For each question, mark the correct letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet. Learning about Learning Languages In many ways, my interest in the whole business of language learning began with my grandmother. She was an immigrant and, as a young child going to school and having friends on the street, I was always confused that my grandmother spoke one language to me, another to my parents and a third one to my grandfather and on the phone to relatives back home. I guess she could have been a translator of books, or even a writer, as she seemed to pick languages up so quickly, but the amazing thing was that she'd left school at the age of 11 and had taught herself everything she knew. ENGLISH SPANISH MANDARIN FRENCH PORTUGUESE LANGUAGES The main reason to speak different languages for her was so she could communicate in these different cultures. She usually found out more about the people she was talking to than they did about her! Although it's often said that learning languages can help you to find higher- paid employment, these days, travel and the internet are generally happening in a kind of limited global English or can be translated electronically, so my grandmother has still got it right. If she did, so can we. In fact, there's a lot of extra help these days from IT. Recording your voice with feedback facilities on web learning sites helps you to control how you speak, and so improve. I still think going to class means you can interact with other, real people in the same space, but it can also mean that you keep repeating the same mistakes. It's good to combine these methods. If you do a course, go for a full-time, intensive course. Or you can just spend a little time chatting with my grandmother.

21 What is the writer's main purpose in writing the text?
A To explain which is the best way to learn a language.
B To describe different ways of learning languages.
C To encourage people to study harder when learning a language.
D To request information about learning different languages.
​2 What does the writer think is special about her grandmother?
A She spoke three languages.
B She translated books for publishers. C She learnt languages without having teachers.
D She could write quickly in different languages.

3 The writer says the most important reason why people use languages is
A to learn about other cultures.
B to travel internationally.
C to get better jobs.
D to use the internet.

4 The writer says IT helps you to learn languages because it means
A you can study in different places.
B you can talk to other learners.
C you can repeat things easily.
D you can check your mistakes.

5 What would the writer say to one of her friends?
A I went to a language school today to join a part-time course, which I'm really looking forward to.
B D I've found a useful website where I can chat to other people about their ideas for learning languages. I'm really enjoying learning this new language because I'm mixing different ways of studying. I bought a big new dictionary today to help me with a translation job that I'm trying to finish.​