and communication

Topic talk
1 Look at the picture and answer the questions.
a How long have you been learning English?
b What for you is the most difficult thing about learning English?
c Have you learnt any other foreign languages apart from English?
d How important is it to learn a foreign language?
e What is the most effective way to learn a language?

2 Complete the opinions (a-j) with a word from the box.

common ■ dead ■ face-to-face ■ first ■ cross-cultural

minority ■ non-verbal ■ official ■ second ■ written

a _______
minority languages will die out unless people make an effort to
protect them.
b If English is your _______
first language, you will have greater
opportunities in life.
c The reason people can find _______
cross-cultural communication difficult is
due to different behaviour and values rather than the language barrier.
d _______
face-to-face communication using technology like video
conferencing and webcam is the same as talking to someone in the flesh.
e When nations share a _______
common language, they are likely to have
good relations.
f Children who are taught a __ ____ _ language from an early age
second
are far more likely to become fluent.
g There is no point in learning a _______
dead language like Latin.
h The decline in the standards of _______ communication and
literacy skills in general is due to an increase in text messaging and social
networking amongst young people.
i All citizens of a country should be forced to learn the _______
language even if it is not their mother tongue.
j Body language, facial expression and other _______
communication skills are more important than speech in conveying
emotions.
 Unit 4
I Speaking skills
Part 3: Agreeing and disagreeing
I 1 Look at the list of ways of communicating.
a Which do you _use on a regular (daily) basis?
b Which do you'tise regularly but not every day?
c Which did you used to use more regularly than you do now?
d Which do you think you will not use as much in the future?
e Which have you never used?
- text messaging
- telephone calls from a landline
- telephone calls on a mobile b d
- handwritten letters
- fax e Telephone calls from a landline seems easy to use as well as
- email very public that everyone can use it without concern.
- typed or word-processed letters However, when many kinds of communication like social
- social networking networking or instant messaging develop,
- instant messaging a,c

2 What are the benefits and drawbacks of each type of communication in 1?

Use the ideas below to help you.
Example
Text messaging is a convenient and immediate form of communication but it can be
too informal for some situations and messages can be deleted v,ny easily.
- easy to use - behind the times
- convenient - interactive
- public - temporary
- time-consuming - confidential
- personal - slow
- costly - impersonal
- immediate - formal
- easily deleted - harmful
- permanent - informal

Part 2: Making notes

3 Read the Part 2 task card below and answer the questions.
a What is the main topic?
b What tense are you expected to use for the most part?

Describe an important letter you received.

You should say
- who it was from
- when you received it
- what it was about
and explain why it was important to you.
 Language and communication
4 I 1 .30 Listen to a candidate doing the task As you listen, note down what he says
■
■
about each of the main points on the task card. Write only the important points.
Example
Who it was from: boss

5 Listen again. What extra details does he add?

Example
formal lette1; interview a few weeks before

6 Look at the notes that the candidate wrote to prepare for the same task Did the
candidate mention all the points on the card? How similar are the notes to the
ones you made as you listened?

- boss - formal letter -job offe.r It's my boss's formal letter that responsed
about the job offer that I've requested a year
- las:t April. long wait afte.r interview, thought it wa� reJedion ago. It was sent to me in last April and upon
receiving it, I thought it was rejection. In
- �hort, !:tart date. pay. invite to 1-fR dept
summary, the letter was short, it included
- firs:tjob - plea�. wanted job. �urpri�ed. excited start date, details of pay and an invitation to
HR dept. It marked my first time going for a
job interview so it's really crucial and I'm
7 Read the task card below and answer the questions.
really satisfied to gain my wanted job.
a What is the main topic?
b What tense are you expected to use for the most part?

Talk about a person you regularly communicate with but don't often see.
You should say
my pupil that I've trained to attend the excellent student contest.
- who the person is
Her home was located in my neighborhood but I am really
- how you communicate with them lethargic to train directly. I communicate with her on a social
- what you communicate about platform called Zalo which was founded by Vietnamese. We
and explain why communication with this personmainly discuss about
is important to you.English matters like linguistic exercises
like how this is wrong as well as the details of the contest,
sometimes I give her my real experience of that. On account of
8 being a tutor so I consider this communication very important,
Take one minute to prepare. Make a note of the main
Thatideas
is because that is my first time teaching other so I think I
and key words first. Then in the remaining time add any details.
should take it Use your notes
seriously.
to speak for two minutes on the topic.

Technique
You will be given one minute to prepare for your talk so use this time wisely. Make
notes of the main points and key vocabulary and refer to these as you talk to help you
remember.
 Unit 4
■ Pronunciation

■ Word linking 2
1 , 1.31 Listen to the following extracts from the Speaking task on page 35.
Complete the extracts with TWO WORDS in each gap.
a I'd like to talk about a _______ received last year.
b I had been _______ interview a few weeks before ...
c I remember _______ to my family that I hadn't got it ...
d I almost didn't _______ reading it!
e The _______ was quite short.
f What I remember most is being _______ as it was my first job
offer ...

Technique
When one word ends in a vowel sound and the following word starts with a vowel
sound, we often link the two together by adding an extra 'intruding' sound. The intrusive
sounds are /j/, /r/ and /w/.

2 Listen again. There is an extra sound linking the two words together. What is
_ the extra sound in each case? Practise saying the extracts, paying particular
attention to the linking.

3 Identify and mark the intrusive sounds in the questions below,

as in the example.
a Howvoften do you check you1vemail inbox?
Do you think this is toq_pften?
b Are there any minority languages in your country?
Are they in danger of extinction?
c How effective are your oral communication skills? What can you do to
improve them?
d Does mobile technology make it easier or more difficult to switch off from
study or work?
e Is your own language difficult for other language speakers to learn?
f How are languages best learnt? Are they easier to learn when you are
young?

4 ) 1 .32 Listen to the questions in 3 and repeat them.

5 With a partner, ask and answer the questions.