Unit 2.Globalization

In the text there are some sentences where Present Continuous is used. Point them out, analyze and translate into Russian.

Scan the text and pick up the key words that can help you to express its general idea. Give the summary.

Read the text once again and answer the questions.

Form the nouns from the verbs below.

verb	noun
advertize
expand
operate
participate
destroy
broadcast
merge
organize
distribute
communicate

1) Why is the world compared to a global village? Not a town, or a settlement, or a neighborhood, or a family, whatever you call it? Give your reason.

2) What infinite chances in communication does a scientific progress offer for a modern man? You may complete the list of professionals or just usual people. For example, what are the profits for a top executive; or a student – an AIESEC participant; or a fitness instructor; or an ambitious Forex Market player, etc?

3) Which term is used in the text to represent the data flow in modern digital environment? Do you know why? If you hesitate to give an exact answer, read the following information:

(Computers use a binary number system – which consists of only two digits, 0 and 1 – because they run on electricity. At any given point in an electrical system, at any given time, current is either flowing (a state that represents 1) or it is not (a state that represents 0). All things performed by a computer are done electrically, and must therefore be expressed by zeros and ones. In computer terms, each zero or one is called a bit. A string of eight bits is called a byte. A thousand bytes is a kilobyte, and a thousand of those is a megabyte, and a thousand of those is a gigabyte, which brings the lowly zeros and ones into a realm we can understand.)

4) What events in remote locations would you like to be an eyewitness to?

5) Give some facts from the history of international communication.

6) What are the other milestone events in the history of modern civilization except moon landing that triggered international communication?

Grammar practice

Present Continuous is used to denote an action in progress going on at the present moment as well as to emphasize continual processes.

Note: One should bear in mind that the notion the present moment can be regarded wider than the moment of speech. F.ex. I am reading a very interesting detective story.

2. Use the Present Continuous Tense to emphasizecontinual processes taking place in modern world.

1. Information technologies in modern society (to increase) … efficiency and productivity of “digital economies” providing a global platform over which people and organizations develop strategies, interact, communicate, collaborate and search for information.

2. International market (to expand) … constantly to bring nations together in order to survive global economic crisis.

3. International organizations (to seek) … talented students to provide internships and important support in their training.

4. Educational webinars (to improve) … significantly students' learning ability.

5. Some experts say that social networks (to destroy) … people’s social skills and ruin their personal lives.

Writing strategies

1. Studythe theory below.

Types of compositions (from Reading & Writing TARGETS 3, Student’s Book by Virinia Evans-Jenny Dooley)

When you write a composition or an essay, you are often asked to write your answer in the form of an article, a report, a letter, etc.

ARTICLES are found in magazines and newspapers (e.g. school newspaper, magazine for young children, etc). All of the following may be written in the form of an article:

• Descriptive compositions about people, places, objects, etc
• Narrative descriptions or stories about real or imaginary events which happened in the past

• Discursive essays, about arguments concerning particular subjects, which include:

o opinion essays, giving your personal opinion

o for-and-against essays, giving the opposing arguments for both sides (e.g. pros v. cons)

REPORTS are similar to articles but have a more formal, factual style, and each kind has its own special format and features. Compositions in the form of reports include:

• News reports about recent events (e.g. accidents, earthquakes, etc), such as those found in newspapers
• Assessment reports discussing the suitability of a person, a place, a proposed plan, etc
• Reviews discussing a film, book, restaurant, etc and giving your opinion /recommendation

LETTERS are written to a specific person/group (e.g. your parents, the Town Council, etc) for a specific reason (e.g. to make a complaint, to apply for a job, etc). Compositions in this form include:

• Friendly letters to people we know, usually about personal matters, in informal style
• Formal letters to officials/managers/etc, about official/business matters, in formal style
• Postcards to friends or relatives

There are several other kinds of informative writing, each with its own format and features. (You are not often asked to write compositions in these forms.) They include:

• Instructions on how to make, use or do something (e.g. bake a cake, operate a washing machine, etc).
• Leaflets giving information, advice, etc
• Public notices, warnings, etc
• Advertisements and announcements
• Memos, notes and other short messages

2. Write a letter to your friend where you share your feelings of being in a foreign country for quite a long time. You have participated in Work&Travel Program and gained a first-hand experience of living and working abroad. Highlight the following points in your letter:

· fears, expectations and reality;

· language barrier and the ways to overcome this difficulty;

· communicating with foreigners on a daily basis: the most common problems;

· being homesick and the ways of getting in touch with your relatives who are miles away;

· finding friends;

· your tips for a friend who will go to the US next summer by the same program.

Discussion

We all go through a very special period of time: modern world is divided into supporters of globalization, anti-globalization and even glocalization that is a mixture of 2 words: globalization and localization! But no matter what ideas you share it’s impossible to deny the importance of such phenomenon as globalization for international communication.

Share your ideas about globalization as a reality where we have to live in. What can you compare it to? Explain your choice. Below you can find some ideas.

• a paradise;
• a prison;
• a runway for the boundless world;
• a jungle, where rich countries are predators and poor countries are just prey;
• a properly organized conveyor belt where every tool fits its place;
• your choice.

Project work

Try to ask your group mates as many similar questions as possible which emphasize that we are all global citizens.

- Do you embrace change? Or do you resist change?

- Do you own a mobile phone or refuse to conform to new technologies?

- Do you celebrate freedom of speech? Or do you oppose freedom of speech?

Whether we like it or not we all belong to the global community!

Lead-in

When you wake up in the morning - do you

Ø turn on your Sony Radio;

Ø wear your Levi’s jeans;

Ø apply your French perfume?

Or at lunchtime - do you

Ø visit McDonalds?

Or in the afternoon - do you

Ø play sport in your NIKE shoes or

Ø watch Hollywood movies?

Then at bedtime - do you

Ø look through E-bay items, searching for a stylish but cheap clothes;

Ø talk to your friends who are in the US on Work&Travel program via Skype or

Ø listen to your favourite music on your Apple iPOD?

If you can answer yes to any of these activities then you are a willing or unwilling member of the global community!

Reading, Grammar and Vocabulary

1. Read the text for general understanding. What is the main idea of the text?

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?

Development or degradation? Good or bad? Bliss or bane? What is globalization actually up to? Let us shed light on it all through this information.

Let's face it. People are moving from one country to another, trade restrictions are being reduced, domestic markets are opening up for foreign investments, telecommunications are being considerably improved and the countries that initiate innovations are passing on their know-how to the countries which do not. In short, people are no longer bound by territorial restrictions, unless of course, there are security issues. It's no longer about 'my country and me’; it's now more like, 'the world and us'. Businesses are expanding, horizons are widening, and people are coming together to form one homogeneous unit – HUMANITY!

Globalization has rocked our conservative and predictable lives. Call it liberalization, international integration, or broad-mindedness... it has inspired the world with its power and potentiality. If one is asked to give a foolproof answer what it is, it can be said that, globalization is a process by which people, companies, administrations, and governments all over the world can integrate and interact. It is directed by international business and trade, and effectively assisted by information technology. However, globalization does not restrain itself to integration of economies on international basis. There is more to it. Let us begin with defining it.

Definition: Globalization can be defined as an integration of economy, finance, trade, and communications from a world-wide perspective, in order to establish a successful economy on global basis.

The boom of globalization has opened gates for economies both nationally and globally. The last three decades saw many governments adopted the systems of free markets, thus, maximizing their own potential and opportunities for international business as well as investment. What's more, as a result of globalization limitations to business and trade of goods and services across the world are eliminated.

Technology, being one of the chief drivers behind globalization, has transformed the economic life in such as way that people all over the world have new ways to recognize and value the economic opportunities put forth for them. Globalization has stimulated increasing employment, cash flows, development of cultural contacts, foreign trade, and environmental as well as social awareness among people. However, like it's said that there are always two facets to a coin, globalization entails a few negatives too, that are equally considerable. With equal advantages and disadvantages of globalization, it is hard to arrive to a conclusion whether it is a bliss or a bane to the world.

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