Language hints to be used during the round table debate

Taking the floor:

1. If no one objects, I'd like to say a few words.

2. Could I come in at this moment?

3. I have a point to make here.

4. Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, may I say something please?

5. With the Chair's permission, I'd like to take up the point about...

Interrupting:

1. May I interrupt you for a moment?

2. I don't want to interrupt but...

3. If I may interrupt you for a moment. I'd like to...

4. Sorry to interrupt, but...

 

Preventing an interruption:

1. With your permission, I'd rather finish what I was saying.

2. With respect, I'd like to finish the point I was making...

3. If you would allow me to continue...

4. If you would be so kind as to let me finish...

 

Asking questions:

1. Have you taken into account...?

2. I was wondering if you'd thought of...?

3. Wouldn't it be a good idea to...?

4. Has it occurred to you that...?

 

Commenting and challenging:

1. I don't think you fully appreciate the fact that...

2. I wonder if that view is justified in the light of...

3. It would be in your own interest to...

4. May I just draw your attention to the fact that...

5. Excuse me, but I think it's relevant to add that...

6. Before you go any further, may I point out...

7. I wonder if I could comment on that last point?

► Word List II

to advertise

to assess

 to attach

 to accommodate

 archives

 bias

 to initiate

 libel

 loyalty to

 layout

 leader

 to launch

  by the same token

   to break a story

broadsheet

beset by

to bridge the cultures

to blur the distinction

to comment

to compromise

column

   critic

censorship

to contribute

   caption

to cultivate relations

crucial to

circulation

content

consumer

to cover

to compete

to condemn for treason

detachment

doomed to

to disclose

to deliver

to demean

to distribute

to dissect

to doorstep

to dig out the truth

to declare open season on

deadline

to expose

to elicit

to misinform

massive output

to menace

mutual concessions

to mistrust accuracy

multiplication of channels

mixed blessing

nonpartisan

necessary evil

obituary

objectivity

offending material

opponent

ownership

proprietor

publisher

page

to pose a threat to

 to proliferate

to preserve

to prosper

to provide

placement

 premise

to put pressure on

to put paid to

profitability

proponent

 to pay tribute to

 to rival

 to report

 readership

running stories

to review

to erase the line

to establish

to enshrine press freedom

to ensure

to feature

to fulfill

franchise

gagging

to get tempted

gossip

to generate publicity

to glean facts

headline

invasion of privacy

to increase revenue

to impose

impartial

to introduce

investigative journalism

to retain

to raid an editorial office

scoop

sensation

to shape opinion

space

section

to speculate

supplement

to steer clear of

testimony

to tackle

tabloid

to take close-ups

to thrive

tough stance on

up-market

viability

to vie

vehement backlash

 

Unit III. THE CHANGING ENGLISH —— LANGUAGE

Lead-in

Work with a partner. Read the statements below and discuss the

questions that accompany them.

1. More people speak English as an international language or second language than speak English as their native tongue. In China alone, more people are learning English as an inter­national language than there are people who live in the Unit­ed States. About 330,000,000 people speak a variety of En­glish as their native language (in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Afri­ca, and the West Indies), while about 400,000,000 people speak English as a second language (in India, Kenya, the Philippines, and Nigeria).

· What is your reaction to these facts?

· What are the historical reasons that caused this situation to occur?

2. English has many varieties —.for example, British English, American English, Canadian English, Indian English, Jamai­can English, Australian English, and Philippine English. Do you think International English should be one of these varieties or none of them? Why? / Why not?

3. English is the primary international language used in sci­ence, technology, business, air and sea travel, and diplo­macy.

· Which of these areas is most important for you now?

· Will other areas become more important for you as time pas­ses?

4. English is used as an official language in forty-four coun­tries, more than any other language. In fact, approximately 80 percent of the information stored in computers is written in English. Approximately 75 percent of the mail, cables, and telexes that are sent around the world are in English. And about 50 percent of all scientific and technical journals are written in English. Do these statistics surprise you? Why? / Why not?

The English language is not a homogeneous "substance". Its heterogeneous composition can be demonstrated graphical­ly. Look at the chart and try to describe and explain what you see.

 

P — poetical words   

A — archaic and historical words (foreign words)

 T — terms     

 B — barbarisms

AC — authors' coinages

 

PROF — profession words

VER — vernacular words

D — dialectal word

J — jargonisms

N-W — nonce-words

V — vulgarisms

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