Introduction to English - introductory sessions

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1

This is you (and me)

Introduction to English

Goal of Today's session

• To get to know each other a little better
• Get an idea of what we will discuss during English lessons  
• At the end of the lesson you'll know a little bit more about what language means
• At the end of the lesson you'll have tested your English

Tell me your name, age and the languages you speak :)

My Name is Marc Lukken, I am 58 years old.
I speak Dutch, English and a few words of French, but not much.

What are your other names?

Mine are:
Vrouw; Marc, skat.
Broers; Marc

Collega's; Marc

Studenten; Sir, Mr Lukken 

Stiefkleinzoon; Boppe (mijn vrouw is Beppe

  

For yourself: write down all the names you have +...

- For each name, write who uses it and where or when. 

- Why do different people call you by different names?
- Do some people call you by more than one name? Why?

What you need to know about me:

- email: [e-mail]
- Days: every day of the week
- Stop me if you don't understand something, no shame in that. I can repeat myself in Dutch, but I think you understand more than you think!
 

What do we want from our sessions together? What do you expect?

Send in what you expect and what you would like to discuss!

+- 5 min

Introduction to English

What is 'English?'

It's a language, you use language. It is a tool. It is not a thing you can physically touch. It does not have to look perfect, like when you are forming and shaping it, like a sculpture. You have to be able to use it as a tool. A way to communicate a message, right?

Why/when do wé use English?

- To communicate to other speakers who do not share your language.
- To understand the movie we are watching.
- To chat when gaming.
- To express emotion.

What is a language?

Different accents, dialects, official, non-official, slang, creole, pidgins, other varieties. 
 
Used by people to communicate. Not by machines. Language is spontaneous, always moving, never the same. Language is determined by the people who use it! People decide what ends up in dictionairies or not even: What language is used in a region or country. 

 

America 'uses' English, but it isn’t a national language. America doesn't have an official language. 

Overt (big) Covert (small)

Overt prestige is standard and "formal" language features, and 'expresses power' and status; as stated by Overt language users.
Covert prestige is related more to varieties
and expresses solidarity, community and group identity more than authority.
Which I think is the better way to use language. 
Overt keeps Covert small on purpose. 
(racism) 'speaking white' is frowned upon by some of African American culture. 

The majority of people who speak English live in America and Great- Britain

1. False
2. True

 The majority of people who speak/ use English are foreigners using it as a tool to communicate with someone who does not speak the same language as them. 

All users of English have to learn how to speak and write the same way

1. agree
2. disagree

Native speaker vs non native speaker. Do we use language for the same reason?

All users of English have to speak like someone from an English speaking country

1. agree
2. disagree

Doesn't our accent reflect our identities? Why give that up? Why look down at people who do not sound 'proper British' Who does? What is 'proper British?' Who decides what languages sounds and looks like? (The majority of the people who use it, that's why we no longer use Shakespearian English)

America's official language is English

1. true
2. false

America 'uses' English But it isn’t a national language. America doesn't have an official language. 

In which countries do people speak English?

The UK government classifies the following overseas countries as majority native English speaking:

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

The Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Canada*

Dominica

Grenada

Guyana

Ireland

Jamaica

New Zealand

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Trinidad and Tobago

United Kingdom

United States of America
But unofficially, it is used all over the world, of course. 

en.wikipedia.org

Attitudes towards language need to change

- Communication is proven to be possible without perfect grammar. 
- Learners of EN do not need to speak English like a native.
(I do my best but I don't even speak like a native). 
- But you should always tickle your brain! Laziness does not do any good to the brain.
- Challenge youself, but have realistic expectations of yourself! 

Think about these and answer them for yourselves on paper. + save it! 

Who uses English in the world?

When do we use English?

What people speak English the most?

How does language change?

+- 49 min

Entry-level test A1/A2

(If there's time otherwise next week)
On your phone: socrative student login

A2/ B1 intermediate socrative:
https://b.socrative.com/teacher/#edit-quiz/49965995 

Assignments 

Assignment 1: Identity map
Assignment 2: quality map
If you like to be able to present yourself in English, it will come handy to know how to say these things in English about yourself.
Met deze opdracht, oefen je hier vast mee voor de volgende keer! Make sure to hand them both in, in Teams  at the end of the lesson!

Planning

Assignment 1: identity map

Check in Teams

Assignment 2: quality cards

Check in Teams

One thing you learned from this session

Goal of Today's session

• To get to know each other a little better
• Get an idea of what we will discuss during English lessons  
• At the end of the lesson you'll know a little bit more about what language means
• At the end of the lesson you'll have tested your English

Next time

- Look at identity mindmap

- Look at quality cards
- Have conversations about them
- interaction