Questões de Inglês - Falso Cognatos | False Cognates para Concurso

By Andrew Ward in Washington

Published: November 10 2008 18:29 | Last updated:

November 10 2008 18:29

(1) Barack Obama stepped inside the Oval Office for the first time on Monday during a visit to the White House for talks with George W. Bush, outgoing president. It has long been a tradition for the president to invite his successor to the White House before leaving office, but this year’s meeting promised to be more substantive than usual given the urgent economic challenges awaiting the new administration.

(2) Dana Perino, White House press secretary, refused to be drawn on the agenda, but it was widely assumed the financial crisis and broader economic malaise would be a central focus.

(3) The topics One likely issue for discussion are likely to include the terms for a proposed second economic stimulus package that Mr Obama has urged Congress to pass before he takes office.

(4) Mr Bush has signalled his willingness to consider another stimulus – on top of the $150bn (•118bn, £96bn) of tax relief earlier this year – to shore up the economy.

(5) But Bush officials say the president wants the Democratic-controlled Congress to drop its opposition to the proposed US free trade deal with Colombia in return for him approving further stimulus measures. Rahm Emanuel, appointed last week as Mr Obama’s chief of staff, indicated on Sunday that his new boss would resist any attempt by Mr Bush to force through the Colombia deal.

(6) In another potential flashpoint between the president and president-elect, Mr Emanuel also voiced support for Democratic efforts to extend government support to the ailing US car industry in spite of resistance from the White House.

(7) Despite the potential for conflict, both Mr Bush and Mr Obama have stressed their willingness to work together in a bipartisan fashion during the transition phase since the latter beat John McCain, the Republican candidate, in last week’s election.

(8) Looking ahead to yesterday’s meeting, Mr Obama said: “I’m going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship, and a sense that both the president and various leaders of Congress all recognise the severity of the situation right now and want to get stuff done.” 

(9) Mr Obama harshly attacked Mr Bush and his “failed” policies throughout the campaign, but the president has shown no signs of taking the criticism to heart.

(10) In his statement after the election, Mr Bush lauded Mr Obama’s win as “a triumph of the American story, a testament to hard work, optimism and faith in the enduring promise of our nation”.

(11) Mr Obama has visited the White House in the past, but on Monday marked his first time inside the oval-shaped office that he will inherit in just over two months.

(12) The two men were expected to meet alone, allowing a candid discussion about the demands of the job and the pressing issues Mr Obama will face when he takes office on January 20.

(13) The meeting came as aides to Mr Obama made clear the president-elect was planning to move swiftly to revoke a series of Bush administration policies once in office.

(14) “There’s a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action,” said John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama transition team. “I think he feels like he has a real mandate for change. We need to get off the course that the Bush administration has set.”

(Adapted from Teaching English Today: context

and objectives, Holden & Nobre, 2018, p.03)

All languages reflect the culture of the countries and regions where they have developed and are used. However, some languages are also used as a means of communication between a wide range of non-native speakers and contexts. In this way, the communication develops new priorities to reflect those contexts.

Today, English is probably the prime example of a global language. It is used to communicate in areas such as the workplace, science and technology, the arts and in the world of business. This is why so many parents are keen of their children to start learning it at an ever-earlier age. Students, too, realize that English in more than just a school subject: it is important for their own future success. This realization can be used to your advantage as a teacher:

Your students should be aware that English is widely used among non-native speakers in a variety of contexts in their own environments. It is no longer just linked with going to the US or Britain.

They are more likely to be motivated if they feel they are being given appropriate materials and practice for their own needs, which is easier to do nowadays, since English is present almost everywhere.

In fact, you are part of this world where English is used, however imperfectly, in real life, as well as being part of that other, classroom world. This gives your role even more importance.

There are, then, clear practical and economic reasons why it is important for as many of your students as possible to feel positive about learning English, and ultimately, to feel confident about using it. However, there is also an equally important reason, which applies to all languages: their social function.

Learning and using another language can put people into contact, directly or indirectly, with others from different societies and cultures. It exposes them to different ways of thinking, different ways of communicating, different values. This, in turn, encourages them to think about their own culture, values and way of life. They realize there is not just one way of doing something, but many different ones.

In other words, as well as equipping learners with practical skills, learning a foreign language extends their horizons, which is one of the important aims of education in most countries.