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The United Kingdom.................................................................1 People and Language..............................................................19 Some Important Events in British History...............................31 Government............................................................................. 42 Education................................................................................ 60 Religion................................................................................... 74 Families and Family life..........................................................82 Food and Drink........................................................................ 86 Houses in Britain..................................................................... 96 Media.................................................................................... 100 Sport...................................................................................... 108 Music..................................................................................... 114 Holiday.........
lOMoARcPSD|2935381 DIVISION OF LITERATURE CULTURE Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) & | Page lOMoARcPSD|2935381 Table of Contents The United Kingdom .1 People and Language 19 Some Important Events in British History .31 Government 42 Education 60 Religion 74 Families and Family life 82 Food and Drink 86 Houses in Britain 96 Media 100 Sport 108 Music 114 Holiday 119 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 COURSE OUTLINE Course Name: British Culture No of Credits: Course Length: 30 periods/ 15 classes/ 15 weeks Course Prerequisites: None Course Objectives: This course aims to equip learners with basic understanding of unique characteristics of indigenous people from four nations of the UK and their native language This course also provides learners with opportunities to acquire various aspects in British culture regarding education, politics, religion, family life, festivals and entertainment throughout the British history, while exposing students more intensively with experience for improved independent and collaborative learning through pair and group assignments Course Learning Outcomes Upon completing this course, learners will be able - IDENTIFY the facts about Britain and four constituent nations in terms of geographical features, politics, education and religion; EXPLAIN the diversity of Britain in terms of people, language ecology, media, sports and entertainment; COMPARE different aspects of British culture with learners’ own cultures; FOSTER skills of thinking critically and working individually and effectively in a team to handle assignments relating to British Culture Teaching and Learning modes Teachers will conduct mini-lectures as whole class activities Learners are to work in groups on problem-solving tasks and translation practice Through this course, learners will be able to work collaboratively and independently with authentic materials and acquire enhanced competency in British cultural issues Course Assessment On-going Assessment 50% o Attendance and In-class participation o Role-play 10% o Presentation (Group Project) 30% 10% Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 o End-of-term Assessment (Final Written Test) 50% Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 THE UNITED KINGDOM Full name The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Capital London Major languages English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish Type of Government Gaelic Queen Constitutional monarchy Prime Minister Elizabeth II Gordon Brown Establishment 1801 Area 242,514 km2 (93,638 sq miles) Population 63,182,178 million (National Statistic, Currency 2011) Pound sterling (£) (GBP) Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 The United Kingdom is officially called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland It is also often known as Britain or just the UK The United Kingdom is situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe It is surrounded by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean It only has a land border with the Republic of Ireland The Channel Tunnel under the English Channel links England and France The UK has four constituent parts, three of which—England, Wales and Scotland are located on the island of Great Britain The fourth part is Northern Ireland, which is located on the island of Ireland The UK also comprises numerous smaller islands including the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, and the Scilỉy, Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides The UK is a highly developed country It is a Commonwealth Realm, and a member of the European Union and NATO It is also one of the major nuclear weapon states Write T for true and F for false Correct the false statements ……………… The other names of the United Kingdom of Great …… Britain and Northern Ireland are Great Britain and the UK ……………… Britain is a member of EU and NATO …… The UK is situated north-east of the European ……………… continent …… The UK is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean ……………… It has border with Ireland …… The UK is a developing country ……………… It is a nuclear weapon country 10 …… Great Britain comprises England, Wales, and Scotland ……………… …… The United Kingdom comprises Great Britain and Ireland ……………… The Channel Tunnel links the UK with France …… Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 ……………… …… ……………… …… ……………… …… GOD SAVE THE QUEEN God Save the Queen is the British national anthem It is not known who wrote the words or the music, but it was already a traditional song in the 18th century The song has several verses, but usually only the first verse is sung: God save our gracious Queen, Long live ournoblé Queen, God Save the Queen Send her victorious, Happy andglorious, Long to reign over us; God Save the Queen (If the country has a king at the time, the word ‘Queen’ is, replaced by ‘King’) NATIONAL FLAGS Flag Date Use Union Flag, also Description A superposition of the 1801 - known as the Flags of England, present Union Jack Flag of England, Scotland, arid St Patrick's Flag of Ireland A red cross on a white also known as the field C1300 St George's Cross This cross is the cross of Saint George, who is the patron saint of England Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 Flag of Scotland, A white saltire on a blue also known as the field C900 St Andrew's Cross, and the 1924 Saltire Flag of Northern A red cross on a white Ireland, also field defaced with a red known as the hand, crowned on a six Ulster Banner pointed white star (representing the six counties in Northern Flag of Wales, 1959 Ireland) A red dragon, passant, on also known as the a green and white field Red Dragon or Y Ddraig Goch THE UNION JACK CLOZE: Choose one appropriate word from the box below to complete each blank space Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 people Scotland united diagonal celebrations loyally England Ireland dragon British Wales public royal The national flag of the United Kingdom is commonly known as the Union Jack and also as the Union Flag It has been Used as the (1) …………… flag since 1603, when Scotland and England were (2) …………… The original design combined the red cross of (3) …………… St George’s Cross, with the white (4) …………… cross on a blue background of (5) …………… , St Andrew’s Cross The red diagonal cross of (6) …………… St Patrick’s cross, was added in 1801, when Ireland became part of the United Kingdom (7) …………… is not represented on the Union Jack because it is a principality of England The red (8) …………… of Cadwallader, which is now often used as the national flag of Wales, dates from the 1950s The Union Jack is most often seen flying from (9) …………… buildings or at sports events Children may wave small Union Jacks when a member of the (10) …………… family visits their town During national (11) …………… strings of small flags are across the street as bunting The Union Jack is less important to British (12) …………… than the Stars and Stripes is to Americans Many people feel a stronger (13) …………… to the national flags of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland The flag of the European Union, a circle of gold stars on a blue background, is sometimes also seen in Britain, e.g on car number plates (Source: Oxford Guide to British and American Culture) Mountains of the United Kingdom The ten tallest mountains in the UK are all found in Scotland The highest peaks in each part of the UK are: Scotland: Ben Nevis (Nevis Range, 1,344 metres) Wales: Snowdon (Cambrian Mountains, 1,085 metres) England: Scafell Pike (Cumbrian Mountains, 977 metres) Northern Ireland; Slieve Donard (Mourne Mountains, 852 metres) Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 HOLIDAY Holiday in British English means a period of a week or more spent away from work or school This is called a vacation in American English So, the period of several weeks around Christmas when schools are closed is called the Christmas holiday, or the Christmas holidays in Britain and the Christmas vacation in the US Holiday and vacation are also úsed tò refer to the period when people go away for a time to a beach resort or to the country, or go travelling British people have about four weeks' paid leave from their jobs Most take their main holiday in the summer; People without children of school age often go on holiday in the off-season when prices are lower and there are fewer other holidaymakers Some people stay in Britain for their holiday, but many go to beach resorts in Europe for one or two weeks Some travel to the US or visit India, the Far East and other parts of the world Many British people going abroad buy package holidays sold by high-street travel agents, which include transport, accommodation and sometimes excursions in the price Some people see their holidays as an opportunity to relax in the sun, but others prefer activity holidays during which they can visit famous buildings or go walking in the countryside A few go to a holiday camp, such as Butlin's or Pontin's, which provides entertainment for all the family People often arrange their holiday a long time in advance and look forward to it through thẻ winter Many people also have a short break, usually three or four days, e.g at a country cottage in Britain or in a European city, • Complete the following sentences with information from the text above, Holiday means a period……………… British people have about four weeks……………… Most people, take their holiday in……………… 4.1n the off-season there are ……………… Package holidays include……………… Butlin's any of a group of British holiday camps, where families can sleep, eat and be entertained without leaving the centre The first one was opened in Skegness, on the east coast of England, in 1936 by Billy Butlin (1899-1980) They were very popular in the 1950s before travel abroad became cheap, and they still attract many British families who want to enjoy a wide range of 123 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 entertainments that are not too expensive: Pontin's any of a group of British holiday camps, the first of which was opened by Fred Pontin in 1946 These camps, offering cheap family holidays/vacations, were very popular in the years after World War II, but became less so towards the end of the 20th century: Bank holidays in the UK In Britain a bank holiday is an official public holiday (on a day other than Saturday or Sunday) when ail banks and post offices are closed, as well as most factories offices and shops New Year’s Day UK Good Friday UK Eástér Monday England, Wales arid NorthernIreland Early May Bank Holiday UK Spring Bank Holiday UK Summer Bank Holiday England, Wales and NorthernIreland Christmas Day UK Boxing Day UK In addition, there, are various tradiưonal local holidays in Scotland, Northern Ireland that are determined by the local authorities there The New Year New Year’s Eve is on 31 December, the last day before the New Year begins In many places, people go to parties, bars or restaurants with friends in the evening Sometimes they meet outside in a big square In London, people go to Trafalgar Square Just before midnight, people look at the clock, and together they count the last ten seconds before the New Year begins: ‘Ten, nine, eight…’ At midnight they stand in a circle, join hands and sing an old song called ‘Auld Lang Syne’ A Scottish man called Robert Burns wrotẹ the words, of this song about two hundred years ago It is about remembering old friends Many people drink a glass of champagne, light some fireworks, or dance until the sun comes up In Scotland, New Year’s Eve has a special name: Hogmanay At Hogmanay, 124 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 there is a tradition called first footing The first person to come into the house in the New Year is the first foot: if he is a tall, dark man, and someone you not know, he will bring good luck He must carry some food, some money, or a piece of coal for the fire In Edinburgh, there are house parties and street parties, Scottish music and dancing, parades and lots of fireworks People often eat special food at this time The traditional Scottish food for festivals in haggis, which is like a large round sausage, usually made from sheep meat New Year’s Day is January, the first day of the New Year It is a holiday for most people, and the banks and many shops don’t open Many people stay at home on that day and rest Most people go back to work on January, but in Scotland they have two days’ holiday and go back to work on January At this time of year, a lot of people make New Year’s Resolutions They decide to something different to be a better person For example, they say: ‘I’m going to stop smoking,’ or ‘I’m going to team something new,’ or ‘I’m going to work harder ’ The shops, are very busy in January with January sales This means things are cheaper than before Christmas, so it is a good time to buy winter, clothes The first time people see friends in the New Year, they usually say ‘Happy New Year!’ Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day started over two thousand years ago, as a winter festival, on 15 February: On that day, pagans asked their gods to give them good fruit and vegetables, and strong animals When the-Christians came to Britain, they came with a story about a man called Saint Valentine The story is that Valentine was a Christian who lived in the third century (between the years 200 and 300) The Roman Emperor at the time, Claudius II, was not a Christian, Claudius decided thát his soldiers must not marry, because married soldiers not make good soldiers Valentine worked for the church, and one day he helped a soldier to get married The Emperor said that Valentine had to die 125 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 because he did wrong, in prison Valentine started to love the daughter of a man who worked in the prison The day he died, he sent a note to this woman, and at the end of the note, he said: ‘Your Valentine,’ He died on 14 February, so the date of the festival changed from 15 to 14 February, and the name changed to Saint Valentine’s Day In the early nineteenth century, when the post office started ill Britain, people started to send valentine’s cards to the person they loved on 14 February The cards had pictures of flowers and birds on, and words inside like: Roses are red, my love, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, my love, But not as sweet as you People still send each other Valentine’s cards, but often they not write their names inside: they just write ‘Be me Valentine, or ‘From your Valentine’ It is a kind of game Some children give their friends or teachers cards or chocolates A man will perhaps ị give his girlfriend or wife red roses A lot of people go out to restaurants for the evening and have dinner for two, with candles and soft music Easter Easter is the most important festival in the church year: more important than Christmas It begins with Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, which is the day the Romans killed Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem, about two thousand years ago In the Christian religion it represents the đay on which Christ died It is a bank holiday in Britain Two days, later, on Easter Sunday, Christians believe that Jesus returned to life Easter is now a Christian festival but the word ‘Easter’ comes from ‘Eostre’, the pagan goddess of spring Easter Day is the Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring (21 March) It is different every year, but always between 22 March and 25 April Many animals and birds are born in the spring So when people started to send Easter cards in the nineteenth century, the cards often had baby sheep, rabbits or birds 126 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 on them Eggs are an important part of Easter because they mean spring and new life One Easter tradition is ‘égg rolling’ People decorate, eggs with different colours, then take the eggs to the top of a hill and the eggs roll down The first egg to get to the foot of the hill is the winner On Easter Sunday, people give chocolate Easter eggs as presents These eggs started in Europe in the early nineteenth century and came to Britain in the 1870s Today some of the eggs are empty, others have small chocolates inside; some are very small, some very big Some mothers and fathers tell their children that the Easter Rabbit brings the eggs and hides them in the garden The children must go outside and look for them Many people also èat hot cross buns at Easter These are small loaves of bread, made with fruit and spices, and they have a cross on top They are best hot, and there is an old song about them: Hot cross buns, hot cross buns One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns If you have no daughters, Give them to yours sons, One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns Some women and girls decorate hats, called Easter bonnets They put lots of spring flowers on them, and wear them in Easter bonnet parades Many people go to church on Easter Day There are lots of flowers in the churches and people sing Easter songs Easter Monday is a holiday for everyone, so a lot of people watch some sport, or go out for the day Children usually have a week or two holidays from school around Easter Lent is the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, the most serious period in the Christian year Traditionally, Christians did not eat meat or rich foods during Lent Today some people stop doÍJig something they enjoy, such as eating sweets or 127 Downloaded by EBOOKBKMT VMTC (nguyenphihung1009@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|2935381 drinking alcohol, at this time Ash Wednesday is tlạe first day of Lent, Traditionally, Roman Catholics go to church on Ash Wednesday and their foreheads are marked with ashes as a sign that they are sorry for their sins (= offences against religious or moral laws) In the US this tradition, is still widely followed They ashes are not washed off but left to go away on their own It is not polite to make a comment on such marks on a person's forehead síxrovè Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday The word shrove is a past tense of the English verb "shrive," which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by confessing and doing penance Shrove Tuesday, gets its name from the shriving (confession) that Anglo-Saxon Christians were expected to receive immediately before Lent Pancake Day In Britain, Shrove Tuesday is known as Pancake Day Pancakes were traditionally allowed to be made between the ringing of a curfew bell in the morning of Shrove Tuesday and its ringing again that evening Housewives had that time in which to use up all the eggs and fat they had left over Until the early 1900s, Shrove Tuesday was a half-day holiday, and the "Shriving Bell" was rung at eleven o'clock in the morning to remind people that the holiday had begun It became known in some parts as the "Pancake Bell" and it is still rung today even though the day is