Learn English with BBC Podcasts

• ☐ ☐ ☐ appalled [adj] - horrified, strongly dislike
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an analysis [n] - a detailed examination or study
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an 18-year low [exp] - the lowest point within 18 years
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a drive [n] - a desire
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a decline [n] - a reduction
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a critical tipping point [exp] - an important moment when something changes a lot
• ☐ ☐ ☐ tolerant [adj] - accepting something that one does not agree with
• ☐ ☐ ☐ globally mobile [exp] - able to move around the world
• ☐ ☐ ☐ culture ambassadors [n] - people who represent a culture or country
• ☐ ☐ ☐ Mandarin [n] - the main language of China
• ☐ ☐ ☐ pupils [n] - students
• ☐ ☐ ☐ flourish [v] - develop rapidly and successfully
• ☐ ☐ ☐ scrap [v] - throw away, cancel
• ☐ ☐ ☐ weigh up [phv] - choose between

[n] - noun,  [v] - verb,  [phv] - phrasal verb,  [adj] - adjective,  [exp] - expression

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1. The woman begins the news story by speaking German and French.
   True
   False
   
   
2. Foreign language learning in schools in England is at an all-time low point.
   True
   False
   
   
3. The two students at Cardiff University are losing their ability to speak German.
   True
   False
   
   
4. The student thinks that German in not an important language anymore because of Brexit.
   True
   False
   
   
5. The study of both German and French as second languages seems to be declining in England.
   True
   False
   
   
6. 75% of the world's population doesn't speak English.
   True
   False
   
   
7. Professor Gorrara says that second language learning helps people be more tolerant of other cultures.
   True
   False
   
   
8. Professor Gorrara suggests that second language learning will help students in their professional careers.
   True
   False
   
   
9. Professor Gorrara states that second language learning improves your use of your first language.
   True
   False
   
   
10. Many students think that studying other European languages is too easy.
    True
    False
    
    
11. Languages such as Mandarin and Spanish are becoming more popular in England.
    True
    False
    
    
12. Some people think that English students should focus on learning the languages of the countries that are closest to England.
    True
    False
    
    

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Directions: Write sentences about the video clip using the words given. You can change the word form or add words, but you cannot change the word order.
( ) = optional   [ ] = necessary

Instrucciones: Escriba oraciones sobre el videoclip usando las palabras dadas. Puede cambiar la forma de la palabra o agregar palabras, pero no puede cambiar el orden de las palabras.

Instruções:: Escreva orações sobre o videoclipe usando as palavras-chave. Você pode alterar a forma da palavra ou adicionar palavras, mas não pode alterar a ordem das palavras.

지시 : 주어진 단어를 사용하여 비디오 클립에 대한 문장을 씁니다. 어형을 변경하거나 단어를 추가할 수 있지만 어순은 변경할 수 없습니다.

woman / start / podcast / ask / two / simple / question / German / French

The woman [starts/started] the podcast by asking two simple questions in German and French.

England / foreign / language / learn / reach / 18-year / low

In England, foreign language learning has reached an 18-year low.

Alice / only / student / take / German A level / class / her / year

Alice was the only student who took German A level classes in her year.

learning / foreign / language / help / people / learn / different / history / culture.

Learning a foreign language helps people learn about different histories and cultures.

study / French / also / decline / U.K.

The study of French is also declining in the U.K.
(Studying French is also declining in the U.K.)

three / quarter / world / population / not / speak / English

Three quarters of the world's population does not speak English.

learn / foreign / language / enable / people / more / tolerant / other / culture

Learning a foreign language enables people to be more tolerant of other cultures.

learn / another / language / help / young / people / more / valuable / employee / more / global / mobile

Learning another language [will help/helps] young people (to) be more valuable employees and more globally mobile.

school / focus / less / language / learn / because / langauge / perceive / too / hard

Schools are focusing less on language learning because langauges are perceived to be too hard.
Schools are focusing less on language learning because langauges are perceived as too hard.

some / school / have / success / replace / French / German / Spanish / Mandarin

Some schools are having success (by) replacing French and German with Spanish and Mandarin.

focus / language / large / global / reach / may / damage / relationship / neighbor / country

Focusing on languages with a large global reach may damage the relationships between [neighboring/with] countries.

1. Which nationalities (people from which country) do you think are best at learning foreign languages? Which are worst? [Link]
2. Which foreign languages are most commonly taught in your country? Which other languages do you think should be taught instead?
3. Which three languages would you really like to speak, (other than English and your own language) and why?
4. Does language make the personalities of each nationality different? How?
5. What languages do you like or dislike the sound of?
6. What are the biggest differences between your own language and English?
7. What is the most difficult aspect of learning English?
8. What do you guess would be the most difficult aspect of learning your language for a foreigner?