2020-2021学年度第38期总第830期 Power of language (P4-5)

邯郸市第一中学   许蕾蕾 
Lead-in When we mention Chinese characters or “Hanzi”, who or what comes to mind? 
Watch the video and learn more about the history of Hanzi. 
Read for prediction According to the title, can you predict the main idea of this text?  

Read for structure Part 1  Para 1-3  Introduction of UN Chinese Language Day. Part 2  Para 4-5  Learning Chinese is rewarding. Part 3  Para 6-7  Subtleties of Chinese makes it distinctive. Part 4  Para 8-9  The inherent logic makes Chinese accessible. Part 5  Para 10    Learning Chinese helps people learn other languages. 
While-reading  Q1. What is language?  It is the bridge that connects people everywhere. 
Q2. In your opinion, what’s the aim of the United Nations Chinese Language Day？  It seeks to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages  (English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian) throughout the Organization. 
Q3. What is the function of Para 4?  To introduce the following paragraphs. 
Q4. Why did Yousaf say, “If you know this language, you know the civilization, and mind of the people”? Because language is a reflection of a society’s culture and its perception of the world. 

Q5. What’s the main idea of Para 6?  The subtleties of Chinese make it distinctive. 
Q6. What’s the function of Para 7?  It is a transitional paragraph. 
Q7. Aside from the benefits mentioned in Para 10, what benefits does learning other languages have?   

After-reading  In what way is the Chinese language powerful? Find some evidence in this text.  Participants from 27 countries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, took part in the one-hour special event, sharing their passion for the Chinese language and culture through short videos.  “If you know this language, you know the civilization, and mind of the people.”  The subtleties of any language are what make it distinctive. “There is no denying that Chinese characters are inherently (本质上地) beautiful. But there is also this logic to the characters.”   Learning any language comes with benefits, particularly for those who are always looking to learn more. “It helped me so much when I started learning Japanese.” 
Summary Language connects people everywhere. People around the world celebrated the United Chinese Language Day by submitting videos to share their passion for the Chinese language and culture. Though finding Chinese difficult to learn, most find it to be rewarding. Chinese gives us a better perspective and insight into the culture. The subtleties of Chinese are what make it distinctive. But it’s the remarkable combination of intricacy (错综复杂) and simplicity that sets Chinese apart from others.