The Reading / Listening - Language Barriers - Level 1

Language barriers are holding back science around the world. English is the language of science, but a third of research is not printed in English. Researchers from the University of Cambridge said scientists miss a lot of important research. They said journals should have summaries of a study in many languages. They also said universities should translate research into different languages, especially Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

International companies are asking staff to use only English to reduce language barriers. Germany's Volkswagen announced that English is its official language. It wants to attract employees. Japan's carmaker Honda said its staff must use English by 2020. Researcher Tatsuya Amano said scientists needed to be serious about this. He said the WHO missed important research about avian flu in China because it was in Chinese.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Language Barriers - Level 0 Language Barriers - Level 2   or  Language Barriers - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.science20.com/news_articles/lingua_franca_needed_too_much_science_is_not_published_in_english-205757
  • http://qz.com/875491/japanese-white-collar-workers-are-already-being-replaced-by-artificial-intelligence/
  • http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/science-missing-out-on-non-english-studies-says-cambridge-study/story-MUnlMALQIjknh5zVtZeXeL.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Language barriers are holding
  2. around the
  3. English is the language
  4. a third of research is not
  5. scientists miss
  6. important
  7. journals should have summaries
  8. translate research into
  1. a lot
  2. printed in English
  3. world
  4. of a study
  5. different languages
  6. back science
  7. research
  8. of science

Paragraph 2

  1. asking staff to
  2. reduce
  3. official
  4. It wants to attract
  5. Honda said its staff must use
  6. scientists needed to be
  7. important research about
  8. it was
  1. language barriers
  2. avian flu
  3. employees
  4. in Chinese
  5. use only English
  6. language
  7. English by 2020
  8. serious about this

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Language barriers (1) ___________________ back science around the world. English (2) ___________________ of science, but a third of research is (3) ___________________ English. Researchers from the University of Cambridge said scientists (4) ___________________ important research. They said journals should have summaries (5) ___________________ many languages. They also said universities (6) ___________________ research into different languages, especially Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

International companies (7) ___________________ to use only English to reduce language barriers. Germany's Volkswagen announced that English (8) ___________________ language. It wants to (9) ___________________. Japan's carmaker Honda said its (10) ___________________ English by 2020. Researcher Tatsuya Amano said scientists needed (11) _________________ about this. He said the WHO missed important research about avian flu in China because (12) ___________________ Chinese.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Languagebarriersareholdingbacksciencearoundtheworld.Englishist
helanguageofscience,butathirdofresearchisnotprintedinEnglish.Res
earchersfromtheUniversityofCambridgesaidscientistsmissalotofimp
ortantresearch.Theysaidjournalsshouldhavesummariesofastudyin
manylanguages.Theyalsosaiduniversitiesshouldtranslateresearchin
todifferentlanguages,especiallyChinese,French,PortugueseandSpa
nish.InternationalcompaniesareaskingstafftouseonlyEnglishtoredu
celanguagebarriers.Germany'sVolkswagenannouncedthatEnglishis
itsofficiallanguage.Itwantstoattractemployees.Japan'scarmakerHo
ndasaiditsstaffmustuseEnglishby2020.ResearcherTatsuyaAmanos
aidscientistsneededtobeseriousaboutthis.HesaidtheWHOmissedim
portantresearchaboutavianfluinChinabecauseitwasinChinese.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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