Tasks

Checkpoints page 44:
1. A lingua franca is a common tongue
2. A long time ago, the English had colonies all over the world. The sole reason English is "the world's most important lingua franca" is because so many people were forced to abandon their mother tongue
3. The historical honor for setting English Empire into motion goes to Queen Elizabeth the first
4. During both the first and the second world war, the English suffered great losses. This, in combination with major political turmoil in Africa and the Indian subcontinent, meant that Britain lost its position as the world's leading power.
5. English, as the world's leading lingua franca, is constantly evolving due to the massive amount of people who speak it

Viewpoints page 44:
1. I don't believe the introduction of a new language is an issue in any country. What is the point of language, if not global communication? Although, I do really like the Norwegian language, and it would be a shame to see it go. However, the English language will never completely engulf Norway
2. Chinese has a massive amount of people talking it, but in the western world it doesn't stand a chance. The English language has already planted its roots firmly in the west, and it would take more than a single wildfire to even phase it

Comprehension tasks:
1. 1500
2. The English empire forced the English language upon a ton of countries
3. About 350
4. 1,5 billion
5. One fourth of 1,5 billion
6. One fourth of 1,5 billion
7. English has very little to do with England these days, maybe we should stop calling it English?
8. Singlish, Hinglish and Chinglish are names given to the different dialects in different parts of the world of the English language.
9. People believe that China will become the leading language of our generation and in the future

Checkpoints page 41.

1: Car, pillar, star, bar, dance, France, prawns, chance, glance, stance

2:words that end in -ter in American English end in -tre in British English
e.g. Theater (AE) Theatre (BE)

Monolog (AE) Monologue (BE)

Color (AE) Colour (BE)

Analyze (AE) Analyse (BE

Traveler (AE) Traveller (BE)

Language work page 41:

I am knackered and I must go to the loo:I am exhausted and I have to go to the bathroom
Are there any WCs close by? = Are there any bathrooms nearby?
Is there a chemist anywhere close?=Is there a pharmacy anywhere in the vicinity?
I am peckish=I am starving
At the zebra crossing the lollipop lady directed us to take a diversion, but my lorry was out of petrol and it was impossible= At the crossing the lady controlling traffic told us to take another route, but my truck was out of gasoline, and this rendered the request impossible

Teenagers are the ones most susceptible to negative influence. The mob psychology around an especially impressionable person might have, if not fatal, very negative consequences to the individual's life. Most of the people I have met on my spare time, meaning they are not connected to me in any way, shape or form, from jobs, school, whatever, have admitted to have either tried smoking or alcohol before the age of sixteen. This usually happens when there is a group of people, and all their friends are there, egging them on. Because most people in these situations don't have the spine to risk their friendships, they usually give in, even if they're not one hundred percent on board with it.

When people get a little into their teens, around sixteen or seventeen, some start attempting to break free from the obedient sheep they were before. They are done with the strict rules of childhood, they are tired of always having to do what others say. This is in my opinion a good attitude, people learn to become self-supportive, and this helps prepare them for the real world. Unless, that is they don't grow up at all. The world is filled with students, even people in their early twenties, both acting and being treated like thirteen year olds. They live in a personal bubble, where everything is handed to them, and when that bubble breaks, they won't even realize just how fucked they really are. 

Poem

I am no poet

I hear the faint sound of cars in the distance

Birds chirping at my side

Here in the beautiful land of the north

I my time will bide

The sun is shining down at the land

Of the land of the proud and free

But do not ask to whom it belongs

It does not belong to thee

Up here, the air is fresh

The smell of nature is clean

But all the major cities

Smell like they need some Listerine

I walked a narrow trail

To get where I am now

I will not let it get ruined

By those we before bow

They think of the good of the nation

Not of the good of the men

The women and children and dogs

Who will not see this nature again

We rush to get to work

Have to get there on time

But what we need to remember
Is there's more than your job on the line

We have a finite time on earth
Don't stress it all away
Once in a little while
From the main road you must stray

Tasks  03.09.2015

The first poem, "No Man is an Island", talks about how even though someone might try to exclude themselves from socety, they will always be a part of it. When a part of society dies, a part of you dies aswell, for you are the society. This statement is strengthened by the lines "... therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". What this is saying is that when you hear the belltowers in the distance, don't wonder why the bell is tolling, it's tolling for thee. For the human race as a whole.

"No Man is an Island" talks about how a loss doesn't belong to one person, but to the entire human race.

Paul Simon: "I am a Rock". This song takes more or less the exact opposite stance to "No Man is an Island", stating that the main character doesn't need anybody and is doing quite fine locked within his fortress of solitude with nothing but his poetry to keep him accompanied, He doesn't want friends, because they might hurt him and he doesn't want love either. By reading the text it seems that he had a loved once, but something happened, and now he's afraid to get hurt again ("... the slumber of feelings that have died").

"I am a Rock" tells the tale of a person who has excluded themselves from society completely, setting up walls in "A fortress steep and mighty". An individual afraid of friendship, and love.


"Gerry and the peacemakers" (written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) "You'll never walk alone": This song makes the statement that as long as you never let your hopes down, you'll never walk alone. As long as you keep forcing through the dark, storms, the wind and the rain, you will one day the the light at the end of the gauntlet, in this case " ... a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of the lark". No matter how much shit is thrown at you in life, there will always be that golden moment where you find friends and happiness, in this case I presume the " ... the sweet silver song of the lark" references Liverpool, and the " ... golden sky" represents the Liverpool fans all clumping up together at a stadium to cheer on their favourite football team.

"You'll never walk alone" tells you that no matter how tough things get, you must force through the hard times, and one day, you too will find happiness.


My favourite song was probably "You'll never walk alone". It was catchy, and uplifting, whilst "I am a Rock" was honestly a little depressing.  However, I guess that was the meaning behind the song, to give a little insight into the mind of someone who has cast themselves out of society.

Edit: I thought Liverpool's suits were yellow.


- Thor Bjørnskjold Langestrand

Good morning, day, or evening, to whoever is currently reading this. My name is Thor, and I'm a 16 year old college student from Norway. I have recently, alongside my class, been tasked with writing an English blog. Here I will post all of my work in the subject of English throughout at least my first year of College.

I believe I know just the question running through the minds of all the 3 people reading this: Why would you want to read the blog of a 16 year college kid who is doing it for school purposes only? Well, if you're the teacher, hopefully to give me a good grade. However, for the 2 remaining people still reading this, even though I might not be the best writer, I have some "interesting" stuff going around in my head. This might occasionally glow through into my work, and you might just be able to take some inspiration, or get some fun ideas from them.

With that said, I am probably not going to clutter this page with things not school related, but you never know! If people actually enjoy this intro, I might make more posts like this, rambling about whatever is currently on my mind.

I'm going to end by telling you people a little about myself: In my spare time I like to play on the computer and play guitar. I'm 1 meter and 83 centimeters tall, this equates to more or less exactly 6 feet for the english speakers. My favourite champion in League of Legends is, without a doubt, Rengar (yes I am that guy in your final promo game). But I digress.

I hope this goes out to at least one bot trying to scam me for money, and to the readers who are not bots, good on you mate!




- Thor Bjørnskjold Langestrand