Communication in English for the International Age William Boletta Logos InternationalTo The Student | Ge IS A TOOL. Like all tools, ithas many uses, but it is ‘otworth very muchby itelf We use language to express thoughts orfeelings. Grammar and words alone arenot esimportant as the content of what you say. In fact, without content and meaning, language would be useless. iF you want ‘Languege, then, is away to communicate what youneed, to speak Eng- avant, think, or fel. Thisis tre ofall nguages, notonly English. lish, you must Your native language and English arevery similar Roth areused be willing to to communicate with other human beings. This is true of all do two things: languages in all countries. Make mistakes and How can I learn to speak English? fe hence? English is nota mystery orsecret. Anybody canlearn itasa second language, and millions of people do every year, butif you want (0 learn to speak English, you must be willing to do two things: Make mistakes and take chances. ‘When you speak English, you will make some mistakes because nobody can start speaking a foreign language perfectly from dies Ifyvs mais wetil you knoveall hesworde and forme perfectly, you will never be able to speak English. So start now, ‘wherever you are in your English studies, and spesk the best way ‘you can. You can learn new words and better grammar later, but ifyou don't start talking now, you will never improve. "This is why itis important to take chances, Ifyou wait until you are sure that everything you say will be perfect, you will wait along time. Maybe forever!Don't be afraid to say what you ‘want to—now Ifyou makea mistake thistime, the’s O.K. Ifyou are shy at first, don't worry. The next time it will be easier. The more mistakes you make and the more chances you take, the casierit will be to speak without fear. ‘What about grammar? What happens if you don’tspeak. correct English? Of course, sometimes people might not always understand you, but even with speakers ofournativelanguage, we ‘often need to explain things in a different way. If people don’t iunderstand what you say at fist, you can ty it againa diferent way. Andifyoudon't understand another person, you canask themagain, and they will usually explain it another way untl you understand. To the Student xiii“Learning to speak a lar- guage can be a great adven- ture—if you are willing to be a little daring. xiv Fast Fluency Will this book help me? Fast Fluency is filled with interesting communication activities that give you an opportunity to use your English to talk about all sorts of things. But you can’tsimply read it, youmnust speak with ‘other people. If you study the conversations and variations in these lessons, practice speaking with your classmates, and discuss the topics given in this book, your English will definitely improve. ‘You can learn to read a language alone in your room, with a dictionary and a grammar book, but you cannot learn to speaka language by yourself. You musthaveaconwversation partner to talle with and something interesting to talk about. Language and life are always full of surprises. When you are having a conversation with someone (in any language) you neverknow what the otherpersonis goingto say next. And like life itself, learning to speak a language can be a great adventure—if you are willing to be a little daring and take a few chances. It docsn'tmatterhow good or bad your spoken English isnow. Ifyou study the material here and practice with your classmates, it will get better. That is a guarantee. Will your English be perfect? Of course not, but it will improve and you will have much more confidence ara! speaking ability when youfinish this book. ! hope you enjoy it. Good luck! W.B.To The Teacher ‘with language they can use and it should furnish something they cantalkabout. Thisbookstrivesto doboth by offeringthestudent cating in contemporary. everyday English. Most of ushavenever found the perfect textbook, and this one doubtless has its faults too, but I have tried to steer a course hetween the two extremes of conversational texthooks as I see them: an overabundance of content on the one hand and a concentration on structure to the detriment of communication and meaning on the other. While the assumption here is that students already have a basic working knowledge of English structure and lexicon, there is a consistent attempt to make patterns of spoken English. ‘The premise of the book is that language is communica testing intelligence. The purpose of language is to communicate with other people on subjects of mutual interest to the speakers, ‘whether that be finding out where the bus stops or discussing material for practicing basicsurvivalEnglishss well asfor express ing themselves on a wide variety of subjects. ‘There are twenty lessons, and teachers may cover themin any order. They arenot graded, and each onecontainsvery imple aswell as more difficult and less frequently-used language items. While there is a certain logic to the presentation of the subject ‘matter of the conversations, the level of difficulty remains moreor less uniform throughout. Early lessons treat greetings, introduc- fons, and small talk—topics and functions which often occur carly in relationships orin initial encounters withstrangers—but they need not be covered during the first few weeks of the course. Itis [Link] for students to deal with these social functions early in the course when they are still uncomfortable: talking with their classmates and may likely not even know them. These “Language is communica- tion, nota puzzle, nota complex sys- tem of rules, not a medium for testing intelligence.” Tothe Teacher xvdecide. While the structural patterns and functional applications introduced throughout reflect the author's own preferences and experience, there wes some effort to cover a repertoire of basic communication needs as suggested in standard inventories such as Van Ek and Alexander's Threshold Level English (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1975). Each lesson has a uniform formatconsisting of iveparts: Conversation Variations Your Turn Sharing ‘Try Your Hand “ ‘Each lesson has a uniform — Followingisa brief summary of the format and character ofeach format consist- _ séction witha few suggestions for teaching strategies. ing of five parts.%9 Conversation | ‘The Conversation” sections which open each esson seek to bes | authenticas possible, with no artificial language. A major problem confronting the author of a conversational textbook is deciding which register to pitch the conversations at. While there aresome examples of more formal English in many kinds of situations, including politeness language when talking to strangers, I have hoped to avoid the wooden quality that casts a pall of artificiality ‘over so many textbooks which have the goal of tesching spoken English. Endeavoring to avoid cold and priggsh textbook lan- ‘guage that no native speakers in their right mind would everutter, Ihave frequently included colloquial expressions such as “yeah,” “uh, huh,” “hmm,” “let’ssee," and many other such pause mark- ersandspeech fillers. They remain opaque andlifeless on thepage, of course, until the teacher models how they occurin an organic conversational and social context Also, though few textbooks ever take cognizance of it, English speakers quite frequently omit subject pronouns, par- ticularly “I.” Occasionally, I have tried to reflect this and other such elliptical tendenciesin the conversations. If [have erred on the side of being too colloquial at times, I hope that teachers and students alike will find this transgression at least more desirable in the greater scheme of things than reinforcing the idea thet spoken English isa robot-like language devoid of contractions, reduced forms, casual expressions and—ultimately—bled dry of its lifeblood, xvi Fast Fluency SEERVariations Immediately following the conversations in cach lesson are six specific locutions drawn from the opening conversation along with examples of how they can change in everyday conversation They are often picked up and practiced in subsequent exerci frequently supplying much ofthe languageused in the commun cative exercises later in thelesson. By design, no directionsaccom- pany either the “Conversations” or the“ Variations.” Teachersare thereby t liberty to introduce and use the material ina variety of ways according to their own taste and style and the needs of individual classes, Some teachers might be surprised to see what appear to be chimericspecters ofthe Audiolingual Methodcomebeek te haunt us in the form ofpattern practicesin disguise. ‘The premises upon which this textbook are based differ drastically, of course, from orthodox ALM theory. Having been a student in French and German classes ‘aught via the ALM in the fifties, and later teaching those languages myselfthrough the ALM, lam definitelynot espousinga return tothe untinctured version ofthatapproach, After teaching communicative ESL/EFL materials for several years, however, and observingstudents sometimes bewildered by lack of specificity and definite language in ‘many communicative textbooks, I saw-a need for some concrete examples of the shape of English which can serve students as a conversational lifepreserverto embrace whentheyfindthemselvesat sea conversationally. The pedagogical purpose of the “Variations”, then, isto establish a sense of comfort with tums of phrase common inspokenEngishby giving studentsa feeling forthe contoursofthe ‘vernacular and helping them to developan awareness of the kinds ‘of variation possible, While the patierns have the same format on the page (2 ion of boldface and italic typefaces), there are actually 4 types. Both employ an unchanging element (in bold- face) with varied extensions (in italics). ‘The difference lies in where the emphasis is. Frequently the main item of study is the unchanging boldface element. Suchas the following (from Lesson 7): Is there a department storearound here? abakery supermarket a sporting goods store alibrary Less frequently, the main focus is on the italic element, and “Teachers are at liberty to use the mate- rial in a variety of ways ac- cording to their own taste and style.” ‘To the Teacher xvii“We some- times forget how intimidat- ing pairwork can be for students who have but a little conversational facility.? xviii Fast Fluency synonymous expressions appear as variations, asin the following example (from Lesson 2 How about you, Pedro? what about you and you how do you feel about that what do you think Your Turn ‘The “Your Turn” section hasan overtly communicative focusand is, in many respects, the heart of the textbook. Pair and group materials furnish a context for practicing the language or subject matter of each lesson, concentrating mainly on the functional language ucreaoaiy for evetyday survival (diteutivisy requests, compliments, and the like). In this section, students are asked to do a variety of activities designed to get themto talk to each otherin English using whatever linguistichooksandcrooks theycancome up with. They are not completely abandoned, however, for there are numerous ‘Suggestions for specific turns of phrase they can use, and language material gleaned from the “Conversations” and “Variations” portions of the lesson usually finds a natural fit here. As teachers, we sometimes forget how intimidating pairwork can be for students who have buta little conversational facility. Many dyad and groupactivities appear deceptively simple and self-explanatory, but it is a risky pedagogical practice to supply a topic, picture, or activity, and then simply leave students to their own devices. In spite ofits enshrinement as the reigning s in the ESL classroom, modality of communicative a pairwork is still not conventional communication. It simulates real communication, but it is not always a perfect match. As authenticas we might try to make communicationactivitiesinthe classroom through developing materials and structuring the at- mosphereofthe location, inevitably alingeringartificality remains. ‘Therefore, exhaustive demonstration of how to do the pairwork activitiesisessential, and the involved teacher will monitorstudent’s activities, coaching and supporting them with suggestions, hints, and encouragement. Sharing ‘The “Sharing” section introduces mature material for reflection and discussion. Inkeeping with the book’s subtitle, Communica- tion in English for the International Age, the themes introduced here have a global and cross-cultural flavor. There is also someattemptat sociolinguistic consciousness-raising, presented inthe form of questions for small group work. Ifthe “YourTurn” section is the mezt ofthe lesson, then surely the “Sharing” section mustbe the dessert. Here studentsare asked to move beyond the classroom and talk about real life, the world around them, and their own experience. Each section begins with a brief note pointing out some cultural aspect of English and English-speaking society or broader, international, socio-cultural topics. Then the students are asked to discuss with tcir classmates a variety of topics. The subject matter is usually related (ifsometimes only loosely) to the material of the opening, conversation. The scope of the topics is uniform for each lesson andexpands on the subject matter, inviting students toshare their own experience, ‘Thereare three general sts of topics for discussion which appear consistently in the following order in each lesson: I. Discussion topics which ask students to look at the customs of their own country. These opening reflections and discussionsgive students a grounding in their home culture which they ean then use as a springboard to leap into discussion of sociolinguistic and cultural contrasts in amore global context Tl. Topics which encourage the studentstoshare details of theirown pastexperience visa vis thesubject matter ofthe lesson. Theemphasis here ison sharing personal impres- sions and feelings. IIL. Topics which allow students to expand on their own ‘experience by using their imagination orby seeing things in a broader, international context. This section some- times suggests a certain fantasy situation or otherwise invitee the eudont 0 engog? to contemplate global issues. celprehientcal ella kingiem While the material provided for conversational discus- sion here and elsewhere in the book is sometimes difficult, it strives always to be challenging and stimulating at an adult level. ‘Once again, teacher intervention in modelling how to carry on a discussion is crucial here. One suggestion for structuring the discussion would beto divide the class into small groupsand have each group select 2 discussion leader (rotating with each class jctinng) aad ascaibe who aheoinutes and repsts to Useelass ates “Teacher intervention in modelling how to carry on a discus- sion is cru- cial .” ‘To the Teacher xix“The purpose of the writing exercises is to ify conver- sational mate- rial already learned ana give the stu- dents a feeling of confidence, security, and accomplish- ment.” xx Fast Fluency onthe group's discussion. Without such structuringand frequent assistance by the teacher, students at this conversational level can quickly lose their focus. ‘Try Your Hand The last section of each lesson has material for reading and vocabulery enrichment along with three short writing excrciscs. ‘The material here ranges from letters, schedules, word lists, a menu, and 2 resumé to cultural matters, technology, and new terms tn English. Quite often, textbooks which emphasize oral communi- «ation ignore writingaltogether. The primary goal of Fast Fluency is to improve skills in the spoken language, but since the students who will use this textbook probably have an imbalance ofexperi- ence in writing and reading English, I have tried to capitalize on their existing strengths. The purpose of the writing exercises is to solidify conversational material already learned and give the stu- dents a fecling of confidence, security, and accomplishment. ‘The short writing assignments invite the students to use the reading material aa a model, personalize it, and write some thing of theirown. The topicshereare often related to the material of the lessonsand give students a further opportunity to apply the language they hare just finished practicing, Teachers whodo not wish to assign writing practice will find that the “Try Your Hand” sections easily adapt to oral discussion also, whether in pairs or small groups Illustrations Illustrations occur throughout the book and are often related to the subject matter of the conversations and the practice material While their spiitis often playful, teachers can nonetheless use the pictures and drawings as teaching aids, Simple questions to the students asking them to describe what they scc can often get the conversational juices lowing, Some teachers may choose to use theillustrations asan impetustoward more communicative shar- vriting the students to use their imaginations: “Who do ‘you thinkis this?”; “Whatare these peopledoing?: "What are they thinking’; “Would you like to havedinnerwiththisperson?”;“Do you think you might enjoy taking a trip with her?"; “Would you Tike t0 ride om thic hiie?” Aceacinnally, «map or other vicual material appears in connection with specific communication tasks. In such cases, there is an explanation of what students ere supposed to do.Apologia have tried to put together a textbook which teaches students how tospeak basic, colloquial English and which provides them with entertaining ways to practice and use their English. In addition tothe conversational languagewehave come toexpect, there isalso material with « broader cultural perspective and an international focus. 1 believe that if students are going to learn to speak English, they need something to talk about which engages their minds and personalities, not just patterns, pair work, and limited communication exercises. If you have nothing to talk about, conversation is impossible. Each lesson of this book takes the student from short conversations through pattern variations and pairwork on toan opportunity to exchange ideas and think about questions which affect the lives of everyone, “Facilitating Facilitating communication across cultures and linguiss- © communica- ticbordersis he ultimate purpose oflearningtospeakany for tion across Janguage, but particularly is this true for English, which, asthe cultures is international language, hasan importance and utiliy farbeyond the ultimate the borders of English-speaking countries. Whether inan FFLor purpose of and ESL context, “conversation” isnot simply the acquisition ct learning any survival level skills; students need and deserve more even inthe foreign. lan- earlier stages of their studies. guage Whatever this book’s shortcomings, and there surely are many, hope that neither you nor your students will finditboring. Thave tried to create a textbook that provides teachers a way to challenge studentsboth linguistically and intellectually. You and your students will be the arbiters of the book’s success in achieving these goals. I don’t recall that Dante designated special place in his Infernoreserved forthe eternal tormentofboring teachers, but there surely must be one down there somewhere in one of the lower bolge. [hope thisbook may insomesmall way serve to spare both you and me from that gruesome fate. WB. To the Teacher xxi aiseConversation Mike: Tom: Mike: Betty: Mike: Tom: Mayumi: Mike: Dr. Lee: Mayumi: Dr, Lee: Mayumis Ms. Lee: Nice to meet you. This is really a big reception, isn’tit? There must be at least two hundred people here ‘Oh, look. There’s Betty. Hello, Betty, how are things? Not too bad, Mike. I'd like you to meet my new roommate, Mayumi. Hi, Mayumi, nice to meet you. This is my friend, Tom. Nice meeting you, Mayumi i: Nice to mect you both, Mayumi’s from Japan, She's going to be taking some English courses. ‘Oh, really. Say, isn’t that Dr. Lee over there? He teaches in the Language Institute, Maybe you'd like to meet him. Sure, why not? Excuse me, Dr. Lee, I'd like to introduce you to a new student from Japan. This is Mayumi, It's good to meet you, Mayumi, < Fe Pleased to meet you, too, Dr. Lee. ( Nice to meer’ Mayumi, let me introduce 8 ee my wife, Ruth, q ic How do you do, Mrs. Lee? ) I'm happy to meet you, Mayumi, Lh 2 Fast FluencyVariations Mike, Id like you to meet Mayurni. Td like to introduce Joanne this is Betty let me introduce you to Dr. Lee meet Tom Hi, Mayumi, nice to meet you. nice meeting you it's good to meet you pleased to meet you I'm happy to meet you She’s going to be taking some English courses. studying at the Language Institute living in the dormitory travelling to New York over Christmas staying for one semester Say, isn’tthat Dr. Lee over there? the new English teacher your roommate the library the school cafeteria Maybe you'd like to meet Dr, Lee. have lunch tomorrow 8010 the movies with me tell me what’s on your mind study together tonight Sure, why now? I'd like to Pdlove to that's fine with me that sounds good to me LessonOne 3 caeYour Turn u. Go around to as many people as you can and introduce yourself. Choose some of the following language. Don’t forget to shake hands and look the person in the eye. ——e | Hi Pm Hello, my name z How are you? I'm But youcan call me Just call me — Tm from Pm majoring in ‘ sive Hive in Ask if your partner would like to meet another classmate, (Make sure you know the other person’s name first.) Then introduce the two of them. Maybe you'd like to meet. Would you like to meet. Let me introduce Td like you to meet Thisis___ Introduce your partner to a few other people. Then let him introduce you to some other classmates, Use the appropriate language for meeting people. Ask how to spell the other person’s name. Then find out which name is their first name (given name) or last name (family name). Choose some of the following questions. How do you spell that? Jones What's your first name? Whar’s your last name? J-O=N=E8Se Is that your first name or last name? 1s your name French (German, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, ete? Write down the names of five or six famous people. Don’t show them to your partner. Then say the names and ask for the spelling. A: Have you ever heard of B: Ofcourse./Sure, A: Can you spell her/his name? Fast Fluencyj Sharing \’ Meeting new people is an important social activity. In addition 10 using some of the phrases ‘you have practiced in this esson, shaking hands and locking the person you are meeting in theeye (eye contact) are often essential non-verbal skills you need when you meet someone in English. The word “nice” is very common in introductions and greetings and i, in fac, one of the most common words in spoken English. Notice the many different contexts where itisused throughout this book. 1. Bvery culture has special social rituals for meeting people, What are some of the things yousay and do in your country when meeting someone forthe firs time? Are there any differences from introductions in English? Any similarities? Il. In your own experience, have you ever meta person who was important, unusual, interesting, or inspiring? Talk about what it was like. What did you say? What did the other person say? IIL Have you ever wanted to meet a famous person? Who are the three people in the world, youwould most like to meet? Why? Share with your classmates what you would say to these people if you had a chance to meet them and chat with them. Try Your Hand ‘Read the followingletter and then write on the topics below. CENTRAL COLLEGE Topic One Write a short nate to Jack ‘Taylorintroducing yourself, Hil Tim Jack Taylor, and just found out you are going to be my coommate next year Lat me tell you a litle about myself. “Tam majoring in Economics, anc my favorile course Topic Two Describe Jack Taylorin a is macroeconomics. J ke jazz music a lay and mv fever enger ta Elle Fitagarald. note to friend, Afler J graduate, J hope to work in ineemational banking and fo live in Garope and Asia. J am quite interested n other counties ‘end exjoy meeting people from abroad. Of conreey J alae tee te trowel Topic Three Write a brief description of Tim really looking forward to meeting you your best fiend Please write f you have time: Sincerely, Jack Lesson One 5Do you live near here? Conversation Dr. Lee: Ms. Lee: Mayumi: Dr. Lee: Mayumi: Ms. Lee: Mayumi: Ms. Lee: Mayumi: Dr. Lee: Mayumi: Dr. Lee: Ms, Lee: Mayumi: Ms. Lee: ‘There are so many new faces at this reception. Tecan hardly believe it. Do you live near here, Mayumi? Yes, I live on campus in a dorm, How do you like campus life? ‘To tell you the truth, things were a little difficult at first, but now I’m getting used to being here. Where are you from in Japant T'm from Kyoto. That's supposed to be a beautiful city. Well, there are lots of famous places there. By the way, what’s your major, Mayumi? International Relations. Oh is that right! How interesting! I guess you like it. Wel, it keeps me busy. Tl bet it does. 6 Fast FluencyVariations Ican hardly believe it wait till spring vacation remember everybody's name afford a new car understand this chapter How do you like campus life? living in America ‘your history teacher ‘working at MacDonalds this party To tell you the truth, things were difficult. I didn’t understand much when I arrived my neighbors are alittle noisy Pdrather live off-campus failed the chemistry exam That’s supposed to be a beautiful city, can interesting field the best newspaper in America one of the oldest buildings in Europe a difficult language to learn By theway, what's your major? who's your roommate that’s Dr. Lee over there how do you like your new job let's have lunch together soon Ob, ic that right! how interesting really you don't say that’s fascinating Lesson Two 7Your Turn I. Find out as much as you can ebout your partner. Teke some nuteyand be prepared to tell someone else or a group what you have found out. Here are some things to ask about: name/nicknames eo ig hometown ic Bene family current living situation job favorite subject major field favorite activities hobbies likesdistikes travel Use some of the following language: Do you like ? How doyoulike What do you like about. Where do you live? What lo you like 10 do on weekend? How do you spend your free time? What's your favorite Who's your javorite 2 TI, Nowtalk about your partner to somcone else (another student, a small group, of the whole class). Tell them all the important information you learned in activity “I” above. IL, Tell the class about your country and your hometown or the region where you are from. Where is it? What are the main attractions? Is it famous for anything in particular? What do you like or dislike about it? What was it like growing up there? What is the most interesting building? Who is the most interesting person from there? 8 Fast FluencySharing When we start a conversation in Enclish, whether with friends or strangers, there is usually ashort warns-up period. If we don't know the person, we usually ask questions about where they are from or how they like something. Depending on the situation, wecan talkabout ‘work or family also. Thisis called “small talk.” Such harmless and trivial exchange is ins- portant or establishing a conversational relationship. Even with friends, we often talk ‘about the weather or other general topics before going on to more important matters. With strangers, the kinds of opening questions vary with the culture. LB there “small talk” in your native language? What kinds of things do you talk about with someone you have just met? Does the content depend on the nationality, age, or social status of the other person? Are there any taboo subjects? What do you talk about wit friends after the initial greeting? How and when did you learn these customst Tl Have you ever had any surprising or unusual conversations with strangers in your native language? What did you talk about? What did the other person do or say that was strange? IIL. Have you ever seen a movie or television program in English? Did the characters use small talk? How was it like or unlike greetings and small talk in your native language? Do you think itis O. K. to speak English using the rules of your own culture about the subject ‘matter of small talk? Can you see any dangers in this? Try Your Hand ead the follewing listof nicknames end then writeon the topics below. NICKNAMES Topic One Men ny Write about some typical Albert Al Catherine Cathy ee Andrew Andy Christine Chris Anthony Tony. Deborah Debbie Charles Charlie Eleanor Ella David Dave Elizabeth Betty Topic Two Dent DE te Ag ee Make alistofnunesand Francs Frank jac Jey (reat John Jack Julia Julie Joseph Joe Margaret Meg Lawrence Larry Marjory Marge z Mike ‘Martha == Marty Topic Three Pete Paria’, (Pay Explais to someone from Dick Rebecca Becky oe ent oe ae Bob Sindra Sandy ta Scephen Steve Suzanne Sve ‘Thomas Tom Virginia Ginny Lesson Two 9Hi, how are you doing? Conversation Tom: Hi, Joanne, howare you doing? Joanne: Not bad, Tom, how about you? Tom: Oh, I'm 0. K. Joanne: Just 0. K? Theard you and Mike found a great new apartment. Tom: ‘Yeah, it’s pretty nice, but the problem is we have to move, and that’s no fun. Joanne: — I agree. Well, look who’s here. Mike: Hello there, Joanne, how are things going? Joanne: Pretty good, Mike. How have you been doing? Mike: Well, staying fairly busy. Tom: Did you talk to the landlord yet? Mike: Yeah, we can move in on the thirtieth. One day early. Tom: Wonderful! I can’t wait. Me either. Listen, you guys, I have to be going now. It was good sceing you. Nice to sce you, too, Joanne. Take care, Bye now. See you later. 10 Fast FluencyVariations Mt, how are you dotngt how are things going hhow have you been hhow have things been hhow have you been doing Oh, I'm ©. K. alright not bad 5050 pretty good Wonderfull I can’t wait terrific great fantastic Listen, I have to be going now. I must be going now Thave to run I need to go now Thave to get going Nice to see you, Joanne. ‘good seeing you nice talking to you enjoyed seeing you good to see you again Bye now, take care, see you later so long have a nice day take it easy Lesson Three ai]Your Turn i 0, Ml. R Say “hi” to yout partner and to as many other people as you can. Be sure to use first names. 1f hey are far away from you, wave to them when you say hello. Use as many variations as you can when greeting people and when answering them. Say hello to your partner and ask about her or his neighborhood, apartment, house, roommates, family, pets, and the like. Switch roles and talk sbout your living situation. Finally, say you have to be going and then leave. Now have several short conversations with different people like this: Say hello to several different dassmates. Tell each of them something about yourself, something that happened recently, or something you are going to do. Tell them you have toleave and say goodbye, Here are some subjects you can talk about: ‘your parents, friends, spouse, et. wihat you did last weekend ee u new clothes acD your favorite pianist «club you belong t0 00d food ‘\ the resent news AA yn a TV program \ your job amovie problem some good news some bad news yur social life or lack of t) 4 concert ‘Fast FluencySharing ° Wherewe live, pray, and play is important toall of us. Various cultures view space differ ently, but people in many countries separate homes, churches, and places of entertainment. Inpublic places, we know who stands where in a fine or who sits ina certain place in the dining room or church, In other cultures, the rules are sometimes different. Breaking the rules or violating space taboos can be as dangerous as serious errors in language communi- ‘cation, We must know both to communicate well. | LHowis space divided up in your culture? Where do people live, pray, and play? Are they separate? How can you tell these places spart? Are there any special rules or | taboos about space and places? IL Have you ever gone into a place where you were not supposed to go? What hap- pened? Why did you go there? IL In some countries, there are strict rules about where people can go. At one time in certain parts of the United States, black people were not allowed to ride in the front ofpublic buses or to use toilet facilities with white people. South African apartheid laws also have closed certain spaces to black people. In some countries women are forbidden to enter certain places. Have you heard of any other such customs or laws inthe world? How do you feel about them? Try Your Hand ‘The floor plan below is related to Topic One. The other topics deal with real and imaginary places, Topic One Imagine youare living in the apartment oa the left. Describe ito friend in aletter. BEDROOM LIVING ROOM Topic Two is st sanyo he ost impresive place you neers ae BATH- ROOM DINING | KITCH: Topic Three ROOM EN Describe your dream house in detail Let your imagination ru free. HALLWAY Lesson Three 13Conversation Ring. .. Riinng. .. Ritianng Voice: Hello. ‘Mike: Hello, mayT speak with Mayumi Voice: Hold on a second, please, Hallo, thisis Mayumi, Mike: Hello, Mayumi, this is Mike calling, Mayumi: Oh hi, Mike, Mayum Mike: Listen, Mayumi, Iwas wondering ifyou would like to go to the movies with me next Saturday, Mayumi: Pdlove to, Did you have any particular movie in mind? Mike: Well, how about that new Woody Allen movie? Mayumi: That sounds great. Where should we meet? Mike: Hmm, let’ssee, we could meet at the Cedar Hills Shopping Center. Mayumi: Sounds good. What time should I be there? ‘Mike: The first showing is at 2:00, so why don’t we meet about 1:00 and havea quick sandwich before the movie? Mayumi: That sounds O.K, ts Mike: Well, it was nice talking to you, Mayumi, Mayumi: I'll see you Saturday, Mike, Bye now. Mike: Bye. 14 Fast Fluency Hello, this is Mike calling.Variations Hello, may I speak with Mayumi? is Mike in could I speak with Pedro Ta like to speak with Mr. Brown, please could you give me the sales department Iwas wondering if you would like to go to the movies. ‘you have time fora chat ‘you'd lke to play tennis sometimne ‘you'd like o have dinner together soon ‘you'd like to join usfor bridge on Sunday How about that new Woody Allen movie? ‘going to the Madonna concert ‘aquick sandwich calling me tomorrow meeting at 1:00 ‘That sounds great. good wonderful Tike fun terrific Why don’t we meet about 1:00? ‘goto the baseball game together try that new pizza place talk tomorrow on the phone Ihave adrink together soon Well, it was mice talking to you Tejoyed talking with you it was good chatting with you it was nice to hear from you thanks for calling Lesson Four 15Your Turn 1. With your partner, practice using telephone language. Since you can’t see people on the other end of the telephone line, look away from your partner When you talkso that you can’t give or receive non-verbal hints, Calland invite your partner to do some of the following. Then change roles, and your partner will call you. 0 out for cofjee study together for the test goto Disneyland have a pizza play football see “Back to the Future” visit the Metropolitan Museum go camping {go out dancing IL. You need to make an appointment at the places listed at the bottom of the page. Take turns playing the telephone receptionist. Here is some telephone language you can use: A:Td like to make an appointment with B: Certainly. What time? A: Three o'clock. B: Three o'clock is fine, We'll look for you then. fornext Tuesday. A: Could I possibly see on the thirtieth at____ o'clock? B:’msorry, we're all booked up then, A: How about on at ? B. Yes. That's open. See you then. Alan Kee, M.D. ee ee ae Al Wu bee cpactre ener wees ne LM ner ne | sult ga Modine " bade Gentlemen your (gal meds. | Health Care wmily | OUT EST counesting| TALGSS | AR. Slack Dannard Center | ¥zsmmux tudios Privete and ATTIRE Income Tax come Tamaey) Consultants sek Photogphy rm CALL FOR A By Fevoniraay | CHELEBEA | oy sypmonre 16 Fast Fluency t FlaieSharing "Language is only one aspect of communication. Non-verbal gestures and signals are sometimes ven more important than words. A nod of the head, a wave ofthe hand can often express more meaning than dozens of words. Non-verbal communication varies with the ature, and using the wrong gesturcs can bedisastrous, We miss non-verbal omenunication when talking on the telephone in a foreign language. Suddenly, the non-verbal hints are not there, and we must depend on sounds alone to understand our conversation partner. [Link] you think of somenon-vertl signals or gestures common in your country? What éo peopledo when they sy hello or good-bye, when they apologize, when they are sad, happy, embarrassed, surprised? TL Gesture and movement are important in dramatic presentations. Have you ever seen a movie ‘ora play where you noticed this? Have you ever beertto the ballet orto other kinds of dance performances which tella story? What wasitlike? IIL Since English isthe international language, many people stady it, but what about the non- ‘vabal aspect of communication? What happens if we speak English but use non-vertat signals ffom another culture? When communicating internationally in English, how can wesolve the differences in non-verbal commurication between countries and cultures? Try Your Hand Study the following lit and then write on the topics Below. Peunuus Tuventous tuple One Choose one ofthe inventions and write aboutits importance inyouelife. Date Invention Inventor HAT Movable Type Gutenberg (Germany) 1583 eadhlum Galo aly) 168 Telexope Lppersey Wethotand) Topic Two 1642 Adi Machine Pascal ren) Writea short note about any 1709 Fano. Gistofori (aly) Aarne ee 1829 Lacomoliwe ——_Slepheaso nga) 1835 Photopaphy —_Diguere (france) 1516 ‘Telephone Bal 8.41 1877 Phonegraph son. S.A.) 1889 Automobile Daimler (Germanyt 1605 Rai Marc (la) Airplane ‘Wright Bros. Topic Three ‘Whatinveation do you think fas changed theword moze ‘than eny oer? Explain why. Lesson Four 176] Do you happen to know... ? Conversation Mayumi: Excuse me, but I need to get to the Cedar Hills Shopping Center, ‘Do you happen to know which bus I should take? Lady: Ub, letmesee. I'm pretty sure it's number 44, Moyurais Eace. Aud could you tell me where the bus stop is? Tady: Oh, sure, It’s right over there, across the street. Mayumi: Thanks so much. Do you by any chance know how long it takes to get there from here? Lady: Oh, I'd say about twenty minutes or so. Mayumi: Do you mind if ask you one last question? Ladys Sure. na problem Mayumi: Do you happen to know how much the bus fare is? ady: Tm faily sure i's sixty cents, but you'd better ask the driver just to be on the safe side, Mayumi: O.K, Thanks alot. [really appreciate your help, Not at all. Glad to be of help. You'd better hurry, though, the bus is coming now. Good luck finding the Shopping Ccates. Mayumi: Thanks a million, You bet. 18 Fast FluencyVariations Tneed to gt fo the shopping center. catch the bus take a break do some shopping meet my friend, Tom Do you happen to know which bus should take? have a map of the city have some time this afternocn know what time the show starts have a spare pen Could you tell me where the bus stop is? ‘when the next flight leaves how to get downtown ‘who is in charge of sales show much this costs ~ Do you byany chance know how long it takes? need a new car remember her name have the time watch the evening Blab eeeee oc ‘Thanks ator BERS yee RIGHT OVER oe THERE. ‘very much a million loads Notat al, Glad to be ofhelp. don't mention it you bet wy problem ‘no trouble at allYour Turn I. _ Below are some symbols you often see in public places. Take tums asking your partner what they mean, Here is some suggested language: Do you by any chance know. Do you happen to know... Could you tell me...? Do you mind if Task you... ? SOS i Ht Ot RAS. Cee I, Almost everyone knows how to DO at least one thing well. It may be our job, our major in school, our hobby, a sport, playing a musical instrument, or something else. Find out what your partner knows how to make or do best. Then askher or him to tell you as much as possible about thet activity. Ask as many questions about that subject as you can, Be specific. Then tell your partner what you can do best and answer his or her questions about it. II, Partner A is Chief of Detectives at the International Bureau of Investgation (1BI). Partner B is an investigator and must find out all the information about a new case and what the IBI’s mission is. Here are the cases below. Partner A explains case 1; then Partner B explains case 2. DON'TLOOK AT YOUR PARTNER'S CASE DESCRIPTION. What was stolen? How much is it worth? Who stole it? Why? Where? When? For what purpose? How serious | isthe case? What can we do? case 1 Partner A): A priceless peat nectace. "the Menmai’s Tear” has been stolen, is value is over mil ion dolla Itbelongstethe Queen fof the ancient Mediterranean county of Lazadors The King Jeoesn’ewantthepresstoknow Jabout the theft. The IBI’s mission isto recover the | neckiace quietly and quickly. The only chusie enoesigned with"V" CASE2 (Partner B):Poi, | son waeetolen from iby ratory in the capital cir of | Zeronagrad, There is enough poison to kill the entire cty| \ Terrorists have made a phone| | call tothe mayor and want al po. litical prisoners freed or they pour the poison in the water supply, ‘The IBI's mission is to find out who] | stole the poison, get the poison back | andio capturetheterroristsdead ordive | 20 Fast Fluency/ Sharing Communication is no longer simply aface-to-fae activity. The mails, the telephone, and the telegraph have been with us for vears. and now facsimile trancmiesion (FAX), copiers, Aligitl storage, computers, and satellites enable us to find out what we need to know almost instantly. English is by far the most frequently-wsed language when messages are sent ‘round the world through these new media. In this sense, English has come to play a central role in the “information revolution” and the “communication revolution.” |.In the United States, one third of all people use a computer regularly. Are computers \idely used in your country? Who uses them? What for? Do you feel that computers are an important aspect oflife in your country? What about satellites? How about cable telev IL, How do you get the information you need? Through books? Radio? Television? Other sedis? When you write, do you simply use a pen or pencil? Do you know how to type? Have you ever used a computer? What for? Do you watch television very much? Do you vatch video moviesat home? How do you feel about the new communications media? I, Do you think the new communications media mentioned above are changing the world forthe better Is, discuss some of the positire aspects of modem communications technology. If not, what is the negative side of these inventions? ry Your Hand Look atthe following definitions and then writeon the topics below. Topic One What fit a technology had On your everyaay it Wie short eseyof explanation eoooneS aeean “SEE ERLTutorA pe eee ee ae Modano rans dove hh erties crguters to ise wards topos hea to Somuncaea ‘Tetcormunteaians (Grek “slr corrurcatn ‘Sar Saence tg lore toaara cartons Sofeware—irforratin which tls hansiare what to do ‘Sito yee ws an ware law rater asprcie wytopree pent things you don't understand about computers. Detaase-accletont rmaton tt cane “Svar ways cs conpuce si arched oot CD-ROM» conpac: dick ue wed in tre srarts fare’ etgare canoe carters SorREar tare Saad ota Soe pete aey spies are dangerous. Write a short ‘ssay explaining why you agrecor disagree. Lesson Five 21Go straight down this street. Conversation Mayumi: Man: Mayumi: Man: Mayumi: Man: Mayumi: Mayumi: Man: 22 Fast Fluency Pardon me, but I'm looking for the Cedar Hills Shopping Center. Could you please tell me how to get there? ‘Well, let me think now. You go straight down this street and take alleftat the next corner. Uh, huh, ‘Then you'll see a large supermarket on the right. 0. K? OK. Go past that supermarket and turn right at the next traffic signal. You'll find the shopping center on the left hand side of the street, im the middle of the block, across from the bank. Ise, Left at the next corner and then right at the stoplight. Exactly, You've got it. ‘That sounds pretty easy. Thanks so much. Just be careful not to take the wrong turn at the stoplight. Twill. ‘Thanks so much. My pleasure. Don't mention it.Variations essere Pardon me, but T'm looking for the shopping center, ‘a bookstore the nearest gas station the rest room the closest post office ‘Well, let me think now. let's see now just a second let me think a minute etme see now Go straight down this street and take a lef, turn right Exactly. You've got it. ‘you understand that's it ‘you're right ‘youll eve no probhins ‘That sounds pretty easy, ‘fairly simple difficult hhard to find easy to get 0 Just be careful not to take the wrong tur, go straight down thie creat -youdon’t make the wrong turn of the traffic about arriving on timeYour Turn L Here are two different versions of the same map, one for Partner A, one for Partner B. Choose one map and cover the other one. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR PARTNER'S MAP. Find out the missing information from your partner. You are both at the corner of Washington and Broad. PARTNER A: ‘Ask your partner where the following places are and write the answers on your map. Be Doctor's 3 Auto Showroom one —T_| § | sne Café Formidable el VY Candy Store & Broad Street ” Market = lorist ‘ark + 3 |—~Beauty Salon Hotel Royale Post | = Super Laundromat of isan art PARTNER B: I. ‘Ask your partner where the following places are and write the answers on your map. Fehlaet gg [ —ptanremat Bank 5 sl : Hotel Royale Bor eet 2 Lo Frome Beauty Salon s Doctor’s Office 2 Broad Street Post Office B [Feist Shoe Store = Super Discount Mart Zz fete hw Candy Store Your partner is coming to visit. Drawa map of where you live. Then explain how to get to your house. Make sure your partner understands. Switch roles. Fast Fluency