LESSON 10
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Q.01: What is the origin of the word yacht?
“Yacht” is a Dutch word, which accounts for its uncommon
spelling. It has been derived from a Dutch word for hunting. Moreover, yachts
were also named on account of their speed. It was first given by the Dutch to
King Charles II as a wedding gift in 1662.
Q.02: Why does English have such a large vocabulary?
English has such a large vocabulary because it has borrowed
several words from different languages, such as German, French, Latin, and
Greek. However, the majority of English vocabulary is of Latin origin. As a
result, there are numerous synonyms of a single word in the English language.
Q.03: What kind of words in modern English is derived from
Anglo-Saxon?
Most of the common words in modern English are Anglo-Saxon in
origin. These include the nouns, such as father, mother, food, drink, bed,
hunger, most of the prepositions and conjunctions and almost all of the strong
verbs.
Q.04: Why does language tend to change more rapidly in a
primitive society than in an advanced one?
Language tends to change more rapidly in a primitive society
than in an advanced society, because the invention of printing and the spread
of education fix the traditional usage of words and phrases, causing the change
in language to occur at a slow pace. Whereas in a primitive society, that is
not the case, therefore language changes rapidly.
Q.05: Why is English not spoken as a first language in parts of
Wales and Scotland?
English is not spoken as a first language in different parts of
Wales and Scotland because after conquering England, the Anglo-Saxon could not
penetrate into the remote parts of Britain. As a result, the English language
was never implanted in those parts.
Q.06: Which other languages are spoken in Britain today?
Besides English, Welsh is spoken in Wales, whereas Gaelic in
Scotland, and Erse in Ireland. In addition, the Celtic dialect of English was
spoken in the south-west corner of England, but it became extinct two hundred
years ago.
Q.07: Which countries form part of the British Isles?
The countries, which form
a part of the British Isles, are England,
Wales, and Scotland.
Q.08: What happened to the language as a result of the Norman
Conquest?
As a result of the Norman Conquest, particularly the second one,
which was by the French-speaking Normans from Normandy in France, Old English
was greatly modified and over the course of next three centuries, it was
transformed into a compound language called ‘Middle English’.
Q.09: Why is Anglo-Saxon not like modern English?
Anglo-Saxon is not like modern English because Anglo Saxon is
the English which was imported by the foreign Germanic invaders, which were the
two tribes living in Northern Germany. One of these tribes was called the
Angles, and other, the Saxons, both of whom spoke different dialects of the
same language. English was further transformed by the two more foreign
invasions made on British by the Normans from Denmark, or Vikings, and Normans
from Normandy in France. As a result of these changes, Modern English developed
over the centuries, which is completely different from the Anglo-Saxon English.
Q.10: When was Anglo-Saxon spoken in England?
Anglo-Saxon was spoken in England from A.D. 450 to A.D. 1150.
For this reason, it is called as the ‘Old English’ by English historians.
COMPOSTISION
Write not more than 350 words on one of the
following topics:
1.
The difficulties of
English for those who speak your mother tongue.
2.
‘English has long
ceased to be the possession of the English race. It is now a world language.’
Discuss.
3.
The importance of
English to scientists, engineers, doctors and members of other professions.
4.
Modern developments
in Urdu language and literature.
or
Modern developments in Sindhi language and
literature.
The Difficulties of English for those who
Speak your Mother Tongue
(Mistake in the book: Correction: The Difficulties of English
for those who Speak their Mother Tongue)
Mother tongue refers to the language that a human learns from
birth to the age of nine months. It is a scientifically proven fact that a
child learns his mother tongue through his interaction with the external
environment, without any conscious effort on his part. Acquiring any other
language, other than one’s native language or mother tongue, however, requires
a conscious effort on part of the language learner. Speakers of other languages
face many difficulties due to which they are not able to communicate
effectively in the English language.
One of the most common problems that speakers of other languages
find in speaking English language is that of pronunciation and spellings.
Speakers of other languages find it difficult to speak the English language
according to the standard rules of pronunciation. This problem occurs because
all the sounds present in English may not be part of their mother tongue.
Another reason behind this difficulty in communicating through the English
language is the existence of idiosyncratic spellings in English. Idiosyncratic
spellings refer to the spellings, which cannot be guessed on the basis of how
they sound, which impedes the learning process. In addition, numerous words in the
English language have the same spellings but either different pronunciation, or
spellings. This also creates confusion among the non-native speakers of English
language.
Making an appropriate choice of words, that is, vocabulary is
another problem that learners of English as a second language encounter.
English has an unusually large and varied number of words. English has a vast
number of words. The difference of vocabulary choices in American and British
English also makes it difficult for the language learners in acquiring more
than one word, conveying the same meaning, for example, the word “flat” is used
for a residential building in American English, whereas “apartment” is used in
British English.
Another problematic area of the speakers of other languages is
that of the use of appropriate tenses according to the context, that is,
situation and period. One of the causes of this problem is that they try to
acquire the English language by translating it into their native language, or
mother tongue. Every language has underlying grammatical rules for the
construction of sentences, but they are different from one language to another.
Lack of exposure and the fear of acquiring a new language is
another difficulty, which is faced by the learners of English having a
different mother tongue. Hesitation on part of the language users and lack of
exposure also impedes the process of communication in the English language.
This leads to a lack of fluency in speaking the English language on part of the
language learners.
Acquiring any language other than the native language or mother
tongue of a person requires a conscious effort on the learner’s part. The
second language learners can overcome difficulties with pronunciation,
vocabulary, and grammatical structures by understanding the dynamics of the
English language. In addition, mother tongue interference, that is, the
influence of the rules and sounds of the mother tongue of the users of English
as a Second Language also impedes the process of learning English language. All
these factors lead to the lack of fluency and accuracy on part of the language
learners. Understanding the rules of English language and avoiding the
translation into native language or mother tongue can make the process of
acquiring the English language easier.
2. ‘English has long ceased to be the
possession of the English race. It is now a world language.’ Discuss.
In the closing years of the twentieth century, the English
language has become a global resource. As such it does not owe its existence
or the protection of its essence to any nation or group.”
Tom McArthur – British Linguist
Language is the primary means of communication among the peoples
of the world. Today, it is the world’s second largest native language, the
official language in 70 countries, and English-speaking countries are
responsible for about 40% of world’s total GNP. It is now almost impossible for
us to communicate with other nations due to the versatility of languages,
without ‘knowing’ a common world language. Over the course of time, the English
language has earned the status of a global language and lingua franca, that is,
universal language.
The universality of the English language has led to its
acceptance as a global language. English language first began to spread during
the 16th century with the British Empire and was strongly reinforced in the
20th century by the expansion of the British Empire because of its world
domination in economic, political and military aspects as well as the influence
of media. We are living in the era of world mass communication whereby the
concept of English as a universal language for communication has become more
significant. Before this era, Greek, Latin, and French were considered as the
most common languages of communication, but mainly in Europe.
A global language arises
mainly due to the political and economic power of its native speakers. It was
British imperial and industrial power which propagated the influence and usage
of English around the globe between the 17th and 20th Century. The legacy of
British imperialism has left many counties with the language thoroughly
institutionalized in their courts, parliament, civil service, schools, and
higher education establishments. However, the role of English language among other
world languages, and its functions have
vastly changed. It is not only seen as the language of the most dominating
“superpowers” of the world and an instrument of promoting British culture and
values only, but also the language of international scholarship. English can be
easily understood by the scholars and educated people almost everywhere. The
mastery of English, thus, provides access to scientific, technological, and
academic resources, which would otherwise be denied to the developing
countries.
In other counties, English provides a common means of
communication between different ethnic groups. It is the most widely used and
understood the language of the world media, and entertainment, as well as the
internet. In addition, American dominance and influence worldwide have made
English crucially important for developing international markets, especially in
the areas of tourism and advertising.
Today, English is considered as the global language and rightly
so. Its worldwide reach is much greater than that any other language, including
Latin or French, and there has never been a language as widely spoken as
English. It is considered as one of the simplest and easiest natural languages
in the world. Moreover, English is the language of international media and
scholarship across the world. As a result of the economic and cultural
supremacy of the English speaking countries, English language has consolidated
the position of the global language and continues to maintain it today.
3. The Importance of
English to Scientists, Engineers, Doctors, and Members of other Professions
English has earned the status of a global language and lingua
franca, that is, universal language. Its worldwide reach is much greater than
that any other language, including Latin or French, and there has never been a
language as widely spoken as English. It is considered as one of the simplest
and easiest natural languages in the world. English is the most commonly used
language by the international business community, media, and scholarship across
the world; therefore, it is equally important for people of all other
professions.
Ability to communicate in English language is essential to the
field of education today. The jargon or specialized vocabulary related to every
profession, such as medicine, is primarily found to be in the English language;
therefore, it facilitates accessing scientific information related to all the
different fields of education. For this reason, even in countries where it is
not an official language, such as the Netherlands or Sweden, we will find many
syllabi in science and engineering are written in English. Teachers, students,
as well as professionals in any field of education, need to access information
related to their subject or area of interest from time to time. In addition,
most of the scientific studies and researches in any scientific field are also
found to have been written in the English language. Therefore, English is
considered to be the most commonly used language accessing scientific sources relevant
to an individual’s area of interest.
English is the language of international scholarship and
technology throughout the world. Individuals seeking higher education need to
be adept in the use of English language for communication. Technology enables
people from different professions to communicate with the international
community. In these days, the most important thing for professionals, as well
as university students and graduates belonging to any field of education, such
as, medicine, engineering, etc., is to keep themselves up-to-date in the recent
developments in their profession, and the scope of their respective areas of
interest. This can be achieved most conveniently by the use of technology,
while English is considered as the language of technology.
English is the most commonly used language by people belonging
to different professions throughout the world; it has become a tool for
employability of people belonging to different professions, such as engineers,
teachers, doctors etc. Being able to communicate effectively in the English
language increases a candidate’s chances for getting a quality job, on national
as well as international level. For instance, English is the most commonly used
language by the people belonging to different professions, such as engineers,
and business professionals. In addition to this, high-quality jobs require the
ability to understand and speak fluently in the English language.
In today’s global world, the importance of English language
cannot be denied since English is the most commonly spoken language everywhere.
It is not only the language of the international business community but also
the language of international scholarship as well as the most commonly used
language for communication across different countries. Therefore, the pressing
need of scientists, engineers, doctors and members of other professions for the
English language led to the development of English for Specific Purposes, such
as medicine; nurses and doctors as well as paramedical staff, teachers etc.
With the help of developing technology, English has been playing a major role
in many sectors including medicine, engineering, and education. Consequently,
English should be the medium of instruction finding a high-quality job,
communicating with the international world, and accessing scientific sources
relevant to an individual’s area of interest.
4. Modern Developments in Urdu Language and
Literature
Evolution and development
of any language are dependent on the evolution and development of a society
where it is spoken. Various invasions and conquests on a place affect the
development of its language. Pakistan is
a land that attracted to many foreign races and empires during the course of
its long history. Urdu is the product of the centuries of cultural interaction
between the Hindu and the Muslim communities of India. Urdu language developed in the northern Indian subcontinent,
an area that underwent centuries of invasion. This allowed Urdu to acquire a
rich variety of linguistic influences.
Development of the Urdu language is closely intertwined with the
history of Islamic expansion on the Indian subcontinent. It offers an
intriguing look at the significant role that religion can play in the
development of a language. Urdu language has drawn inspiration from Persian
literature and has now an enormous stock of words. One of the most eminent
earliest poets who made usage of Urdu in his poetry is Amir Churro. Churro can
be regarded as the father of Urdu language.
While the Urdu literature
tends to be heavily dominated by poetry, the most well-developed vessel of Urdu
literature has turned out to be the ‘ghazel’. The range of expression achieved
in the ‘ghazel’ and ‘name’ has led to its continued development and expansion
into other styles of writing, including that of the short story, or ‘asana’ and
‘distain’, which are long-epic stories dealing with magical creatures and
events based on a complicated plot. Abdul Halim Sharer wrote historical
romances of Muslim heroes and realistic novels of contemporary social life.
Mauve Nasir Ahmed wrote a number of domestic tales of ordinary men and women
with a strong moral message Sadat Hassan Manta, a prominent writer of short
stories of South Asia, produced great literature out of the events relating to
the India-Pakistan independence.
Before 1970, Urdu prose
generally followed the ornate and florid style of Persian writings. The
Calcutta school developed a simple prose style, which served as a model for the
writers of Delhi and Lahore. Notable names among these are of Sher Ali Afros
and Masher Ali Khan Vila to name a few and the collection of the letters of the
renowned poet, Hali, based on satire. Shah Rafi Uddin and Shah Abdul Nadir
translated Quran in simple Urdu.
Near the end of the 19th century, the school of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wrote
prolifically on social, political, scientific and educational themes. Mauling
Shelbi Momani led a parallel school of religious learning.
Urdu poets have contributed immensely towards the evolution of
Urdu language and literature through their literary works. Literary trends are
now marked by more openness, eclecticism, and a willingness to experiment.
Nostalgia for the past and discomfort at the uprooted present that marks the
work of many of these writers also seems to indicate a suppressed regret of a
loss of manhood. In this sense, the new poets have not yet come to terms with
the issues raised by women’s writing. Urdu literature, as always, seems eager
to take on all these debates, which have contributed to its remarkable energy
since the nineteenth century.
Languages do not originate overnight, they take centuries to
evolve and develop, similarly, Urdu language developed over a long period of
time. Evolution and development of any language play a vital role in building
the character of an individual as well as a nation. Urdu is the national
language of Pakistan and is known as the symbol of the Muslim nationhood in the
world. The Government of Pakistan should take effective measures to promote the
Urdu language. Today, Urdu language is spoken by approximately 104 million
people around the world, most of whom are located in Pakistan and India. Urdu
is the official language of Pakistan and is officially recognized by the
constitution of India to serve as a state language in some states.
5. Modern Developments in Sindhi Language and
Literature
The Sindhi language witnessed different stages of modern
development after the British conquest of Sindh in 1843. The first such
development was the invention of the Sindhi type-writer, which took place in
1973 that a modern Sindhi type-writer named as ‘Al-Mustafa Hermes Typewriter’
was made as a result of the serious efforts of Sindh University’s Vice
Chancellor Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and a renowned intellectual, Mr. Muhammad
Ibrahim Joyo. This modern machine was improved further through a new model
restructured in 1994, a scientific development paved a way to make Sindhi a
Computer language in the nineties. After the advent of the British rule, Sindhi
language and literature flourished greatly.
Tremendous developments took place in the Sindhi language during
the British rule. The British saw that the installation of an appropriate
common language of communication was essential in order to make their rule
successful. Furthermore, English words were also included in Sindhi, which led
to the expansion of Sindhi vocabulary. Sindhi journalism also flourished during
this age. Several newspapers are being published in Sindhi language today.
These include Kiwis, I brat, New-e-Sindhi, and Kadima-e-Witan besides a number
of weeklies.
Today, the Sindhi language is also recognized in the world of
cyberspace. Majid Bhangra, assisted by Sager Latif Shaikh succeeded in
restructuring Sindhi fonts in accordance with the Unicode in the early
nineties. However, problems surfaced in their application. By February 2000,
Mr. Pal Nelson, head of Multilingual Wing of the Microsoft, prepared a Sindhi
keyboard for use in the Windows, which made the Sindhi Database Management and
Sorting System was possible. Now, we can send e-mail in Sindhi and can chat in
Sindhi on Internet. Thus, the Sindhi language has also developed as one of the
languages of Computer and Internet.
Sindhi literature is one of the richest and the oldest pieces of
literature in the world. Sindhi became a literary language in the 19th century.
After Pakistan came into being, much work has been done in the modern prose and
drama. Modern writers of Sindhi language have harmonized the modern trends in
literature with the classical ones. They have revived all forms of prose. Among
the modem Sindhi writers Sheikh Ayes, Prof. Karim Bakhsh Nezam, and Asad-Ullah
Bhutto are the most remarkable. In addition, Muhammad Bin Qasim Literary
Society has rendered great services to Sindhi language and literature by
publishing valuable books on social sciences and literary themes as well Sindhi
translations and interpretations of the renowned pieces of literature of other
languages. Developments in research and criticism in the Sindhi language have
also been made.
The trends of Sindhi literature also changed under the influence
of British rule. The novel and short story have become the main form for prose.
Mirza Qalich Beg is considered as the leading figure among those writers who contributed
to the development of Sindhi into a modern language. He wrote the first Sindhi
novel on female education Zinat, and also composed a book containing models of
Sindhi poetry in all the Persian metres. Whereas, Hakim Fateh Mohammad Sewhani,
Kauromal Khilnani, Dayaram Gidumal, Shamsuddin ‘Bulbul’ and Maulana Din
Muhammad Wafai are some of the pioneers of modern literature in the Sindhi
language.
Today, Sindhi is spoken by an estimated population of 25 million
people around the world, most of whom found in the countries of Pakistan and
India. It has developed to become one of the most important literary languages
from the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent and is especially noted for its extremely
rich body of folk literature. Sindhi poets have enriched the language with
mystic, romantic, and epic poetry. The works of Sindhi language poets have also
been translated into other languages and are read around the world.
COMPOSITION
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct
form. Use an infinitive (with or without to), a gerund/ or a present
participle. After a preposition only a gerund is possible.
1. Did you hear her (run)
upstairs?
2. Try (decide) which one you want (buy).
3. You must practice (speak) and (write) English as often as possible.
4. Let me (know) if you want me (help) you (repair) your wireless.
5. Do you prefer (travel) by land, by sea or by air? I like (fly) best.
6. I admit (lose) the key, but don’t continue (remind) me of it.
7. The doctor found him (groan) with pain.
8. The policeman noticed him (hesitate) and helped him (cross) the road.
9. I am obliged (ask) you (help) me.
10. Help me (carry) this parcel I’ve tried (lift) it alone, but it’s too heavy.
11. We are invited (watch) a doctor (perform) an operation.
12. Stop (make) such a noise. I hate (be) interrupted. Don’t you enjoy (hear)
me (sing) in my bath?
13. I remember (see) you (walk) in the park last night.
14. He has decided not (join) the party. He prefers (go) alone.
15. The manager has promised (consider) (engage) anew secretary.
16. You must avoid (offend) him. Any interruption makes him (lose) his temper.
17. Would you agree (help) me (collect) money for charity?
18. My father begged me (think) twice before (decide) (change) my job.
19. Something always prevents me from (do) what I want (do) at week-ends.
20. He hesitates (tell) the truth. He seems (be) afraid of (say) what he
thinks.
21. I’ve never known anyone (make) a better speech on
the danger of (drive) carelessly.
22. After (see) a film on Spam we decided (go) there for our holidays.
23. I advise you (consult) a doctor before (decide) (learn) (fly).
24. He expects (succeed) in (win) a scholarship by (study) hard.
25. I can’t imagine him (spend) so much money on (buy) a football.
26. He complained of (feel) sick, so I told him (stay) at home and (rest).
27. I can’t understand his (refuse) (increase) my wages without (give) any
reasons.
28. The teacher made me (stand) up and (apologize) for (be) rude to him.
29. He advised me not (rely) on other people (help) me, but (try) (be) independent.
30. Although I swore (stop) (smoke) years ago, I haven’t succeeded in (do) so.
Answer:
1. Did you hear her running upstairs?
2. Try to
decide which one you want to buy.
3. You must practice speaking and writing English
as often as possible.
4. Let me know if
you want me to
help you repair your
wireless.
5. Do you prefer travelling by
land, by sea or by air? I like flying best.
6. I admit losing the
key, but don’t continue reminding me
of it.
7. The doctor found him groaning with
pain.
8. The policeman noticed him hesitate and
helped him cross the
road.
9. I am obliged to
ask you to
help me.
10. Help me carry this
parcel. I’ve tried lifting it
alone, but it’s too heavy.
11. We are invited to
watch a doctor performing an
operation.
12. Stop making such
a noise. I hate being interrupted.
Don’t you enjoy hearing me sing in my
bath?
13. I remember seeing you walk in
the park last night.
14. He has decided not to
join the party. He prefers going alone.
15. The manager has promised considered
engaging a new secretary.
16. You must avoid offending him.
Any interruption makes him lose his
temper.
17. Would you agree to
help me collect money
for charity?
18. My father begged me to
think twice before deciding to change my job.
19. Something always prevents me from doing what I want to do at
weekends. (Note:
Mistake in the book. Correct word: weekends)
20. He hesitates to
tell the truth. He seems to be afraid
of saying what
he thinks.
21. I’ve never known anyone making a
better speech on the danger of driving carelessly.
22. After seeing a
film on spam, we decided going there
for our holidays. (Note:
Mistake in the book. Correction: spam.)
23. I advise you to consult a
doctor before deciding to learn flying.
24. He expects to
succeed in winning a
scholarship by studying hard.
25. I can’t imagine him spending so
much money on buying a
football.
26. He complained of feeling sick,
so I told him to
stay at home and rest.
27. I can’t understand his refusing to increase my
wages without giving any
reasons.
28. The teacher made me stand up
and apologize for being rude
to him.
29. He advised me not to
rely on other people to
help me, but try
to be independent.
30. Although I swore to
stop smoking years
ago, I haven’t succeeded in doing so.
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