Unit 4 Breaking boundaries

Using language

7 Listen to the conversation and choose the main idea.

Katie: Hey Robbie, I constantly come across new words in online newspapers. Do you know what this word means? "Grockle".

Robbie: [looking and laughing] Oh, it's a word used in Devon. It refers to a tourist.

Katie: Really? No wonder I haven't heard it before. We in Liverpool never use it. I wonder if it's in the dictionary. Let me look up the dictionary on my mobile phone. [sound of pressing buttons on mobile phone] Yes, here it is! I guess more and more regional words are making it into dictionaries these days.

Robbie: That's interesting. And I suppose you have the variations of English from around the world to think about, too.

Katie: Yes. Did you know that "wok" is a Cantonese word, for example? It's a particular type of pan.

Robbie: Is it really? I only knew that words like chow mein, wonton and chop suey are all from Chinese.

Katie: In fact, there are more and more Chinese words and expressions making their way into English.

Robbie: Right. Especially with more and more people learning Chinese. It is really amazing how much English has changed over the last few decades.

Katie: I agree. And actually, the changes don't just happen to the words we use, but also the food we now find in shops and restaurants. For example, I often go shopping in a large Asian supermarket not far from where I live. There are all kinds of foods from Asia, like bamboo shoots and durian fruit.

Robbie: Really? When I eat out with my friends, we often go to a Chinese restaurant, although there are lots of other restaurants to choose from, such as Italian, French and Japanese. I also find it interesting to see just how many Europeans know how to use chopsticks.

Katie: Indeed. Nowadays, you don't need to go abroad to enjoy food from other parts of the world. No wonder it isn't a surprise to see people in Britain eating Chinese food while watching the UEFA Champions League live.

Robbie: And it is not unusual to find, on the other side of the world, people enjoying pizza while watching the same game.

Katie: Exactly. And besides food, sports also play an important role in connecting people.

Robbie: The world is getting smaller and smaller. As is often said, we' re living in a global village.