Why is it necessary to learn foreign languages ​​in modern society? "Why did English become an international language?" Why do many people choose English as a foreign language?

The BBC Capital observer came to a paradoxical conclusion: if in a group of people communicating in the same language, at least for some of the interlocutors it is not native, then they have little chance of truly understanding each other. Moreover, it is often native speakers who cannot convey their thoughts to others.

One small word in the letter became a grain of sand that brought down an avalanche of gigantic losses on an international company.

This letter was written in English by its native speaker to a colleague for whom English was foreign.

The recipient of the letter was not sure about the correctness of the translation of one of the words: he looked into the dictionary, found two opposite meanings there ... And he chose the wrong one.

A few months later, the company's management decided to find out what led to the collapse of the project, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“As it turned out, the ill-fated word was the culprit,” explains British teacher of the art of communication and intercultural differences Chia Xuan Chun. She doesn't say which word was involved, as its industry specificity would allow us to guess at which company this story took place.

"The situation got more and more out of control as the parties continued to imply opposite things."

As Chun argues, the paradox is that native speakers do often communicate their message to others worse than those for whom English is a second or third language.

“Many English-speaking people were happy when English became the lingua franca,” explains Chia Xuan Chung. “They no longer needed to learn foreign languages.”

“But more and more often we see this situation: the meeting room is full of people from all over the world, they communicate in English and understand each other perfectly ... And then an Englishman or an American enters the room - and no one understands them.”

Context

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Foreign Accent Syndrome: You sound like a stranger!

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British court: language exam does not violate the rights of immigrants

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It turns out that those who speak a foreign language - a second or even a third language - are characterized by greater content of speech and accuracy in expressions.

On the other hand, Chun explains, native English speakers often speak too fast, peppering their speech with jokes, slang expressions, and specific cultural references.

In email correspondence, they can confuse their recipients with strange abbreviations like “OVO”, which means just “absent from the office” (from the English OOO - out of office).

“An English-speaking person may be the only one who does not want to meet others halfway or adapt to others,” the teacher adds.

How to get audience understanding

Since English is not a native language for most of the inhabitants of the planet, Anglophones will probably have to adjust.

“In situations where the lingua franca is used - the common language of international communication, which is usually English, native speakers are at a disadvantage,” says Jennifer Jenkins, a professor at the British University of Southampton, who specializes in various varieties of English in the world. “It is the Anglophones who have the hardest time explaining themselves and understanding other people.”

People who speak a foreign language usually have a poorer vocabulary in it and choose simple phrases without flowery phrases and slang. This helps them understand each other without ambiguity.

For example, Professor Jenkins found that in British universities, foreign students communicate easily in English and quickly adapt their speech so that they can be understood by classmates who speak English less well.

"What the hell is RVP?"

The native language of Michael Blattner from Zurich is Swiss German, but at work he mostly communicates in English.

“Non-English native colleagues often tell me they understand me better than native speakers,” says Michael, director of training and certification for Zurich Insurance Group's international operations division.

Most of all, foreigners are afraid of abbreviations.

“In the first conversation about international affairs, I heard “RWP - 16:53” and thought: “What the hell is the RWP?” - Blattner recalls (ETA, estimated time of arrival - from English ETA - estimated time of arrival).

"Moreover, in the British and American versions of the English abbreviations can differ beyond recognition."

Blattner also notes the nuances of cultural overtones: for example, if a Briton speaks of some kind of proposal “That's interesting”, his compatriot immediately understands that he considers the idea to be complete nonsense, while representatives of other nations will take everything at face value.

In addition, factors such as the use of rare words and fast or slurred speech contribute to confusion, especially against the backdrop of poor quality phone or video calls.

“You lose the thread of the conversation and switch to another matter, because you don’t have the slightest opportunity to understand the interlocutor,” he admits.

“Typically, 90% of meeting time is spent by speakers whose native language is English,” notes Michael Blattner. “But other people were invited there for a reason!”

Dale Coulter, who leads the English course at TLC International House in the Swiss city of Baden, agrees: “English-speaking people who do not speak other languages ​​often do not understand how to speak English with foreigners.”

In Berlin, Coulter saw employees at the California headquarters of a Fortune 500 company conducting video briefings for staff in their German division.

The Germans were quite fluent in English, but they only caught the general gist of what the American project manager told them.

Therefore, having discussed what they had heard among themselves, they agreed on a version that suited everyone; the extent to which it matched the design of the California office remained unknown.

“A lot of information gets lost,” Coulter warns.

The simpler the better

A native speaker is most likely to be on the losing end of a deal, says Frenchman Jean-Paul Nerières, former IBM senior international marketer.

“Very many of those for whom English is a foreign language (especially the French and Asians) will prefer not to lose face and will nod approvingly in response even in cases where they do not catch the essence of the conversation at all,” he warns .

That's why Nerière developed Globish, a concentrated form of English with a vocabulary reduced to 1,500 words and a primitive but standardized grammar.

“It's not a language, it's a tool for communication,” explains the inventor, who has sold more than 200,000 Globish textbooks in 18 languages ​​since 2004. “By being able to communicate effectively in a simplified language with limited vocabulary, you save time and avoid misunderstandings and mistakes.”

Rob Steggles is Senior Director of Marketing for Europe at telecommunications giant NTT Communications. He was born in the UK, has spent a lot of effort learning French and can give Anglophones useful advice.

“Speak briefly, clearly, clearly and simply,” Steggles, who currently works in Paris, instructs. - The main thing is that your manner of communication does not seem condescending to your interlocutors. Staying on that fine line can be tricky."

Give people a chance

Professor Jenkins points out that when speaking to a group of people whose level of English proficiency varies, it is necessary to be receptive and flexible, adapting your ear to all speech variants.

“For people who speak foreign languages, it comes easily, but native English speakers tend to not know other languages ​​and switch with difficulty,” she says.

Steggles adds that in meetings, English-speaking speakers tend to speak at a normal pace for themselves, but too fast for others, and also rush to fill in the gaps in the conversation.

“But during this pause, perhaps the foreigner was trying to formulate his answer,” he reproachfully suggests. Wait a bit, give him a chance to speak. Otherwise, after the meeting, he may come up to you and ask: "What was it all about?" or leave completely and do nothing, because he simply did not understand your words.

"Without feedback," he warns, "you'll never know if you've been understood or not."

whydoweneedtolearnEnglish?

Project manager: M.S. Nasilnikova

Blagoveshchensk 2015

Project content

1. Project passport

2. Goals and objectives of the project

3. The main part of the project

4. Conclusion

5. References

PROJECT PASSPORT

Material name

PresentationontopicWhy do we need to learn English?

Class (age)

5th-6th grades, 12-13 years old

Subject

English language

Terms and main stages of the project implementation

    Preparatory stage (selection of a topic)

    The main stage (design of a creative project)

    Final stage (protection of the project)

Type of resource (presentation, text document)

presentation text document

Technical equipment (computer, interactive whiteboard, etc.)

Computer, projector

Target:

Tasks:

Purpose: to explore why you need to learn English?

Tasks:

1. To study the history of the emergence of the English language;

2.Develop a booklet;

3. Compile questionnaires and conduct a survey on the topic of research among classmates;

Brief job description

This work provides an opportunity to learn more about learning English.

Introduction

Learning a foreign language in the modern world is one of the most important qualities of a modern, successful person. Knowledge of at least one foreign language broadens one's horizons, allows one to learn the culture and customs of another people. English is now the most important and most spoken language in the world. It is the official language in five countries: Great Britain, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

I have been studying English since the 2nd grade for the 4th year. This is one of my favorite subjects at school. I know that learning English is very important and useful. But, unfortunately, not everyone understands this. I think it is necessary to introduce my classmates and friends to the benefits of learning English. In my project, I would like to talk about the English language and justify the importance of studying this subject.

Target: explore why, why you need to learn English.

To do this, I put in front of me a rowtasks :

1. Analyze the data in the encyclopedic literature on the research topic;

2. Study the history of the emergence of the English language

3. Design a booklet

4. Compose questionnaires and conduct a survey on the topic of research among classmates;

5. Analyze, draw conclusions based on the results of the survey;

6. Arrange the results of the study in the form of a presentation.

Object of study: English language

Subject of study: the importance of learning English in school.

Research methods:

1. Collection of information from books, encyclopedias, Internet resources;

2. Analysis of information on the research topic;

3. Questioning of classmates and teachers;

4. Processing of research data.

Project relevance

English is taught as a means of communication in two forms: oral and written, and thus contributes to the formation of a comprehensively developed personality, able to use English as a means of communication, a means of establishing contacts with people who speak this language.

The problem of learning English is relevant for the class in which I study. I needed to find out the attitude of my classmates to learning English. Analysis of the survey of classmates on the topic of the study showed the following:

I conducted a survey among the 5th graders.

Do you think it is necessary to study English today?

It can be seen from the diagram that most of the fifth graders, namely 88%, answered the question that English should be studied.

    Why do you need to study English?

Main part of the project

The history of the English language began in England. English is a West Germanic language that was originally spoken in England. Currently, English is the most widely used language in the world. The history of the English language includes the spread of the English language to a significant number of countries and continents. English is the first language of most people in several countries, including the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. It is the third most spoken mother tongue in the world, after Chinese and Spanish. English is the most popular language as a second language. The total number of people who speak English - including native speakers and not - exceeds the number of people who speak any other language. English is the official language of the European Union, many Commonwealth countries and the United Nations, as well as many world organizations.

I think English is worth learning. There is a proverb: "A new language is a new world."

English is not the most common...

Which foreign language to study, and which one is more useful?

This questionvery interesting, but the answer to it is not so obvious. Approximate estimates of the number of people speaking one language or another on our planet are very different.

Let's dwell on the data of one of the sourcesSummer Institute of Linguistics (SummerInstituteforLinguistics(SIL)). By the number of native speakers, the languages ​​are distributed as follows:

It turns out thatEnglish language is the third language in terms of the number of people who speak it. But it is English that is recognized throughout the world as the universal language for communication. English has the highest rating - the coefficient of significance of the language. And this is how the “picture” of the distribution of languages ​​by influence looks like:

Experts have identifiedfactors , according to which each of the most common languages ​​was “checked” and the result obtained was calculated in a special way (“weighed”). Here are the very factors that determine the influence of a language:

the number of people for whom the language is native is those who speak the language from birth;

the proportion of secondary native speakers are those who have learned the language and use it on an equal basis with their native language;

the population of countries where the language is used and the number of states where the language is used as the language of international communication - i.e. how many countries use the language, and how many people live in those countries;

the economic level of development of countries where one or another language is spoken; the socio-cultural level of the countries-native speakers - how rich and developed the countries where the language is spoken.

English is now in all fields of activity.

    Media and transport

Traveling anywhere in the world, you will find
at least one person who understands you
in English.

At all international airports, pilots and dispatchers speak English.

The five largest broadcasters - CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC and CBC - reach a potential audience of approximately 500 million through English language broadcasts.

English is the language of satellite television

    Age of information.

English is the language of the computer age; language of medicine, electronics and space technologies.

English is the language of the information age. Computers "talk" to each other in English. More than 80% of all information in more than 150 million computers around the world is stored in English.

85% of all international telephone conversations are made in English, as well as 3/4 of the world's mail, telexes and telegrams.

Once the language of science was German, today 85% of all scientific papers are published first in English.

More than half of the world's technical and scientific periodicals are published in English, which is also the language of medicine, electronics and space technology.

    The Internet is unthinkable without English!

the lion's share of web pages is written in English;

and those websites that are created in national languages, but reach the point where it is necessary to acquire an international version, also use primarily English.

    English is the language of international business.

When a Japanese businessman makes a deal anywhere in Europe, there is a good chance that the negotiations are conducted in English.

On industrial goods, the country of their production is indicated in English: "Made in Germany", and not "Fabriziert in Deutschland".

Multinational corporations have also chosen this language. Almost 100% of employees of large companies are required to speak, read and write in English.

    Diplomacy.

English is the official language of politicians, international organizations and associations.

English is replacing the dominant European languages ​​for many centuries. English has replaced French as the language of diplomacy and is the official language of international aid organizations such as UNESCO, NATO, the UN, Oxfam and Save the Children.

English is the language of communication in countries where people speak different languages. In India, where approximately 200 different languages ​​are spoken, only 30% speak the official language Hindi. When Rajiv Gandhi (President of India) addressed the country after the murder of his mother, he spoke in English.

English is the official or semi-official language of 20 African countries, including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and South Africa.

    Youth culture.

"Pop music", "rap music", "snowboard", "computer hacking" - these words invade our lexicon ....

"Mobile", "SMS", "MMS", "Internet", "website" - these are words without which it is already impossible to imagine our life.

Why am I learning English?

All languages ​​are meant for communication and the most popular language in the world nowadays is English. My name is Arina. I'm 12 years old. English is my favorite subject at school and I have been studying this subject since childhood. I live in a bilingual family. My mum decided to expand my vocabulary and to take me to special kids’ courses of English language. The teacher quickly noticed that I’m quite good at picking up new words and I continued studying the foreign languages ​​at school. From the 5th form I also started learning French. It's a very beautiful language too, but English, in my opinion, is more practical and demanded in the world. When me and my parents travel to other countries I always take a chance to use my English there. Almost all people easily understand what I mean. Another reason for learning English is my future career. I’m planning to continue my education in a Linguistic University and hopefully I’ll become an interpreter some day. I also like reading books and magazines in English, so my knowledge of foreign words really helps me. After all, I think that the more languages ​​we know the better. I can make friends from different countries and keep in touch with them by e-mails. So, if I want my dreams to come true, I need to master and improve my English all the time.

Conclusion

From scientific sources, according to the results of a survey of students, from Internet resources, I found out that learning English is important, necessary and simply necessary for every person. The collected data, the information I received will be useful to my classmates and friends. I will definitely share this information with other students.

“Do you speak English” is a phrase familiar to us from school. A set of words that we once did not attach much importance to. But how sad it sounds now, when, while on vacation abroad, we suddenly got lost. They try to help us by explaining something in English. And we just don't understand because we don't speak the language! Or in business negotiations, we cannot conduct a dialogue with a foreign partner. It is so bitter, so doomed to have to answer the same question “No”.

English is the language of international communication. And all the doors of the world are open to him who owns it perfectly. Traveling, communicating with foreign friends on the Internet, business negotiations in English, education in the most prestigious universities not only in Russia, but also in the world! You will be sure that you will understand and will understand you. For you there will be no such problem as languagebarrier.

Reminder: Learn English

Impeccable command of spoken English has long been one of the most necessary and at the same time natural skills in the modern world, the key to success in life and a symbol of prestige. In order not to look for the right words every time, but to speak English as easily and naturally as riding a bike or swimming in the pool, you need to learn English correctly.

Patience and more patience

Having set a goal to learn English, keep in mind that you cannot master it in a month or six months. This is a rather long process. Experts are sure that you can reach a good level in about 2 years - with daily classes for at least 2 hours. After all, learning a language has its own peculiarity: up to a certain point, only the “accumulation” of knowledge occurs (this period is the most difficult). At this stage, you are constantly accompanied by the feeling that nothing is working and you do not understand anything! And, as a result, many begin to doubt their abilities and quit learning the language. Therefore, it is especially important right now to show willpower - and believe me, you will have a second wind. At some point, the so-called "brain explosion" will occur, you will feel special pleasure from the fact that you can really understand and speak - and in the future you will respect yourself for your perseverance!

You and only you

Do not believe that you just need to find a magic "pill" - the most modern technique or a super teacher - and you will instantly and without any difficulties master the language. Learning a language is not just about transferring knowledge from one head to another. This is your work, your efforts, your time. And the methods and teachers only help you, guiding you on the path to successful language acquisition.

Don't stop there!

Learning English is a continuous process. If you have reached a good level, do not stop! Even a very good level is easy to lose. It is known that for 2-3 months spent without classes, the language begins to be forgotten. So keep practicing.

Do we study English in a group or individually?

Working in a group has several advantages. Firstly, you have an additional incentive - to be no worse than the rest. Therefore, you are actively engaged both during the lesson and when preparing homework. Secondly, the group helps to remove the language barrier, as you overcome your shyness in communicating with class participants.

It makes sense to combine individual and group lessons in cases where you need to learn a language in a short time (before an interview, internship, exam) or you need specialized knowledge, specific terms (in the field of medicine, management, technical language).

Reading. Be sure to purchase small books in English. It can be simple detective stories, romance novels and other "light" literature. You can find books that come with cassettes of their contents. Thanks to an interesting plot and ease of understanding, the words will be remembered by themselves!

We listen. Put on headphones and listen to cassettes with any English text: for the course you are currently studying, recorded radio or TV shows, texts that you have read, texts or just songs. Even if you don't focus on understanding the text, your subconscious will do the work for you.

We look. Be sure to watch films in English. They come with and without interlinear translation. Choose light films.

We learn grammar. Oral speech cannot be mastered without knowledge of grammar. Of course, grammar is a must! But in order to communicate easily, conversational practice is necessary.

We speak, if you went abroad, do not hesitate to speak the language you are learning, even with mistakes. The Internet provides a lot of opportunities. Find a pen pal and communicate with him in English.

Tell everyone that you are learning English. Friends will respect this hobby. And remember: if you started on Monday, then Tuesday cannot be missed!

List of sources used

    Bychkov A.V. Method of projects in modern school. - M., 2000.

    Dzhuzhuk I.I. Method of projects in the context of student-centered education. Materials for didactic research. - Rostov n / D., 2005.

    Lakotsenina T.P. Modern lesson. - Rostov n / a: Teacher, 2007.

    Pakhomova N.Yu. Teaching project method in an educational institution. - M., 2005.

    Polat E.S. New pedagogical and information technologies in the education system. - M., 1998.

    Sergeev I.S. How to organize student project activities. - M., 2005.

    10 reasons why learn English

Level B. Other.

Better learning foreign languages ​​abroad

Learning foreign languages ​​is very necessary for people, especially nowadays. There are many ways how you can learn any foreign language. For example, you can do it abroad or in your home country. Some people consider that learning foreign languages ​​in their home country is better. But I don't agree with them. In my opinion, learning foreign languages ​​abroad is better.

And now I will try to explain my point of view. Firstly, I think that, if you learn English or any other foreign language abroad, you will learn it more quickly because you’ll live in the country where all people speak this foreign language. You'll always hear them speaking and remember some words and try to imitate their pronunciation. Secondly, if you learn English abroad, you can get to know new countries, new people, make new foreign friends. As for me, it is very interesting and exciting. And thirdly, learning foreign languages ​​abroad is easier and more effective because there you will speak with the people who don’t know your native language.

But there's another point of view on this problem. Somebody prefers learning foreign languages ​​in his home country. They consider that it is more dependable, and you don't have to go anywhere. Maybe these people are right, too. But I can't support their point of view.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you can choose any way of learning foreign languages. But personally I prefer learning foreign languages ​​abroad because in this way I can learn them more quickly, and, moreover, it is more interesting and easier to learn foreign language in a foreign country.

Learning foreign languages ​​is very necessary for people, especially nowadays. There are many ways to learn any foreign language. For example, you can study it abroad or at home. Some people think that learning foreign languages ​​is better at home. But I don't agree with them. In my opinion, it is better to study foreign languages ​​abroad.

And now I will try to explain my point of view. Firstly, I think that if you study English or any other foreign language abroad, you will be able to learn it faster because you will live in a country where all people speak a foreign language. You will always hear their speech, remember some words and try to repeat their pronunciation. Secondly, if you study a foreign language abroad, you will be able to get to know new countries, new people, find new foreign friends. For me personally, it is very interesting and exciting. And thirdly, learning a foreign language abroad is easier and more efficient, because there you will be talking to people who do not know your native language.

But there is another point of view about this problem. Some prefer learning foreign languages ​​in their own country. They think it's more reliable, you don't have to go anywhere. Maybe these people are right too. But I do not support their point of view.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you can choose any way of learning a foreign language. But personally, I prefer studying foreign languages ​​abroad, because in this case I can learn it faster, and, moreover, it is more interesting and easier to learn a foreign language in a foreign country.

Topic (essay) in English on the topic "English in life / English in the life"

Why is it so important to learn foreign languages?

I think, nowadays it is very important to know foreign languages. Some people learn languages, because they need them for their work, others travel abroad, for the third it`s just a hobby. People want to know languages, to write to their pen-friends or to communicate with people from different countries, to meet more people and make new friends. Also, they want to read books of famous writers in original, to read newspapers and magazines. It helps them to know more about different events, people`s life, customs and traditions.

Nowadays, English has become an international language. Over 300 million people speak it as a mother tongue. As for me, I learn English from 7 years of age. This language helps me very much, to speak free with people from all over the world, make new friends and participate in international contests.

I like one proverb of Johann Goethe:" He who does not know foreign languages ​​does not know anything about his own." I speak Ukrainian, Russian, English, a little Italian and Spanish. And I`m very proud of it, because languages-it`s my second life. Also, I would like to learn Germany, French and Serbian, but this year I dedicate myself to learning Italian. You know, dream from my childhood - to be an an interpreter and I`m sure, I get it.

Personally, I think that to know foreign languages ​​today is absolutely necessary for every educated man, for every good specialist. So let`s to learn foreign languages ​​and discover with them many interesting things in our life!

Translation:

I think nowadays it is very important to know foreign languages. Some people learn languages ​​because they need them for work, others travel abroad, and others just as a hobby. People want to know languages, write pen pals or communicate with people from different countries, meet more new people and make friends. In addition, they want to read books by famous writers in the original, read newspapers and magazines. This helps them learn more about different events, people's lives, customs and traditions.

Learning foreign languages ​​broadens our horizons, people become more educated. In my opinion, languages ​​are especially important for those who work in various fields of science and technology, politics. A foreign language helps you learn your native language better. People who know many languages ​​are polyglots. We know some names of polyglots: the German professor Schlimmann, the famous writer Shakespeare, the philosopher Socrates and many others.

Nowadays, English has become an international language. About 300 million people speak it as their mother tongue. As for me, I have been learning English since I was 7 years old. This language helps me a lot, speaking fluently with people from all over the world, making new friends and taking part in international competitions.

I like one proverb of Johann Goethe: "He who does not know foreign languages ​​does not know anything about his native language." I speak Ukrainian, Russian, English, some Italian and Spanish. And I'm very proud of it, because languages ​​are my second life. Also, I would like to learn German, French and Serbian, but this year I dedicate myself to learning Italian. You know, my childhood dream was to be a translator and I'm sure I will be.

Personally, I think that knowing foreign languages ​​today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Therefore, let's learn foreign languages ​​and discover many interesting things in our life with them!

Kuznetsova Milena

Kachanova Yaroslava, Gusenkova Kristina

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Municipal Autonomous Educational Institution

"Gymnasium No. 1", Bryansk

RESEARCH PROJECT

IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Why did English become

International language?

Completed by: Kachanova Yaroslava

Gusenkova Kristina

(students of grade 7b)

Head: Zhizhina N.V.

year 2014

1.Introduction…………………………………………………………….2-3

2. The concept of "international language"………………………………….4-7

3. History of the origin of the English language…………………..8-11

4. The beginning of the globalization of the English language……………………..12-13

5. English - as a universal international language ... ... 14-17

6.Conclusion………………………………………………………………18-20

7. List of used literature………………………………..21

1. Introduction

There is a famous saying:English belongs not only to England, but to the whole world. And there is no exaggeration in this. Almost two billion people on Earth use both their native and foreign languages, English in their speech. Currently, English is the language of computers, information technology and, of course, the Internet. English is a priority in the world practice of conducting correspondence.

English has long been established as the global language of international communication. A rich vocabulary of only half a million words related to terminology has led to the advanced importance of English in science, and today a huge number of scientific publications are published in English. English is used in diplomacy, trade, medicine, industry, and business.

The English language has a long history of development. Since the time of the settlement of the British Isles by the tribes of Angles and Saxons, the English language has been formed as a result of conquest and trade relations. And today, the English language continues to constantly change and evolve, not only in countries where English is the official language, but throughout the world.
Why is English the international language? This is due to the fact that its study is a fairly easy process that can be mastered as quickly as possible. Moreover, we note that any person and at any age can master this language.

1. Topic of work Why did English become an international language?

2. Rationale for the relevance of the topic

Today, the ability to communicate in English has become the norm and even a necessity. But why exactly English? Why not Japanese or Arabic? Why did English become an international language, the language of international communication?

3. Research hypothesis

We propose to call English the language of international communication, identify the areas of use of English that are known to us, and understand what encourages students to choose English over other foreign languages.

4. The purpose of the work

Finding out the expediency of calling English the language of international communication.

5. Tasks

1.Educational

- to form the skills of conducting and designing simple research

Expand students' knowledge of the language being studied

To form the ability to use previously studied material in the speech and practice of students

2.Developing

To develop the ability of students to make monologue statements

Develop interactive communication skills

Develop listening skills

3. Educational

Cultivate social skills

To educate students the ability to objectively assess what is happening

To form self-control skills and the ability to objectively assess their capabilities

6.Object of study

English as a universal international language

7. Research methods

Communication-oriented learning

Development of cognitive interests

Learner-centered learning

Information Technology

8. Subject of research

The process of globalization of the English language, its distribution and significance throughout the world.

9.Practical significance

English in the modern world is evolving not only in countries where it is the official language, but also in countries that actively use English as the main international language. More and more people want to know the language not just at the level of a minimal understanding of each other, but in order to express their thoughts in an accessible and most accurate way. And accordingly, all the changes that occur with the language in its homeland are tightly woven into the lives of people who study and use it outside of English-speaking countries.

2. The concept of "international language"

international language- a language that can be used for communication by a significant number of people around the world. The term is also used to refer to this concept.world language. In the modern world, from 7 to 10 international languages ​​stand out. The border between international languages ​​andlanguages ​​of interethnic communication is blurry.

After World War II, and especially since the early 1990s, English has become the most common international language. An international language can also mean an artificial language created for international communication, such as Esperanto. Also in the XVII-XVIII centuries. attempts were made to create an artificial universal letter -pasigraphy

Signs of an international language

Languages ​​considered international have the following features:

  • A large number of people consider this language to be their mother tongue.
  • Among those for whom this language is not native, there are a large number of people who speak it as a foreign orsecond language .
  • This language is spoken in many countries, on several continents and in different cultural circles.
  • In many countries this language is studied at school as a foreign language.
  • This language is used as an official language by international organizations, at international conferences and in large international firms.

3. History of the origin of the English language

Celtic culture at the origins of the history of the English language

The first mentions in the ancient chronicles of the inhabitants who inhabited the British Isles date back to 800 BC. At this time, a tribe of the Indo-European people, the Celts, moved to the island. Those tribes that lived on the islands before the arrival of the Celtic people did not leave any traces in history.

From 800 BC the era of the British Celts begins and, accordingly, the Celtic language in Britain.Many linguists are of the opinion that the word "Britain" comes from a word with a Celtic root - brith "painted". In the annals, one can find a mention that the Celts really painted their faces and bodies when they were going to war or hunt. There are references in the annals that the British Celts already had a developed culture at the time of the conquest of the British Isles by the great Caesar. Patriarchy flourished in the tribes. Men had 8-10 wives. Children were brought up by women until a certain age, then the boys passed under the care of men who taught them how to hunt and use weapons.

Also in the annals it is mentioned that the British Celts spoke a special dialect.

And words like whiskey, plaid, slogan came into English much later from the Celtic languages ​​that were widespread at that time: whiskey (Irl. uisce beathadh "living water"), slogan (from Scottish sluagh-ghairm "battle cry ").

The influence of the Roman Empire on the development of the English language

A century after the conquest of the British Isles by Caesar, in 44 BC. The Roman emperor Claudius visited the British Isles, after which Britain became a Roman province. During this period, there is close communication between the Celtic people and the Romans, which, of course, is reflected in the language.

So, many words in modern English have Latin roots. For example, the word castra (from Latin "camp"). This root is found in many place names of modern Britain - Lancaster, Manchester, Leicester.

There are also such common words as street "street" (from the Latin expression via strata "paved road") and wall "wall" (from vallum "shaft").

There are many common nouns borrowed from Latin: wine "wine" - from Latin. vinum "wine"; pear "pear" - from lat. pirum "pear"; pepper "pepper" - from lat. piper.

Old English period (450 - 1066) in the history of the English language

The immediate progenitors of the English people are the Germanic tribes of the Saxons, Jutes, Angles and Frisians, who entered the territory of Britain in 449. Since these tribes far outnumbered the Celtic ones in numbers, the Anglo-Saxon dialect gradually replaced the Celtic dialect from use.

Thanks to the Anglo-Saxon tribes, many names of geographical objects appeared in the English language, which have survived to this day. Also, words such as butter, pound, cheese, alum, silk, inch, chalk, mile, mint have common Germanic roots borrowed from Latin. Or the word Saturday - stands for "the day of Saturn" - the father of the god Jupiter in ancient Roman mythology.

In 597 AD The general Christianization of Britain begins. Prior to this, the Anglo-Saxon tribes were pagans. The Roman Church sent the monk Augustine to the island, who through diplomatic channels gradually began the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. The activities of Augustine and his followers brought tangible results: by the beginning of 700 AD. a significant part of the population of the British Isles professed Christianity.

This close fusion of cultures is reflected in the language. Many words appeared that were borrowed precisely at this time. For example, school "school" - from lat. schola "school", Bishop "bishop" - from lat. Episcopus ″watching″, mount "mountain" - from lat. montis (genus Pad.) "mountain", pea "pea" - from lat. pisum "pea", Priest "priest" - from lat. presbyter "presbyter".

According to approximate estimates of linguists in this era, the English language borrowed more than 600 words from Latin, not counting derivatives from them. Basically, these are words related to religion, church, as well as government.

By this time belongs the work of Beda the Venerable (Beda Venerabilis), the first English historian and educator, who was the first to translate the Gospel from Latin into Anglo-Saxon. The activity of Bede the Venerable had a significant impact on the development of the language and is an important stage in the history of the English language.

Influence of the Scandinavian group of languages

In 878, the conquest of the Anglo-Saxon lands by the Danes begins. For many years, the Danes lived on the lands of Britain, intermarried with representatives of the Anglo-Saxons. As a result, a number of borrowings from the Scandinavian languages ​​appeared in English. For example, amiss "not all right", anger "anger", auk "razorbill", awe "awe", axle "axle", aye "always".

The letter combination sk- or sc- at the beginning of a word in modern English is also very often an indication that the word is a Scandinavian loanword. For example, sky "sky" (in native English heaven), skin "skin" (in native English hide "skin"), skull "skull" (in native English shell "shell; shell").

Middle English period (1066-1500) of the history of the English language

Development of English in the Middle Ages

In the middle of the XI century, the inhabitants of northern France conquer Britain. William the Conqueror, a Norman by birth, becomes king. Since that time, the era of three languages ​​​​begins in the history of the people. French became the language of the aristocracy, the courts, Latin remained the language of science, and the common people continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. It was the mixing of these three languages ​​that gave rise to the formation of modern English.

Modern English - mixed

Linguists interpret modern English as a mixed language.This is due to the fact that many words, in a common sense, do not have common roots. Let's compare, for example, a number of words in Russian: head - head - main. In English, the same series is represented by the words: head - chapter - chief. Why did it happen? Everything is explained precisely by the mixing of three languages. Anglo-Saxon words denoted specific objects, hence the word head. From Latin - the language of science and education, the word chapter remained. From French there was a word that was in the everyday life of the nobility, chief.

The same distinction can be found in many semantic series in the English language. For example, words denoting the name of an animal (words of Germanic origin) and the name of the meat of this animal (these words come from Old French) differ. So, ox is a bull, cow is a cow, calf is a calf, sheep is a sheep, pig is a pig; but beef is beef, veal is veal, mutton is lamb, pork is pork, etc.

During this period of the history of the English language, changes also take place in the grammatical structure. Many verb endings are missing. Adjectives acquire degrees of comparison, including suppletive degrees (with the addition of the words more, most). The phonetics of the language also undergoes significant changes. By the end of 1500, the London dialect was gaining more and more popularity in the country, which 90% of native speakers began to speak.

First books in English

William Caxton is considered to be the first printer in Britain, who in 1474 printed the first book in English. It was a translation of Raoul Lefebvre's ″Collection of Stories of Troy″. During his lifetime, Caxton printed over 100 books, many of which were his own translations. It should be noted that thanks to his activities, many English words finally found their finished form.

As for grammar rules, Caxton often invented his own rules, which, after publication, became public and were considered the only correct ones.

New English period (1500-present) of the history of the English language

The great William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is considered to be the founder of the English literary language. He is credited with the origin of many idiomatic expressions that are also used in modern English. In addition, Shakespeare invented many new words that have taken root in the language.

For example, the word swagger "swaggering gait; swagger" is found for the first time in the history of the English language in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

History of the English Language in the Age of Enlightenment

In 1712, for the first time in history, an image appeared that personified Great Britain and the national character of the English. In this year, the hero of John Abertnot's political pamphlets, John Bull, was born. And until now the image of Bull is a satirical image of an Englishman.

In 1795, the first English Grammar by Lindley Murray was published. For almost two centuries, this textbook has been fundamental in the grammar of the English language. All educated people studied Murray's grammar.

4. The beginning of the globalization of the English language

By the beginning of the 20th century, English is increasingly becoming the language of international communication. English, along with other languages ​​of international communication, was used at international conferences, in the League of Nations, for negotiations. Even then, the need to improve its teaching and develop objective criteria for learning the language more effectively became obvious. This need stimulated the search and research of linguists from different countries, which have not dried up to this day. It is clear thatthat one of the most important components of learning any foreign language is the accumulation of vocabulary. Only by acquiring some vocabulary can one begin to study the relationships of words - grammar, style, etc. But which English words should be learned first? And how many words do you need to know? There are a lot of words in the English language. According to linguists, the complete vocabulary of the English language contains at least one million words. Record holders among well-known dictionaries of the English language are the second edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, The Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1989 by Oxford University Press, and Webster's 1934 Dictionary Webster's New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition, which includes a description of 600 thousand words. Of course, not a single person knows such a number of words, and it is very difficult to use such huge dictionaries.

The "average" Englishman or American, even with a higher education, hardly uses more than 1500-2000 words in his everyday speech, although he passively owns an incomparably large stock of words that he hears on TV or meets in newspapers and books. And only the most educated, intelligent part of society is able to actively use more than 2000 words: individual writers, journalists, editors and other "masters of the word" use the most extensive vocabulary, reaching 10 thousand words or more in some especially gifted people. The only problem is that for every person with a rich vocabulary, the dictionary is as individual as handwriting or fingerprints. Therefore, if the vocabulary of 2000 words is approximately the same for everyone, then the “plumage” is quite different for everyone.

However, conventional bilingual dictionaries and explanatory dictionaries, in which the interpretation of the meanings of words is given in one language, tend to describe the maximum possible number of words in order to increase the likelihood that the reader will find in them the majority of the search words he encounters. Therefore, the larger the regular dictionary, the better. It is not uncommon for dictionaries containing descriptions of tens and hundreds of thousands of words in one volume. In addition to ordinary dictionaries, there are dictionaries that contain not the maximum number of words, but rather their minimum list. Dictionaries of the necessary minimum vocabulary describe the words that are used most often and represent the greatest semantic value. Since words are used with different frequencies, some words are much more common than all other words. In 1973, it was found that a minimum dictionary of the 1000 most common words in the English language describes 80.5% of all word usage in average texts, a dictionary of 2000 words - about 86% of word usage, and a dictionary of 3000 words - about 90% of word usage.

English became an international language thanks to the active colonial and commercial policy of Great Britain.

FROM At the beginning of the 17th century, through the East India Company, England spread its influence in North America, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the African continent, Australia, Indonesia, Oceania, China and Japan.

And automatically, like it or not, English became the language of business people, the language spoken by the richest and most powerful of this world.

And looking at all this, people were in a hurry to learn English. After all, for them, he personified luck and success. Who doesn't want fame and fortune?

So, thanks to the massive influx of people who want to learn it, English became an international language, which, by the way, it is to this day.

Unconvincing?

H well, then read the list of England's colonies by the 17th century, and everything will fall into place:

Ireland, Heligoland, Malta, Gibraltar, Ionian Islands, Minorca, Cyprus, Isle of Man, Mesopotamia (Iraq) , Real Jordan and Palestine), Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Treaty Oman (UAE), Aden, Afghanistan, British India (INDIA, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma), Ceylon, Nepal, Malaysia (including Singapore), Maldives, Sarawak, British Malaya, North Borneo, Brunei, Hong Kong, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika(Tanzania), Zanzibar, Somalia, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Nyasaland (Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Union of South Africa (South Africa), South West Africa (Namibia), Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Seychelles, Swaziland, Chagos Archipelago, Gambia, Mauritius, Nigeria, British Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and British Togo (Ghana), Sierra Leone, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Islands, St. Helena, CANADA, Newfoundland , Thirteen Colonies (USA), Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Barbados, Dominica,Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenadines, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Guyana (Guyna), Saint Kitts, Mosquito Coast, Cayman Islands, Nevis, British Honduras (Belize), Bahamas, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Papua New Guinea, AUSTRALIA, Solomon Islands, Christmas Island, Nauru, Cocos Islands, Norfolk, New Zealand, British Samoa, Cook Islands,Ross Land (in Antarctica), Fiji, Gilbert Islands (Tuvalu and Kiribati), Tonga, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Pinkairn.

5. English as a universal international language

The surest factor in accelerating the development of a universal way of life is
is the spread of the English language. Language is the great agent of homogenization,
the wave through which culture is transmitted. If English becomes
the main language of communication, the consequences of this are obvious: cultures
English-speaking countries will be dominant throughout the world.

English becomes the world's first universal language.He is
native language of 500 million people in 12 countries.
This is much less than
somewhere around 900 million who speak Mandarin Chinese.
But another 600 million speak English as a second language.And further
several hundred million have some knowledge of the English language,
which has official or semi-official status in about 62 countries
.
Although there may be as many people speaking different dialects
Chinese as well as English speakers, English is undeniably more
distributed geographically, indeed more universal than Chinese.
And its use is growing at an amazing rate.

Today there are approximately 1.5 billion people in the world who speak
English language.

English being the most taught language does not replace others
languages, but complements them.

300 million Chinese - more than the entire population of the United States -
learn English.

In 90 countries, English is either a second language or widely studied.

In Hong Kong, students in nine out of ten secondary schools study English
language.

In France, in public secondary schools, it is compulsory for students
studying English or German for four years,
the majority - at least 85% - choose English.

In Japan, students must study English for six years before
graduation from high school.

In Russia, where learning foreign languages ​​is mandatory for children,
most learn English. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark mandatory
are learning English. Of all European countries, not counting
Great Britain, Holland is in first place in terms of the number of people who know
English language. Ever since Portugal joined the European Community,
the demand for English lessons has replaced the demand for French classes
language.

"On the part of students, young professionals, educators, business people and
civil servants in most countries there is a general hunger for
materials and technological means in English," notes the former
director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Charles Wick.
The agency promotes behavior in 200 cultural centers in 100 countries
English courses. 450 thousand people attended English classes
languages ​​sponsored by USIA.

There are 1,300 English-language schools in Tokyo, and 100 open every year.
new schools. "Berlitz" offers in its 250 language schools located in
27 countries of the world, learning both English and American versions
of English language. Around the world, from 80 to 90% of the students of Berlitz schools
are learning English. Between 1983 and 1988, the number of
English language increased by 81%.

Media and transport

English prevails in transport and in the mass media
information. English is the language of travel and communication in international
airlines. At all international airports, pilots and controllers speak
English. Maritime navigation uses flags and light signals, but
"if the ships had to communicate verbally, they would find a common language,
which would probably be English," says an American
Maritime Border Guard Warner Sims.

The five largest broadcasters are CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC and
CBC (Canadian broadcaster) - reach potential audience
approximately 500 million people through English language broadcasts.
It is also the language of satellite television.

information age

English is the language of the information age. Computers talk to each other
in English. More than 80% of all information in more than 150 million computers
around the world is kept in English. Eighty five percent of all
international telephone calls are made in English, also
as well as three-quarters of the world's mail, telexes and telegrams. Instructions for
computer programs and the programs themselves are often only in English
language. Once the language of science was German, today 85% of all scientific papers
published first in English. More than half of the world's technical
and scientific periodicals are published in English, which is also
is the language of medicine, electronics and space technology. Internet
unthinkable without English!


international Business

English is the language of international business. When Japanese
businessman concludes a deal somewhere in Europe, there is a high probability that
negotiations are conducted in English. On industrial products it is indicated
in English, their country of production: "Made in Germany" and not
Factory in Deutschland. This language was also chosen by multinational
corporations. Datsan and Nissan write international memorandums on
English. Back in 1985, 80% of the employees of the Japanese "Mitsui and K" could
speak, read and write English. Toyota provides courses
English at work. English classes are held in
Saudi Arabia for Aramco employees and on three continents for
employees of Chase Manhattan Bank. All employees of Tetrapack, IBM
must know English well.

The international language of Iveco, an Italian truck manufacturer, is
English. Philips, a Dutch electronics firm, manufactures all assemblies
board of directors in English. French company Cap Gemina
Sogeti SA, one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer programs,
declared English as its official language. Even in France where
have a low opinion of all languages ​​except their own, in the leading
business school will now be taught in English. Higher
commercial school offers its classic advanced management course
business in English. This is the first time that a French higher education
the school will teach in a foreign language. When in Paris
the headquarters of Alcatel, the second largest telecommunications network in the world,
the operator answers the phone, then he does not do it in French, but
in English, and it sounds like this: "Alcatel, good morning." When the French
yield in the matter of language, then something irreversible is really happening.

Diplomacy

English replaces the dominant language for many centuries
European languages. English has replaced French as the language
diplomacy, it is the official language of international aid organizations
aid such as Oxfam and Save the Children, UNESCO, NATO and the UN.

Lingua franca

The current picture of the world gave rise to the emergence of the world "lingua franca", which became the English language."Lingua franca"- a language used for communication among people of different mother tongues." (Collins English Dictionary) [“A lingua franca is a language used to communicate among people for whom it is not native”]

English is the lingua franca in countries where people speak
various languages. In India, where about 200 different languages ​​are spoken,
only 30% speak the official Hindi language. When Rajiv Gandhi addressed
to the country after the murder of his mother, he spoke English.
European Free Trade Association works only in English
language, despite the fact that it is a non-native language for all member countries.

Official language

English is the official or semi-official language of 20 African
countries including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and South Africa.
Students are taught in English at Makerere University in Uganda,
the University of Nairobi in Kenya and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
English is the official language of the World Council of Churches, the Olympic Games and
contest "Miss Universe".

youth culture

English is the language of world youth culture. Around the world
young people sing words from the songs of the groups "The Beatles", "U-2" (U2), Michael
Jackson and Madonna without fully understanding them. Break dance, rap music,
"bodybuilding", "windsurfing" and "computer hacking" - these words invade
jargon of the youth of all countries of the world.

6. CONCLUSION

English today is the universally recognized language of international communication. It is used on 157 national airlines (out of 168 existing in the world), it is spoken and written by hundreds of millions of people of different nationalities (for example, in India alone, up to 3 thousand newspapers are published in English). This is the language of modern business, science, office work, information technology.

“English is just as big a business as the export of manufactured goods” (Professor Randolph Quirk, Oxford;

In modern society, English has taken its strong position. In kindergartens, kids are taught the English alphabet and simple words. At school, it is mandatory to study, and in some institutes, students listen to entire courses of lectures on various subjects in English. When applying for a job, knowing this language can make the employer pay special attention to your resume. English has long been assimilated with ours - everywhere people use words such as “computer”, “internet”, “business”, “image”, “presentation” ... We travel around the world, communicating with people from different countries and cultures in English, and we understand each other. Today, the ability to communicate in English has become the norm and even a necessity.

But why exactly English? Why not Japanese or Arabic? Why did English become an international language, the language of international communication?

1) Many centuries ago, England spread the English language in all the conquered countries - the colonies of the British Empire., and emigrants from England took him to North America and other parts of the world. So, united with emigrants from Europe, they created the United States of America, in which the English language played a major role in overcoming language and national barriers.. And automatically, like it or not, English became the language of business people, the language spoken by the richest and most influential of this world.

2) There are a lot of words in the English language. The richness of the vocabulary had a great influence on the spread of the language in the world.However, the most important difference between English and many European languages ​​is that there are no static norms in the UK. On the contrary, it is various dialects and adverbs that are in great use. Not only the pronunciation of words at the phonetic level differs, but there are also completely different words denoting the same concept.


3) During its existence, English has undergone many changes.The conquered colonies transformed the language of the colonizer and introduced elements of their national language into it. So, in the Philippines, Malaysia, England, the United States, the language differs slightly from each other. The cultures of different countries leave their mark on the English language. Today eventhere is such a thing as american english, for us it is the language of the US superpower, simplified and more “convenient”.Media and government officials communicate in British English. There are Australian English, Canadian English and many other dialects. On the territory of the UK itself, there are several dialects spoken by the inhabitants of a particular province.

As you can see, the English language has retained its traditions of ″mixing languages″ even today..
The mass dissemination of the English language began in the era of globalization and scientific and technological progress.
The globalization of the economy and trade, as well as "Americanization", contributed to the spread of American English, from which words were increasingly borrowed by other languages, such as Ukrainian and Russian.
The modern language of the British Isles is by no means static. The language lives, neologisms constantly appear, some words become a thing of the past.

In truth, they communicate in what the linguist David Crystal called "Englishes" (which can be translated as "English languages"), in some cases it is the language that is called "creole", "pidgin" or "patois".


Currently, we are mastering the latest technology, the possibilities of the Internet and international communication. Scientists from all over the world come together for important scientific research. Literature in English, clothes from abroad, exchange students, tourists - all this surrounds us every day.And even if there were attempts to create a new universal language of international communication, for example, Esperanto, which has achieved significant success, all the same, English has been and remains the main international language.

4) This situation causes both positive and negative emotions in many people. On the one hand, of course,the existence of a single language in which you can communicate in any country and forget about any language barriers is wonderful.You can not only not think about how to communicate in a country where they speak an unfamiliar language, but also make new friends, get to know a different culture and thereby consider completely different values ​​that are different for all nations. An international language such as English is able to unite all nations, make people friendly and permanently remove linguistic misunderstandings, expanding the space to an unattainable level of communication.


But there is another opinion, which is not as optimistic as the above, namely, a sufficiently large category of people believes that the existence of an international language is, of course, good,but there is a danger that it will gradually absorb all other languages ​​and thus the cultural values ​​of each nation will be left in the past.Each nation will no longer be unique and unique in its own way, and the international language will gradually become unified and replace the significance of national languages. Of course, this opinion will cause skepticism among many, but it is worth noting that it is not without a certain meaning and relevance, and if we consider our future in the future, then nothing is impossible and sometimes the situation can turn out in the most unexpected way.

Perhaps in 100 years, the inhabitants of the Earth will love the sophistication and beauty of one of the two dialects of the Chinese language - Mandarin or Cantonese. We do not know.

How many people, so many opinions, there can be no doubt about this, and everyone must decide for himself how important it is for him to know English and what is the role of this language in the world.

7. List of used literature

- Arakin V.D.

Essays on the history of the English languageM.: Fizmatlit, 2007. - 146 p.

Brunner K.

History of the English language. Per. with him. 2 volumes in one book. Ed.4
2010.. 720 p.

Ilyish B.A.

History of the English language, M. Higher School, 1998. 420s

Smirnitsky A.I.

Reader on the history of the English language from the 7th to the 17th centuries, Academy, 2008. 304s

Shaposhnikova I.V. History of the English language. Flint. 2011

Internet resources

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