Unit Three

Foreign Language Learning

Lead-in:1.Are you good at English? What is the most difficult part of studying English-pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary or something else?2. Do you think English has always stayed the same? Give some examples.

• Language is the major means of human communication.

• Language changes as time ,eg, we have Old English , Middle English, and ,Modern English.New words come into use ,eg,e-mail ,internet ,IT. Old words are forgotten.People pronounce words in difference ways.Even grammar changes.

Warm up

– The act, or an example, of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive

• Examples– in the family way, pass away

Euphemism

• e.g.： die----- pass away, pass out, pass over

• become fat----- put on weight

About Death

• To go to a better world• To go to another world• To go to heaven• To depart• To be gone• To pay one’s debt to nature• To breathe one’s last• Troubles be over now

英语中上厕所的婉约语• To wash one’s hand, to powder one’s

nose, to spend a penny, to go and see one’s aunt, to pay a call, to relieve or to relieve nature, to go somewhere, to answer the call of nature or to answer nature’s call, to have a BM (=bowel movement)

• Will you excuse me for a few minutes?

• May I be excused?

英语国家中对于身材、长像的委婉语

• Skinny--- slim, slender

• Ugly--- plain-looking

• Crippled, blind, deaf, dumb--- the handicapped or disabled

• Old man or old woman--- senior citizens

• Old---- elderly, advanced in age

• shoe-maker, garbage man, undertaker, dishwasher, washwoman, dog catchers, bus boys

• Shoe rebuilder, sanitation engineer, funeral directors, utensil maintenance man, clothing refresher, animal control warden, sanitarians

• Poor people---- low-income group

• Slums--- old, more crowded areas

• Depression--- recession

• Poor children--- children unable to secure much beyond the necessities of today’s world because of the modest finances of the family

• Poor, or even lazy students--- children with untapped potential

*language and sexual discrimination:

male (unmarked)female (marked)

prince princess

actor actress

steward stewardess

hero heroine

poet poetess

heir heiress

host hostess

count countess

*more examples for sexual discrimination in language:

chairman chairperson

spokesman spokesperson

policeman police (public safety officer)

congressman

salesman

milkman

postman postal worker

fireman fire-fighter

freshman freshperson

manmade synthetic

Look at the pictures and guess what each speaker says in the situation. Why do you think so?1. Today’s trend is to use “server” instead of

“waitress”, though “waitress” is still used.

2.Be quiet!

3. Goodbye, Mary!

4. Look at my new apartment. It’s nice, isn’t it?

• Skim the text and answer the following questions.

• 1. Which paragraphs give examples of English expressions that might cause gender discrimination(性别歧视）

A, B, C

2. What kind of words are avoided now?

3. What other issues are touched upon by the trend to use English properly?

Words that put much emphasis on gender are carefully avoided.

Issues such as race and disabilities are also touched upon.

Read the text and fill out the table below

Traditional Terms

Preferred Terms Reasons for the Change

Terms relating to gender

To make language respectful to people

of

Terms relating to issues other than gender

To make language more respectful to

•waitress

•stewardess

•policeman

•chairman

the handicapped

•Server

•Flight attendant

•Police officer

•chairperson

People with a disability

both genders

all

Why does English Why does English changechange

overover time? time?

Because ofBecause of

cultural communicatiocultural communication.n.

What do you think of the What do you think of the relationship between relationship between

language and culture? language and culture? Language to a country is what blood to a human.

Language and culture are interdependent and have influence on each other.

Idea sharing:Idea sharing:

返回