Questões de Inglês - Os advérbios (grau, a finalidade, contraste ...) | Adverbs (degree, purpose, contrast...) para Concurso

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Nice to meet you

One of the things you learn when studying English is how to present yourself and most people learn phrases such as “How do you do?” or “Hi, my name is…”. However, one thing that language teachers don’t explain is that British people very rarely use these expressions. British people are not very good at introductions in informal situations. They are not sure what to say or what do with their hands. Whereas Brazilians or Americans will confidently extend their hands to people they meet at parties or social situations, English people prefer just to smile.

Expressions like “Hello, I’m John Smith”, “Hi, my name is…” are only used when we have to identify ourselves; for example when we go to an appointment at the dentist’s or the hairdresser’s, or if we’re telephoning someone to ask for information about ourselves.

Dialogues in school books where English teenagers present themselves to each other on the first day of school are pure fantasy. In informal social situations, British people prefer to stay chatting about something neutral like the weather, or else they use humour to break the ice. When the conversation has progressed, or even just before leaving, you can say, “I’m Ann, by the way.”, or “I didn’t catch your name”. If you meet the person again you can say, “Hello again” or, more colloquially, “Hi ya”, which stands for “Hello, nice to see you again”.

In the case of formal meetings or business situations, many language courses teach the expression “How do you do?” – to which you should answer “How do you do?”. This phrase is also recommended by the website ediplomat.com and Drett’, the famous specialist publisher that has a range of guides on British etiquette. I have said “How do you do” in my entire life and no one has never said that to me! In today’s Britain this expression is best reserved for extremely formal situations. It is, however, something that people over 60 might say, so if your elderly boss or professor uses this expression with you, then it’s polite to answer in the same way

Text III

Here are some of the conclusions of a study conducted by The British Council to examine the policy, perceptions and influencing factors of English in Brazil:

[…] Brazil does not have a policy that focuses solely on teaching and learning English. The National Education Guidelines identify English as one of many foreign languages offered to students in primary and secondary education. Various English language learning initiatives have emerged at the federal, state and municipal levels however many English initiatives have limited success due to unbalanced curriculums, limited class time, teachers lacking the linguistic and pedagogical knowledge to effectively guide students, and minimal resources.[…]

Those working in internationalised industries, especially in management roles, do need English for employment though they may use it sparingly. As FDI ("Foreign Direct Investment") and interaction with other countries grow, especially in localised sectors, the demand for English as a medium of communication will increase. Currently, Brazil‘s average level of education and lack of English are perceived by some as detrimental to its economic growth and investment.[…] 

Perceptions of English language use are changing. Younger generations are more open to English and link it less to a political agenda and more with personal growth and opportunity. Although there seem to be deeply-rooted ideological barriers at a national level to prioritise English over other languages, at an individual level, the language is gaining increased value and influence.

(Source: British Council Education Intelligence. (2015). English in Brazil: An examination of policy, perceptions and

influencing factors. Retrieved and adapted from https://ei.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/latin-americaresearch/English%20in%20Brazil.pdf.)