85 Unit 07 For science! A note on the language in this Unit: In the Writing section of this unit, you will learn to write an abstract for the VWA (‘vorwissenschaftliche Arbeit’), your final project paper which is part of the Matura. Academic papers such as a VWA and the Bachelor’s or Master’s theses that university students write, as well as articles which are published in scientific journals by researchers, are written in formal academic language. As a lot of information is packed into these texts, they are often not easy to understand and require careful reading. The text below, “What you need to know about the science of bilingualism”, is an example of this. Read the text about research findings on bilingualism. Some words are missing. Change the word in brackets to form the missing word for each gap (1–15). Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. LANGUAGE IN USE 1 What you need to know about the science of bilingualism Being bilingual is good for you! Bilingualism opens the doors to crosscultural (0) (communicate) and positively affects cognitive abilities. Here’s everything you need to know about the science of bilingualism. Bilingualism and the brain Bilingualism’s positive impact on the human brain is a subject of interest not only for linguists, but also neurologists and (1) (psychology). As Professor Gigi Luk of Harvard Graduate of School Education states, “bilingualism shapes our brains for life.” Several brain functions have been found to be improved as the result of bilingualism, for example, (2) (perceive), memory, and cognitive control, to name a few. Bilingual people are less likely to get (3) (distraction) and they are also better at (4) (active) such as multilevel thinking, staying focused, and multitasking. Furthermore, another benefit of bilingualism is a (5) (reduce) in the risk of serious diseases like dementia. For example, research (6) (find) show that Alzheimer’s disease progresses more slowly and has less impact on bilinguals than on (7) (speak) of only one language. This also applies to people who learn foreign languages at any stage of their lives. Therefore, it can be said that there are (8) (similar) between the effect of learning a new language on the brain and the benefits of physical exercise for the human body. Bilingualism and emotion Children raised in a bilingual environment must quickly learn which language they should use in certain situations or in (9) (converse) with a given person. Research shows that bilingual children are better than their peers at drawing (10) (conclude) about other people’s state of mind as early as age 3. This skill is of key (11) (important) in our emotional development. Bilingualism and culture A 2006 study conducted by a group of (12) (science) at the University of Connecticut argued that “language cannot be separated from the cultural values of that language.” This effect is felt particularly strongly by bilinguals who are strongly influenced by multiple cultures. As a result, they show greater (13) (empathetic) for others and an increased sense of (14) (tolerate). In general, bilinguals have an above-average (15) (able) to adapt to new situations. It pays to be bilingual Overall, it seems worth learning a second language, and the earlier, the better. It’s good for our brains, opens us up to different cultures, and helps us empathise with others through more careful use of language. Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODE3MDE=