Universidad Nacional de la Plata

Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación

Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1
LISTENING TASK

Word of Mouth is a BBC radio programme that explores the world of words and the ways in which
we use them. Listen to the first part of the episode called ‘How is English going to change in the
future?’ (available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wtzzk) and complete the notes and the
word webs with the main ideas introduced in the podcast. [0:00-18:35]

get passed on through

____________________________
Languages
BIOLOGIST because generations. They evolve.
____________________________
are like
VIEW OF species
___________ ____________________________
ENGLISH
____________________________
____________________________

Languages share Example:

common
_______________ english
____________ is closely related to
ancestors
_______________ germanic
____________ language
_____________.
_

This approach allows

rules of how they evolve
…derive ____________________________________________.
researchers to…
a general rule to predict how words get replaced
… come up with _____________________________________.
lists with kinds of words that evolve
… make ____________________________________________.

evolve
✓ Some words __________ very slowly  such as: ______________
numbers pronouns
& ______________.
✓ Some other words ___________________
evolve quickly adjectives
 for example: ________________________.

out and which ones ____.

Bas Aart [linguist] has got evidence for which words are coming ____ in

Verbs
__________ SYSTEM OF ENGLISH

MODAL VERBS
It is on the way out.
1- Difference between shall
_________ will
& __________. older
Mainly used by __________
speakers
_________.

Simplification of forms American

Not used in ____________
✓ Evolution  _______________________________.
English, except for
✓ If two forms are in competition, questions
_____________. It sounds
one will be pushed out of the language
__________________________________________. archaic
__________.
Those distinctions are not taught.
✓ Another factor  ____________________________
Loss of complexity because of the numbers of speakers
_____________________________________________.
Universidad Nacional de la Plata
Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación
Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1

of these archaic
American English retains some _________ forms
________:
Gotten
✓ ‘_________’  ______________.
Shakespeare
Dove
✓ ‘____________’  Jane Austen.

2- Must
you must give me a call by six tonight
Example: ‘______________________________’ autoritharian
 sounds… ______________________.
have to
Other ways: __________, need to
_____________, you´ve got to
_______________, might to
___________________ [AmEn].
Avoid the sense of obligation and demand
Why is this change taking place? ____________________________________________________.

sha´nt
3- ____________, might´nt
______________ ought´nt
& _____________  almost lost!

may
4- __________ has two meanings possibility

permission dissapearing
✓ Rapidly _____________.
can
✓ Replaced by _________.

can
5- Old distinction between may & _________. compression
More ____________.

HISTORICALLY…
might may
should shall
would …past tense of…
will
could can

PROGRESSIVE: _____
Be -ing
+ ____________
big mac
19th century
✓ It has increased dramatically in the __________________.
✓ Rule: __________
stative verbs are not normally used in the progressive
_______
form.
no
✓ Is it on the rise in written English? _____.
Universidad Nacional de la Plata
Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación
Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1

Now, listen to the second part of the radio programme [18:36-27:41] and decide if the following
statements are TRUE or FALSE. Justify.
a) Language experts believe that today it is grammatically correct to say: ‘I’ve kicked the ball in
the net yesterday’. F
b) The tendency towards simplification of the English language seems to be a result of hugely
informative contexts. F
c) The advent of technology has resulted in words evolving more quickly.F
d) Prepositions tend to change very quickly and they start to lose their original meanings. T
e) Mark Pagel explains that as there are not as many ashes as there used to be in people’s daily
lives, the word ‘ashes’ has become archaic. T
f) The English of the future will definitely be more informal and much simpler that it is today. F
Universidad Nacional de la Plata
Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación
Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1

[KEY] LISTENING TASK

Word of Mouth is a BBC radio programme that explores the world of words and the ways in which
we use them. Listen to the first part of episode called ‘How is English going to change in the future?’
(available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wtzzk) and complete the notes and the word webs
with the main ideas introduced in the podcast. [0:00-18:35]

LANGUAGES GET PASSED FROM

Languages because ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
BIOLOGIST are like
VIEW OF
SPECIES LANGUAGES COHERE LIKE
ENGLISH
SPECIES: THEY HANG TOGETHER,
THEY HAVE RULES.

Languages share Example:

COMMON ENGLISH is closely related to
ANCESTORS GERMANIC LANGUAGES.

This approach allows

researchers to… …derive CERTAIN RULES AS TO HOW LANG. HAS EVOLVED.
… come up with LISTS OF WORDS THAT HAVE CHANGED.
… make PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE.

✓ Some words EVOLVED very slowly  such as: NUMBERS (1-5) & PRONOUNS.
✓ Some other words EVOLVED MORE QUICKLY  for example: ADJECTIVES, NOUNS,
ETC.

Bas Aart [linguist] has got evidence for which words are coming IN and which ones OUT.

VERBAL SYSTEM OF ENGLISH

It is on the way out.

MODAL VERBS
Mainly used by OLDER
1- Difference between WILL & SHALL. SPEAKERS.
Universidad Nacional de la Plata
Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación
Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1

Not used in AMERICAN

English, except for
✓ Evolution  SIMPLIFICATION OF FORMS QUESTIONS. It sounds
✓ If two forms are in competition, ONE OF THEM ARCHAIC.
WILL BE PUSHED OUT OF THE LANG.
✓ Another factor  No OF SPEAKERS – THOSE
DISTINCTIONS ARE NOT TAUGHT .

American English retains some ARCHAIC FORMS:

✓ ‘GOTTEN’  SHAKESPEARE.
✓ ‘DOVE’  Jane Austen.

2- Must
Example: ‘YOU MUST GIVE ME A CALL BY 6 TONIGHT’  sounds… SLIGHTLY
AUTHORITARIAN.
Other ways: HAVE TO, NEED TO, I’VE GOT TO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO… [Am En].
Why is this change taking place? SO AS TO AVOID THE SENSE OF OBLIGATION/DEMAND.

3- SHAN’T, MIGHTN’T, & OUGHTN’T  almost lost!

4- MAY has two meanings POSSIBILITY

✓ Rapidly
PERMISSION
DISAPPEARING.
✓ Replaced by ‘CAN’

5- Old distinction between may & MIGHT More TENTATIVE.

HISTORICALLY…
MIGHT MAY
SHOULD SHALL
…past tense of…
COULD CAN
WOULD WILL
Universidad Nacional de la Plata
Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación
Departamento de Lenguas Modernas
Lengua Inglesa 1
PROGRESSIVE: BE + V -ING
✓ It has increased dramatically in the 19TH CENTURY.
✓ Rule: STATIVE VERBS are not normally used in the progressive form.
✓ Is it on the rise in written English? NO.

Now, listen to the second part of the radio programme [18:36-27:41] and decide if the following
statements are TRUE or FALSE.
a) Language experts believe that today it is grammatically correct to say: ‘I’ve kicked the ball
in the net yesterday’. FALSE
b) The tendency towards simplification of the English language seems to be a result of hugely
informative contexts. FALSE
c) The advent of technology has resulted in words evolving more quickly. FALSE
d) Prepositions tend to change very quickly and they start to lose their original meanings.
TRUE
e) Mark Pagel explains that as there are not as many ashes as there used to be in people’s
daily lives, the word ‘ashes’ has become archaic. TRUE
f) The English of the future will definitely be more informal and much simpler that it is today.
FALSE