Articles in English. Set specific and achievable goals. English is the language of trade and business

11.03.2014

They say the English language has very little vocabulary true English words - it consists of words borrowed from other languages. Is it so? Let's try to figure it out.

Languages ​​grow, develop, change. They are in relationship with other cultures and are influenced by them. Consequently, new words are introduced and old ones fade into the background.

Obviously, none of the dates indicate a specific moment when the language changed, and therefore it is very difficult to determine exactly the time and method of formation of a particular word. On the contrary, the appearance of words in English language usually had nothing to do with grandiose battles or other historical events, which brought new peoples and rulers into English-speaking territories.

Some of these dates refer to a period when a different ruler was brought into politics, which stimulated a change in language. This was the case with Queen Elizabeth, who loved the theater, which sparked the growth of English drama during this period.

William Shakespeare, the most famous English writer, is credited with introducing about 1700 new words, phrases and expressions in English.

However, even if there are no major events provoking the two countries and their languages ​​to be in close contact, there are still many ways of interaction, especially now, in the era of the global economy and internationalization of the market.

So English has adopted many words from Japanese, Russian, Italian, German, French, Chinese, Spanish and even Persian languages.

But, let's start from the very beginning.

1. Old Norse

It is impossible to discuss the English language we speak today without mentioning the influence Old Norse language- large-scale introduction of Scandinavian words into what is now known as old english(Old English).

During the Norman occupation, more than 10,000 new words were introduced and most of them are in use.

These are the words:

  • cake
  • fog (fog)
  • die (to die)
  • happy (happy)
  • husband (husband))
  • leg (leg)
  • mistake)
  • window)

2. French

At the same time, many old French words began to be introduced into English because French was established as the language of the court. The French influence is easily recognizable today. 30% of vocabulary comes from French, so many words you can think of now were probably taken from it - liberty, justice a counterweight freedom And fairness, as well as some simple words, How

  • machine (machine)
  • garage)
  • terrain)
  • collage)

3. Japanese

5. Persian

Arabic words were introduced into English directly or through another language with which English interacted.

Here are some everyday words which are of Arabic origin:

  • coffee (coffee)
  • banana
  • lemon (lemon)
  • lemonade (lemonade)
  • algebra (algebra)
  • zero (zero)
  • sofa (sofa)
  • mattress (mattress)

6. Russian

Globally, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, Russian, has also contributed to the expansion of English vocabulary, although not as widely as some other languages.

Here are some words that we still use in English, taken from Russian:

  • bridgegame (bridge game)
  • cosmonaut (astronaut)
  • troika (three)
  • samizdat (samizdat)

7. Spanish

English and Spanish have interacted for centuries, which makes sense given how close the UK and Spain are.

The US and Mexico are also close to each other and their citizens interact in many ways. Some common words were adopted from Spanish:

  • vanilla (vanilla)
  • macho (macho)
  • platinum (platinum)
  • cigar (cigar)

8. Italian


The most widely used Italian words related to cuisine are:

  • pizza (pizza)
  • pasta (paste)
  • spaghetti (spaghetti)

In addition, the following words were adopted from Italian:

  • balcony
  • cartoon
  • gallery (gallery)
  • graffiti (graffiti)

9. German

Here are some of the most popular English words of German origin:

  • hamburger (hamburger)
  • kindergarten (kindergarten)
  • zeitgeist (spirit of the times)

But that's certainly not all. Since the history of German-English contacts is particularly interesting, I encourage you to learn more about the early German settlers and their influence on the development of language and culture.

Can you imagine how many words of English origin are in other languages? Just unbelieveble!

There is so much information about English that it is easy to get confused!

Dear readers! I know from my own experience how difficult English is for beginners. And the point is not a lack of textbooks or information, but rather an excess of them, information noise that is impossible to understand.

In this article, I have collected and systematized materials from the site that will be useful for beginners, those who are learning English from scratch. In these articles, I share my opinion on where to start learning a language, what online resources and books are best to use, where to find good video lessons, how to choose courses and where to find an online tutor.

Where to start learning English?

If you decide to learn English “from scratch,” then you need to go from simple to complex, from the most necessary to the rarer. First of all, try to lay the foundation for future knowledge and skills and learn the basics of the language. The most basic knowledge includes:

Having laid the foundation, you need to practice a lot and variedly in all types speech activity: read, listen, write and speak English.

Actually, that's all. You just listened short course language learning! The rest is details and particulars.

You can find the necessary materials both on this site (links above) and in textbooks and online training courses for beginners. I recommend on initial stage study according to the textbook independent studies(self-teacher). In my opinion, the most convenient way to learn the basics of a language is from a textbook, using interactive materials, such as vocabulary cards, as auxiliary materials.

What websites are there for English language beginners?

The main advantage of the textbook is that the material is presented in a methodically correct order, in convenient portions. You don’t have the feeling that you are wandering in the dark; the textbook literally leads you by the hand, giving extremely specific instructions. But in addition to textbooks, you can also study using training programs - they contain a lot of audiovisual materials, and the learning process is built in game form. The following sites are suitable for beginners:

“Teacher Method” – a step-by-step course for children and adults

“Teacher Method” is an interactive course for different levels, starting from almost zero. It includes courses of three difficulty levels for adults and children, as well as a separate children's course for the little ones.

In the course for beginners, learning begins with the alphabet, all explanations are made in the form of short videos in Russian with explanations from teachers, and tasks are given in the form of interactive exercises. The material is chewed before the smallest details . The service is paid, but is available free of charge in a limited form.

Lingvaleo is a service for self-study English using:

The lesson plan is created automatically and looks like a list of “Today's tasks”, but it is not necessary to follow it. The site has a lot of audio, video and text materials of different levels of complexity - from simple to original materials of foreign TV, so it is suitable not only for lesson-based language learning, but also for practice in reading and listening. Most of the features are free, but for an additional fee you can purchase interactive courses (for example, grammar or English for children) and unlock some word learning modes.

Duolingo

A free interactive course, in which, like in the “Teacher Method”, you need to go from lesson to lesson. But there are almost no explanations here; training is built on a different principle. You need to complete tasks, studying the practical side of grammar and applying the vocabulary learned at the beginning of the lesson in practice: constructing and translating phrases. It is not advisable to take this course as a basis for learning English, but it is suitable as an auxiliary educational game.

English for beginners: free video lessons

Useful Internet resources are not limited to just educational sites. Fortunately, there are now a lot of useful, interesting and free video lessons. Lessons are available in both Russian and English.

For beginners, it is better to start with lessons in Russian. For example:

I believe that it is better for beginners to study with Russian-speaking teachers, and here’s why:

  • He better understands the peculiarities of teaching Russian-speaking students.
  • At the initial stage, it is better to explain tasks and rules in Russian.
  • It will be too difficult for you to understand a teacher who does not speak Russian.

The principles of language learning are very simple and have been known for a long time.

1. Set specific and achievable goals

It is much more convenient to move towards a goal when it is marked than when it is an unclear fog over the horizon. Why did you decide to learn the language in the first place? To get a job as a chief engineer at New Development Engineering? To move in with your aunt in Sydney? Your goals will largely determine how you go about achieving them. For example, if you want to study at a foreign university, you will need to be able to write correctly, which is not so important for a trip to the USA under the Work and Travel program.

It is advisable to set short-term goals in addition to long-term ones. For example, complete lessons 1 – 6 in two weeks, learn 100 words in a week, read the first chapter of Harry Potter in a month, etc. No need to set unrealistic goals. It's better to take small steps, but without stopping.

2. Try to exercise regularly, preferably every day!

Ideally, you need to practice every day for 1-2 hours. In practice, this will not work for everyone, but if great desire You can set aside at least half an hour a day. The main thing is not to deceive yourself by coming up with excuses about lack of time and crazy busyness. It's okay if you watch half an hour less TV or get things done half an hour earlier.

Even if you are a businessman/supermodel/pizza delivery guy, finding at least 15 minutes a day in your crazy schedule is exactly 15 minutes better than 0 minutes. And don’t forget that you can listen to audio lessons in the player while you are dying of boredom in a traffic jam.

There is no need to organize crazy marathons once a month either. It is better to exercise for 30 minutes 7 times a week than 210 minutes once a week. What's the point of running a 3-4 hour marathon a day if everything is forgotten within a week?

3. Practice makes perfect

You don't need any great intelligence or talent to learn a language. You just need to practice regularly - that’s all. Pay attention to all aspects of the language: vocabulary, grammar, practice in reading, listening, speaking and writing– and everything will be ok. Don't get hung up on theory and try to practice more.

Language is a means of communication, transmission and perception of information, knowledge, and expression of emotions. They need to be used. Learning a language but not using it is like learning swimming from books without diving into the water. Read and listen more, don’t hesitate to communicate!

For everyone who is tired of monotonous cramming and incomprehensible grammar tasks, the AIN portal has collected sites for learning English. All of them are free, targeted at different users and built in different formats. We hope you find something for yourself.

Free websites can help you learn English. Photo: Depositphotos

  1. Duolingo is one of the most popular learning services foreign languages from scratch. The project is financially supported by Google Capital, Ashton Kutcher and other good investors. The program is built in the form of a “tree of achievements”: to go to new level, you must first score a certain number of points, which are given for correct answers. There are applications for iOS and Android.

2. LearnEnglish - materials for learning English are collected here in different formats: lessons, games, chats, etc. The site is available in English.

3. Situational English - suggests learning English through situations. The site contains about 150 articles, which, depending on the context, offer ready-made expressions and reactions. Materials are available in Russian.

4. Real-english.com - a site with lessons, articles and videos. Also available in Russian.

5. Eslpod.com - users are encouraged to work with podcasts, all of them are available on iTunes for free. There is also the opportunity to study with printouts of podcasts and dictionaries.

6. Learn American English online - all material is divided into levels and highlighted in a certain color for convenience. And teacher Paul explains grammar in video format.

7. Learnathome is a Russian service, convenient in that a lesson plan is created for the student every day, which can be completed in 30 minutes. Before starting, the user is advised to go through quick test, which will determine the level of language proficiency. If you skip the test, the service will install the program for the elementary level.

8. Edu-station is a Russian-language site where you can not only watch video lectures, work with notes and books, but also with an interactive dictionary. There is paid content.

9. Ororo.tv - a service for learning English while watching films and popular TV series. The video player has a built-in translator in which you need to select the Russian language.

10. Film-english - a website for learning a language using short films, created by English teacher Kieran Donahue, winner of a number of prestigious educational awards in the UK.

11. TuneintoEnglish - the site offers to learn English with the help of music. Here you can record song lyrics under dictation, sing karaoke, find exercises for the lyrics and guess what song is about we're talking about, according to diagrams.

12. FreeRice - a simulator for replenishing your English vocabulary with grammar exercises and tests. The service is supported by the United Nations World Food Programme, so the classes are designed like a game - for every correct answer you get a little rice to feed the hungry.

13. Memrise - the site is available in English. During the training, the user is asked to choose a meme to better remember the word or create their own associative image. Then you need to perform exercises on choosing the correct answer and listening to the word. The service is also available for iOS and Android.

14. Myspelling - a useful site for those who want to improve their spelling in English. The user is asked to listen to the word, then write it.

15. ManyThings - the site is aimed at those who are preparing for tests or exams in English. There are sections for practicing pronunciation (American, English), idioms, slang, etc.

16. ExamEnglish is suitable for those preparing for an international English exam (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc.).

17. Babeleo - here you can read books in the original with a professional translation before your eyes. Books are available for review free of charge, but to gain access to full versions, you need to subscribe.

18. Begin-English - English for beginners. Large selection very different educational materials, which were collected by students and graduate students of Moscow State University at volunteer ambushes.

19.List-English - selection and classification of materials for learning English: online dictionaries, schools, forums, translators, tutors, tests, school textbooks, video courses, games, YouTube channels, podcasts and much more. New users are encouraged to download a 10-step plan that will help them learn more easily.

20. Englishtips.org - all English textbooks are collected here and are available for downloading or reading online.

Good day, dear readers. You have already made significant progress in learning English. But few people know where this language came from, how it appeared. It's time to find out. Everyone knows that the basis of modern European languages became Latin. So, for example, the German dialect is a cross between Latin and Gothic, French is Latin and Gaulish, and English appeared as a result of mixing Latin and Celtic.

English language The history of modern English began back in the 8th century BC. During this period, the territory of modern Great Britain was inhabited by Celts who communicated in the Celtic language. So the word “Britain” itself comes from the Celtic - — brith painted . Also from Celtic came words such as

Afterwards, Britain was conquered by the great Caesar, and in the 1st century BC. it began to be considered part of the Roman Empire. Some Romans began to move to the province, who had to communicate closely with the local population, that is, with the Celts, which was reflected in the language. Thus, words with Latin roots have appeared in modern English.

For example, "street" = via strata = paved road, common nouns - “wine - vinum, pear - pirum, and many geographical names — Manchester, Lancaster. This is how the Romans and Celts interacted with each other, forming new English words right up to the 5th century AD, until the territory of Britain was invaded by Germanic tribes, and a new period began in the history of the development of English.

Old English period in English history

This period covers the period from 449 to 1066. In 449 AD. The ancestors of the English language, the Celts and Romans, were invaded by the Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes, who significantly outnumbered the local population. So the Anglo-Saxon dialect gradually began to displace the Celtic dialect, destroying or transforming existing words.

Only in the hard-to-reach and remote areas of Britain were the Germans unable to reach, and Celtic languages ​​remained there to this day. These are Wells, the Highlands, Cornwall and Ireland. Therefore, if you want to touch the ancestors of modern English, then go there.

Celtic alphabet Thanks Germanic tribes In English, many words appeared with common roots from Germanic, which were also borrowed at one time from Latin. These are words like " butter, Saturday, silk, mile, pound, inch". In 597, the Roman Church began to Christianize pagan Britain, and by the early 8th century AD. most of The British Isles were already professing a new religion.

The close interaction of these cultures was naturally reflected in the language. By borrowing words from Latin and assimilating them with Germanic dialects, many new lexemes appeared. Eg, "school" comes from Latin "schola", "Bishop"- from " Episcopus", "mount"- from "montis" and many others. It was during this period that over 600 words with Latin and Germanic roots came into the English language.

Then, in the second half of the 9th century, the Danes began to conquer Anglo-Saxon lands. The Scandinavian Vikings intermarried with the Anglo-Saxons, mixing their Old Icelandic language with the dialect spoken by the local peoples. As a result, words from the Scandinavian group came into English: amiss, anger, awe, aye. The combination of the letters “sc-” and “sk-” in English words is a clear sign of borrowing from Scandinavian languages: sky, skin, skull.

Middle English period of development of the English language

This is the period from 1066 to 1500. AD In the middle of the 11th century, during the Middle Ages, England was conquered by the French. Thus, in the history of the development of the English language, the era of three languages ​​began:

  • French - for the aristocracy and the judiciary
  • Latin - for Science and Medicine
  • Anglo-Saxon - for the common people

The mixture of these three adverbs gave rise to the formation of the English that the whole world studies today. Thanks to mixing lexicon doubled. The vocabulary split into high (from French) and low (from German) variants of the language. The same distinctions can be seen in semantic lines, synonyms that arose as a result of the use of the languages ​​of the aristocracy and peasants.

Map of Britain 11th century So, an example of social division can be the names of domestic animals that have Germanic roots, that is, worker-peasant: swine, cow, sheep, calf. But the name of the meat of these animals, which the intelligentsia ate, comes from the French: pork, beef, mutton, veal. However, despite not everything external factors, influencing English, its core still remains Anglo-Saxon.

In the 14th century, English became literary, that is, exemplary, and it also became the language of education and law. In 1474 the first book appeared in English. It was William Caxton's translation of R. Lefebvre's A Collection of Stories of Troy. Thanks to Caxton's work, many English words have acquired completeness and integrity.

During this period, the first grammatical rules appeared. Many verb endings disappeared, adjectives acquired degrees of comparison. Changes are also taking place in phonetics. The London pronunciation became popular in Britain in the early 16th century. About 90% of the country's total population spoke this dialect.

With the beginning of mass migration from England to North America, the language began to change there in a different direction. This is how British, American and other varieties of modern English appeared, which today differ significantly from each other, both grammatically, phonetically, and lexically.

New England period of the formation of English

This period starts from 1500 to the present day. William Shakespeare is considered to be the founder of modern literary English. It was he who purified the language, gave it form, and introduced many idiomatic expressions and new words that English speakers now use to communicate. During the Age of Enlightenment, in 1795, L. Murray’s textbook “ English grammar" For almost 200 years everyone studied from this book.

Lindley Murray Linguists say modern English is a mixture different languages, and even today it is not static, being constantly updated. This is the main difference between this language and other European dialects. English not only allows, but welcomes neologisms, different dialects and variants. As we can see, he still preserves the tradition of “mixing dialects.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, the globalization of the English language occurred, which was facilitated by the colonial policies of the United Kingdom. In the middle of the last century, the global importance of the United States increased, which also contributed to the popularity of the American version of the language.

English has long become not only the No. 1 language of international communication, but also the language of science, media, education, and technology. Today it is difficult to calculate exactly how many people speak this language. Numbers are given from 700 million to 1 billion. Someone is a carrier of it, and someone, like you and me, is trying to learn it.