Follow-up activities to Reading 5: Non-native (academic) writing
A Are the following statements True (T) or False (F)?
1. Politicians are always self-reliant in terms of using a foreign language.
2. The theory of translation originated from the same concept as the theory of non-native
language writing.
3. The theory of translation dates further back than the theory of non-native language
writing.
4. The main activity of the second-language writing process is working with a text with
respect to the rules of the original language.
5. The basic principles that govern second-language writing are strictly linguistic.
6. Robert Kaplan’s study of “cultural thought patterns” was one of many at the time.
7. To comply with the requirements of a scientific text in English, the non-native writer will
have to sacrifice some typical features of their own writing patterns, and at the same time
introduce some new ones, characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon tradition.
8. The main purpose of contrastive studies of English and non-English patterns of discourse
processing lies in unifying the model to the maximum extent possible.
B Choose suitable synonyms for the expressions from the Introduction. (The numbers
in brackets indicate the relevant paragraphs.)
(2) presupposes - takes for granted / presumes
(3) pin-point - define / ascribe
(4) curves - turns / loops
abandon - desert / give up
(5) coincide - correspond / condemn
surpassing - overcoming / repressing
make detours - get side-tracked / take a longer way
C For each expression/definition try to find a suitable equivalent in the Czech vs
English situation part.
(intro) natural abilities or skills ............................................
shown ........................................................................
(1) expressed or represented ...........................................
unite, connect ............................................................
starting point .............................................................
(2) telling people what to do, dictating ..........................
vital ...........................................................................
impossibility to forsee ..............................................
(3) assigning, attributing ................................................
the quality of being understood ...............................
D Match the words from A with their opposites from B (there are extra ones).
A B
1. demanding (part 4) a clear, easy to follow
2. overtly (5a) b secretly
3. obscure (5c) c dull
4. current (5d) d variable
5. vivid (5d) e outdated
6. ambiguous (5d) f easy
7. genuine (5d) g delightful
h false
i smart
j definite, having one meaning
E Write the Czech equivalents for the following expressions.
1. milieu (4) ...............................................................
2. onus (4) .................................................................
3. dwell in (5) ...........................................................
4. infer (5a) ...............................................................
5. be sought for (5a) ..................................................
6. standpoint (5c) .....................................................
7. digressions (5c) ....................................................
8. contemplation (5d) ...............................................
F Transcribe the following words phonemically.
intelligibility ................................................. occupy ........................................................
presupposition ................................................ persuasion ..................................................
applicable ....................................................... endeavour ..................................................
G Decide which is the correct spelling. Then find the words in the text to check.
whereas / wheras vareity / variety
rethoric / rhetoric potencial / potential
partially / partialy repeate / repeat
purely / puerely procesing / processing / proccessing
distinction / destinction accommpanying / acommpanying / accompanying
uneqaul / unequal adresee / addressee / addresee
attempted / atemptted classification / clasiffication
receptor / recepter aplicable / apliccable / applicable
witty / wity gener / ganre / genre
transmiting / transmmiting / transmitting
H Now take your last essay and check it against part 5. Try to decide whether your
piece of writing demonstrates any of the Czech features or whether it is more inclined to
follow the English pattern.
5a .................................................................................................................................................
5b .................................................................................................................................................
5c .................................................................................................................................................
5d .................................................................................................................................................