Countries of the English language. Страны английского языка. Учебное пособие

Task 15.6. Prepare a description of Kenyan national symbols: the flag, the coat of arms, the national anthem, etc. Explain their historical meaning.

Task 15.7. Prepare a presentation on Kenyan traditional culture: folklore, music, crafts, beliefs.

Task 15.8. Find any popular stereotypes about Kenya. Discuss the stereotypes in your group. Are the stereotypes true or false? Can they help understand Kenyan culture?

81

CONCLUSION

You have studied some basic information about 15 countries, where the English language has an official status. Revise your notes and materials for the completed tasks from this textbook to summarize the information and develop a broader view on the global role of the English language.

COURSE SUMMARY QUESTIONS

1.How many of the countries studied are Royal Realms, members of the British Commonwealth of Nations or independent states?

2.What countries belong to the European Union?

3.What countries are monarchies, republics, other forms of the state rule?

4.In what countries the head of the state is President? Monarch?

5.What is the role and functions of governor-general? In which countries is this post and title still present?

6.How many of the discussed countries have a colonial past? What was the influence of the colonial period on the present-day situation?

7.What were historically the major problems of racism in the discussed countries all over the world? Can you compare different historical national experiences?

8.What is the status of the English language in the studied countries? Are any languages legally limited in some way in the discussed states?

9.Is the English language a means of national unity or disagreement in these countries?

10.How can local cultures influence the English language in the discussed countries?

Task 1. Prepare a list of capitals of the discussed countries. Play a game, checking if you and your groupmates remember the country names and their corresponding capital cities.

82

Task 2. Choose one historical event or one outstanding person that can represent the country. Play a guess game and check if you remember the outstanding facts or figures and the countries where they come from.

Task 3. There are 86 countries of the world where English traditionally or de jure has the status of the official language and 56 members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 16 of which are Royal Dominions. Choose a country out of the lists in Appendixes 3 and 4 to present it according to the studied model (general overview, major historical events, economic situation, and culture).

Task 4. Read the text about the British Commonwealth of Nations and compare its aims to other international organizations, the UN, the EU, the WTO, the Red Cross, the NATO etc. Malta and Cyprus are members of both the Commonwealth and the EU. They remained in the EU even after Britain left the EU in 2020.

British Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth differs from other international bodies such as the United Nations, the European Union or the World Trade Organization. It has no formal constitution or bylaws. The members have no legal or formal obligation to one another; they are held together by shared traditions, institutions, and experiences as well as by economic self-interest. Commonwealth action is based upon consultation between members, which is conducted through correspondence and through conversations in meetings. Each member country sends an emissary, called a high commissioner, to the capitals of the other members.

The member states’ heads of government make up the primary decision-making component of the Commonwealth. The Head of the Commonwealth, a title historically belonging to the British Crown, is largely ceremonial. Succession to the post is

83

non-hereditary and is determined by the Heads of Government. The Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by a secretary-general, organizes and coordinates Commonwealth activities and facilitates relations between member states. The Secretariat is responsible to the Board of Governors, composed of the member states’ high commissioner to the United Kingdom. At high-lev- el international events, the Commonwealth is represented by the Chair-in-Office, which rotates between member states every two years.

A Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is held every two years. At the meeting in 1971, members adopted a declaration that restated the Commonwealth’s voluntary and cooperative nature and committed the organization to promoting international peace, fighting racism, opposing colonial domination, and reducing inequities in wealth.

There are also significant educational links between members, as many British teachers travel overseas and many students from Commonwealth members study in Britain. Other cultural links include the Commonwealth Games, a sporting competition held every four years. See the list of the Commonwealth member states in Appendix 4.

(Abridged from: https://thecommonwealth.org/)

References

The World Factbook [Electronic resource]. – URL: www. cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries (дата обращения 15.09.2023).

Encyclopedia Britannica [Electronic resource]. – URL: www.britannica.com (дата обращения 15.09.2023).

Economist Intelligence Unit [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://country.eiu.com (дата обращения 15.09.2023).

The Commonwealth [Electronic resource]. – URL: www. thecommonwealth.com (дата обращения 15.09.2023).

84

APPENDIX 1

Recommended Literature for Self-Study

NOTE: Use the following list of recommended literature for further studies of the countries of the English language. You can find and read other editions or years of publication.

1.Богатикова, Ю.А. Great Britain history and culture [Текст] : Рабочая тетрадь к курсу «История и культура Великобритании». Практикум / Ю.А. Богатикова, Н.В. Петрова. – М. : Изд. Дом НИТУ «МИСиС», 2021. – 80 с.

2.Богатикова, Ю.А. The USA history and culture [Текст] : Рабочая тетрадь к курсу «История и культура США». Практикум / Ю.А. Богатикова, О.А. Кладиева. – М. : Изд. Дом НИТУ «МИСиС», 2021. – 80 с.

3.Богатикова, Ю.А. English Language Countries: Geography, Governmental Structure, Economy [Текст] : учеб.-метод. пособие к курсу «География и государственное устройство стран английского языка» / Ю.А. Богатикова. –

М.: ИПО «У Никитских ворот», 2010. – 48 с.

4.Бурова, И.И. Великобритания [Текст] : книга для чтения по курсу «Страноведение» / И.И. Бурова. – СПб. : Лениздат, 1999. – 283 с.

5.Голицынский, Ю.Б. Великобритания [Текст] : пособие по страноведению / Ю.Б. Голицынский. – СПб. : Каро, 2021. – 480 с.

6.Голицынский, Ю.Б. Соединенные Штаты Америки [Текст] : пособие по страноведению / Ю.Б. Голицынский. –

СПб. : КАРО, 2006. – 448 с.

7.Зайцева, С.Е. Curious Facts about Great Britain [Текст] : учеб. пособие / С.Е.Зайцева, Е.Н. Щавелева. – М. : КНОРУС, 2013. – 176 с.

8.Николаев, Г.А. Англо-русский исторический словарь: 30 000 имен, названий, терминов [Текст] / Г.А. Николаев. –

М.: Изд. группа «Прогресс», «Лексикон», 1995. – 464 с.

85

9. Рум, Адриан Р.У. Великобритания. Лингвострановедческий словарь (Dictionary of Great Britain) [Текст] / Адриан Р.У. Рум. – 2-е изд., стер. – М. : Рус. яз., 2000. –

558с.

10.O’Callaghan, B. An Illustrated History of the USA [Text] / B. O’Callaghan. – Harlow : Longman, 2009. – 144 p.

11.Britain in brief. О Британии кратко [Текст] : книга для чтения на англ. яз. / сост. В.В. Ощепкова, И.И. Шустилова. – М. : Ин. яз. : КДУ, 2007. – 256 с.

12.Glimpses of Britain. Reader [Текст] / сост. А.Г. Минченков. – СПб. : Антология, 2006. – 128 с.

13.All about History Book of British Royals [Text] / A. Asadi [et. all. ]. – Boumemouth : Imagine Publishing Ltd., 2016. – 175 p.

14. Farrell, M. British Life and Institutions [Text] /

M.Farrell. – Stuttgart : Klett, 2000. – 148 р.

15.Fletcher, R.H. A History of English Literature [Text] / R.H. Fletcher. – London : Andrews UK Limited, 2012. – 403 p.

16.Hewitt, K. Understanding British Institutions [Text] / K. Hewitt, M. Feklin. – Oxford: Perspective Publications Ltd, 2006. – 297 p.

17.Hewitt, K. Understanding Britain [Text] / K. Hewitt, M. Feklin. – 2nd ed. – Oxford : Perspective Publications Ltd, 2004. – 265 p.

18.McDowall, D. Britain in Close-Up. An In-Depth Study of Contemporary Britain [Text] / D. McDowall. – London : Longman, 2008. – 208 p.

19.McDowell D., An Illustrated History of Britain [Text] / D. Mc Dowall. – London: Longman, Pearson, 2008. – 188 p.

20.O’Callaghan B. An Illustrated History of the USA [Text] / O’Callaghan B. – London: Longman, Pearson, 2008. – 144 p.

86

APPENDIX 2

Recommended Internet Sources

for Self-Study

1.UK History [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www. bbc.co.uk/history/british/

2.UK Government [Electronic resource]. – URL: https:// www.gov.uk/

3.UK Monarch [Electronic resource]. – URL: https:// www.royal.uk/

4.UK Parliament [Electronic resource]. – URL: http:// www.parliament.uk/

5.The Commonwealth [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://thecommonwealth.org

6.About Britain [Electronic resource]. – URL: https:// about-britain.com/institutions/

7.BBC British History [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.historyextra.com/

8.English Heritage [Electronic resource]. – URL: https:// www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/20th- century/

9.Life in the UK Tests [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://lifeintheuktests.co.uk/study-guide/

10.UK History [Electronic resource]. – URL: https:// yesterday.uktv.co.uk/history/

11.UK Society and Administration [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/

12.The Great Seal of the United States. United States Department of State. Bureau of Public Affairs. [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://americainclass.org/wp-content/ uploads/2012/09/Great_Seals.pdf)

13.The World Fact Book [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/us.html

14.The United States Government Manual [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.usgovernmentmanual.gov

87

15.Official Guide to Government Information and Services [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.usa.gov

16.The Declaration of Independence. The National Archives Online Portal [Electronic resource]. – URL: http:// www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=2&page=tr anscript

17.Bill of Rights Institute [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/ constitution/

18.Encyclopaedia Britannica [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.britannica.com/

88

APPENDIX 3

English as the official language de jure

Note: in the UK and the USA the English language is official traditionally.

89

APPENDIX 4

Members of the Commonwealth

Сountry name and the date of Commonwealth membership:

90