Part I: Britain for learners of English

1. COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

GEOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING
 Great Britain and Ireland are the two largest islands located on the north-west coast of
Europe.
 There is no agreement about what to call all of them together.
POLITICALLY SPEAKING
 The Republic of Ireland, also known as Ireland, governs most of Ireland’s island
 Great Britain governs the rest of the area
 The official name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but
it is often shortened to “the UK” in every speech. On the Internet and email addresses
it is “.uk”. In other contexts, it is referred to as “Great Britain”. In writing and
speaking, the name “Britain” is used.
THE FOUR NATIONS
 Britain, often referred to as ‘England’, is part of ‘the four nations’, consisting of
Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
 Political unification took several centuries, culminating in 1800 when the Irish
parliament joined the parliament for England, Scotland and Wales in Westminster
 In 1922, most of Ireland became a separate state
 The dominant culture of people in Ireland, Wales, and Highland Scotland was Celtic,
Germanic being the dominant culture in England and Lowland Scotland
 The nations also had different economic, social, and legal systems, making them
independent.
 Despite blurred differences, Britain’s government remains unified across the four
regions, with distinct government structures and teams for Wales, Scottish and Irish
people.
THE DOMINANCE OF ENGLAND.
 The dominant culture of Britain today is predominantly English, with English being
the main language and system of politics in all four nations.
 English domination is evident in various aspects of Britain's public life, such as the
Bank of England controlling money supply, the name of the current monarch as
“Elizabeth II”,…
 Publications and organizations often portray England as the norm, with Wales,
Scotland, and Northern Ireland presented as special cases.
NATIONAL LOYALTIES
 English people often write ‘English’ next to ‘nationality’ when go abroad
 When talking to people from Britain, it is safest to use ‘Britain’ and ‘British’ to avoid
offending anyone.
 Most British people live within the geographical boundaries of England.
 A long history of migration from Scotland, Wales and Ireland to England has resulted
in millions of people who would never identify as English
 There is a complex division of loyalties among people in Britain, especially in
England.
 2. HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Britain has fewer public holidays than most European countries, with no semi-official holidays
or traditional extra holidays in localities. Annual holidays are not as long as in many other
countries. The country has a long history of migration from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, leading
to millions of people who would never describe themselves as English. This division of loyalties
can result in a complex division of loyalties, with some people supporting their country in
sporting contests while others support England in other sports.
TRADITIONAL SEASIDE HOLIDAYS
 The British upper class began a trend for seaside holidays in the late 18th century,
followed by the middle and working classes.
 These resorts developed characteristics typical of a traditional English holiday,
including hotels for richer individuals and boarding houses offering ‘bed and
breakfast’ or ‘full board’ meals.
 Adults often prefer to sit in deck chairs and paddle with their skirts or trouser legs
hitched up.
 Daytime entertainment primarily revolves around the beach
 Evenings and rainy days feature amusement arcades, discos…, and often situated on
the pier.
 Holiday camps were popular in the 1950s and 1960s with chalets in self-contained
villages with all food and entertainment organized.
 Modern holidays
 In the last quarter of the 20th century, traditional holidays like caravan holidays and
holiday packages declined.
 British people took 45 million foreign holidays in 2006.
 Spain is the most popular destination for these holidays, with over a quarter of all
British people taking abroad in 2006.
 The decline of traditional holidays is attributed to the impact of cheap flights and
climate change, which may affect the future of these holidays.
CHRISTMAS ( 24th- 25th December)
 Christmas is the one occasion in modern Britain.
 Origin: The slow decrease in participation in organized religion, and the fact that
Christmas in modern times is as much a secular celebration as a religious one.
 Every November in Oxford Street, a famous personality ceremoniously switches on
the “Christmas lights”
 On Boxing Day (26th December), most shops do nearly half of their total business for
a year.
 Buy presents for other members of their household and for other relatives, especially
children.
 To a wider circle of friends and relatives, and to working associates and neighbors,
they send Christmas cards
 Buy Christmas trees and decorate them with many cases, colored lights…
 Put up other decorations around the house with certain symbols of Christmas such as
bits of the holly, mistletoe plants, Christmas cards…
 Singing of carols in churches and schools, often at special concerts
 Eating Christmas dinner and listening to the Queen’s Christmas message
 “The Role of Father Christmas” (Santa Claus)
  Continuing the traditional child’s concept that Santa Claus comes down the chimney
on the night of Christmas Eve
 Children: Lay out a Christmas stocking at the foot of their beds, and expect to see
filled when wake up in the morning.
NEW YEAR
 Most people attend a gathering at this time and “see in” the new year together, often.
drinking a large amount of alcohol
 In the London region, some people go to the traditional celebration at Trafalgar
Square
 In Scotland, the New Year is called Hogmanay. The public holiday is 2 January.
 Some British New Year customs such as the singing of the song Auld Lang Syne,
originated in Scotland.
 The custom of “first footing”, in which the first person to visit a house in the new
year is supposed to arrive with tokens of certain important items for survival.
 Other notable annual occasions
 Easter is less important in Britain than Christmas, with few customs and habits
associated with it.
 Many people go away on holiday, and other days are not considered holidays.
 Shrove Tuesday and April Fools’ Day are often unnoticed.
 Halloween, the day before All Saints’ Day, is associated with supernatural events and
has become more energetic in America.
 Guy Fawkes Day, celebrated 5 days later, celebrates the gunpowder plot in the 17th
century.
 Birthdays are important for children, who receive presents from their parents and
relatives.

3. TRANSPORT
ON THE ROAD
 75% of households in Britain have regular car use, with a third having multiple cars.
 Cars are used to project an image of oneself and to indulge a national passion for
privacy
 British drivers are less communicative and more tolerant of other drivers and
pedestrians.
 Britain has the best road safety record in Europe, with a low-speed limit on
motorways
 Britain was one of the last countries in Western Europe to introduce compulsory
seat belts.
 Millions of bicycles are used, especially by younger people, but are not as common
as in other parts of North-western Europe.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN TOWNS AND CITIES
 Public transport services in the urbun area in Europe struggle due to private traffic
and lack of affordability and frequentness.
 Dedicated bus lanes have improved journey times.
 Trams, which disappeared in the 1050s and 1960s, are regaining popularity due to
increased confidence in track-based services.
 Double-decker buses are common in Britain, with over 3,000 in operation in London.
  The London Underground, despite being one of the dirtiest and least efficient
systems, is heavily used due to its excellent connections with main line train routes
and surrounding suburbs.
 The black taxi, a traditional symbol of London, is a unique and expensive mode of
transportation.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT BETWEEN TOWNS AND CITIES
 Travel. Between towns and cities in England is possible via road and rail, with coach
services being slower but cheaper.
 The railway network in Britain was privatized in the early 1990s, allowing trains to
be run by various companies
 Fares are expensive and complex due to the companies’ profit motives.
 In 2004, the Labor party voted to re-nationalize the railways, but the government
minister rejected the vote.
 A major rail company believes trains would benefit under central control and plans
to do so.
 Since 2002, the company running the rail infrastructure has been heavily controlled
by the government, despite not being a government organization.
THE CHANNEL TUNNEL
 Queen Elizabeth II and President Mitterrand officially opened the channel tunnel
between Calais and Folkestone on 6 May 1994.
 The tunnel marked the first time people could travel between Britain and mainland
Europe without leaving solid ground.
 The project was Britain’s biggest building project in the 20th century but faced
challenges including worker deaths, high construction costs, and delayed services.
 The Eurostar passenger train service, which terminates at St. Paneras station in
London, has been a success allowing passengers to reach London from Paris and
Brussels in less than two hours.
AIR AND WATER
 British air travel is mainly business-oriented, with four of the world’s top 30 airports
including Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, and Heathrow.
 Heathrow may not maintain its status for long due to concerns about community
destruction, noise, and environmental concerns.
 In the past, large rivers like the Thames were busy thoroughfares, but transport by
land has almost completely replaced it.
 The canal network used for goods transport in the 19th century was vital to the
economy, but most are no longer used.
 The leisure industry has increasingly used the country’s waterways, with boating
holidays becoming increasingly popular.
Part II: The United States of America
LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY
1. LANGUAGE
 Historically, Americans were a diverse people who represented various cultures and
spoke a variety of tongues.
 Through time, people of all backgrounds joined together to form a uniquely American
culture.
 Today, about 82% of Americans speak English as their primary tongue. Nearly 11%
of the population speaks Spanish as their first language. About 4% of all Americans
speak some other European tongue and about 3% speak an Asian, Pacific Island,
Native American, or another language.
 Diversity can contribute to social marginalization, economic deprivation, political
powerlessness, cultural stratification, and a host of other problems.
 Communicating through a common tongue is the easiest way to retain many elements
of culture while integrating into the nation’s socioeconomic mainstream.
2. FOODWAYS
 Every major cuisine in the world has contributed to the American diet.
 The United States – assumed about a country comparable in area to Europe – also
features a number of regional foodways.
 Many Coastal areas specialize in seafood that ranges from Maine lobster to Louisiana
Cajun and various West Coast marine seafood preparations.
 Barbeque is a regional specialty from North Carolina to Texas and from Memphis to
Kansas City.
 In North Carolina, the delicacy is pork basted with vinegar and ground hot red
pepper.
 The South-west is famous for its “Tex-Mex” variety of Mexican food.
 The sandwiches are variously called grinders, heroes, hoagies, Italians,… in different
regions.
 From Louisiana westward to California, hot spices are commonplace, whereas in the
nation’s midsection food tends to be rather bland.
 Some people drink tea ( hot or iced, with or without lemon, sweet or unsweetened),
whereas others drink only coffee.
 Regional preferences exist in the type of wine consumed. For instance, Germans
prefer sweet wines, whereas the French prefer their wine “dry”.
 One of the great joys of traveling within the United States is the opportunity to
experience different regional foodways.