Language Problems
When there’s just no word for it.
1 Pre-reading
Look at the sentences below. The French words (in bold) are used in English. What do they mean? Discuss your answers with a partner.
1. She works as an au pair looking after two young children.
2. Most of the people in her family have got blonde hair, but she’s a brunette.
3. A: I failed my driving test again.
B: Oh, well, c’est la vie!
2 Reading I
Can you think of any words in your language that are difficult to translate into English? Discuss your ideas with a partner. Then, read the article once. Why are the foreign words mentioned in the article difficult to translate into English?
3 Reading II
Read the article again. Then, match the words (1 to 5) to the descriptions (a-e).