On Screen p 54. Languages and Globalisation. Speaking

1. MONOLOGUE. Prepare a talk of AT LEAST 5 minutes on the subject. You may use the pictures above and the contents below if you wish:

"The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is capable of expressing all forms and degrees of human comprehension."  

Ezra Pound (Ezra Weston Loomis Pound) (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic who was a major figure of the early modernist movement.

Do you think the majority of languages around the world will eventually die out? Do you think that governments should have programmes to protect minority languages, or should we accept that they will die out? Can you think of any dead languages? Do you think that their speakers would have predicted that their languages would eventually die out? Is social media saving dying languages?
What would be the advantages and disadvantages of having a global language?

You may make some notes for your talk to take into the exam. These should not exceed five lines.

2. INTERACTION
In this part of the test, the examiner will ask you some questions about issues related to the TOPIC. Remember that you are expected to have a conversation as natural as possible and give full answers. This part of the examination will last AT LEAST 5 minutes. You will not see the questions below.
________________________________________



TEACHER'S QUESTIONS

1. Do you appreciate it when English speakers make an effort to enunciate each word slowly and carefully so that you understand them? or do you find it patronising? Are they being thoughtful and considerate? or do you feel belittled? Does it bolster your confidence? or do you get the impression they are demeaning you?
2. Do you like the way your mother tongue is changing? What do you think the future of your mother tongue is?
3. Can you think of any advantages and disadvantages of using English as a lingua franca?
4. Do you like to adopt new words and expressions?
5. Can you think of any instances in which people are expected to have a good command of English?
6. In what situations should you mind your language?
7. Can you tell us about the last time you faced a language barrier?
8. When was the last time you couldn't get a word in edgeways?
9. Do you prefer to listen to someone who beats about the bush or who gets to the point?

10. When was the last time you witnessed two people talking at cross purposes?
11. Have you ever had to give anybody a good talking-to?
12. Do you have any friends who always talk shop? How do you feel about it?
13. Do you find it irritating when they ask you to run everything by again?
14. Have you ever been in a situation in which you couldn't make head nor tail of what was being said?
15. When was the last time you got the wrong end of the stick? 

Useful language

Monologue questions: sample answer
Some languages are in a very poor state nowadays, particularly given today’s climate of mass culture and so on.
For instance, I have often heard stories of punishment that my parents received for speaking their own language at school. They are able to laugh about it now, but at the time it was considered deeply shaming. It made them feel as the country bumpkin, someone to be despised.
On the one hand these punishments were effective in the sense that they lowered the status of a language. On the other hand they also caused resentment and made people more defiant towards the authorities. You know, it can be a bit like pruning a tree- if you cut it back, it grows much stronger.
However, globalisation and tourism are much more powerful forces which represent a much bigger threat to the survival of a minority language
Although tourism can give a language status by attracting outside interest in it, it can also have a negative effect on local cultures. You know, here in Mallorca, the natives moan about the influx of outsiders and how they buy up land at giveaway prices to build holiday cottages, and how it’s destroying their culture, and so on. But then the very same people are selling up their farms so they can run hotels or open souvenir shops. Understandable, perhaps, but they’re encouraging the very thing they’re complaining about.
If no positive action is taken, some languages will simply die out. The problem is that some people are indifferent, and even hostile to their own language. They think it’s of no use in the modern world, which they so desperately want to be part of. Fortunately, though, there are enough people around who realize that to lose your mother tongue is like losing a part of yourself. Your language makes you who you are. And if you spoke a different language, maybe you would be a different person.

People on their own can’t do much. It is really up to the authorities to legislate to ensure the survival of minority languages.
I think there are several things you can do. Firstly, of course, the authorities would have to bring in some language experts to analyse the present situation. Secondly, these experts…

Many languages in the world are slowly dying from increased globalisation and wider dissemination of more dominant or popular languages. Many countries have one main language of use and several other dialects that are being forgotten or abandoned.
In South America, where there used to be huge linguistic diversity, many of these native languages have become extinct or are in danger of extinction, with the huge promotion of Spanish and Portuguese as the lingua franca. However, with the advent of new technology, some of these dying languages can now also reach to wider audiences.
In Southern Chile, youth that speak a language called Huilliche produce rap videos and post them on the internet in their native tongue. In the Philippines, youth send text messages to each other in their native tongues. It seems that although technology helps bring ideas, and thus language assimilation, to the most remote parts of the world, it also gives these languages a chance to reach out and fight off extinction.
Linguists have noted that youth are more keen to use their native language through modern technology when their peers use it, especially through texting, because it is deemed as “cool.” There has been a direct correlation between teenagers’ access to technology and more interest in learning and retaining their native languages and dialects.

Some believe that a global language would be beneficial because the idea that one country is better than another just because they speak one language would be forgotten. Everyone could get along and maybe even the wars would fade away, eventually. Also, communication would no longer be a problem. Business, travel, and trade would be much easier because we could all talk to each other easily.
On the other hand even though one global language would be nice to have, humans come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and many cultures. A single global language would lead to homogeneity /ˌhɒmədʒəˈniːəti/ as opposed to differentiation. Verbal understanding would be better, but the diversification /daɪˌvɜːsɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ of ideas would cease. Darwin's theory of evolution preaches diverse species survive whereas ones that can't adapt fail. Humans need diverse languages in order to move forward with our society in a positive way.

Vocabulary
enunciate (something)  to say or pronounce words clearly. E.g. He doesn't enunciate (his words) very clearly. She enunciated each word slowly and carefully.

patronise (somebody) (also -ize)(disapproving) to treat somebody in a way that seems friendly, but which shows that you think that they are not very intelligent, experienced, etc. E.g. Some television programmes tend to patronize children.

belittle somebody/something to make somebody or the things that somebody does seem unimportant. E.g. She felt her husband constantly belittled her achievements. By saying this, I do not mean to belittle the importance of his role. He spoke to me in a belittling tone. A person who belittled our efforts to do the job right.

bolster: /ˈbəʊlstə(r)/ to improve something or make it stronger. E.g. to bolster somebody’s confidence/courage/morale. More money is needed to bolster the industry. She tried to bolster my confidence/morale (= encourage me and make me feel stronger) by telling me that I had a special talent. They need to do something to bolster their image.

demean somebody/something to make people have less respect for somebody/something. Degrade. E.g. Such images demean women. Behaviour like this demeans politics. 

lingua franca: /ˌlɪŋɡwə ˈfræŋkə/ a medium of communication used between people who speak different languages. E.g. English has become a lingua franca in many parts of the world.

global language: a language used all around the world. E.g. English has become a global language. 

command of a language: /kəˈmɑːnd/ ability to use a language. E.g. Applicants will be expected to have (a) good command of English. 

mind/ watch your language: pay attention to the words that you use (for example, in order not to appear rude). E.g. Watch your language, young man! 

language barrier: a breakdown in communication as a result of people not having a common language in which to communicate.  The difficulties faced when people who have no language in common attempt to communicate with each other. E.g.  Investigators faced a language barrier because the husband and wife only spoke Cantonese. The couple then went to a local French hospital, but the language barrier proved a slight problem. 

(not) get a word in edgeways (not) to be able to say anything because somebody else is speaking too much. E.g. When Mary starts talking, no one else can get a word in edgeways. 

beat about the bush (British English) (North American English beat around the bush) to talk about something for a long time without coming to the main point. E.g. Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.

to the point expressed in a simple, clear way without any extra information or feelings. Pertinent. Relevant. E.g. The letter was short and to the point. His evidence was brief and to the point.  Please get to the point of all this. Will you kindly get to the point? (get to the important part).

cross purposes: /ˌkrɒs ˈpɜːpəsɪz/ if two people are at cross purposes, they do not understand each other because they are talking about or aiming at different things, without realizing it. E.g. I think we're talking at cross purposes; that's not what I meant at all. I think we're/they're at cross-purposes (Sp. creo que estamos/están hablando de cosas distintas). We seem to be talking at cross-purposes (Sp. esto parece un diálogo de sordos).

talking-to: a serious talk with somebody who has done something wrong. E.g. to give somebody a good talking-to. They gave Peter a talking-to about solving problems with words, not fists. The boss gave us a real talking-to at half time and we came out with more aggression for the second half.

run something by (someone) (again) to explain something to someone again; to say something to someone again. E.g. I didn't hear you. Please run that by me again. Please run it by so we can all hear it.

get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick (British English, informal) to understand something in the wrong way. To misunderstand something. E.g. The game was probably the most sensitive treatment and realistic treatment of battle displayed in a video game at that point, so obviously, the media got the wrong end of the stick. 

reach out to someone to ask someone for help. E.g.  She urged him to reach out to his family.

fight somebody/something off to resist somebody/something by fighting against them/it. E.g. The jeweller was stabbed as he tried to fight the robbers off.

deem: to have a particular opinion about something. Consider. E.g. The evening was deemed a great success. I deem it an honour to be invited. She deemed it prudent not to say anything. They would take any action deemed necessary.

Objective Proficiency p 91. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 4
KEY
a end

• At the end of the day: used to introduce the most important fact after everything has been considered. Sp. A fin de cuentas, al fin y al cabo, después de todo. E.g. At the end of the day, he'll still have to make his own decision.

b. all

• All things considered: thinking carefully about all the facts, especially the problems or difficulties, of a situation. Sp. A fin de cuentas, en conjunto, en general. E.g. She's had a lot of problems since her husband died but she seems quite cheerful, all things considered. 

c. come

• Come to think of it: used when you suddenly remember something or realize that it might be important. On reflection (said when an idea or point occurs to one while one is speaking). Sp. ahora que lo pienso. E.g. Come to think of it, he did mention seeing you. Come to think of it, that was very daring of you.

d.  cold/clear

• In the cold/clear light of day: when you have had time to think calmly about something; in the morning when things are clearer. E.g. These things always look different in the cold light of day. The purchase needs to be made in the cold light of day and not on impulse Sp. La compra debe basarse en un análisis objetivo y no en un impulso.

e. all

• All in all: when everything is considered. Sp. En términos generales, teniendo todo en cuenta, en conjunto. E.g. All in all it had been a great success.

 

Ex 5
KEY
Rhetorical questions are appropriate to both articles and essays 
Possible answers
 

a Don't American products impose a way of life on us that many regard as alien at the end of the day?
 



b All things considered, mightn't globalisation bring more equality to the world?



c When you come to think of it, isn't it rather depressing to find a McDonald's in every town?
 

Extra rhetorical questions:
1 All in all, is it so disastrous that everyone can link up to the Internet?
 


2 In the cold light of day, won't these transnational companies bring much-needed investment to poorer countries?
 


3 Do we all want to wear the same branded clothes, in the final analysis?

Advice

• Punchy: having a strong effect because it expresses something clearly in only a few words. E.g. a bright, punchy style of writing.

Ex7

• Boon: (to/for somebody) something that is very helpful and makes life easier for you. Gran ayuda. E.g. The new software will prove a boon to Internet users.
• Pillage: to steal things from a place or region, especially in a war, using violence.  
• At stake: that can be won or lost, depending on the success of a particular action. Estar en juego. E.g. We cannot afford to take risks when people's lives are at stake. The prize at stake is a place in the final. 
• In your own right: because of your personal qualifications or efforts, not because of your connection with somebody else. E.g. She sings with a rock band, but she's also a jazz musician in her own right.
• Reassert something: to make other people recognize again your right or authority to do something, after a period when this has been in doubt. Reafirmar. E.g. She found it necessary to reassert her position.
• Mourn: /mɔːn/ to feel and show sadness because somebody has died; to feel sad because something no longer exists or is no longer the same. E.g. He was still mourning his brother's death. They mourn the passing of a simpler way of life.

Objective Proficiency p 90. The New Elizabethans: Tim Berners-Lee. Extra Listening

Jim Naughtie on Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and unlikely hero of the Olympic opening ceremony. Berners-Lee is a key figure in the digital revolution that has re-fashioned social lives, working practices and the flow of information around the globe.

Listen to the programme

Objective Proficiency p 90. The New Elizabethans: Rupert Murdoch. Extra Listening

Rupert Murdoch, the global media magnate whose career began when he inherited newspapers from his father, founded Australia's first national daily paper, the Australian and then came to the UK to buy The News of the World, The Sun and eventually The Times and The Sunday Times.
His influence spread to the USA where he acquired other papers, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and several independent television stations. He formed BSkyB in 1990 which has dominated the British pay-TV market ever since.
At the age of 81, despite the damage done to his business due to the phone hacking scandal, his political influence and business skills elicit both fear and admiration and Forbes magazine lists him as the 24th most powerful person in the world.

Listen to the programme

Objective Proficiency p 90. Vocabulary

Ex 1

• Wade through something: [no passive] to deal with or read something that is boring and takes a lot of time. E.g. I spent the whole day wading through the paperwork on my desk.
• Denigrate somebody/something (formal): to criticize somebody/something unfairly; to say somebody/something does not have any value or is not important. E.g. I didn't intend to denigrate her achievements.
• A high/low profile: the amount of attention somebody/something has from the public. E.g. This issue has had a high profile (notoriedad) in recent months. I advised her to keep a low profile (pasar desapercibido, tener una actitud discreta) for the next few days (= not to attract attention).
• Pop + adverb/preposition: to suddenly appear, especially when not expected. E.g. The window opened and a dog's head popped out. An idea suddenly popped into his head. (computing) The menu pops up when you click twice on the mouse.
• Mercedes: /mə ˈseɪd ɪz / Benz /benz/
• Bonnet: /ˈbɒnɪt/ (North American English hood) the metal part over the front of a vehicle, usually covering the engine. Capó.
• Trunk: (British English, North American English) (British English boot) the space at the back of a car that you put bags, cases, etc. in

Ex 2 

• Lump it: (informal) to accept something unpleasant because there's no other choice. Aguantarse. I'm sorry you're not happy about it but you'll just have to lump it. That's the situation—like it or lump it!
• Dire: /ˈdaɪə(r) / very serious. E.g. living in dire poverty. Dire warnings/threats. Such action may have dire consequences. We're in dire need of your help. The firm is in dire straits (= in a very difficult situation) and may go bankrupt.
• On/to the verge of something/of doing something: very near to the moment when somebody does something or something happens. E.g. He was on the verge of tears. They are on the verge of signing a new contract. These measures brought the republic to the verge of economic collapse.
• Bound to do/be something: certain or likely to happen, or to do or be something. E.g. There are bound to be changes when the new system is introduced. It's bound to be sunny again tomorrow. You've done so much work—you're bound to pass the exam. It was bound to happen sooner or later (= we should have expected it). You're bound to be nervous the first time (= it's easy to understand).
• Comfort: /ˈkʌmfət/ to make somebody who is worried or unhappy feel better by being kind and sympathetic towards them. Consolar. E.g. The victim's widow was today being comforted by family and friends. She comforted herself with the thought that it would soon be spring. It comforted her to feel his arms around her. Read on and you are bound to feel comforted (/ˈkʌmfətɪd/ reconfortado).
• A prime example of something is one that is typical of it. E.g. The building is a prime example of 1960s architecture.
• Parochial: /pəˈrəʊkiəl/ only concerned with small issues that happen in your local area and not interested in more important things. Provinciano, pueblerino. E.g. They need to be better informed and less parochial in their thinking. 
• Disseminate:(V) /dɪˈsemɪneɪt/ to spread information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people. Difundir. E.g. Their findings have been widely disseminated. 
• Dissemination: (N) /dɪˌsemɪˈneɪʃn/ 
• Solace: /ˈsɒləs/ a feeling of emotional comfort when you are sad or disappointed; a person or thing that makes you feel better or happier when you are sad or disappointed. Consuelo. E.g. He sought solace in the whisky bottle. She turned to Rob for solace. His grandchildren were a solace in his old age.
• Inflict: /ɪnˈflɪkt/ to make somebody/something suffer something unpleasant. Imponer, causar, ocasionar, E.g. They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy. Do you have to inflict that music on us? They surveyed the damage inflicted by the storm. The rodent's sharp teeth can inflict a nasty bite.
• Unsuspecting: /ˌʌnsəˈspektɪŋ/ feeling no suspicion; not aware of danger or of something bad. Confiado, desprevenido. E.g. He had crept up on his unsuspecting victim from behind.
• Unerring: /ʌnˈɜːrɪŋ/ always right or accurate. Certero, infalible. E.g. She had an unerring instinct for a good business deal. He could predict with unerring accuracy what the score would be.
• Unerringly: /ʌnˈɜːrɪŋli/ infaliblemente.  
• In the final/last analysis: used to say what is most important after everything has been discussed, or considered. E.g.In the final analysis, it's a matter of personal choice.
• Enrage somebody: /ɪnˈreɪdʒ/ to make somebody very angry. Infuriate. E.g. She was enraged at his stupidity. The newspaper article enraged him.
• Nike: /ˈnaɪki/ 
• Coca-cola: / ˌkəʊk ə ˈkəʊl ə/ 
• When all is said and done: when everything is considered. Al fin y al cabo. E.g. I know you're upset, but when all's said and done it isn't exactly a disaster.
• Innocuous: /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/ not harmful or dangerous. E.g. an innocuous substance.
• Heroin: /ˈherəʊɪn/
• Cocaine: /kəʊˈkeɪn/ (also coke /kəʊk/)
• Issue: /ˈɪʃuː/ to make something known formally. E.g. They issued a joint statement denying the charges. The police have issued an appeal for witnesses.
• Doom and gloom: a general feeling of having lost all hope, and of pessimism (= expecting things to go badly). E.g. Despite the obvious setbacks, it is not all doom and gloom for the England team.

Objective Proficiency p 88. The Voices of China's Workers. Extra Listening

In the ongoing debate about globalization, what's been missing is the voices of workers -- the millions of people who migrate to factories in China and other emerging countries to make goods sold all over the world. Reporter Leslie T. Chang sought out women who work in one of China's booming megacities, and tells their stories.

In her reporting and writing, Leslie T. Chang explores the lives of workers in China, focusing on the experience of women.
 Watch the video with subtitles on the TED website

Objective Proficiency p 88. Inequality. Extra Listening

In a special edition of The Forum entitled Inequality and hosted by former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, they discuss some of these issues: Do we have a moral responsibility to reduce inequality for the next generation? Is there a danger that by striving for equality between the sexes we’re actually ignoring real differences between men and women? And is the idea of a world without extremes of inequality a utopian fantasy?

Objective Proficiency p 88. Globalisation Lecture. Extra Listening

2002 edition
Ex 3
Questions
KEY

1 C



2 B 



3 A



4 B



5 C

• Tamper with something: to make changes to something without permission, especially in order to damage it. Alter. Falsificar, alterar. E.g. Rich countries are tampering with statistics. Someone had obviously tampered with the brakes of my car.
• A dumping ground: a place where you put things you don't want. A tip (a place where you can take rubbish/garbage and leave it).
   

6 C



Transcript
Extract 1
A friend of mine studies village life in central Africa. A few
years ago, she paid her first visit to a remote area where she
was to carry out her fieldwork. The night she got there, she
was invited to a local home for an evening's entertainment.
She expected to find out about the traditional pastimes of
this isolated community. Instead, the evening turned out to
be a viewing of the film Basic Instinct on video. The film at
that point hadn't even reached the cinemas in London. This
appears to be the norm these days and such vignettes reveal
something about our world. And what they reveal isn't
trivial. It isn't just a matter of people adding modern
paraphernalia - videos, TVs, computers - to their traditional
ways of life.We live in a world of transformations, affecting
almost every aspect of what we do. For better or worse, we
are being propelled into a global order that no one fully
understands, but which is making its effects felt on all of us.
Globalisation: the term may not be particularly attractive or
elegant. But absolutely no one who wants to understand
our prospects and possibilities can ignore it. I travel a lot.
I haven't been to a single country recently where
globalisation isn't being intensively discussed.
The global spread of the term is evidence of the very
developments to which it refers. Every business guru talks
about it. No political speech is complete without it. Yet as
little as 10 years ago, the term was hardly used, either in the
academic literature or in everyday language. It has come
from nowhere to be almost everywhere.
Different thinkers have taken almost completely opposite
views about globalisation in debates that have sprung up
over the past few years. Some dispute the whole thing. I'll
call them the sceptics. According to the sceptics, all the talk
about globalisation is only that - just talk. Whatever its
benefits, its trials and tribulations, the global economy isn't
especially different from that which existed at previous
periods. The world carries on much the same as it has done
for many years.
Others take a very different position. I'll label them the
radicals; they argue that not only is globalisation very real,
but that its consequences can be felt everywhere. The global
marketplace, they say, is much more developed than even
two or three decades ago, and is indifferent to national
borders. Nations have lost most of the sovereignty they
once had, and politicians have lost most of their capability
to influence events.
Extract 2
It is wrong to think of globalisation as just concerning the
big systems, like the world financial order. Globalisation isn't
only about what is 'out there', remote and far away from the
individual. It is an 'in here' phenomenon too, influencing
intimate and personal aspects of our lives. The debate about
family values, for example, that is going on in many
countries, might seem far removed from globalising
influences. It isn't. Traditional family systems are becoming
transformed, or are under strain, in many parts of the
world, particularly as women stake claim to greater equality.
There has never before been a society, so far as we know
from the historical record, in which women have been even
approximately equal to men. This is a truly global revolution
in everyday life, whose consequences are being felt around
the world in spheres from work to politics.
Globalisation thus is a complex set of processes, not a single
one. And these operate in contradictory or oppositional
fashion. Most people think of globalisation as simply
'pulling away' power or influence from local communities
and nations into the global arena. And indeed nations have
lost much of the economic power they once had. Yet it also
has an opposite effect. Globalisation is the reason for the
revival of local cultural identities in different parts of the
world. If one asks, for example, why the Scots want more
independence in the UK, or why there is a strong separatist
movement in Quebec, the answer is not to be found only in
their local cultural history. Local nationalisms spring up as
a response to globalising tendencies, as the hold of older
nation-states weakens.
Extract 3
Globalisation is not a benign force, however. It creates,
some argue, a world of winners and losers. And indeed the
statistics are daunting. The share of the poorest fifth of the
world's population in global income has dropped from 2.3
per cent to 1.4 per cent over the past 10 years. The
proportion taken by the richest fifth, on the other hand, has
risen. In many less developed countries, safety and
environmental regulations are low or virtually non-existent.
Some transnational companies sell goods there that are
controlled or banned in the industrial countries - poor
quality medical drugs, destructive pesticides or high tarand-
nicotine content cigarettes.
As one writer put it recently, rather than a global village,
this is more like global pillage. Along with ecological risk, to
which it is related, expanding inequality is the most serious
problem facing world society. It will not do, however,
merely to blame it on the wealthy. Globalisation today is
only partly Westernisation. Globalisation is becoming
increasingly decentred - not under the control of any group
of nations and still less of the large corporations. Its effects
are felt as much in Western countries as elsewhere.
This is true of the global financial system and of changes
affecting the nature of government itself. What one could
call 'reverse colonisation' is becoming more and more
common. Reverse colonisation means that non-Western
countries influence developments in the West. Examples
abound - such as the Latinising of Los Angeles, the
emergence of a globally oriented hi-tech sector in India, or
the selling of Brazilian TV programmes to Portugal. 

Vocabulary
Extract 1

• Vignette: /vɪnˈjet/  a short piece of writing or acting that clearly shows what a particular person, situation, etc. is like. Estampa. E.g. a charming vignette of Edwardian life.
• Paraphernalia: /ˌpærəfəˈneɪliə/ a large number of objects or personal possessions, especially the equipment that you need for a particular activity. E.g. skiing paraphernalia. An electric kettle and all the paraphernalia for making tea and coffee.
• Propel somebody + adverb/preposition: to force somebody to move in a particular direction or to get into a particular situation. Impulsar. E.g. He was grabbed from behind and propelled through the door. Fury propelled her into action.
• Guru:  /ˈɡʊruː/ a person who is an expert on a particular subject or who is very good at doing something. E.g. a management/health/fashion, etc. guru. Jean-Paul Sartre was the guru of post-war French philosophy.
• Spring up, sprang up,sprung up: to appear or develop quickly and/or suddenly. E.g. Play areas for children are springing up all over the place. Opposition groups are springing up like mushrooms.
• Tribulation: /ˌtrɪbjuˈleɪʃn/ great trouble or suffering. E.g. the tribulations of modern life.
• Trials and tribulations: the difficulties and problems involved in something. E.g.They soon came to learn about the trials and tribulations of parenthood.
• Sovereignty: /ˈsɒvrənti/ complete power to govern a country.

Extract 2

• Strain: pressure on somebody/something because they have too much to do or manage, or something very difficult to deal with; the problems, worry or anxiety that this produces. E.g. Their marriage is under great strain at the moment. These repayments are putting a strain on our finances. Relax, and let us take the strain (= do things for you). The transport service cannot cope with the strain of so many additional passengers. You will learn to cope with the stresses and strains of public life. I found it a strain having to concentrate for so long. There are strains in the relationship between the two countries. 
• Stake (out) a/your claim (to/for/on something): to say or show publicly that you think something should be yours. Reclamar el derecho. E.g. Adams staked his claim for a place in the Olympic team with his easy win yesterday. 
• In (a)… fashion: (formal) in a particular way. E.g. How could they behave in such a fashion? She was proved right, in dramatic fashion, when the whole department resigned. In a similar/orderly/spectacular etc fashion. Voting was conducted in a peaceful and orderly fashion. 
• Spring, sprang, sprung up: to appear or develop quickly and/or suddenly. E.g. Play areas for children are springing up all over the place. Opposition groups are springing up like mushrooms.
• Hold (on/over somebody/something): influence, power or control over somebody/something. E.g. What she knew about his past gave her a hold over him. He struggled to get a hold of his anger.

Extract 3 

• Benign: /bɪˈnaɪn/ kind and gentle; not hurting anybody. E.g. You would never have guessed his intentions from the benign expression on his face.
• Daunting: making somebody feel nervous and less confident about doing something. Intimidating. Desalentador. De enormes proporciones. E.g. She was a brave woman but she felt daunted by the task ahead.
• Share (of/in something): one part of something that is divided between two or more people. E.g. How much was your share of the winnings? Next year we hope to have a bigger share of the market.  
• Tar: a sticky poisonous substance from tobacco that people who smoke cigarettes get in their lungs. Alquitrán. E.g. low-tar cigarettes.
• Pillage: /ˈpɪlɪdʒ/ the act of stealing things from a place or region, especially in a war, using violence. Saqueo. E.g. They brought back horrific accounts of murder and pillage.
• Abound: to exist in great numbers or quantities. Abundar. E.g. Stories about his travels abound.

Objective Proficiency p 88. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 1
KEY
The photos are of:
- McDonald's in Marrakech
- A Mongolian yurt with satellite dish
yurt: /jɜːt/ a type of traditional tent used in Mongolia and Siberia.
- Someone skyping

These photos reinforce the idea that things are global and that everyone nowadays sees, eats and enjoys similar things.

Ex 2
Sample sentences
I think that globalisation permeates all aspects of life in my country, from food to clothes to films. This is accelerating at an alarming rate, due, I believe, to the influence of the internet.
I've got mixed feelings about the impact of a global culture on my country. Many of the small restaurants and bars in the part of the old city where I live are fast disappearing as there is now too much competition from the large fast food chains - McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. Young people seem to think it's cool and you even find members of the older
generation going there occasionally too.
Many people now have satellite TV and TV on demand and so have become part of the global audience that watches programmes like ...
Global culture is making inroads into the generation gap. Old people are often the very people who are checking for the best deals on their car insurance on the internet or booking their holidays with budget airlines online. They don't, perhaps, feel so much in need of a smartphone as younger people though.

make inroads into/on something

if one thing makes inroads into another, it has a noticeable effect on the second thing, especially by reducing it, or influencing it. Sp avance, progreso. E.g. Tax rises have made some inroads into the country's national debt. By the 1950s, television had made great inroads into the territory of the news magazines.

Ex 3
KEY
1B



2C



3B



4C



5A



6A 

Vocabulary
Questions
pick something up:  
to get information or a skill by chance rather than by making a deliberate effort. E.g. to pick up bad habits. Here's a tip I picked up from my mother. She picked up Spanish when she was living in Mexico. Where did you pick up that idea?

Transcript
There is much heated debate about the true effects of globalisation.

What exactly are your objections to globalisation? 

but then, then again, but then again

(informal) used to introduce additional information or information that contrasts with something that has just been said. E.g. She was early, but then again, she always is. ‘So you might accept their offer?’ ‘Yes, then again I might not.’

outsourcing: the process of arranging for somebody outside a company to do work or provide goods for that company. E.g. the outsourcing of IT work to private contractors.

detrimental: harmful. Damaging. E.g. the sun’s detrimental effect on skin. The policy will be detrimental to the peace process. This move could be seriously detrimental to the economy.
Outsourcing can be detrimental to the economy.

Fundamentally: /ˌfʌndəˈmentəli/ used when you are introducing a topic and stating something important about it. Basically. E.g. Fundamentally, there are two different approaches to the problem.

thrive:  to become, and continue to be, successful, strong, healthy, etc. Flourish.  E.g. New businesses thrive in this area. These animals rarely thrive in captivity.

in the face of something as a result of something. E.g. He was unable to deny the charges in the face of new evidence.

-driven (in compounds) influenced or caused by a particular thing. E.g. a market-driven economy. a character-driven movie.

on the face of it

(informal) used to say that something seems to be good, true, etc. but that this opinion may need to be changed when you know more about it. E.g. On the face of it, it seems like a great deal. What may, on the face of it, seem obvious often turns out to be far more complicated.

strings [plural] special conditions or restrictions. E.g. Major loans like these always come with strings. It's a business proposition, pure and simple. No strings attached. 

sharpen:  to improve. E.g. I hope this course will help me sharpen my computer skills. I went to university to sharpen my mind. We'll need to sharpen our wits if we're going to defeat Jack's team.

set out: to begin a job, task, etc. with a particular aim or goal. E.g. She set out to break the world record. They succeeded in what they set out to do. 

sneaking: if you have a sneaking feeling for somebody or about something, you do not want to admit it to other people, because you feel embarrassed, or you are not sure that this feeling is right. Sp. ligero. E.g. She had always had a sneaking affection for him. I have a sneaking suspicion that she knows more than she's telling us. 
 
talk somebody into/out of something

to persuade somebody to do/not to do something. E.g.  I didn't want to move abroad but Bill talked me into it. talk somebody into/out of doing something She tried to talk him out of leaving.

 

cover yourself in/with glory ​to be very successful and earn admiration. E.g. He didn't exactly cover himself with glory in his last job. 

foray (into something) an attempt to become involved in a different activity or profession. Sp. incursión. E.g. the company’s first foray into the computer market.

 

chomp at the bit: to be eager and not willing to wait to do something. E.g. Gerry’s champing at the bit to go to college. 

 

chomp: to eat or bite food.

bit: (for horse) a metal bar that is put in a horse’s mouth so that the rider can control it. 

 

have a trick, some more tricks, etc. up your sleeve

to have an idea, some plans, etc. that you keep ready to use if it becomes necessary.

 

rash: (of people or their actions) careless or unwise, without thought for what might happen or result. Doing something that may not be sensible without first thinking about the possible results; done in this way. Reckless. Sp. imprudente. E.g.  rash young man. rash (to do something) It would be rash to assume that everyone will agree with you on this. Think twice before doing anything rash. This is what happens when you make rash decisions. That was a rash decision - you didn't think about the costs involved.  I think it was a bit rash of them to get married when they'd only known each other for a few weeks.

lame: 

done without much effort in a way that seems as though you are not trying very hard. not interesting or entertaining. Sp. soso. E.g. Saturday’s game was rather a lame performance. The humour is more lame than funny.

(especially of an excuse or argument) weak and unsatisfactory. E.g. a lame excuse.