Inglés Comunicacional

Adjectives Clauses Exercises

2009-10-05T05:00:03+00:00

Realizar en grupos de 4 las siguientes actividades para desarrollar un workshop en la próxima clase.

Self- Exercise on Adjective Clauses
A. Fill in your answer and then click on Check.

1. Combine these sentences using "who":
Andrea was a married woman. She lived in Brockbourne.

2. Combine these sentence using "which":
Andrea shivered at the snow. The snow was piled in the fields.

3. Combine these sentences using "which":
The radio had been stolen. She missed listening to it.

4. Combine these sentences using "who":
An old lady was standing by the road. Andrea stopped for her.

5. Combine these two sentences using "that":
The old lady had a sign. It was handwritten.

6. Combine these sentences:
The lady was very fat. Andrea opened the door for her.

7. Combine these sentences using "whose":
Andrea was afraid of the old lady. Her voice sounded strange.

8. Combine these sentences using "which":
Her arms were hairy. Andrea was terrified when she saw them.
9. Combine these two sentences:
Andrea realized it was a man. He was dressed as a woman.

10. Combine these sentences using "which":
Andrea discovered an axe in the bag. It was bloodstained.
B. Choose the correct answer for each sentence

1. This new service will be available to all users _______ up for paid membership.

A. that signed
B. that signed it
C. which signed
D. sign

2. That is a story of hardship _______ our own situation into perspective.

A. puts
B. it puts
C. that it puts
D. that puts

3. John Smith, _______ of economic crimes, tax evasion and fraud, is being accused of attempted murder now.

A. of that he was accused
B. that was accused
C. whom he was accused
D. who was accused

4. The process uses an innovative digital technology __________ the products with as many colors as the image contains.

(A) imprints
(B) that imprints it
(C) that imprints
(D) that it imprints

5. The police were greatly outnumbered by rioters, _______ ran into the hundreds.

A. whose figures
B. those figures
C. that its figures
D. its figures that

C. Each of the following exercises has two short paragraphs. Read each paragraph. Next to the paragraphs is a short sentence. The sentence needs an adjective clause to clarify its meaning. Use information from one of the paragraphs to create the adjective clause and rewrite the sentence.

1.	Bill wrote a letter to Karen. He told her that he had found a new girlfriend and didn't love Karen anymore.		The letter made Karen feel sad.
	John wrote a letter to Karen. He was very happy in New York. He had a good job and invited Karen to come visit him soon.

2.	Some of the students did not do well on the test. The teacher asked them to stay and review so that they would do better the next time.		The students went home early.
	Some of the students did very well on the test. The teacher let these students go home early so that she could talk to the other students.

3.	At the swimming competition, one boy came in third place. His father was disappointed because he expected his son to come in first.		The man was very disappointed.
	At the swimming competition, one boy came in second. His was father was extremely happy because his son did so well.

4.	Mrs. Grady listened to the speaker at the neighborhood meeting about a plot of empty land. The speaker supported building a shopping mall on the empty land. Mrs. Grady didn't agree with him at all.		Mrs. Grady didn't agree with the speaker.
	Mrs. Grady listened to another speaker. The speaker talked about asking the city to use the empty land for a new library. Mrs. Grady thought that was a good use of the land

5.	Maria bought a new car. It is very comfortable and gets more than 30 miles per gallon of gas. She is very happy with her new car and its good gas mileage.		The car has good gas mileage.
	Susan bought a new car. It is very comfortable and gets about 18 miles per gallon of gas. She likes her new car, but she wishes it had better gas mileage.

Adjetive Clauses

2008-07-11T23:50:16+00:00

Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
Ministerio de la Defensa
Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica de la Fuerza Armada
Profesor: Karen Hoyos.

Adjective Clause

CLAUSE	A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE	An independent clause is a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence. (It is also called "a main clause.")
DEPENDENT CLAUSE	A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause.
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE	An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. It describes, identifies, or gives further information about a noun. (An adjective clause is also called "a relative clause.")
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE PRONOUNS	An adjective clause uses pronouns to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause. The adjective clause pronouns are who, whom, which, that, and whose. (Adjective clause pronouns are also called "relative pronouns.")

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE PRONOUNS USED AS THE SUBJECT.
I thanked the woman. *She* helped me. I (a) I thanked the woman *Who* helped me. (b) I thanked the woman *that* helped me. The book is mine. It is on the table. I (c) The book (d) The book *which* is on the table is mine. *that* is on the table is mine.	In (a): / thanked the woman = an independent clause; *vho helped me* = an adjective clause. The adjective clause modifies the noun *woman.*
	In (a): *vaho* is the subject of the adjective clause. In (b): *that* is the subject of the adjective clause. Note: (a) and (b) have the same meaning. (c) and (d) have the same meaning.
	*vho* = used for people *which :=* used for things *that =* used for both people and things.
(e) INCORRECT: The book is mine that is on the table.	An adjective clause closely follows the noun it modifies.

EXERCISE 1. Adjective clause pronouns used as subjects.
Directions: Combine the two sentences. Use the second sentence as an adjective clause.

0. I saw the man. He closed the door.
I saw the man who / that closed the door.

1. The girl is happy. She won the race.
2. The student is from China. He sits next to me.
3. The students are from China. They sit in the front row.
4. We are studying sentences. They contain adjective clauses.

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE PRONOUNS USED AS THE OBJECT OF A VERB.
The man was Mr. Jones. I saw *him* (a)The man vho(m) I saw was Mr. Jones. (b)The man *that* I saw was Mr. Jones. (c)The man Æ I saw was Mr. Jones. The movie wasn't very good. We saw it last night. (d) The movie *which* we saw last night wasn't very good. (e) The movie *that* we saw last night wasn't very good. (f) The movie Æ we saw last night wasn't very good.	Notice in the examples: The adjective clause pronouns are placed at the beginning of the clause.
	In (a): who is usually used instead of *whom,* especially in speaking. *Whom* is generally used only in very formal English.
	In (c) and (f): An object pronoun is often omitted from an adjective clause. (A subject pronoun, however, may not be omitted.)
	*who(m)* = used for people *which* = used for things *that* - used for both people and things
(g) INCORRECT: · The man who(m) I saw him was Mr. Jones. · The man that I saw him was Mr. Jones. · The man I saw him was Mr. Jones	In (g): The pronoun him must be removed. It is unnecessary because who(m), that, or Æ functions as the object of the verb saw.

EXERCISE 2. Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of a verb.
Directions: Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The book was good. I read it.
2. I liked the woman. I met her at the party last night.
3. I liked the composition. You wrote it.
4. The people were very nice. We visited them yesterday.
5. The man is standing over there. Ann brought him to the party.

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE PRONOUNS USED AS THE OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION.
She is the woman. I told you *about her.* (a) She is the woman *about Whom* I told you. (b) She is the woman *who(m)* I told you about. (c) She is the woman *that* I told you about. (d) She is the woman Æ I told you about. The music was good. We listened *to it* last night. (e) The music *to which* we listened last night was good. (f) The music *which* we listened to last night was good. (g) The music *that* we listened to last night was good. (h) The music Æ we listened to last night was good.	In very formal English, the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, as in (a) and (e). Usually, however, in everyday usage, the preposition comes after the subject and verb of the adjective clause, as in the other examples.
	Note: If the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, only *Whom* or *which* may be used. A preposition is never immediately followed by *that* or Who*

*INCORRECT: She is the woman about who I told you.
INCORRECT: The music to what we listened last night was good.
EXERCISE 3. Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of a preposition.
Directions: Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The meeting was interesting. I went to it.
2. The man was very kind. I talked to him yesterday.
3. I must thank the people. I got a present from them.
4. The picture was beautiful. She was looking at it.
5. The man is standing over there. I was telling you about him.

English Pattern

2008-07-11T23:45:23+00:00

Patrón de las oraciones en inglés

Subject

Verb

Complement

Modifier

John and I

ate

studied

a pizza

“present perect”

last night

last week

Sujeto: El sujeto es el agente de la oración en la voz activa; es la persona o cosa que realiza la acción de la oración y normalmente va precedida del verbo. Toda oración en inglés debe llevar sujeto y en el caso de ser una orden (command) el sujeto esta sobreentendido. Ejemplo:

Coffee is delicious

Milk contains calcium

El sujeto puede ser una frase nominal, la cual es un grupo de palabras que terminan en un sustantivo. “Esta no puede comenzar con una preposición”. Ejemplo:

The book is on the table
That new, red car is John’s

En muchas oraciones no hay un verdadero sujeto; sin embargo, it y there pueden actuar como seudo – sujetos y deberán ser considerados como sujetos cuando las reglas pidan el movimiento del sujeto en la oración.

Verbo: El verbo sigue al sujeto y generalmente muestra la acción de la oración. Cada oración debe tener un verbo y este puede ser una sola palabra. Ejemplo:

John drives too fast

They hate spinach

El verbo puede ser una frase; una frase verbal la que consiste en uno o más auxiliares y un verbo principal, los auxiliares preceden al verbo principal. Ejemplo:

John is going to Miami tomorrow (auxiliary – is, verb – going)
Jane has been reading that book (auxiliary – has been, verb – reading)

Complemento: Un complemento completa al verbo, es muy similar al sujeto por que usualmente es un sustantivo o una frase nominal; sin embargo, generalmente sigue al verbo cuando la oración esta en voz activa. No toda oración requiere de un complemento. El complemento no puede comenzar con una preposición. Con un complemento se responden las preguntas What? o Whom?. Ejemplo:

John bought a cake yesterday - What did John buy?
They called Mary yesterday - Whom did they call?

Modificador: Un modificador dice la hora, el lugar o la manera de la acción. Muy seguido puede ser una frase preposicional, la cual consiste en un grupo de palabras que comienzan con una preposición y terminan con un sustantivo. Un modificador de tiempo usualmente se coloca al final si mas de un modificador esta presente. Ejemplos de frases preposicionales:

in the morning, at the university, on the table.

Un modificador puede ser también un adverbio o una frase adverbial, como por ejemplo: last night, hurriedly, next year, outdoors, yesterday. No toda oración necesita de un modificador. El modificador responde las preguntas When? Where? o How?. Ejemplo de modificadores:

John bought a book at the bookstore - Where did he buy a book?
Modifier of place

Jill was swimming in the pool yesterday - Where was Jill swimming?
M of place M of time - When was Jill swimming?

Exercises

Identificar el patrón de oración en las siguientes oraciones y traducirlas Ej.

I study in my house.

I study math in my house.
S V C M

Yo studio matemática en mi casa.

ª She talks with her boyfriend every day.
ª Mary and Joseph liked dancing every night.
ª The smart guy studied math almost every day.
ª She’s been Hawai from home for six months.
ª I haven’t spoken to Bill since yesterday.
ª By 1999 Oprah had decided don a career.
ª Mary and Lucia are going to travel to Paris this Year.
ª By the time I got home, the show had started.
ª The doctor can see you at 3.
ª I will go to Miami with many friends next month.
ª You have to drive on the right in the USA
ª You should have a holiday
ª I’m going to Mexico.

La Oración

La oración es un grupo de palabras que se usan para comunicar las ideas en el discurso escrito o hablado. La oración debe tener un sujeto y un verbo.

Cláusulas

Hay dos tipos de cláusulas; cláusulas dependientes e independiente.

Cláusula independiente: Es un conjunto de palabras que tiene un sujeto y un verbo. Es usada como una parte de la oración pero es gramaticalmente independiente y puede estar; por lo tanto, sola.

I may declare my major now, but I can still change it later.
You will need certain qualifications if you choose a career in computer in computer programming.
Foreign students suffer from culture shock when they come to the United States

Cláusulas dependientes: Una cláusula dependiente es introducida con un subordinador como when, while, if, or, before. Ésta es seguida por un sujeto, verbo y complemento. Está no puede ir sola ya que el subordinador señala la necesidad de una cláusula independiente para completar el significado de la oración.

When the semestre was over…
… who was accepted by the university…
… if you leave your car unlocked.
Because I had a job interview.

Tipos de Oraciones

ª Simple

ª Compuesta

ª Compleja

ª Compuesta-Compleja

Planificación

2008-07-11T23:37:27+00:00

Exercises

2008-07-05T03:09:01+00:00

Using the Dictionary

2008-07-05T02:50:02+00:00

THE DICTIONARY

The best known way to find out about a word is to use a dictionary. But what can you find in a dictionary? There are numerous things a person can find in a dictionary. The first and obvious things in a dictionary that people think of are definitions. The words are all in alphabetic or A-B-C order. Words sometimes have more than one definition. There is also other information about words such as their function or part of speech, their pronunciation, as well as origins, or roots, of words. Other useful information can be found in the dictionary as well. Information such as English to metric conversion tables, maps, Presidents of the United States, explanations of common symbols, and most important "How to Use a Dictionary" can be found.

HOW TO USE A DICTIONARY

√ There are some few steps to follow when using a dictionary:

√ First, think of the word to look up.

√ Then open the dictionary to as close to the first letter or two of the word as possible.

√ Then either turn back or forward to find the word.

√ To help the search, dictionaries have guide words to help. Guide words are at the top of each page. The first guide word is the first word on a page, and the second guide word at the top of the page is the last word on the page. Using the guidewords, you should find the word you a looking for easily.

HOW TO USE A DICTIONARY WELL

How to check the spelling of a word

The best way to learn how to spell a word is to find it in the Dictionary. To find words in the Dictionary it is important to know the alphabet well. You will need to be able to judge quickly whether any word comes before or after another one, this is called alphabetical order. If the first letters of two words are the same, look at the next letters to decide the correct order.

Example: dare, dart, darn - in the case of these three words, 'dare' comes first, 'darn' second, and 'dart' last. The first three letters 'd', 'a', and 'r' are the same in all three words so the correct alphabetical order is based on the fourth letter.

How to find a word in the Dictionary

Words are printed in large bold type at the upper top left-hand and right-hand corner of any page to help you quickly find a word in the Dictionary. The first of these two words show you which is the first word on that page, the second shows you which the last word to be found on that page is.

Example: You are looking for the word 'signal'. You can find 'signal' on the page which has the two words Signal and silage (example taken from the Collins English Dictionary) printed at the upper top left-hand and right-hand corner.

Understanding definitions

Once you have found the word you are looking for you need to understand a few common conventions to make best use of your dictionary. Here is an example entry in a dictionary:

feat (fi:t) n. a remarkable, skillful, or daring action; exploit; achievement: feats of strength... (Example taken from the Collins English Dictionary)

feat - the defined word

(fi:t) - a phonological transcription of the word (the correct pronunciation), usually using the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

n. - the part of speech, in this case 'n.' means noun (look for a list of abbreviations used in your Dictionary usually included on one of the first few pages).

a remarkable, skillful, or daring action; exploit; achievement: definitions of the word. Different meanings of a word will be separated by numbers.

feats of strength - an example sentence using the defined word.

TIPS

Dictionaries vary in approach. The best way to learn how to use your particular dictionary effectively is to read the introductory section which explains how entries are arranged in your very own reference book.

If you can't seem to locate your word, make sure you are spelling the word right. For example, you won't find ISOTOPE in the dictionary if you are looking in the A section, which you might be tempted to do if, for example, your chemistry teacher speaks with a bit of a southern accent.

WARNINGS

Printed dictionaries may go out of date as the language changes, so check the copyright date on yours. Another way to gauge the currency of a dictionary is to look for relatively new words, such as chick flick or metrosexual.

Dictionaries vary in content, and some are very specific. Look at the title to find out what you have. If you have a dictionary of rhymes, slang, idioms, synonyms, a foreign language, or a specific interest, such as woodworking terms, seek a more general dictionary.

APPLYING THE FOLLOWING POINTERS WILL SAVE TIME WHEN YOU USE A DICTIONARY

1. Know and use proper alphabetical order

2. Use guide words to save time

3. Check all abbreviations and symbols in the special sections

4. If at first you don’t succeed in finding the word, don’t give up. You might need to check several possible spellings before finding the word

5. Substitute the meaning you find for the word in the sentence. Be sure you select the most appropriate meaning, not merely the first one you come to

6. Try saying the word aloud after you look at the pronunciation key.

Exercise

Use your dictionary in order to do the following exercises with the given words:

Prevención

Emergencia

Reconstrucción

Infraestructura

Población

Service

Procedure

Disaster

Administration

Risk

1. - Find the translation of each word.

2. - How are they pronounced?

3. - Find synonyms for 3 of these words.

4. – Find the meaning of 4 of these words.

Importancia del Inglés

2008-07-05T02:50:30+00:00

Uso especifico del Ingles

piccolina @ 00:01

Hoy más que nunca resulta imprescindible aprender el idioma inglés. Cada día se emplea más en casi todas las áreas del conocimiento y desarrollo humanos. Prácticamente puede afirmarse que se trata de la lengua del mundo actual. Es, en la era de la globalización, la gran lengua internacional, una “lingua franca” que ha repercutido en todos los países no-anglosajones, incluida España, y que afecta más o menos directamente a los diversos campos y profesiones. Su posesión ya no puede tratarse como un lujo, sino que es una necesidad evidente. Es más, incluso se dice ya que quien no domine esa lengua estaría en una clara situación de desventaja: sería como si fuese mudo o medio analfabeto. Y sobran las razones para decirlo. La pretensión de este documento es, pues, la de hacer ver estos motivos y concienciar a la juventud y a sus familias de la enorme importancia de adquirir dicho idioma.

En primer lugar, se trata de la herramienta que permite la comunicación con personas de otros países, dentro del mundo globalizado en que vivimos. Es indiscutible: el inglés se ha convertido en el idioma global de comunicación por excelencia, uno de los de mayor uso en el mundo. Es idioma oficial, o tiene un status especial, en unos 75 territorios en todo el mundo.

Idioma a nivel de facto: Reino Unido y los Estados Unidos.

Idioma oficial en: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Fiji, Belice, Botswana, Dominica, Ghana, Gambia, Gibraltar (R. U.), Guam (EE. UU.), Guyana, Islas Caimán (R. U.), Bermudas (R. U.), Islas Malvinas (R. U.), Isla de Monserrat (R. U.), Islas Pitcairn (R. U.), Islas Santa Elena (R. U.), Tristan da Acuna (R. U.), Islas Vírgenes (EE. UU. y R. U.), Islas Salomón, Jamaica, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Marianas del Norte (EE. UU.), Malta, Mauricio, Nauru, Nigeria, Papúa Nueva Guinea, Samoa Americana, Santa Lucía, San Kitts y Nevis, Sierra Leona, Swazilandia, Trinidad y Tobago, Granada, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Trinidad y Tobago, Uganda, Zambia y Zimbabwe.

Idioma cooficial: Bangladesh, Brunei, Canadá, República Sudafricana, Irlanda, Israel, Kenia, Kiribati, Camerún, Egipto, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Namibia, Nueva Zelanda, Chagos, Diego García, Islas Marshall (EE. UU.), India, Líbano, Malasia, Myanmar (Antes Birmania), Filipinas, Pakistán, Puerto Rico (EE. UU.), Seychelles, Sri Lanka (antes Ceilán), Singapur, Tanzania, Tokelau yTonga .

Minorías en: Antillas Neerlandesas, Costa Rica, Guinea Ecuatorial, Delta Amacuro y Bolívar (Venezuela), Honduras, Hong Kong (China), Malasia, México, Panamá (no tanto desde la devolución del Canal de Panamá), Pará (Brasil), Samoa, Surinam, Tuvalu etc.

Estimaciones recientes sugieren que unos 402 millones de personas lo hablan como su primer idioma, así como es utilizado en la actualidad por más de 1.000 millones de hablantes no nativos. Y este número seguirá creciendo al menos hasta 2015, año en el que, por otra parte, unos 2.000 millones de personas en el mundo lo podrían estar aprendiendo, según concluye un reciente informe del British Council. De cualquier manera, dentro de poco más de una década lo hablarán tres mil millones de personas, es decir, la mitad de la humanidad. Las consecuencias del avance de esta marea lingüística son inconmensurables. Dentro de pocas generaciones y por primera vez en la historia del “homo sapiens”, la mayor parte de nuestra especie será capaz de comunicarse en una sola lengua.

Se trata del mayor golpe a la civilización, a nivel mundial, durante el último cuarto de siglo. En casi todas las partes del mundo la mayoría habla al menos un poco de inglés, de modo que en casi todos lados, quien lo conozca, podría "sobrevivir”. Esta expansión supone un verdadero terremoto en la historia del ser humano, uno de los hechos más importantes que le han ocurrido a la humanidad desde el nacimiento del lenguaje. Ninguna lengua antes había alcanzado la universalidad, ni había llegado tan lejos ni tan rápido. Es la primera vez en la Historia que resulta posible señalar una lengua como la predominante.

El francés fuera de Francia tiene los días contados; el África francófona está cambiando al inglés. El África portuguesa está abandonando el portugués. El alemán experimentó un tímido avance temporal en la incipiente Europa del Este, pero en cualquier otro sitio fuera de Alemania desaparece. El ruso, del que hace algún tiempo pudo pensarse que habría que aprenderlo, está acabado. En Japón están aprendiendo inglés y desarrollando su propia variante preferida. China resistirá, pero el mandarín y el cantonés no llegarán más allá de sus hablantes nativos. Hay más nuevos musulmanes que aprendan inglés que árabe. Sólo el español está ganando importancia y creciendo (pero entre el pueblo americano, que ya habla inglés).

La lengua inglesa es de las más fáciles de todas para aprenderla. Ésta es una de las razones por las cuales prevaleció en los Estados Unidos. Los descendientes de los alemanes, por ejemplo, eran bastante más numerosos en la época del nacimiento de esta nación; sin embargo, fue el inglés el que finalmente venció.

Por consenso mundial, el inglés ha sido elegido como el idioma de la comunicación internacional. Es, “de facto”, la lengua de la diplomacia, en un mundo “global” en el que las relaciones entre países son cada vez de mayor importancia. Su conocimiento es requisito obligatorio para trabajar en las instituciones supragubernamentales, por ejemplo. En el 2001, se hizo una consulta a los 189 países miembros de las Naciones Unidas sobre la lengua deseada para la comunicación entre embajadas. Más de 120 eligieron el inglés (entre ellos, Vietnam, los países que antiguamente formaron la Unión Soviética y la mayoría de los pertenecientes al mundo árabe), 40 seleccionaron el francés, y 20 se decantaron por el castellano. Ese “status” le ha sido conferido gracias al dominio político, económico y militar ejercido, principalmente durante los dos últimos siglos, por los EE. UU.

En el campo económico, la industria, los negocios, el comercio internacional, todo el universo productivo se escribe, se habla y se lee en inglés. Las principales aerolíneas, por ejemplo, lo han adoptado como idioma oficial. Si conoce dicho idioma, a cualquier trabajador se le abrirán prácticamente todas las puertas en el mundo laboral y la mejora de oportunidades, desde un empleo con salario medio hasta los más altos niveles ejecutivos. Basta con mirar en las ofertas de trabajo de los principales periódicos. Son ya muchos los que se valen de ella día a día: no sólo para comunicarse con directivos, también en puestos de menor responsabilidad su conocimiento puede convertirse en una competencia esencial (las máquinas, las técnicas utilizadas, los libros… están principalmente en esa lengua). ¿Qué producto comercial vendido o etiquetado no viene con texto en ingles? En general, todos los profesionales la consideran de gran valor.

Para explicar esta gran importancia del inglés en la actualidad, otra importantísima razón es la superioridad científica de los Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña en el siglo XX, con importantes descubrimientos y avances tecnológicos. Este siglo trajo consigo avances en la ciencia y tecnología inimaginables para la mayoría: el automóvil, el avión, la radio, la televisión, el radar, los ordenadores, los cohetes, los misiles, la bomba atómica y la bomba-H...

Inicialmente, dichos productos se fabricaban en ambos países y eran exportados a otros lugares del mundo. Sin embargo, conforme se fueron desarrollando, las demás naciones fueron montando sus propias industrias e “importando” técnicos y científicos anglo-parlantes, contribuyendo de este modo al fortalecimiento y expansión del inglés.

Hoy en día, cualquier investigador o profesional que quiera estar al día o acceder a libros especializados necesita irremediablemente saber inglés para estar informado de los rápidos avances que están teniendo lugar en su área de conocimiento. Y ello es así porque el 75% de la bibliografía científica está en inglés. Este hecho también abarca a otros contenidos proporcionados por los distintos medios informativos existentes (televisión, radio, periódicos, vídeos, películas…).

Por otro lado, dado el rápido avance de la tecnología en todos los campos, llegan constantemente a las empresas nuevos equipos, aparatos e instrumentos cuyas instrucciones –ya sea de montaje, uso funcionamiento, mantenimiento y limpieza- suelen venir mayormente en inglés. El conocimiento de la lengua de Shakespeare en estos casos es muy útil y rentable.

El inglés es la lengua de las telecomunicaciones (con el 80% de la información almacenada electrónicamente). Del total estimado de 40 millones de usuarios de Internet, un 80% se comunica actualmente en este idioma. La mayoría de los sitios se encuentran editados en inglés. Además, el porcentaje de usuarios de la red que no son hablantes nativos del inglés está incrementándose rápidamente, especialmente en Asia.

Por otra parte, prácticamente todos los centros del tipo que sea disponen de ordenadores para facilitar el trabajo, y cualquier persona acostumbrada a manejarlos sabe que, aunque muchos de los programas informáticos están ya traducidos al castellano, es frecuente encontrarse en situaciones donde es necesario saber inglés para poder comprender el lenguaje interactivo del ordenador.

Igualmente es indispensable conocer el inglés cuando se viaja o se sale de vacaciones al extranjero: para ir de compras, para tomar un medio de transporte sin perderse, para pedir la cuenta en un restaurante, para entrar en contacto con la gente y su cultura de modo amplio... No importa a qué lugar se vaya, si se habla ingles se tienen muchas probabilidades de encontrar a otra persona que también lo hable, algo que podría sacar de apuros en más de una ocasión. También es un valor añadido para el sector turístico español (hostelería, atracciones, etc.), dada la gran cantidad de clientes extranjeros que acuden a las más diversas zonas geográficas de nuestro país.

Es, también, el lenguaje del entretenimiento y la cultura popular: con la industria de la música y del cine, la macdonalización, etc.

En el terreno de los estudios, es una herramienta clave para el triunfo académico, especialmente en ciertas carreras profesionales en las que es requisito exigible para la obtención del título. Es, con diferencia, el idioma más enseñado en los centros educativos de toda Europa, alcanzando al 46% de los estudiantes en primaria y al 91% de secundaria. En España, sin embargo, a pesar de ser el idioma extranjero predominante, sólo alcanza un porcentaje del 36%. Son unos datos que nos colocan en una situación de clara desventaja con respecto a países como Dinamarca, Holanda o Suecia donde un 80% de la población habla la lengua inglesa con fluidez.

Por ello ha habido aquí una rapidísima proliferación de Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas –por no mencionar el gran número de academias privadas creadas- donde más del 80% de los alumnos matriculados estudian inglés. Y cada año se conceden numerosas becas al alumnado para el aprendizaje y reciclaje en el extranjero. Además, habría que mencionar también todos los viajes e intercambios que se organizan a Gran Bretaña, los Estados Unidos y Canadá, principalmente, tanto por iniciativa estatal como privada, para la realización de cursos de perfeccionamiento. Evidentemente, todo este despliegue no es producto de la casualidad, sino una clara muestra de la innegable importancia del inglés.

Así pues, su dominio se ha convertido en una necesidad cada vez más apremiante. Se trata, en definitiva, de una lengua que todos, nos guste o no, hemos de aceptar. ¡Y nunca es tarde para aprenderla!

http://greciarosales.nireblog.com/

English Importance

2008-07-05T02:51:55+00:00

English as a Second Language (ESL), alternatively known as English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), refers to an intensive English language learning program or course taken by speakers of other languages.

In other words, ESL is a course that is designed to teach English to individuals whose native language is not English or who are not proficient in this language or who cannot fluently speak, write, or read English. People across the globe take ESL courses for a plethora of reasons.

Sometimes, it may be for the successful completion of high school education or to enter a graduation course. In some instances, it may be to join an occupational or a professional course. Apart from these, people take this course to enhance their career. In short, the primary purpose of an ESL course is to make an individual proficient in the use of the English language.

An English as a second language course is primarily designed with a range of techniques and methodologies to develop listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills with regard to the English language. The topics covered in English as a Second Language courses include grammar, use of idioms and phrasal verbs, picture dictionaries, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. Mostly, the course is inclusive of a multitude of activities, which among many others are:

-Imparting effective classes along with seminars and workshops for individuals and groups
-Preparing and developing useful notes and other materials on the English language
-Scheduling schemes of work
-Tracking records of students
-Tailoring programs according to the skills and requirements of candidates
-Implementation of most modern tools for training , such as, multimedia and videoconferencing facilities

However, the duration of ESL programs are based on different levels, and range from few weeks to few months or sometimes even several years.

Depending upon the skills and requirements of people, different types of English as a Second Language programs are available. For instance, there are ESL programs specifically designed for non-native English speaker business professionals, with topics focusing on enhancement of verbal comprehension, improved readability, proper usage of grammar and punctuation for successful business writing, and effective editing and proofreading.

Specialized programs are also available for those engaged in such professions as airline services, hotel management, and nursing. Likewise, there are special courses for students engaged in advanced research programs.

Some advanced level ESL courses include topics that emphasize on preparation of some kind of exams, like, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and the Cambridge Exam. This type of ESL programs usually cover classes on the English grammar, vocabulary listening, and writing and speaking skills vital for university admission. In addition, for those who want to enhance their language skills in a particular area of professional study, then taking ESL programs such as English for Specific programs would be beneficial.

Most popular ESL programs also include one to one instruction, independent study with the help of sophisticated learning tools, and group instruction. Advanced General English courses and Conversational English Course are the other prominent ESL programs. Let it be any type of English as a second language program, the curriculum starts with training on basic skills in the language. Then, the training is switched over to the development of communication skills as well as the other modules of language training.

One of the prime benefits of ESL programs is that it serves as a great way to fill in the missing gap in your knowledge or skills, since they are mostly inclusive of innovative classes and educational events. Another prime benefit of this program is that it helps you attain success in much desirable courses, such as TOEFL exam, which is vital in order to enroll or work in a US school or firm.

However, the benefits of an ESL programs are far beyond the educational and employment opportunities it renders. An ESL program can help improve an individual's linguistic skills, thereby making them adept in comprehending complexities arising as a result of the language's grammar as well as meaning. Also, included in ESL programs' advantages are improved social interaction skills and ability to work in a creative environment.

Nowadays, endless options are available to take courses on English as a second language, with a large number of reputable teaching centers and programs to choose from. With the introduction of the internet, there are superb alternatives to take ESL programs online.

http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/the-importance-of-english-as-a-second-language-233057.html

English Pronunciation

2008-07-05T02:52:22+00:00

Learning a new language

2008-07-05T02:52:48+00:00