Assignment C, Part 2.1 - Authentic text
Select an authentic text* for this class:
A mixed nationality general English class of 15 Advanced C1-C2 adults (9 women, 6 men, ages 20-40 years)
living /studying in an English speaking country.
4 have university places for the next academic year and want to improve their fluency in preparation. 2 are
married to people from the host country – one is at home with a young child and the other works in a
restaurant. 4 are work colleagues who have been sent by their company to work in this country for a year.
The other 5 have come on short-term visits specifically to improve their English.
*An authentic text is one, which was originally aimed at native or proficient English speakers, and was not
designed as a piece of language teaching material.
Do not use material found on educational websites. You must demonstrate your own ability to find
and exploit authentic materials.
The text should be 500 - 700 words long. (4-5 minutes for listening texts).
In this document provide a copy of the reading text or a transcript of the listening text you have chosen.
Ensure the text is referenced, and if you have selected a listening text or video, provide a link.
If you choose a reading text, you can shorten and/or adapt it slightly. Please supply a copy of the original
and your adapted version. In section b) of the essay briefly explain the decisions you've made about
changing the text.
Highlight 12 vocabulary items (words or phrases) which it would be useful to pre-
teach.
The advantages of Mixed Marriages
Mixed marriage is a form of marriage outside a specific social group involving spouses who belong to
different races or racialized ethnicities, also known as interracial marriage, intermarriage or exogamy.
In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court in the Loving v. Virginia case ruled that marriage across racial lines was
legal throughout the country. Until this ruling, interracial marriages were forbidden in many states.
In 1980, the rate of intermarriage did not differ markedly by educational attainment among newlyweds.
Since that time, however, a modest intermarriage gap has emerged. In 2015, 14% of newlyweds with a high
school diploma or less were married to someone of a different race or ethnicity, compared with 18% of those
with some college and 19% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more.
More broadly, one-in-ten married people in 2015 – not just those who recently married
had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. This translates into 11 million people in US who were
intermarried. The growth in intermarriage has coincided with shifting societal norms as Americans have
become more accepting of marriages involving spouses of different races and ethnicities, even within their
own families.
The size of each racial and ethnic group can also influence intermarriage rates by affecting the pool of
potential marriage partners in the “marriage market,” which consists of all newlyweds and all unmarried
adults combined. For example, whites, who comprise the largest share of the U.S. population, may be more
likely to marry someone of the same race simply because most potential partners are white. And members of
smaller racial or ethnic groups may be more likely to intermarry because relatively few potential partners
share their race or ethnicity.
Mixed marriages are becoming more common and accepted by cultures throughout the world. Marriage
can be difficult for any couple, but problems can be more intense for couples in a mixed marriage.
However, mixed marriages are working and are working well for some people. Yes, there are
disadvantages to mixed marriages, but there also are many benefits.
Select an authentic text* for this class:
A mixed nationality general English class of 15 Advanced C1-C2 adults (9 women, 6 men, ages 20-40 years)
living /studying in an English speaking country.
4 have university places for the next academic year and want to improve their fluency in preparation. 2 are
married to people from the host country – one is at home with a young child and the other works in a
restaurant. 4 are work colleagues who have been sent by their company to work in this country for a year.
The other 5 have come on short-term visits specifically to improve their English.
*An authentic text is one, which was originally aimed at native or proficient English speakers, and was not
designed as a piece of language teaching material.
Do not use material found on educational websites. You must demonstrate your own ability to find
and exploit authentic materials.
The text should be 500 - 700 words long. (4-5 minutes for listening texts).
In this document provide a copy of the reading text or a transcript of the listening text you have chosen.
Ensure the text is referenced, and if you have selected a listening text or video, provide a link.
If you choose a reading text, you can shorten and/or adapt it slightly. Please supply a copy of the original
and your adapted version. In section b) of the essay briefly explain the decisions you've made about
changing the text.
Highlight 12 vocabulary items (words or phrases) which it would be useful to pre-
teach.
The advantages of Mixed Marriages
Mixed marriage is a form of marriage outside a specific social group involving spouses who belong to
different races or racialized ethnicities, also known as interracial marriage, intermarriage or exogamy.
In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court in the Loving v. Virginia case ruled that marriage across racial lines was
legal throughout the country. Until this ruling, interracial marriages were forbidden in many states.
In 1980, the rate of intermarriage did not differ markedly by educational attainment among newlyweds.
Since that time, however, a modest intermarriage gap has emerged. In 2015, 14% of newlyweds with a high
school diploma or less were married to someone of a different race or ethnicity, compared with 18% of those
with some college and 19% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more.
More broadly, one-in-ten married people in 2015 – not just those who recently married
had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. This translates into 11 million people in US who were
intermarried. The growth in intermarriage has coincided with shifting societal norms as Americans have
become more accepting of marriages involving spouses of different races and ethnicities, even within their
own families.
The size of each racial and ethnic group can also influence intermarriage rates by affecting the pool of
potential marriage partners in the “marriage market,” which consists of all newlyweds and all unmarried
adults combined. For example, whites, who comprise the largest share of the U.S. population, may be more
likely to marry someone of the same race simply because most potential partners are white. And members of
smaller racial or ethnic groups may be more likely to intermarry because relatively few potential partners
share their race or ethnicity.
Mixed marriages are becoming more common and accepted by cultures throughout the world. Marriage
can be difficult for any couple, but problems can be more intense for couples in a mixed marriage.
However, mixed marriages are working and are working well for some people. Yes, there are
disadvantages to mixed marriages, but there also are many benefits.
