Unit2Module3reading1.doc

M3 U2 English and its history
Aims: 1. Learn about English history.
2. Manage to get the general idea of the passage.
3. Learn how to read a history article..
Points: 1. Learn about the development of English.
2. Understand the expressions in the text and try to make sense of them.
Procedures:
Step 1: Lead-in
Answer the following questions:
1. What are the ways of communicating with each other?
2. Which is the most widely used language in the world?
3. Read part of the sonnet (十四行诗)by Shakespear:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? ___________
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: ___________
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: ___________
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, ___________
...
(我怎么能够把你来比作夏天？ 你不独比它可爱也比它温婉：
狂风把五月宠爱的嫩蕊作践， 夏天出赁的期限又未免太短：
天上的眼睛有时照得太酷烈……)
4. What are the underlined words used as today?
____________________________________________________________
5. What conclusion can we draw?
____________________________________________________________
(How did this happen? That’s what we are going to learn today. What’s the title of the passage? What kind of article is it? What should we focus on when reading this kind of article?)
Step 2: Fast Reading
Read the passage fast and complete the table:
The Development of English
Kinds
Time
Events

Old English
Before the middle of the 5th century

At the end of the 9th century

By the 10th century

Middle English
In 1066

By the latter half of the 14th century

In 1399

Modern English
During the
Renaissance in
the 16th century

Step3 : Careful Reading. (Read the text carefully and do the following.)
Old English
Time
Event
Language
Before the middle of 5th century

5th---9th century
Three Germanic tribes invaded Britain

At the end of 9th century
Vikings began to invaded Britain

By the 10th century
Old English
( official language)
_______________

___ _______________

______________
Middle English
In 1066,_________________________________________________________ However, throughout the 250 years,_______________________________________________By the latter half of the 14th century______________________________________________
In 1399, _______________________________________
The impact of French on English:
1.________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
Modern English
1. When did modern English begin?
________
2. What changes had happened during this period of time?
___________________________________________________________
3. Is Modern English the end of all these changes?
____________________________________________________________
Step 4 Task-based reading
Read the article and complete the table:
English and its history

Old English
Before the middle of the 5th century, the language 1.________ in Britain was Celtic. Anglo-Saxon 2.________ from the mixture of Celtic and the language of the three Germanic tribes.
At the end of the 9th century, the Vikings created Old English, 3._______ their languages with Anglo-Saxon.
By the 10th century, Old English, 4.________ of an Anglo-Saxon base and words from the languages of Denmark and Norway, was the official language of English.

Middle English
In 1066, England was 5.___________ by the Normans, but French didn’t take the 6._____ of English as the first language.
By the latter half of the 14th century, English was 7.________ by all classes, and the King of England used English for all official occasions.
8.________ English
Vocabulary and pronunciation 9._________ great changes during the Renaissance. There is no 10.________ that English will continue hanging in the future.
Step 5: Discussion:
1 . What do you think are the main reasons for the development of a language?
2. Do you think it possible for Chinese to be the most widely used language some day? Why or why not?
Homework:
1. Read out the text and find the expressions in it.
2. Finish Workbook A1;A2.

Feed back：

阅读理解：
American English
Also significant beginning around 1600 AD was the English colonization of North America and the latter creation of a distinct American dialect. Some pronunciations and usages “froze” when they reached the American shore. In certain respects, American English is closer to the English of Shakespeare than modern British English is. Some “Americanisms” that the British decry(谴责) are actually originally British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost at home (e.g., fall as a synonym（同义词） for autumn, trash for rubbish, frame-up which was reintroduced to Britain through Hollywood gangster movies, and loan as a verb instead of lend).
The American dialect also served as the route of introduction for many native American words into the English language. Most often, these were place names like Mississippi, Roanoke, and Iowa. Indian-sounding names like Idaho were sometimes created that had no native-American roots. But, names for other things besides places were also common. Raccoon, tomato, canoe, barbecue, savanna, and hickory have native American roots, although in many cases the original Indian words were mangled（破坏） almost beyond recognition.
Spanish has also been great influence on American English. Armadillo, mustang, canyon, ranch, stampede, and vigilante are all examples of Spanish words that made their way into English through the settlement of the American West.
To a smaller extent French, mainly by Louisiana, and West African, through the importation(进口) of slaves, words have influenced American English. Armoire, bayou, and jambalaya came into the language via New Orleans. Goober, gumbo, and tote are West African borrowings first used in America by slaves.
1.From the passage we know American English is a mixer of __________,_______,______
2.Which one is closer to the English of Shakespeare? American English or British English?
3. Mustang is a word from______.
A. British English B. French C. Spanish D. Chinese
4. French was introduced into American English by ____.
A. merchants B. slaves C. Slave-owners D. soldiers

Answers:
Step 1
1. language, sign language, emoticon, animal language, Braille and so on.
2. English.
4. you; you are; has; sometimes.
5. English has changed greatly.
Step 2

Kinds
Time
Events

Old English
Before the middle of the 5th century
People in Britain all spoke a language called Celtic.
At the end of the 9th century
The Vikings invaded Britain and brought their languages.
By the 10th century
Old English was the official language of England.

Middle English
In 1066
The Normans conquered England and took control of the country.
By the latter half of the 14th century
English was adopted by all classes in England.
In 1399
Henry IV became King of England and used English for all official occasions.

Modern English
During the Renaissance in the 16th century
Modern English began.

Step 3
Old English
Celtic; Anglo-Saxon; Old English
Anglo-Saxon, the language of Denmark, the language of Norway
Middle English
The Normans conquered England and took control of the country.
French didn’t replace English as the first language.
English was adopted by all classes in England.
Henry IV became King of England and used English for all official occasions.
1. More words with similar meanings.
2. words for meat
3. French ways of making plurals
Step 4 : Task-based reading
1. spoken 2. developed 3. mixing 4. consisting 5. conquered 6. place
7. adopted 8. Modern 9. underwent 10. doubt
Step 5
1. In some ways, it is surprising that languages change. After all, they are passed down through the generations. Yet linguists (语言学家) find that all languages change over time — at different speeds. For example, while Japanese has changed little over 1,000 years, English developed rapidly in just a few centuries.
Languages change for a variety of reasons. Large-scale changes often occur in response to social, economic and political pressures. History records many examples of language change caused by invasions, colonization and migration. Even without these kinds of influences, a language can change if enough users change the way they speak it.
Usually, the needs of speakers drive language change. New technologies, industries, products and experiences simply require new words. Plastic, cell phones and the Internet didn’t exist in Shakespeare’s time, for example. By using new terms, we all drive language change. But the unique way that a person speaks also causes language to change. That’s because no two people use a language in exactly the same way. The vocabulary and phrases people use depend on where they live, their age, education level, social status and other factors. Teens and young adults for example, often use different words and phrases from their parents.
2. The answers are varied.
Supplementary reading
1.British English, Spanish, French 2. American English
3. C 4. B

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