Introduction
This WebQuest will take you on a journey to explore the languages of German, English, Russian, French, and Italian.
You will use the 6th Grade Social Studies Languages WebQuest outline paper to complete as you go on this WebQuest.
Read the directions carefully, learn a lot, and have fun on the journey!
Standard: SS6G11.a Explain the diversity of European languages as seen in a comparison of German, English, Russian, French, and Italian.
Task
Languages, Languages, and More Languages!
In the United States, English is the dominant language. Did you know Europe is home to more than 200 languages?
The European languages are divided into 3 main categories:
-Germanic
-Romance
-Slavic
Your task will be to explore the 3 main categories of the European languages. You will look at the things that are similiar and the things that are different. Also, you will explore the problems with having so many different languages.
Go to the process tab to begin!
Process
Steps to Completing the Process
1. First, you will visit Google Translate to look at different languages. Type in the following sentence to the first box when you go to the Web site :
Hello, I am in the 6th grade.
You will then translate it into French and German.
You can choose other languages, too, if you wish.
Google Translate: https://translate.google.com/
2. While on Google Translate, see how your name looks in French, German, Italian, or a Russian language. Write down your name in another language on your paper.
3. Now, let’s look at the three main categories: Germanic, Romance, and Slavic. Write down the answers on your paper that is underlined here in this WebQuest.
*Germanic: This group has the most native speakers. These people that speak Germanic mostly live in northwest and central Europe. These children will learn English as a second language in schools. Germanic language is written with the Roman alphabet.
*Romance: This group includes French, Italian, and Spanish. These languages are found in the south and west of Europe.
*Slavic: This group includes Russian. Slavic languages are found in the central and eastern Europe. Slavic language is written with a Cyrillic alphabet.
4. Visit the Web site and look at the different numbers of people that speak German, English, Russian, French, and Italian. You will need to scroll down the to the Number of Speakers to see the information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Europe
5. It is challenging when there are so many different languages. For example, it makes it difficult to live, work, and trade with people who cannot communicate with each other. Europeans have worked hard to solve the language problem. They require the school children to learn one or two languages aside from their native one.
6. Now, just for fun, you can test out your European language knowledge by following the link:
http://ec.europa.eu/languages/quiz/quiz_en.htm
7. You will complete a chart on your paper about Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages. Use page 129 to help you with the information.