How Different is English to Your Language? (Conversation Club)

The Thinking in English Conversation Club takes place every TUESDAY and THURSDAY at 12pm, 6pm, and 9pm UK time! You can find more details on how to participate on Patreon and Discord!

Conversation Questions: How Different is English to Your Language?

1. Is English a popular language in your country?

2. What is the biggest difference between your native language and English?

3. Are there any words that English has ‘borrowed’ from your native language? 

4. What are the biggest similarities between your native language and English?

5. Is English taught well in your native country? Why/Why not?

6. Do you think English is a good choice for an international language?

7. What word from your native language would you like to introduce into English?

8. Are there any words in your native language that come from English words?

9. Do you think the language we speak changes the way we think or behave?

10. “Those who know no foreign languages know nothing of their own.” 

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

How much do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Vocabulary List:

• Borrow
  • to take and use a word or idea from another language or piece of work.
• Similarity
  • the fact that people or things look or are the same.
• Introduce
  • to put something into use, operation, or a place for the first time.
• Behave
  • to act in a particular way.
• Foreign
  • belonging or connected to a country that is not your own.

Model Answers:

B1 (Intermediate) Model Answers

Vocabulary:

• Widely
  • including a lot of different places, people, subjects, etc..
• Industry
  • the people and activities involved in one type of business.
• Vocabulary
  • all the words known and used by a particular person.
• Grammar
  • the rules about how words change their form and combine with other words to make sentences.
• Concept
  • a principle or idea.
• Socialise
  • to spend time when you are not working with friends or with other people in order to enjoy yourself. 
• Aspect
  • one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc..

To see this content become a Patreon member and supporter of Thinking in English!

B2 (Upper Intermediate) Model Answers

Vocabulary:

• Pronunciation
  • The way in which words do, or should, sound in a language.
• Melodic
  • very pleasant to listen to; relating to the tune in a piece of music.
• Differ
  • to be not like something or someone else, either physically or in another way.
• Conjugation
  • the way in which you change the form of a verb.
• Article
  • any of the English words “a”, “an”, and “the”, or words in other languages that do the same job as these.
• Mandatory
  • Something that is mandatory must be done, or is demanded by law.
• Emphasis
  • the particular importance or attention that is given to something.
• Integration
  • the action or process of successfully joining or mixing with a different group of people.
• Interconnectedness
  • the state of having different parts or things connected or related to each other.

To see this content become a Patreon member and supporter of Thinking in English!

C1 (Advanced Level) Model Answers

Vocabulary:

• Buffet
  • a meal where people serve themselves different types of food.
• Investigate
  • to examine a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth.
• Practical
  • relating to experience, real situations, or actions rather than ideas or imagination.
• Field
  • an area of activity or interest.
• Vast
  • extremely big.
• Perception
  • a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem.
• Nuance
  • a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc..
• Embedded
  • If an emotion, opinion, etc. is embedded in someone or something, it is a very strong or important part of him, her, or it.

To see this content become a Patreon member and supporter of Thinking in English!

See you all at this week’s conversation club!

Liked it? Take a second to support Thinking in English on Patreon!