Lecture: The Loss of the World's Languages

IELTS Listening PracticePart 4hard

Recording

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Questions

Questions 1–3

The scale of the crisis

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

1
There are roughly ______ thousand languages spoken today.(max 1 word)
2
About ______ of these may disappear by the end of the century.(max 1 word)
3
More than half of all languages have fewer than ______ thousand speakers.(max 1 word)
Questions 4–6

Two ways a language can die

Complete the table below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

4
Sudden death: the language disappears abruptly because its ______ die.(max 1 word)
5
Gradual death: this type is more ______ than sudden death.(max 1 word)
6
Gradual death: it happens as ______ stop passing the language to their children.(max 1 word)
Questions 7–9

Why languages are given up and why they matter

Complete the sentences below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

7
The main reason parents drop a language is ______.(max 1 word)
8
Minority languages are often wrongly seen as lacking ______ compared with dominant ones.(max 1 word)
9
Losing a language can weaken a community's sense of ______.(max 1 word)
Question 10

Answer the question below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

10
Which language is given as the classic success story of revival?(max 2 words)
0 / 10 answered

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