Follow-up activities to Reading 5: Non-native (academic) writing



   A    Are the following statements True (T) or False (F)?

   

   1.      Politicians are always self-reliant in terms of using a foreign language.

   2.      The theory of translation originated from the same concept as the theory of non-native
   language writing.

   3.      The theory of translation dates further back than the theory of non-native language
   writing.

   4.      The main activity of the second-language writing process is working with a text with
   respect to the rules of the original language.

   5.      The basic principles that govern second-language writing are strictly linguistic.

   6.      Robert Kaplan’s study of “cultural thought patterns” was one of many at the time.

   7.      To comply with the requirements of a scientific text in English, the non-native writer
   will have to sacrifice some typical features of their own writing patterns, and at the same
   time introduce some new ones, characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon tradition.

   8.      The main purpose of contrastive studies of English and non-English patterns of
   discourse processing lies in unifying the model to the maximum extent possible.

   

   

   B    Choose the suitable synonyms for the expressions from the Introduction. (The numbers in
   brackets indicate the relevant paragraphs.)

   

   (2)       presupposes     -          takes for granted / presumes

   (3)       pin-point          -          define / ascribe

   (4)       curves              -          turns / loops

               abandon           -          desert / give up

   (5)       coincide           -          correspond / condemn

               surpassing        -          overcoming / repressing

               make detours   -          get side-tracked / take a longer way

   

   

   C    For each expression/definition try to find a suitable equivalent in the Czech vs English
   situation part.

   

   (intro)   natural abilities or skills ............................................

               shown ........................................................................

   (1)       expressed or represented ...........................................

               unite, connect ............................................................

               starting point .............................................................

   (2)       telling people what to do, dictating ..........................

               vital ...........................................................................

               impossibility to forsee ..............................................

   (3)       assigning, attributing ................................................

               the quality of being understood ...............................

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   D         Match the words from A with their opposites from B (there are extra ones).

   

   +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |                      A                       |                      B                      |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 1. demanding (part 4)                        |a     clear, easy to follow                  |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 2. overtly (5a)                              |b     secretly                               |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 3. obscure (5c)                              |c     dull                                   |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 4. current (5d)                              |d     variable                               |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 5. vivid (5d)                                |e     outdated                               |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 6. ambiguous (5d)                            |f     easy                                   |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   | 7. genuine (5d)                              |g     delightful                             |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   |                                              |h     false                                  |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   |                                              |i     smart                                  |
   |----------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------|
   |                                              |j     definite, having one meaning           |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

   

   E         Write the Czech equivalents for the following expressions.

   

   1.      milieu (4) ...............................................................

   2.      onus (4) .................................................................

   3.      dwell in (5) ...........................................................

   4.      infer (5a) ...............................................................

   5.      be sought for (5a) ..................................................

   6.      standpoint (5c) .....................................................

   7.      digressions (5c) ....................................................

   8.      contemplation (5d) ...............................................

   

   F          Transcribe the following words phonemically.

   intelligibility       .................................................          occupy
   ........................................................

   presupposition ................................................           persuasion
   ..................................................

   applicable .......................................................           endeavour
   ..................................................

   

   

   G         Decide which is the correct spelling. Then find them in the text to check.

   whereas / wheras                                 vareity / variety

   rethoric / rhetoric                                 potencial / potential

   partially / partialy                                 repeate / repeat

   purely / puerely                                    procesing / processing / proccessing

   distinction / destinction             accommpanying / acommpanying / accompanying

   uneqaul / unequal                                 adresee / addressee / addresee

   attempted / atemptted                          classification / clasiffication

   receptor / recepter                               aplicable / apliccable / applicable

   witty / wity                                          gener / ganre / genre

                                                              transmiting / transmmiting /
   transmitting

   

   

   H         Now take your last essay and check it against part 5. Try to decide whether your
   piece of writing demonstrates any of the Czech features or whether it is more inclined to
   follow the English pattern.

   

   5a 
   .................................................................................................................................................

   5b 
   .................................................................................................................................................

   5c 
   .................................................................................................................................................

   5d 
   .................................................................................................................................................