRIGE

I) COMPREHENSION
A- underline the right answer:

a) This document is
- a magazine article

b) This document is about:
- the predominance of English in the world


B- Underline the correct answers or complete with information from the document:
1 - By 2002, English will be spoken by
- 25% of the human race


2- Most English speakers will live in
a) the United States
b) the United Kingdom

3 - English is becoming the international language for
a) business
b) science
c) popular culture

4- 75 % of the world's mail and four fifths of the electronic mail is written in English.

5 - Soon, more and more people will speak English as their mother tongue because it is essential to their professional and their personal lives.

6- What are the linguistic reasons that make English a difficult language to learn?
a) the grammar is complicated
b) the pronunciation is eccentric.
c) the spelling is peculiar

7- English is popular because of
a) the influence of the UK

8- The world influence of the English language is due to the dominance of the USA.



C- VOCABULARY
Find equivalents in the text for:
1- un milliard: one billion
2- le courrier: mail
3- bientôt: soon
4- langue maternelle: mother tongue
5- l'orthographe: spelling
6- puissant(e): powerful
7- le pouvoir/la puissance: dominance
8- agiter: to wave
9- les billets de dollar: dollar bills
10- apprendre: learn

II- COMPETENCES LINGUISTIQUES
A/ NUMBERS
Write down in letters the following numbers:
a) 2002 = two thousand two
b) 1,500,000 = one million five hundred thousand
c) 400 = four hundred
d) 3/4 = three fourths
e) 80% = eighty per cent
f) 2000 = two thousand

B/ GRAMMAR
a) Find and underline two expressions of the future in the text.
WILL BE LIVING
WILL BE

b) Comment se forme le futur en anglais?
WILL + BV
WILL + BE + V-ing

c) Make one personal sentence using the future tense:
When I'm rich, I will buy a big castle.