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ĐẠI HỌC MỞ HÀ NỘI KHOA TIẾNG ANH GIÁO TRÌNH ĐẤT NƯỚC HỌC THE SOCIETY OF MAJOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES Hà Nội - 2019 HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH THE SOCIETY OF MAJOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES Edited by: Le Thi Vy Ngo Thi Thanh Thao Luu Chi Hai Nguyễn The Hoa Nguyen Thanh Binh Le Anh Tuyet INTRODUCTION This course book, adapted from a variety of invaluable materials, is structured for learners of English as a foreign language at any level of proficiency from intermediate upwards This material is expected to be for students who want to get general views of the society of the countries where English is used as the official language Students may have a chance to get access to the history, the constitution, the people, the education, the economy… of many parts of the world which they may find far away from each other in the map but very close in terms of language Aims and Objectives of the Course The learners would be able to:  achieve thorough understanding about the history, the discovery and foundation as well as the development of the countries  know geographical conditions of the countries influencing people’s life  be able to clarify the political systems: the monarchy and republic; the power and the roles of the Head of State, the constitutional systems…  have knowledge of native people and the present population, including their races, the class system in the society……  have general views on the economy, education … of the Englishspeaking world CONTENTS Chapter 1: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Unit 1: A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom Unit 2: The Government of the United Kingdom 28 Unit 3: Politics, Class and Race 40 Unit 4: The British Economy 51 Unit 5: British Education System 59 Unit 6: British Foreign Relations 71 Chapter 2: The United States of America Unit 7: American Beginnings 83 Unit 8: The Political System in the United States 96 Unit 9: The American Economy 109 Unit 10: Education in the United States 116 Unit 11: Social Problems in the United States 127 Chapter 3: Canada Unit 12: The Country and Its Peopl 139 Unit 13: The Government and Politics of Canada 148 Unit 14: The Canada Mosaic 154 Chapter 4: Australia and New Zealand Unit 15: The Land and the Peoples of the Dreaming 167 Unit 16: From Penal Colony to “Free Migration” 177 Unit 17: Australia as a Liberal Democratic Society 186 Unit 18: New Zealand: Land, People and History 197 Chapter 1: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland This chapter offers an overview to the United Kingdom It includes the foundation of the UK, the political system, the class, the race, the economy, the educational system, and the British foreign relations The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The Union Jack (British Flag) Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister Boris Johnson Unit 1: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM Focal points: a complicated country with a complicated name the significant role of London cultural and economic dominance of England invasion from the Roman Empire settlement of the Anglo-Saxons physical features of Scotland independence of Scotland for 300 years union with England in 1707 brief introduction to Wales 10 population and physical features of Northern Ireland 11 partition of Ireland in 1921 Area: total 244820 sq km Land: 241 590 sq km Water: 3230 sq km (Including Rockwall and Shetland Islands) Population: more than 67 million (17/09/2019) An Overview to the United Kingdom The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland It is a highly centralized and unitary state, and its main component, England, has been so for thousand years As a political entity, however, Britain (is the UK loosely called) is being the state which emerged from the union of the ancient kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707 To the west of the continent of Europe lie two large islands called the British Isles The larger of these, consisting of England, Scotland and Wales, is known as Great Britain The smaller island is Ireland, with Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic England is the southern and central part of Great Britain Scotland is in the north of the island, and Wales in the west Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain Most people know something about the country because its huge overseas empire gave it an important international role which only came to an end in the years following the Second World War However, the things that people know about the UK (which they will probably call simply Britain or, wrongly, England) may have little to with how most real British people live their lives today Windsor Castle For one thing, the days of empire are now long enough ago that only old people remember it as anything of any importance in their lives Britain is no longer an imperial country, though the effects of its imperial past may be often encountered in all sorts of ways; not least in the close relationships which exist with the fifty or more countries which used to be a part of that empire, and which maintain links through a loose (and voluntary) organisation called the Commonwealth of Nations But more important today in Britain's international relations is the European Union of which the UK has been a member since 1973, and it is more useful when considering modern Britain to emphasise its role as a European nation, rather than its membership of the Commonwealth It remains a party…………………… IV Questions for discussion: Do you think the Australian government system is a democratic one? Why? Why you think Australia adopted the "Washminster" form of polity? Do you think it reflects the advantages of both systems? Do you think the pluralist form of government is ideal? What are its drawbacks? Do you think the government can improve the efficiency of the social welfare and social security services by contracting them out to private sector? Why? Is the loss of social capital a necessary cost in maintaining a country's strong economy? Why? 195 KEYS TO EXERCISES IN UNIT 17 I II T C T A T B F B F A T C F D F D III 1901 75% Britain, Southern Government funding The House of Representatives, the Senate The British Monarch The Prime Minister The opposition 196 Unit 18: NEW ZEALAND-LAND, PEOPLE AND HISTORY Focal points: geography: North Island and South Island Maori society Maoritanga Pacific Island people race relations history: first settlers of the Islands New Zealand: Geography, Land and Environment New Zealand is a special country in many ways It is a small country with a small population, a long way from the large powerful countries, but many people know about New Zealand Situated in the southwest Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is a large, long group of islands, 600 kilometres from north to south New Zealand has another name, "Aotearoa," meaning "a land of the long white cloud" in the native Maori language This long group of islands is made up of two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, separated by Cook Strait The third largest island, Stewart Island, is south of the South Island, and there are many smaller islands, including uninhabited isolated islands hundreds of kilometres offshore Its nearest large neighbor – Australia is almost 000 km away With a land area of 270500 square kilometres, New Zealand is similar in size to Japan or the British Isles A huge diversity of physical geography has produced a wide variation in landscape The North Island has been formed mostly by volcanoes, some of which are still active, and the Auckland city skyline is dominated by the cones of extinct volcanoes In the central North Island, a spectacular cluster of four active volcanoes is crowned by 2797m Ruapehu, home of the island's major ski fields The steam vents, hot pools, bubbling Illud and geysers of the famous thermal-region stretch northeast to the coast and to White Island in the Bay of Plenty The majestic symmetrical cone of Mt Taranaki dominates the west coast Chains of mountains run northeast to southwest, parallel to the coast 197 A massive mountain chain, the Southern Alps, runs almost the full length of the South Island The highest mountain in the country, 754m Mt Cook (called Aoraki by the Maori people), is in the southern part of the Alps This is an area of outstanding scenic beauty, with the Marlborough Sounds in the north, many beautiful lakes and rivers, and Fiordland with its remote, deeply-cut inlets in the southwest Although most of the land is 200 metres or more above sea level there are extensive fertile lowlands in both islands, and rolling plains in South Canterbury and Hawkes Bay New Zealand is in the southern temperate latitudes midway between the Equator and the South Pole The capital city, Wellington, is the southernmost and windiest national capital city in the world It is the same distance south of the Equator as Beijing is north of the Equator The climate is maritime: no part of the country is more than 120 km from the sea Slow-to-change sea temperatures produce moderate temperatures The prevailing wind is westerly; many parts of the country have extremes of wind and rain This is because the mountain backbone disturbs and channels the wind Wellington can be windy because it is on Cook Strait, a 32 km gap in an otherwise continuous chain of mountains Many microclimates exist in particularly sheltered or exposed places The West Coast of the South Island has one of the highest annual rainfalls in the world Seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere, with January and February the warmest months and July the coldest Temperature averages range from average maximum 10-15°C in July to average maximum 19-25°C in January New Zealand's long isolation from other landmasses has allowed the evolution of unique flora and fauna 10 The country was once almost covered with evergreen native forest, including some of the world's oldest plant forms Some 6.2 million hectares of native forest still survives, its importance formally recognized by the creation of national and forest parks New Zealanders' environmental awareness is reflected in legislation In 1991, the Resource Management Act came into effect It was the first piece of environmental legislation of its kind in the world Its purpose is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources, bringing together laws governing land, air and water resources Noise and pollution are also included The environment is looked at as a whole, and the focus is on the effects that proposed activities will have on the environment Favourable geographic features, low population and a late development of industry mean New Zealand has avoided the air, water and land pollution problems of more densely populated and heavily industrialized countries 198 The ozone hole that develops over Antarctica each spring does not cover New Zealand but, because of global ozone depletion, year round ozone levels have declined by about 6% since 1980 New Zealanders are keen to take environmental responsibility on an individual basis, as well as nationally and internationally.16 Individuals and their local authorities reduce waste and recycle their rubbish There are no nuclear power plants or weapons New Zealand has significantly influenced international attitudes on ozone depletion, whaling, sustainable forestry and the relationship between trade and the environment It continues to be active in international discussions on these and other environmental issues, such as climate change, bio-diversity, pollution and waste The New Zealanders New Zealand's population has grown steadily over the last 150 years, and reached approximately 3.84 million in October 2001 New Zealand is lightly populated with an average of 13.2 people to a square kilometre One quarter of children live in one-parent families Most New Zealanders (about 85%) live in cities and towns, and about 74% live in the North Island Much of the country is too mountainous for people to live Since the end of the 1870's gold boom in the South Island, the proportion of the total population living in the South Island has decreased steadily, and since 1896 there have been more people in the North Island than in the South The North Island has also had a faster natural increase, with a higher birthrate and lower mortality In addition, most oversea immigrants settle in the North Island Auckland, where several cities, combine to form the nation's largest urban area, is home to more than a quarter of the population Around 80% of New Zealanders identify themselves as having some European ancestry Their forebears came mainly from Britain, but also from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, former Yugoslavia and other nations The next largest population group is Maori, about 15% in 2001 People from the Pacific Islands mainly Western Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Tonga and Fiji - make up about 5% of the population There are more Niueans, Tokelauans and Cook Islanders in New Zealand than in their countries of origin Over 200000 people from the Pacific Islands have settled in Auckland, making it the world's largest Polynesian city Significant groups of Chinese and Indian people have lived in New Zealand for generations, and almost every other country in the world is represented in the population mix 199 Refugees from Europe, many of Jewish and Polish origin, arrived in the 1930s, and during and after World War II Since then, more refugees have arrived from Hungary, Chile, Russia, Eastern Europe, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, Somalia and Ethiopia New Zealand continues to receive great interest from prospective migrants In the year to December 1996, approvals were given for 43 000 people to settle permanently in New Zealand Applicants from North Asia made up 39% of the total, with Europe representing 23% Great Britain continues to provide the largest single number of migrants, with Korea following Both immigrants and refugees have been welcomed into New Zealand society and contributed their different ethnic and cultural values to the New Zealand way of life Those identifying themselves as Maori are as a group significantly younger in age than the total population Maori women tend to have more children than their non-Maori counterparts They also have children at a younger age than non-Maori women The Ministry of Maori Development works to facilitate and support Maori achievement in key areas of health, education, training and economic resource development Over 200000 people in New Zealand identify themselves as being of Pacific Island origin A large percentage of them are under 15 and only a small number over 60 The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs helps New Zealand Pacific Island people achieve the aspirations that brought( them, or their forebears) to New Zealand Priorities are education, employment, health, training, and the participation of Pacific Island people in public decision-making English and Maori are the official languages and English is the language spoken by almost all New Zealanders Maori is the first language of about 50000 people; a further 150000 speak Maori as a second language and thousands more learn some Maori language each year Many names of places, plants and birds are Maori, and many other Maori words have enriched New Zealand English As well as the kohanga reo (Maori "language nests") and Pacific Island centres, other schools and community centres run evening or weekend classes so that children from other ethnic groups may share in the language and cultural heritage of their ancestors In New Zealand religion is a matter of individual conscience Christianity is the most common religion The main denominations are: Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic, but there are many others The world's other great faiths-Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism - are also represented 200 In New Zealand, it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, employment status, family status, gender, marital status, political opinion, race or ethnic origin, religious or ethical belief, or sexual orientation On the advice of the Minister of Justice, the Governor General appoints a Human Rights Commissioner and a Race Relations Conciliator to promote human rights by education and conciliation, and to investigate complaints of breaches of these rights New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote (in 1893) Today a Ministry of Women's Affairs advises the government on policy matters relating to the equality and rights of women Measured in terms of education and employment, equality and opportunity, health and personal safety, housing and physical environment, leisure satisfaction, quality of working life and social welfare provisions, New Zealand's standard of living is relatively high By such yardsticks as education, health, infant mortality, life expectancy and price stability, New Zealand's situation is comparable to that of Australia, Canada, Japan, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States Maoritanga Maoritanga means "Maori culture", and embraces the language, customs and traditions that make up the rich heritage of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand One in seven people identify themselves as New Zealand Maori Maori people today have adopted many aspects of western life, and Maori businesses make up one of the most important parts of the private sector At the same time, many Maori sustain their own unique culture, which colours and enriches the New Zealand way of life Maori oral traditions and history explain the place of the Maori peoplttin the world and in Aotearoa The Maori creation story tells of Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatuanuku, the earth mother, who were the parents of all the gods Their son Tane, creator of the bush and all its living creatures, also created the first woman from the earth, and from them all people are descended There are many legends about Maui Stories of his cleverness, magic and trickery explain elements of natural history such as the discovery of fire Children are taught how Maui outwitted his brothers to join them on a fishing trip According to the legend, one day Maui went out fishing with his brothers He persuaded them to sail far to the south to unknown waters When Maui began fishing, he used his grandmother's jawbone for a hook He struck himself on the nose and used his blood for bait With this magical hook and charmed bait he caught a monstrous fish, which became the North Island of New Zealand 201 The South Island is sometimes conceived of as the canoe of Mauri Genealogy traces the descent of a Maori individual from the gods, to their ancestors from Hawaiki who sailed canoes across the Pacific Ocean and then down to their present tribal groupings in Aotearoa Tribal lands and kinship links are still key factors that connect people in Maori society Although some Maori still live in their tribal areas, over 80% of the Maori population live in urban areas These urban Maori have established multi-tribal meeting places or marae, which enable them to continue their maoritanga, and to ensure the culture and traditions continue to be passed from generation to generation Behaviour on the matae follows strict protocols (kawa), which are followed to show proper respect at a tangi (funeral) or hui (conference) Marae protocol may be learned also by Pakeha (European) people who visit marae in the course of their employment, or to further their understanding of Maori culture Perhaps the best known internationally of all Maori traditions is the haka, a dance often performed to terrify the enemy and to prepare warriors for battle Today, it starts every All Blacks international rugby match, and is frequently televised worldwide The Treaty of Waitangi was an instrument designed to bring law and order to the trading settlements and to protect Maori rights in dealings with the settlers It reflected the attitudes prevailing in Britain at that time Then Maori people began to restrict land sales, however, the government came under pressure from the increasing number of British settlers Relations between Maori and settlers deteriorated and war broke out in the early 1860s By the 1890s less than onesixth of New Zealand was owned by Maori Around the turn of the century, several Maori leaders used their knowledge of the law and their positions in Parliament to satisfy some Maori needs within a Pakeha (European) legal framework Rural Maori communities were revitalized, but Maori still had little influence on the mainstream of New Zealand life The Second World War was another turning point A high proportion of eligible men volunteered for the Maori Battalion and fought with distinction in North Africa and Southern Europe After the war, Maori workers moved to the mainly Pakeha cities in response to labour shortages The urban migration brought problems, but it greatly increased public awareness of Maori culture It also brought a Maori "protest movement" into the public eye Beginning in the 1970s, and mainly among younger urban Maori, the protest movement gained wide support and publicity 202 In an effort to address past wrongs and Maori grievances, the Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975 The Tribunal considers claims dating back to 1840 from any Maori person or group in terms of the Treaty of Waitangi, and makes recommendations to Parliament Maori and Pakeha alike may study Maori language Maori is the second official language, and it is recognized in Parliament and in courts of law Since the 1970s, the language has become revitalized, with total-immersion Maori language schools, and a significant increase in studying of Maori at all educational levels, including university 1995 was New Zealand's national Maori Language Year, an initiative intended to encourage an active commitment to learning and promoting the language A Maori Language Commission has been established to encourage its use and Maori broadcasting on radio and television is becoming increasingly significant, giving new directions for the future of a language that was once in danger of disappearing History New Zealand - Aotearoa, "land of the long white cloud" - was settled over 1000 years ago by voyagers from East Polynesia These settlers, the forebears of today's Maori, lived in tribes based on family networks They adapted quickly to the new environment, and by 1200, had settled the North and South Islands Using the abundant natural resources for food and trade, Maori developed a rich culture; oral traditions, handed down through generations, continued this The Maori language was not written down until the Tate 18th and early 19th centuries By the time the first European navigators arrived in 1642, most Maori lived in the warm climate of the upper North Island Dutchman Abel Tasman anchored offshore in that year, naming the country Staten Land, later Nieuw Zeeland Englishman James Cook visited in 1769; he sailed around the whole coast and made a fairly accurate map He traded with Maori and claimed the land for the British Sealers and whalers followed, and, in 1814, Christian missionaries By 1840, 2000 Europeans lived among a Maori population of 115000 In that year, over 500 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, retaining ownership of natural resources but giving up the right to govern to the British Crown For both Maori and Pakeha, the Treaty continues to hold a central place British settlers arrived in the 1840s and 1850s, establishing towns and clearing land for farms Maori and settler interests sometimes clashed, resulting in war 203 during the 1860s With the loss of Maori, and the effect of European diseases such as smallpox and measles, the Maori population fell to 42000 in 1896 Settler society boomed after the gold rushes from the 1860s Roads, railways and public buildings were constructed, and national education introduced A new wave of British, European and Australian migrants arrived to populate the towns and develop farmland Economic depression in the l880s produced social and economic change New Zealand led the world in granting votes to women in1893, wages were regulated, and old-age pensions began in 1898 Maori political leaders initiated a Maori renaissance started earlier under the influence of the Maori King movement and Maori religious prophets Health and welfare improved and the Maori population rose Maori and European soldiers fought alongside the British in the First World War (1914-1918), as they would in the Second (1936-1945) Worldwide economic depression hits New Zealand in the late 1920s: unemployment and poverty increased rapidly Expanding state welfare from the 1930s - higher pensions, unemployment and sickness benefits, and subsidized medical care improved conditions Urbanization, especially of Maori, and economic prosperity marked post-war New Zealand The birthrate soared and the population also increased because of immigration, from Britain and Europe in the 1950s, and later from the Pacific Islands and Asia More women worked outside the home, and equal pay was introduced in 1972 Another Maori renaissance began in the 1970s as Maori focused on regaining land lost two generations earlier; language, culture and art revived once more Inflation and unemployment grew in the 1970s, and government spending on social welfare increased with the introduction of National Superannuation in 1976 and a range of other income support measures The mid-1980s brought profound changes in foreign affairs and the economy New Zealand was declared nuclear-free Free-market policies opened up the economy, and the role of government was reformed From its settlement 1000 years ago, New Zealand today is a unique blend of South Pacific and European cultures with a national identity of its own Exercises I Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F): ……….New Zealand is made up of a large group of islands ……….In size, New Zealand is similar to Japan plus the British Isles 204 ……….Most of New Zealanders live in cities and towns with more people living in the South Island than the North Island ……….Maori people have given up their cultural tradition and have adopted many aspects of western life ……….New Zealanders are keen to get involved in environmental protection ……….New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote ……….In New Zealand Christianity is the major religion ……….New Zealand was settled 000 years ago by voyagers from East Polynesia II Choose the best answer: The two main land masses in New Zealand are A the White Island and the thermal region B the North Island and the South Island C the Southern Alps and the North Island D Auckland and the South Island New Zealanders have adopted their name from the kiwi, A which is a native flightless bird B which was the only mammal in New Zealand C which was introduced to New Zealand about 1000 years ago D which is an introduced flightless bird Which of the following factors does NOT contribute to New Zealand's environmental achievement? A Favourable geographic features B Low population C A late development of industry D The ozone hole over Antarctica New Zealand's three largest ethnic groups in terms of population are A New Zealanders with European ancestry, Chinese and Maori B Maori, Indian and people from the Pacific Islands C New Zealanders with European ancestry, Maori and people from the Pacific Islands D People from the Pacific Islands, Maori and Chinese 205 Which of the following statements is not true about Maori population? A Maori women tend to have more children than non-Maori women B Non-Maori women tend to have children earlier than Maori women C Maori population is younger than the total population D Maori population makes up nearly one-seventh of New Zealand's total population In the Maori language the word "Marae" means A Maoriculture B non-Maori or European C protocol D meeting house The first settlers of New Zealand were A voyagers from East Polynesia B European navigators C sealers and whalers D Christian missionaries In 1769, ………… visited New Zealand and claimed it for Britain A Abel Tasman B James Cook C Christian missionaries D sealers and whalers III Fill in the blanks: New Zealand is in the ………… Ocean ………… is its nearest large neighbour Seasons in New Zealand are opposite to the ………… hemisphere, with the highest temperature in the months of January and February and the lowest temperature in the month of………… There had been no ………… except bats in New Zealand until about 1000 years ago However, some remarkable species of flightless birds had occupied the land and some of them have survived to this day Among them is………… , the bird that has given New Zealanders their name 206 since it is the national symbol of the country The official languages in New Zealand are………….and ………… New Zealand's long………… from other landmasses has made possible the evolution of unique flora and fauna In 1975, the ………… was set up to receive complaints from Maori people and to address the mistakes made in the past by the European settlers The first settlers of New Zealand were from ………… , the ancestors of today' s Maori In 1840, Maori chiefs signed the………… to keep their ownership of the natural resources, and in return, to give up the right to govern to the ………… This treaty is still a major issue in the relationship between Maori and Pakeha New Zealand is keen to take environmental responsibility In the mid1980s, New Zealand was declared ……… There are no nuclear power plants or weapons in New Zealand 10 New Zealand has a national and………… cultures identity that mixes ………… IV Questions for discussion: What are some of the distinct features of New Zealand's geography? Find out similarities and differences in terms of geography between New Zealand and Australia What are the structural components of New Zealand's population? In what way are they related to New Zealand's history? Discuss the Maori culture in New Zealand Is it similar with the Aboriginal culture in Australia? When did the first European navigators arrive in New Zealand? How did New Zealand evolve to what it is today? How has New Zealand avoided the air, water and land pollution problems that other industrialized countries have? 207 KEYS TO EXERCISES IN UNIT 18 I T F F F 5.T T T F II B A D C B D A B III Southwest Pacific, Australia northern, July land mammal, the kiwi English, Maori isolation Waitangi Tribunal East Polynesia Treaty of Waitangi, British Crown 208 REFERENCES Aungles, A, Hill, J., McCormack, J (2005) An Introduction to the Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries Higher Education Press Ingpen, R (1994) People Who Changed the World Dragon World Limited (UK) Musman, R (1987) Background to English-speaking Countries Macmillan Publishers Ltd.(UK) Oxford Guide to British and American Culture Oxford University Press(UK) Parish, S (1994) A Souvenir of Australia Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd Parish, S (1994) Australia the Gift Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd Parish, S (1994) Discover Australia Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd Parish, S (1994) Wilderness Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd Smith, R (1992) Australia AGPS Press, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra 10.https://wikepidia.org 209