It should be said that not all the languages had equal importance in different centuries in the world. Preference was given to that one which country was more powerful at that time. In the 15-th and 16-th centuries Spain was in the vanguard of European and world expansion and the Spanish language could be heard in the far reaches of our planet. French became the dominant language of the Western world in the 17-th and 19-th centuries. In the 19-th century French was the official language in Russia. Since childhood Russian aristocrats were learning French. For example, Pushkin wrote his first poem in French. Russian was spoken only by common people.
In the first half of the 20-th century, during the period between two World Wars, English started gradually to replace French as the international language. Moreover, in the second half of the 20-th century the United States became the world's dominant power. The USA had enormous political, economic and cultural influence on the Western world.
It is interesting to note that before English emerged from lots of dialects, French had been the language of the English court and of the educated classes for three centuries since the Norman Conquest. It was Chaucer who chose English for his book "Canterbury Tales" and thereby helped decide the language in which England's literature would be written in centuries to come. In the 16-th century Shakespeare used over 29,000 English words, many invented by him. Germanic in origin English has words come from other sources, the result is an astonishingly wide vocabulary acquired quite early in its history. Now English is the language of unparalleled richness, subtlety and variety, which unlocks the treasures of the literature second to none in the world.
The transition from French to English as the international language was relatively easy because in many countries of the world people already knew English by that time. The British Empire brought English not only in the North America, but in the Australia, Africa, and India as well. The leadership of English in the modern world can be explained by numerous factors. Over 300 million people who live in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America speak English is as a native tongue. English is one of the official languages in the Irish Republic, Canada, and the South African Republic. It is also the second official language used in the former British and U.S. colonies. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations. It is the language of literature, education, modern music, international tourism.
The dominance of English in the contemporary world is explained by the appearance of lots of people who want to learn English not for pleasure or prestige but because English has become the key to international scientific, technological and commercial innovations of today.
Previously the reason for learning any foreign language was not well defined. Knowledge of foreign languages was regarded as a sign of a well-rounded education, but few had really questioned why it was necessary. The problem of learning languages is very important today, foreign languages are socially demanded especially at the present time when the progress in science and technology has led to an explosion of knowledge. The total knowledge of mankind doubles every seven years. English is needed as the main and the most efficient means of information exchange. With the acceptance of English as the international language of technology and commerce appears a new generation of people who know why they are learning the language. Scientists and scholars need it to keep up with developments in their fields. Many students need English because their course of studies includes textbooks avail able only in English. Young people around the world need English in order to be able to use the Internet, communicate with their partners in other countries, and understand films and songs.
Unfortunately, there is no universal or ideal method of learning languages. Everybody has his own way. Sometimes it is boring to study grammar or learn new words. When learning a foreign language one learns the culture and history of the native speakers. One must work hard to learn any foreign language.
Living in the Dorm – Surviving College Dorm Life
You will be entering a new time in your life – a new home away from the home that you have known for years. Every student that comes to the college, living in the dorms does have their own routines, daily life habits and particular ‘ways’ about them. This being said, you will have to remember that living in a dorm will become like one over grown over sized extension of a family. Having to share space, telephones, televisions, bathrooms – with what will be strangers at first.
A student can adjust easily to this type of situation because of the many classes, studying hours and extra curricular activities that are scheduled for the full time student. Fitting your personal lifestyle in to these routines will not be so much of a challenge as one might think.
New roommate?! – Yes you will more than likely be sharing a small room with a total stranger – how will you adapt? Will you be friends? Many roommates become the best of friends while others just will never be friends. This is a life long learning experience about people that will educate you and other about how to interact with strangers on a daily personal basis.
Getting the most out of your roommate experience – start out on a good base. Learning to live in the same room / or house can be exciting and frightening for those of us who have never lived away from home before. You and your roommate will need to sit down, decide who will do what and when in regards to the cleaning of your space. This space could just consist of the floor in your room, or if you have a bathroom, the chores could include the scrubbing of the tub and the toilet. The sooner that the two of you agree on a schedule that will include the two of you working together the easier this transition will be. Neither of you will want to do the cleaning but there will be one else but the two of you.
Be flexible in your room. Every one has friends, visitors and study time – be considerate of your roommate and they in return will be considerate of your time, friends, and space.
Do not yell at your roommate. Discuss; try to communicate what you are upset about. Tell them why you do not want them using your stuff, bed, food etc. and give them a chance to apologize. The argument will be shorter and more to the point. If you were to start screaming you may not hear the end of the argument for days, which will stress out what relationship you did have with your roommate.
Oxford Accent
When freshmen return in October, they will be second year men and women. Academically, they will be approaching middle age. How much of a stamp has Oxford put on them already? Have they started to acquire an Oxford accent?
The Oxford accent exists, but it defies definition. It is not as the French think the kind of English which is spoken within a twenty mile radius of the city. Indeed, it is not an accent at all, but a manner of speaking. In particular it is a manner of pausing in your speech, of pausing not at the end of sentences, where you might be interrupted, but in the middle of sentences. Nobody, it is to be hoped, will be so rude as to interrupt you when you are in the middle of a sentence. So pause there to decide what your next sentence is going to be. Then, having decided, move quickly forward to it without a moment's pause at the full stop. Yet, jumping your full stops - that is the Oxford accent. Do it well, and you will be able to talk forever. Nobody will have the chance of breaking in and stealing the conversation from you.