министерство образования республики беларусь

Минский государственный лингвистический университет

Материалы к дискуссии: проблемы Британской и Американской культур Учебное пособие

Минск 2003

Ministry of education of the Republic of belarus

Minsk State Linguistic University

Discussion guide: British and american Studies Handbook for Students

Minsk 2003

УДК 802.0
ББК 81.2 Ан
	ми341

Авторы:тТ.Н.Дубровская, Н.П.Звонак, О.А.Зинина, Н.П.Мартысюк, Л.Ф.Климкович, Л.И.Шоцкая

Под редакцией доктора филологических наук, профессора И.И.Токаревой

Рецензенты: доктор педагогических наук, профессор К.Линзи (Университет Северной Каролины, США); доктор филологических наук, профессор Т.В.Поплавская (МГЛУ)

Рекомендовано редакционным советом Минского государственного лингвистического университета

ми341

Материалы к дискуссии: проблемы британской и американской культур = Discussion Guide: British and American Studies: Учеб. пособие / Т.Н.Дубровская, Н.П.Звонак, О.А.Зинина и др. – Мн.: МГЛУ, 2003. – 120 с. Пособие по практике английского языка, включающее аутентичные материалы из различных источников, изданных в Великобритании и США, нацелено на формирование коммуникативноймкомпетенциисстудентов 4 курса заочного отделения МГЛУ, приобщение их к этносоциокультурным ценностям англоговорящих народов и межкультурному общению. Может также быть использовано на старших курсах других языковых вузов.

УДК 802.0

ББК 81.2 Ан

Минский государственный лингвистический университет, 2003

Учебное издание

	Дубровская Татьяна Николаевна
	Звонак Наталья Петровна
	Зинина Ольга Александровна
	Мартысюк Натэла Петровна
	Климкович Лариса Федоровна
	Шоцкая Лариса Ивановна

Материалы к дискуссии: проблемы Британской и Американской культур Учебное пособие

Редактор А.И. Гуторова

Ответственный за выпуск Т.Н. Дубровская

Подписано в печать . Формат 60^_ Бумага офсетная. офсетная печать. Усл. печ. л. 7,09. Уч.-изд. л. 10,5. Тираж 350 экз. Заказ .

Учреждение образования “минский государственный лингвистический университет”. Лицензия ЛВ № 544 от 24.06.02. 220034, Минск, Захарова, 21.

Полиграфический участок Учреждения образования “минский государственный лингвистический университет”. Лицензия ЛП № 339 от 25.03.99. 220034, Минск, Захарова, 21.

CONTENTS

preface 4

UNIT 1 1

NATIONAL VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS 1

TEXT 1. The Values Americans Live By 1

TEXT 2. NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS! 10

Reading Comprehension Check 11

Discuss the following problematic issues with regard to American values and assumptions. 11

Assignments 11

TEXT 3. THE UNITED KINGDOM 14

UK PLC: TRAPPED IN A TIME WARP? 22

Reading Comprehension Check 25

Discuss the suggested issues. Argue for and against these ideas. 25

assignments 25

UNIT 2 27

Education 27

TEXT 1. NURSERY AND SCHOOL EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN 27

Reading Comprehension Check 31

Assignments 32

Go through the list of educational terms. Be able to explain the notions they describe. 32

Questions for Discussion 32

Role-play 33

TEXT 2. SCHOOL EDUCATION IN THE USA 33

Reading Comprehension Check 39

ASSIGNMENTS 39

text 3. HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION IN 40

GREAT BRITAIN 40

Reading Comprehension Check 45

ASSIGNMENTS 45

text 4. Higher Education in the USA 47

Reading Comprehension Check 54

ASSIGNMENTS 55

MULTILINGUALISM AND MULTINATIONALISM 55

Text 1 55

Text 2 56

Text 3 57

Text 4 58

text 5. BASIC NOTIONS 60

Reading Comprehension Check 67

AsSIGNMENTS 70

UNIT 4 70

GENDER 70

text 1 70

Reading Comprehension Check 74

ASSIGNMENTS 74

UNIT 5 75

Family Life and Sex Roles 75

Text 1. The American Family 75

Text 2 83

Reading Comprehension Check 84

Assignments 84

text 3. Family life in Great Britain 85

Reading Comprehension Check 87

Assignments 87

supplementary text 88

UNIT 6 93

crime and accidents 93

TEXT 1. TRIUMPH OF KIDNAP JENNY 93

READING COMPREHENSION CHECK 94

ASSIGNMENTS 95

TEXT 2. DRUGS GANG HELD AFTER ₤ 51 MILLION 95

COCAINE SEIZURE 95

READING COMPREHENSION CHECK 96

ASSIGNMENTS 97

TEXT 3. RED ARROWS JET CRASHES INTO ROW OF HOUSES 97

READING COMPREHENSION CHECK 98

ASSIGNMENTS 98

Unit 7 99

LEISURE AND SPORTS 99

text 1. LEISURE AND SPORTS IN Great Britain 99

Reading Comprehension Check 106

assignments 106

text 2. LEISURE AND SPORTS IN THE USA 107

supplementary text. SUMMER VACATIONS IN A POST-SEPT. 11 WORLD 112

Reading Comprehension Check 114

assignments 114

preface

This course has the purpose to help advanced students of correspondence practise the skills of discussion based on American and British Studies.

Although we hope that you will enjoy working through this course, we do not expect you to find it easy. if you work through the book carefully you will certainly learn a great deal about America and Britain. We do not set out to give comprehensive coverage, but the material does embrace most of the basic concepts.

the textbook provides examples of authentic texts. They are not simplified for learners of English: the language you will encounter in them is exactly what you will meet in real life. Some of the texts are written in American English, which has some differences from British English, especially in spelling. You might find it useful to keep a running list of such examples. Remember that they are equally acceptable, but you should avoid mixing them in a single piece of writing.

When you study the subject, you will do it in two main ways: by reading and by discussing. These are the major means of access to new knowledge and it is on these that we concentrate.

So we have divided the textbook into 7 units, each having some texts, a section containing reading comprehension check and a section containing assignments. Below we give a brief description of each section, so that at any point in any unit you will know exactly what you are expected to do and why you are doing it.

text. In this section you are given a passage to read. You should first read it through, even if you do not understand it all. This will give you a general idea of what it is about. You should always have a dictionary handy and never be too proud (or too lazy!) to look things up.

Reading Comprehension Check. In this section you are asked to answer a number of detailed questions to identify the most important points in the text. You could tackle them by jotting down a few notes and then turning your notes into complete answers.

Assignments. In this section you are required to concentrate on the language matters and starting a discussion.

UNIT 1

NATIONAL VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS

TEXT 1. The Values Americans Live By

L.R.Kohls, Ph.D.

Introduction

Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought.

Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably, in the end, decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values. The reason for this decision is itself one very American value – their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most of their fellow citizens.

Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are, it is significant that they think they are. Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, “I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by”.

Despite this self-evaluation, a foreign anthropologist could observe Americans and produce a list of common values which would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values commonly held by the people of many other countries.

If foreign visitors really understand how deeply ingrained these values are in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions – actions which might otherwise appear “strange”, “confusing”, or “unbelievable” when evaluated from the perspective of the foreigner’s own society and its values.

The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet. For example, when you ask Americans for directions to get to a particular address in their own city, they may explain, in great detail, how you can get there on your own but may never even consider walking a hundred meters with you to lead you to that place. Some foreign visitors have interpreted this sort of action as showing Americans “unfriendliness”. But the self-help concept is so strong in Americans that they firmly believe that no adult would ever want, even temporarily, to be dependent on another. Also, their future orientation makes Americans think it is better to prepare you to find other addresses on your own in the future.

Americans see all of these values as very positive ones. They are not aware, for example, that the people of many third World countries view change as negative, destructive and threatening. In fact, many American values are judged by many of the world’s citizens as negative and undesirable. Therefore, it is not enough simply to familiarize yourself with these values. You must also, so far as possible, consider them without the negative or derogatory connotation which they might have for you, based on your own experience and cultural identity.