The Reading / Listening - English Vocabulary - Level 2

Italy may introduce a law to stop people using English words in Italian. People could get a fine for using non-Italian words in official communications. Government member Fabio Rampelli is worried about the growing number of English words in Italian. He called it "Anglomania". He wrote: "We continue our battle for the use of Italian instead of English. We can't understand why we say 'dispenser'." He said English was damaging the Italian language. He wants people to get fined for using English words. The fines could be up to €100,000 ($110,000).

English has been growing around the world for a century. The Internet and social media have increased its use. English words are in most languages. People are worried this will harm their native language. Not all Italians agree with fines for the use of English. A linguistics society said it disagreed with the idea. Other people support the fines. They are worried about the number of English words in Italian. Since the year 2000, the number of English words used in the Italian language has increased by an amazing 773 per cent. There are no signs it will stop increasing.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    English Vocabulary - Level 0 English Vocabulary - Level 1   or  English Vocabulary - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/03/ciao-hello-no-italys-right-wing-government-wants-to-ban-english-words-with-100000-fines
  • https://www.thelocal.it/20230404/anglomania-why-italys-government-wants-to-restrict-use-of-english-words
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/melonis-party-looks-shield-italian-language-foreign-contamination-2023-03-31/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Italy may introduce
  2. People could
  3. using non-Italian words in
  4. the growing number
  5. our battle for the use of Italian
  6. damaging the
  7. get fined for
  8. The fines could be up
  1. instead of English
  2. using English words
  3. of English words
  4. to €100,000
  5. get a fine
  6. a law
  7. official communications
  8. Italian language

Paragraph 2

  1. English has been growing
  2. The Internet and
  3. English words are in
  4. this will harm their native
  5. Not all Italians agree
  6. worried about the number of
  7. increased by an
  8. There are no signs it will
  1. language
  2. amazing 773 per cent
  3. English words
  4. stop increasing
  5. most languages
  6. around the world
  7. with fines
  8. social media

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Italy may introduce (1) ___________________ stop people using English words in Italian. People could get (2) __________________ using non-Italian words in official communications. Government member Fabio Rampelli is worried about the (3) ________________ English words in Italian. He called it "Anglomania". He wrote: "We continue our battle (4) ___________________ of Italian instead of English. We can't understand why we say 'dispenser'." He said English was damaging the Italian language. He wants people (5) ___________________ for using English words. The fines could (6) ___________________ €100,000 ($110,000).

English has been growing around the (7) ___________________ century. The Internet and social media have increased its use. English (8) ___________________ most languages. People are worried this will harm their native language. Not all Italians agree with fines for (9) ___________________ English. A linguistics society said it disagreed with the idea. Other people support the fines. They (10) ___________________ the number of English words in Italian. Since the year 2000, the number of English words (11) ___________________ Italian language has increased by an amazing 773 per cent. There are no (12) ___________________ stop increasing.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ItalymayintroducealawtostoppeopleusingEnglishwordsinItalian.Pe
oplecouldgetafineforusingnon-Italianwordsinofficialcommunicatio
ns.GovernmentmemberFabioRampelliisworriedaboutthegrowingnu
mberofEnglishwordsinItalian.Hecalledit"Anglomania".Hewrote:"We
continueourbattlefortheuseofItalianinsteadofEnglish.Wecan'tunder
standwhywesay'dispenser'."HesaidEnglishwasdamagingtheItalianl
anguage.HewantspeopletogetfinedforusingEnglishwords.Thefines
couldbeupto€100,000($110,000).Englishhasbeengrowingaroundth
eworldforacentury.TheInternetandsocialmediahaveincreaseditsuse
.Englishwordsareinmostlanguages.Peopleareworriedthiswillharmth
eirnativelanguage.NotallItaliansagreewithfinesfortheuseofEnglish.
Alinguisticssocietysaiditdisagreedwiththeidea.Otherpeoplesupportt
hefines.TheyareworriedaboutthenumberofEnglishwordsinItalian.Si
ncetheyear2000,thenumberofEnglishwordsusedintheItalianlangua
gehasincreasedbyanamazing773percent.Therearenosignsitwillstop
increasing.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You