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Mass media are the means of communication that reach and influence a very large audience. They are radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Media can be used for various purposes: information, education, entertainment. They communicate the world to individuals and, therefore, play a crucial role in shaping public opinion. It’s worth mentioning that most mass media are operated for profit and run by professionals whose job is to transmit ideas important to the owners of that medium.
Newspapers are known to be the oldest media. The British are believed to be the greatest newspapers readers in the world. The symbol of the British press is Fleet Street that used to be home to most British national papers. There are two types of newspapers in Britain: tabloids and broadsheets. The two most popular daily newspapers, “The Sun” and “The Daily Mirror”, are tabloids or “popular papers”. The values of mass journalism are energy, intuition, personality, sexuality, excitement and myth. Tabloids contain sensational stories, report scandal or gossip about famous people. The photos are large and eye-catching, the headlines are big and intriguing, and there is not much written text.
Broadsheets, or “quality papers”, such as “The Times”, are not so popular. They are twice as big in size. Broadsheets have long articles with lots of information. They produce serious journalism. The values of the serious press are those of analysis, truth, balance, reality and compassion. Broadsheets report on national and international news. However, the differences between tabloids and broadsheets are breaking down.
The press can be divided into daily or weekly, morning or evening, local, national or international (mostly magazines). British magazines fall into four main categories: specialist ones, such as the computer magazine “PC Weekly”; general ones, such as the TV listing magazine “Radio Times”; women’s magazines like “Cosmopolitan”, and teenage magazines.
Young people under the age of 18 do not buy newspapers, but they do buy magazines. The favourite magazines of 15-year-olds are “Just Seventeen”, “Smash Hits”, and “TV Hits”. Teens will always be concerned with the same stuff – fashion, movie stars, music and sports. But life today is not that simple. Behind all the make-up hints and movie reviews there are serious things too. These magazines educate and inform teens as well.
Probably the most popular of the mass media nowadays is television, which broadcasts its programmes all over the country. It borrowed most of radio listeners. Nevertheless, radio has survived and attracts special audiences by turning to music. Unfortunately, quite a lot of people spend their free time glued to the box watching their favourite programmes or just surfing the channels. Such TV fans can be called “couch potatoes”. The choice provided by modern television is really wide: the news, documentaries, educational and wildlife programmes, talk (chat) shows, quizzes, music request and other call-in programmes, docudrama, reality shows, to say nothing of feature films, soap operas and cartoons. There are programmes on the arts, history, technical inventions and all the hobby-type subjects like gardening, cooking or making toys. Much school broadcasting and children’s programs have a high factual content. Combining entertainment and information, TV has developed a genre of infotainment.
The strength of television should lie in its high quality, its willingness to experiment and its ability to please most tastes and preferences. At the same time, as the aim of television is to attract as many viewers as possible, there is no escape from the dictates of popular tastes. The result is not only the triviality but the portrayal of crime and violence for entertainment. As the effects of television violence on children and adults can be extremely strong, special “family viewing time” (from 7 to 9 in the evening) has been introduced in some countries. As for children, watching TV should be strictly limited to “treats”. Another target for criticism is the amount of advertisement (ads) forcing people to consume more and more.
Britain has 5 terrestrial (non-satellite) TV channels and the usual myriad of satellite and cable channels. BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has the advantage of no adverts.
Living in a multimedia society, we shouldn’t underestimate the role of the Internet as a medium. It’s the fastest way to keep up on the latest news; it provides access to any information. Moreover, it offers perfect opportunities for distant learning. The prime benefit of the Internet is its interactivity, when any willing person can make news, report or comment on it. On the other hand, the Internet impact can be negative, the worst effect being people’s addiction to it. Other problems are anonymity, information validity and security. Thus, some content can be misleading, wrong or destructive. By the way, only 36% of the Net users are reported to find necessary information. In addition, spam might be troublesome.
All in all, we have to admit that we are lucky to have such a wide choice of mass media and we should try to make the best of it.
Monologues and Dialogues to Topic 1:
1. Speak about the world of mass media. Remember to mention:
a) what mass media you know;
b) what media are popular with different ages;
c) what role they play in your life;
d) what is your favourite one.
2. Speak about the world of mass media. Remember to mention:
a) what role mass media play in our life;
b) what mass media you know;
c) what one names the oldest mass media;
d) what medium is more popular with the young generation.
3. Speak about the world of mass media. Remember to mention:
a) what is the oldest type of media;
b) why people read newspapers or magazines,
c) what you know about newspapers in Great Britain;
d) whether you are fond of using the press.
4. Speak about the world of mass media. Remember to mention:
a) whether television is popular now;
b) what are positive points of this medium,
c) which disadvantages of TV you can name;
d) what TV programmes you prefer.
1. You are to make a project on modern mass media. One of your older friends studies at the faculty of journalism. Ask him / her for help and discuss: the role of mass media in our everyday life; pluses and minuses of such media as newspapers, TV and the Internet.
2. You are to make a project on one of modern mass media. One of you is a TV fan; another spends hours surfing the Internet. Try to convince your partner to choose your medium, showing its advantages in comparison with your partner’s one as well as with radio and newspapers.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Language is a treasure that belongs to each of us. Every language is a unique way of perceiving and describing the world, has its intrinsic value and enriches the whole of human experience. Scientists say that there are about 5 thousand languages in the world. Some of them are dead which means they are no longer spoken. Such dead languages as Latin, ancient Greek or ancient Egyptian, which is considered to be the oldest written language, are still taught for scientific purposes.
Languages are socially demanded because the ability to communicate in two or more languages, even at a modest level, offers opportunities for personal mobility, education and access to information. It is not by chance that between 60-65% of the world’s population use at least two languages in their everyday life. Lifelong language learning is a way of responding to economic, social and cultural changes.
Learning languages also helps to develop tolerance and understanding between people from different linguistic and cultural background. The knowledge of several languages expands the boundaries of the familiar language, makes use of one’s mother tongue more vivid and expressive. Some scientists consider that learning a language brings about permanent changes to one’s brain. Anyone who has learned to speak another language may have the sensation of discovering a new personality.
Because of their power, prestige and status, widely used languages are sometimes more effective, particularly in international relationships. We have to admit that 80% of the world’s population speak only 80 languages. We are witnessing the spread of English and the increasing dominance of a few great transnational tongues: Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Hindi.
English is the official language of some 30 states which represent different cultures. Today, when it has become a world language, it requires an effort of imagination to realize that in Shakespeare’s time, for example, only a few million people spoke English. The exporting of English began in the 17th century, and since then it has become the main language of business, science and technology, sports, modern music, mass entertainment, international tourism, to say nothing of computers.
Among the linguistic reasons that made English a truly global language there are such basic characteristics as simplicity of forms (few inflections), flexibility (the same word can operate as many different parts of speech), openness of vocabulary. English vocabulary is extremely ingenious in coining new words and terms. That makes it one of the richest languages in the world.
One’s attitudes to learning differ. Some may be enthusiastic and enjoy the challenge, eager to find out about the people and the culture behind the language. Others wouldn’t like to spend time, energy and money on it. Anyway, learning a language takes longer than most people think, and there are no easy routes to mastery. Although teachers and textbooks are essential, the responsibility for learning is the students’.
An outstanding learner may be characterized as:
confident in his ability to learn, motivated and enthusiastic; eager to get by in several languages; unafraid of making mistakes; a good pattern receiver and a good guesser; a language is a source of delight for him/her.
An average sort of learner doesn’t like being in the situations he/she can’t control; is rigid in the way he/she sees things; lacks motivation and systematic study.
So far there is no universal or ideal method of learning languages. Everyone has their own way. Sometimes it is boring to have grammar and vocabulary drills and learn topics or poems by heart. However, reading books, writing tests and dictations, singing songs, playing games, discussing different issues, making up and acting out dialogues, translating from and into English can help you a lot. In addition, watching films and educational programmes serves us good to master the language, to keep it up and to brush it up.
To receive a profound knowledge of a foreign language you might learn it outside school or after classes. For example, a person could use educational computer programmes, have private lessons with a tutor, take part in student exchanges, take an English course outside school (at American home, for example), go to an international summer camp, etc.
Monologues and Dialogues to Topic 2:
1. Speak about foreign languages. Remember to mention:
a) what makes people study foreign languages,
b) what role English plays nowadays;
c) why English has become so popular and efficient,
d) what foreign languages you study and whether you like it.
2. Speak about foreign languages. Remember to mention:
a) the reasons people study foreign languages;
b) why English has become so popular;
c) if English is easy or difficult for you to learn;
d) what kind of language learner you are.
3. Speak about foreign languages. Remember to mention:
a) why learning foreign languages is so important in the modern world,
b) what foreign languages you study and whether you like it;
c) what kind of language learner you are;
d) what you do to improve your knowledge of foreign languages.
4. Speak about foreign languages. Remember to mention:
a) what we need the language for,
b) why studying foreign languages is socially demanded,
c) what international languages you can name;
d) why English has become the most popular foreign language to study.
1. One of you doesn’t like learning foreign languages. Another is keen on studying English. Discuss why people should study languages; the role of English. Tell each other about your experience of learning languages. Give your friend some advice on how to brush up one’s English.
2. One of you wants to leave this school and choose another one because he / she seems to be more interested in Sciences. Discuss what kind of language learners you are, if English is easy or difficult for you to learn. Persuade him/ her to stay here because of the role foreign languages, especially international ones, play nowadays.
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