English is the largest language in the world, if you count both native and non-native speakers. If you count only native speakers, Mandarin Chinese is the largest.
Languages in Numbers
Languages in the world - 7,097
Asia – 32%,
Africa – 30%,
Pacific – 19%,
Americas – 15%,
Europe – 4%
Countries with the most languages:
Papua New Guinea – 841
Indonesia – 710
Nigeria – 526
India – 455
United States – 334
China – 302
Mexico – 292
Cameroon – 278
Australia – 250
Brazil – 228
Ethnologue
Which Learning Channel Suits You Best?
1. Visual learning
2. Learning by reading
3. Learning by listening
4. Kinesthetic learning
5. Learning by numbers
Three types of learning styles:
1. Visual.
2. Auditory.
3. Kinesthetic.
Visual Learner
Takes notes in lectures, writes outlines, marks up materials.
Auditory Learner
Records lectures, talk out answers, uses word associations.
Kinesthetic Learner
Creates flow charts, combines various ativities with studying, keeps fingers busy while studying.
Neurolinguistics
Management Skills
- Communication skills
- Active listening skills
- Innovation skills
- Leadership skills
- Planning skills
- Delegation skills
- Analytical skills
- Entrepreneurial skills
- Public speaking skills
- Time management skills
- Organizational skills
- Team building skills
- Negotiation skills
- Presentation skills
- Financial management skills
- Cash flow management skills
- Sales and marketing skills
- Self-development skills
- Strategic planning
Essential Management Skills
Essential Business Skills for Workplace Success
- Honesty
- Inventiveness
- Imagination
- Networking
- Goal setting
- Logistics
- Desire to learn
- Relationship building
- Patience with others
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Personal productivity
- Strategic planning
- Project planning
- Mitigating risk
- Proactive problem solving
- Civility, politeness, and respect
- Using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’
- Passion and determination
Essential management skills
Cross-cultural Communication Is a Tricky Business
- Many cultures have certain etiquette and protocol when communicating. Learn about the culture, society, history, local customs, religion and relationships building.
- Maintain business etiquette.
- Don’t speak at normal speed.
- Separate questions to avoid double questions.
- Avoid negative questions, idioms and phrasal verbs.
- Avoid slang and watch your intonation.
- Summarise what has been said and if you are unsure whether something has been understood write it down and check.
- Be an active listener.
- Watch the humour.
Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
Countries Where English Is an Official Language
Ghana
Gibralter
Grenada
Guyana
Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
Montserrat
Namibia
New Zeland
Nigeria
Papua New Guinea
St.Kitts and Nevis
St.Lucia
St.Vincent and the Grenadines
Scotland
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
The Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vanuatu
Wales
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
British Accents
- Scottish: Glasgwegian, Highlands, Lowlands
Northern English: Yorkshire, Leeds, Lancastrian, Scouse, Manc, Cheshire, Cumbrian,Barrovian, Geordie, Mackem. - East Midlands: Corbyite.
- West Midlands: Black Country, Brummie, Potteries.
- Welsh: Cardiff, Gower, North Welsh, Duffy, Welsh Valleys.
- East Anglian: Norfolk, Suffolk, Fenland.
- Southern English: Cockney, Mockney, Multicultural London, Estuary, Kentish, Sussex.
- West Country: Brizzle, Cornish, Mummerset (or Zummerzet).
- RP or Received Pronunciation: the „Standard British English” is used by the BBC and allclassically trained actors. The Royal Family, aristocracy and educational institutions have asuper-posh accent (’Upper Received Pronunciation’).
Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
Language Exams
Cambridge ESOL:
FCE – B2
CAE – C1
CPE – C2
IELTS – International English
Language Testing System
BEC – Business English; Certificates (B1, B2, C1);
BULATS – Business Language Testing Service
TOEIC: The Test of English for International Communication
PTE: Pearson Tests of English
Trinity College ESOL Tests:
Trinity B1, Trinity B2, Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
American English
TOEFL: Test Of English as Foreign Language.
MTELP: The Michigan Test of Language Proficiency
Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
Why Learn a Second Language?
- According to research, on average, people who use languages in their jobs earn around 8%more!
- Around 75% of the world’s population don’t speak a word of English and a grasp of a different language improves your abilities to use your first language and explore other cultures more successfully.
- Many scientists also believe that knowledge of another language can boost your brain power. A study of monolingual and bilingual speakers suggests speaking two languages can help slow down the brain’s decline with age. And to quote Nelson Mandela, ”If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
BBC
Value Good Grammar!
„Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
Muhammad Ali
Punctuation
Example: I like cooking my family and my pets.
Comment: Don’t be a psycho! Use commas!
—
Example: Toilet is only for disabled elderly pregnant children.
Comment: How old is an elderly child?
—
Example: Sorry! We are closed due to short staff.
Comment: Hire taller staff !
Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
Vocational and Technical Education
Developing countries need to improve productivity throughout the economy if they are to compete successfully in an era of rapid economic and technological change. This requires not only capital investment, but also a work force that has the flexibility to acquire new skills for new jobs as the structures of economies and occupations change. The level of competence of a country’s skilled workers and technicians is centrally important to the flexibility and productivity of its labor force.
Skilled workers and technicians enhance the quality and efficiency of product development,production, and maintenance, and they supervise and train workers with lesser skills. Progress can be made by: strenghtening primary and secondary education; encouraging private sector training; improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public training, and; using training as a complementary input in programs designed to improve the incomes of the poor and socially disadvantaged.