Ход открытого урока по теме "Сохранение языков в 21 веке"
план-конспект урока по английскому языку (11 класс) на тему

Preservation of Languages in the 21st Century

I . Warm up

The topic we are studying now is entitled “What’s in a Language?”  We have already spoken about the variety of languages in the world.

And how many languages are there in the world?

We have discussed the future of Bongou people, the ethnic minority in a former British colony in Africa, and their native language. But that was a role play, in fact. You spoke on behalf of the chosen personages. Today we’ll have debates on a very serious issue: preservation of language variety in the 21st century. And this time you’ll have to speak for yourselves and you won’t be given any role cards.

You know, when preparing for the lesson I surfed the Internet and came across a video clip that impressed me greatly and made me feel worried and concerned, irritated and sad, enthusiastic to start doing at least something. I suggest you watching it and you’ll understand what I mean and then I‘ll ask you the main questions you’ll have to find the answer to.

        Video clip.

The list of dying languages you have just seen on the screen is related only to European countries. Just imagine the number of endangered languages in the whole world! According the statistics, two languages die every month. The linguists predict the extinction of half of them in a hundred of years.

Do you think it is important to save these languages?

Is language extinction a catastrophe or a natural selection?

Should we care at all?

II. Debates

So the questions have been stated. Now you’ll be divided into three groups. Those who are sitting in front of me will participate as an expert group. Your task is to assess the two teams using certain criteria. (Exclude those you think are not so important). Which of you wants to be a time keeper to inform the participants about the time passed? Max, will you? Here are debate roles and rules.

Now we’ll decide which of the two teams will support the idea of saving the dying and endangered languages and which will be against it – pro and con teams. We’ll cast lots. Which of you will pull the ticket?

OK. Now within 3 min. you’ll have to discuss and exchange your ideas on the topic and then one of you will explain the position of the team. After that we’ll start the rebuttals. Was I clear enough?

Then off we go.

III. Conclusion

Unfortunately, language extinction is inevitable. Languages have been coming and going for millennia, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. Language preservation is difficult but possible and there are some success stories (Hawaiian, Hebrew, Irish Gaelic). When you lose a language, you lose culture, intellectual wealth, a work of art.

I would like to conclude with the words of one Navajo elder, who told his grandson the following:

“If you don’t breathe,

There is no air.

If you don’t walk,

There is no earth.

If you don’t speak,

There is no world.”