Internasjonal engelsk eksamen | Vår 2011

Task 1

Answer both a) and b) below.

a)

Read the text “Nigeria harnesses Pidgin English power” in "Vedlegg 1" and based on the article choose the correct alternative (a, b or c) to complete each of the sentences below.

Write your answers on the answer sheet like this: "7b, 8a, 9c" etc.

1. The main problem with Pidgin is

a. that it may take over from Standard English.
b. that there is still no agreement about the correct way to use it.
c. its tendency to mix up languages.

2. Pidgin is useful in Nigeria because

a. the language as yet has no rules.
b. it can be understood by a large cross-section of the population.
c. it is not associated with the colonial period.

3. Some linguists prefer the term Naija Languej because

a. it is spoken in the Niger Delta.
b. there are so many varieties of Pidgin.
c. unlike Pidgin languages, Naija Languej is spoken by some as a mother tongue.

4. Education is failing in Nigerian schools because

a. children are not being taught in their first language.
b. children are not motivated to learn English.
c. Pidgin has not been standardised.

5. Linguists believe that teaching Naija Languej in schools will

a. help children to learn English.
b. confuse children who are trying to learn English.
c. help it to evolve into a national language.

6. Linguists at the Naija Languej Akademi are in an unusual position in that

a. they get to shape a language for future generations.
b. they are getting blamed for poor educational standards.
c. they get to work with primary-school-aged children.

b)

In one or two paragraphs discuss what the use of Pidgin English in Nigeria, as described in the article, tells us about the development of English as an international language.

Task 2

Culture Smart! is a series of books on intercultural competence that provide information about attitudes, beliefs and behaviour in different countries.

Read the extract from Culture Smart! Norway – A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette. Write two paragraphs in which you discuss to what extent the advice given in the box below will make it easier for a foreign visitor to communicate with Norwegians.

Task 3

Choose one of the alternatives a), b), c) or d) below.

a)

In Freedom, American author Jonathan Franzen’s best-selling novel, the main character, an American called Walter, is concerned about major global challenges, particularly global overpopulation (see graphs below). In the brief extracts in the boxes below he is angrily reflecting on this global problem and the way it is being dealt with.

He then goes on to speculate about the reasons for overpopulation, blaming religion, among other things.

Write an essay in which you discuss the problem of overpopulation, presenting your own ideas and responding to the points concerning this global challenge expressed by Walter. In your response you should refer to information provided by the graphs below.

b)

The text "The Thing Around Your Neck" in "Vedlegg 2", is an extract from a short story about Akunna, a twenty-two-year-old girl who emigrates from Nigeria to the USA.

Write an essay in which you discuss how Akunna feels about herself, her own culture and American culture, and point out how her situation reflects the immigrant experience in general.

c)

WikiLeaks is a media phenomenon that releases confidential information into the public domain against the wishes of governments and others. Using the quotes in the box below as your point of departure, write an essay in which you discuss the arguments for and against WikiLeaks.

d)

International sporting events are often presented as arenas for promoting world peace and multicultural harmony.

Using the quotations below as your point of departure, write an essay in which you discuss this.