ENGLISH COURSE ( MASTER 1 LINGUISTIQUE COMMUNICATION

Instructor: Dr. SILUE TENENA MAMADOU

Course description

This course is designed to present some English texts and grammar activities for the benefit of
students in Communication studies. We are going to work on two texts. We will read, proofread the
two texts and work on an exercise of grammar. This course is delivered through tutorials. We will not
study all the activities together. However, you will be given expressions that may help you build
sentences of your own so that to facilitate your verbal interaction with others in conversion.

Course objective

-Initiate students to build sentences in English.

Course plan

A. INTRODUCING ONSELF IN CONVERSATION

B. USING PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS
C. TEXT STUDIES
D. / Reading and comprehension activities
E. / Exercise: Grammar

Bibliography:(books available at the American Corner)

-John Eastwood, Oxford Practice Grammar, New edition now with text, Oxford University Press

Wilfred L. Guerin et al. A Handbook of critical Approaches to Literature. NY and Oxford: Oxford
University Press,2011.

Louis Simpson, An Introduction to Poetry. NY: St Martin’s Press, 1986.

.Grammaire Anglaise de l’étudiant,

ACTIVITY ONE: USING PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS

BOTH…………..AND; NOT ONLY……………………BUT ALSO;

EITHER…………OR; NEITHER………………………NOR

a) Both my mother and my sister are here. Two subjects connected by both……and take a
b) Not only my mother but also my sister is plural verb.
here.
c) Not only my sister but also my parents When two subjects are connected by “not only…
are here. but also, either….or; or neither….nor,” the
d) Neither my mother nor my sister is here. subject that is closer to the verb determines
e) Neither my sister nor my parents are here whether the verb is singular or plural
f) The research project will take both time Notice the parallel structure in the examples. The
and money. same grammatical form should follow each word
g) Yesterday it not only rained but( also ) of the pair
snowed. In (f): Both + noun+ and+ noun
h) I’ll take either chemistry or physics next In (g): not only + verb+ but also+ verb
quarter. In (h): either + noun+ or + noun
i) That book is neither interesting nor In (i): neither + adjective + nor + adjective
accurate

TEXT N1 : FOOTBALL OR POLO ?

The Wayle is a small river that cuts across the park nea my home. I like sitting by the Wayle on fine
afternoos. It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river bank as usual. Some children were
playing games on the bank and there were some people rowing on the river. Suddenly, one of the
children kicked a ball very hard and it went towards a passing boat. Some people on the bank called
out to the man in the boat, but he did not hear them. The ball struck him so hard that he nearly fell
into the water. I turned to look at the children, but there weren’t any in sight: they had all run away!
The man laughed when he realized what had happened. He called out to the children and threw the
ball back to the bank.

I- Comprehension and Précis

Answer these questions in not more than 70 words.

NB ( Use paired conjunctions in your answers)

1- Did the writer sit by the river last Sunday or not?

2- Who kicked a ball hard? Where did it go?
3- Did the man in the boat see the ball? Did he hear people shouting?
4- Did the ball hit the man or not? What did the children do?
5- Was the man angry or not? Where did he throw the ball?
II- Composition

Rewrite these sentences using the correct verbs and joining words:
The wind (threw) (blew) his hat into the river. He (put) (took) out his hand (and) (but) tried to (reach)
(catch) it (so) (but) he (jumped) (fell) into the river (and)(but) got it.

III- EXERXICE: ORAL: Answer the following questions. Use paired conjunctions

Use Both……………………………….and.

1- You have met his father. Have you met his mother?

Yes, I have met both his father and his mother.

2- The driver was injured in the accident. Was the passenger injured in the accident?
3- Wheat is grown in Kansas. Is corn grown in Kansas?
4- He buys used cars. Does he sell used cars?
5- You had lunch with your friends. Did you have dinner with them?
6- Bouake suffers from the Ivorian civil war. Does it suffer from air pollution?

Use not only…..but also

7- I know you are studying linguistics . Are you studying communication too?

Yes, I’m studying not only linguistics but also communication

8- I know his cousin is living with him. IS his mother –in-law living with him too?
9- I know your country has good universities. Does the United States have good universities
too?
10- I know you lost your wallet. Did you lose your keys too?
11- I know you love Prisca. Do you love her parents too?
12- I know he bought a coat. Did he buy a new pair of shoes too?
13- I know Julia goes to Alassane Ouattara University. Does she have a full-time job too?

Use either……or./ Neither…….nor

14- John has your book, or Mary has your book. Is that right?

Yes, either John or Mary has my book.

15- You must take this job, or you must continue your studies. IS that right?
16- I did not receive the letter. I did not receive the telegram too. Is that right?
17- I don’t know RAISSA. I don’t know her husband too. Is that right?
18- She is not a teacher. She is not a lecturer too. Is that right?
19- They are not students. They are not scholars as well. Is that right
ACTIVITY TWO: TEXT: MASTER DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION

Is the customer always right?

The answer, it seems, depends on which country you are in. Shopping is very much a part of a
country's culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers vary from country to country just as much
as climate or taste in food. From the air-conditioned order of American malls to the anarchy of African
bazaars, the way we shop shows the way we see ourselves and our relationships with other people.

Recent economic hardship has given the consumer increased power in Europe as retailers fight to win
their share of reduced disposable income. This has meant falling prices, plenty of special offers and a
re-examination of what customer service really means. People often point to America as an example of
sophisticated customer service. In restaurants in the south of the USA, for example, waiters
compliment you on your clothes, ask about your day, compliment you on the wisdom of your order
and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass and make sure that everything is to your
satisfaction.

I. DEFINITIONS: Find words or expressions in the above text which have the following
meanings:(3pts)

1- Money that is earned from work investments, business, etc.

2- One who sells in small quantities directly to the ultimate consumer.
3- A person who buys goods and services.
4- Something that causes pain, suffering, or loss.
5- An opportunity to buy something at a price that is lower than the usual price.
6- Visit places where goods are sold in order to look at and buy things.

II. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS: Read the above text and answer the following
related questions.(6pts)

1- Why are consumers different from one country to another? /2pts

2- What concrete actions do retailers undertake in order to avoid great losses in time of
economic crisis?/2pts

3- What makes America an example of sophisticated customer service?/2pts

III. CLOZE TEST: Select from the word list and insert them appropriately in the below
text: crisis, shareholders, expenses, business, quotation, reduced, company, benefits.
(3pts)
NB: The list comprises 2 useless supplementary words.

There is one reason why the owners of a …….1……. may not wish to obtain a ……2……... If the
direction are the only …….3……… – or have very large shareholding – in their company, they
may be getting substantial ……..4…….. from it. For example, the ………5………. may own
things like the directors’ houses, their cars and even their wives’ cars. It pays perhaps for their
 petrol and holidays, which are business ……..6…….. In this case, it may be better not to become a
quoted company.

IV. TRANSLATION (Version): Translate the first paragraph of the above text into
French. (8pts)

NB: From the title to the end of paragraph 1 (…..the way we see ourselves and our relationships with
other people).

ACTIVITY THREE:
ENGLISH TEXT
We, first of all, learn English language for the purpose of communication. We, furthermore,
take a great deal of pleasure from or in learning and speaking it. English language is the
medium of communication through which we express our emotions, ideas, feelings and
thoughts to fellow people.
English Language is mainly composed of letters which stand for signs or sounds. The letters
in English are totally treated as the alphabet of the language. The numbers of letters are
different from language to language. The alphabet of English is composed of twenty six
letters. These twenty six letters which are known as the alphabet are used either for printing or
writing. Accordingly, printing letters are different from script letters. It is due to all these
reasons that we should gain a considerable mastery over the grammar too. Grammar is
primarily concerned with the study of language. It explains to us the difficulties and problems
involved in learning a language and it guides us how language is effectively used in our day-
to day life.
PART ONE: COMPREHENSION CHECK
In sound English, provide short answers to the following sentences.
1- Propose a title to this text.
2- According to the text, why do we learn English language?
3- How significant is grammar to learners of English language?
PART TWO: Fill in the blanks with correct form of verbs in the following sentences.
( Example: 6—is)
1- Amaka said that she (will, would) assist me.
2- My friend said that he (is, was) a reporter.
3- My father said that honesty (is, was) the best policy.
4- We believe hard work (will pay, pays) in the end.
5- He feels that he ( is, will be) sad about his failure
6- She ( have/is/has) sick today.
PART THREE
Choose the suitable prepositions between brackets to complete the sentences below.
( (Example 6---on)
1- We live ( in, at , to) the cinema.
2- Would you like to go ( in, at, to) the cinema .
3- No, thanks. I was ( at, to, into) the cinema yesterday.
4- We are going (on, to, in,) holidays next year.
5- There is bridge (across, through, along) the river.
6- (on, at , onto) my wall, there are many picture postcards

ACTIVITY FOUR: READ THIS TEXT BELOW AND SUMMARIZE IT

Text: RETHINKING LEFTIST SOLIDARITY

The Charlie Hebdo tragedy also plays out the contradictions surrounding leftist solidarity
politics that center around multiculturalist issues, racism, and political correctness in the West
today. Although many people in the West have expressed their solidarity with Muslim
minorities in France in particular, and Europe in general, this solidarity politics has been
compromised by oppressive and offensive demands placed on Muslim communities.
Although leading Muslim scholars and representative councils in Europe and around the
world condemed the massacre, and although those global condemnations were immediately
and widely shared in the media, Muslims have had to work harder at proving their collective
disapproval and repudiation of such heinous acts.24 In the past, such denunciations always
arrived belatedly to the scene. Moreover, these denunciations were deliberately ignored and
under-reported, in order to create the impression that, by their silence, the majority of the
Muslim world secretly condoned and relished such horrific acts. These condemnations make
it clear that such barbaric acts do not speak for all Muslims. Rather, they reiterate ad nauseam
the point that a bunch of Islamist terrorists cannot and should not be conflated with Islam or
Muslims, as self-described New Atheist and avowed Islamophobe Richard Dawkins
tweeted.25 Moreover, the self-righteous Islamophobe Bill Maher unequivocally stated on the
Jimmy Kimmel Show that “Hundreds of millions of [Muslims] support an attack like this.
They applaud an attack like this. What they say is, we don’t approve of violence, but you
know what, when you make fun of the prophet, all bets are off.”26 Indeed, these ideologues
and propagandists share two main ideological strands common in US popular discourses: 1)
neo-conservative beliefs, and 2) Zionist Christian evangelism. That is, they are united by an
irrational hatred for, and fear of, Islam and Muslims, and they are united by an unwavering
support for the Israeli apartheid state and its colonial-settler campaign and genocidal policies
in Palestine. Nonetheless, an increasing number of commentators reject outright these
demagogic Islamphobic tactics. Kimmel himself is reported to have pushed back gently, by
questioning Maher’s unfounded claims, and Maher is said to have lost the studio’s audience
by insisting on these sweeping overgeneralizations. Similarly, many “whites,” including
internationally renowned author JK Rowling, came out in scores to condemn Rupert
Murdoch’s suggestion that Muslims all over the world should be held responsible for the
Charlie Hebdo massacre, until they “recognize and destroy their jihadist cancer

Others are not merely questioning these sweeping generalizations, but are also pointing
out the unfairness of these demands and their offensive nature. As Homa Khaleeli correctly
notes in The Guardian, these “seemingly reasonable” calls for Muslim to condemn these
barbaric acts imply that unless stated otherwise, “all Muslims, not just extremists, are
implicated or secretly agree with all attacks undertaken by people in the name of religion
anywhere in the world.”28 Moreover, Alex Massie, from The Spectator, warned that such
demands imply that Muslims all over the world “bear some inchoate communal responsibility
for the barbarous actions of their co-religionists.”29 No expression of solidarity politics,
however, has managed to stage the contradictions about Western leftist politics more than the
“#JeSuisCharlie” campaign. On the face of it, this campaign of symbolic identification seems
like a harmless invocation of universal solidarity with the victims themselves. However, the
gesture itself elevates victimization onto an ontological condition in the name of collective
institutional signature. In part, the magazine itself, as a cultural institution, cannot be reduced
to the lives of its employees—as an institution the magazine has its own logic, which has been
recently revealed to be a logic invested in right-wing sympathies, racism, and outright
Islamophobic sentiments in particular.30 Moreover, under the sign of the name Charlie, a
staged spectacle and photo opportunity presented itself in the so-called “unity march.” This
spectacle brought under its umbrella not only extremist right-wing French politicians and
activists, but also international leaders who are responsible for waging genocidal war against
largely unarmed civilian populations and for the deliberate targeting and assassination of
journalists and cartoonists.

The presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the march, and later at a
synagogue in Paris where he exhorted French Jews to return to their “ancestral homeland,”
gave legitimacy to Islamophobic sentiments, while at the same time manufacturing the
invocation of the spectre of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust to silence any critique of the
Israeli apartheid policies and Zionist settler-colonialism in Palestine. It is no surprise that
various commentators brought up the double standard in the media’s coverage of terrorist acts
committed by non-Muslim suspects. For example, in an interview with CNN’s infamous Don
Lemon, Arsalan Iftikhar, human rights attorney, and The Muslim Guy website founder,
correctly commented that “When Christians commit acts of terror, we don’t ask priests and
pastors to go on national television to condemn these acts, but, sadly, Muslim public
intellectuals, thinkers, leaders, and Islamic scholars have that double standard that we have to
deal with.”32 Iftikhar failed to mention that Christian terrorists are immediately declared
mentally unstable, paranoid, or psychotic individuals in need of psychiatric care rather than
arrest, torture, or drone attacks. Indeed, as Žižek has recently argued, this is not simply a
matter of Western hypocrisy, but the re-packaging of Western “exploitation and violent
domination . . . in the guise of its opposite: freedom, equality, democracy.”33 The political
cartoonist Khaled Albaih gave a different twist to this impasse confronting Muslims in these
situations.34 He wrote that Muslims “are constantly asked to apologise [sic] for crimes they
neither committed, nor supported, and, although “they, too, are victims of the violence of
extremists, still, they are asked to apologise [sic] and somehow atone for these crimes that
were committed in the name of their religion.” Consequently, Muslims have to work double
shifts to prove their innocence and loyalty to the values of modern civilization, by launching
media campaigns declaring that such acts were committed “not in the name of Islam” The
other hashtag campaign, “#JeSuisAhmed” (“I am Ahmed”), created in response to the murder
of French police officer, Ahmed Merabet, seemed to hold more promise in sending a strong
message of solidarity with Muslims. This campaign gives immediate recognition of the names
of Muslim victims of these terrorist acts and drives home the important point that the majority
of the victims of these terrorist acts are Muslim themselves. More importantly, the name of
the campaign itself guarantees that the French surveillance terrorist State cannot appropriate it
to further advance its hegemonic power. Nonetheless, as long as such campaigns remain
wrapped in religious discourse, the fundamental antagonism will continue to be obscured. No
genuine politics of solidarity can come out of such a campaign. Dr. Tariq Ramadan believes
that such acts of solidarity can universalize the value of human life everywhere without
exception.35 Ramadan states that “the divergent responses to the deaths of Westerners and
those of other individuals around the globe may be partly to blame for the growing appeal of
extremist ideology.” Ramadan also appealed to world citizens to “ask our governments for
consistency, and then to come to social policy when it comes to equal citizenship to act
against racism and anti-Semitism and anti-Islam... I think there is a lack of consistency even
in our emotional reactions to the death of people.” It is doubtful whether such solidarity
campaigns can generate a sense of identification with the humanity and the plight of
dispossessed and disposable Other. For one, the struggle against racism, anti-Semitism, and
Islamophobia are different sides of the same struggle for economic justice and liberty.
Moreover, the problem with such claims to the humanity of the Other can only be articulated
through the international human rights regime. The problem here is, as Žižek states, “human
rights [for example, the right to privacy] do not directly condone the violation of the
Commandments [adultery], but they keep open a marginal grey zone that is supposed to be
out of the reach of (religious or secular) power.” The point, as he writes, is that “it is
structurally impossible, for the power, to draw a clear line of separation and prevent, only the
misuse of a human right without infringing on its proper use, i.e. the use that does not violate
the Commandments.”36 Finally, it did not escape some commentators that the attention to the
Charlie Hebdo massacre came at the expense of some victims who are simply not considered,
in Teju Cole’s words, “mournable bodies.”37 Although this erasure has something to do with
the racial, religious, and national backgrounds of the White victims, which overshadowed
other genocides whose victims are Palestinians, Africans, or Mexicans, the issue is not simply
a function of collusion with Western Islamophobic forces. Rather, it is a function of
obfuscating the overall picture and the systematic violence that these imperial states unleash
in the world. Indeed, in these cases, the media serves as an alibi for hegemonic imperial
powers in their destruction of human life as they pursue their global capitalist and
“democidal” expansion agendas that intensify the gap between the “haves” and the “have-
nots” in the Middle East and around the world through drones, surveillance technologies, and
apartheid walls. As Glenn Greenwald wrote for Intercept, “Indeed, concealing stories about
the victims of American militarism is a critical part of the US government’s strategy for
maintaining support for its sustained aggression. That is why, in general, the U.S. media has a
policy of systematically excluding and ignoring such victims (although disappearing them this
way.

I- QUESTIONS
1- What’s the text about?
2- Sum up the main ideas
3- What does the writer say about the West’s attitude towards Islam?
4- What comment do you make of “Charlie Hebdoe”?
5- Do you see any fault with the journalistic communication that was going
around the Charlie Hebdoe’s stories? Justify your answers
6- According to you, how should media agents deal with religious matter?