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Файл:Linguistic and Cultural Studies of English-speaking countries. Лингвострановедение. Англоязычные страны. Учебное пособие
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For seven centuries Ireland was a colony of Britain. In 1949 it was officially
proclaimed an independent state. But Northern Ireland was retained by Great Britain
as its smallest component.
There are low hills and peaks of rocks in the northwest. The rivers are short,
but deep. Irish poets call Ireland “the Emerald Isle”.
In Ireland the national musical instrument is the harp.
2. TRIUMPH OF INDUSTRIALISM
Britain the Pioneer
The English Character
The Mixture of Races and Cultures
The English Mind and Heart
Religion in Britain
Britain the Pioneer
The middle of the 18th century marked the beginning of a period of rapid change
which gradually transformed rural Britain into an industrial society. This economic development, known as the Industrial Revolution, started in England first because the English, of all Europeans, were best equipped for it. They possessed overseas markets and an
expanding commerce, fluid capital (a London merchant was the first millionaire), considerable experience in banking, internal free trade, political stability, and mineral resources near sea-ports. Thus, Britain is the birthplace of modern industrialism.
The English Character
Compared with Latin peoples the English are ethnically young. They are good ob-
servers of Nature and great lovers of plants and animals. The English are fond of sport.
Other constants in the national character seem to spring from the land itself, its na-
ture, climate and position on the north-western edge of the Continent. The insularity of
the English, long isolated from Europe, is perhaps their most invaluable traits. They often distrust foreigners, their food, their habits and their morals. Today the man in the
street simply believes that “a world without England would have no adequate standard
of rightness”. The average Englishman has a real passion for liberty and law.
The Mixture of Races and Cultures
The English have been concisely defined as “a stream of Germans with a few in-
gredients of native Celt, Roman and Norman French. For the population is predominantly Anglo-Saxon. Of the blond, blue-eyed German the Englishman has the solid qualities: industry, domestic tastes, fearlessness, tenacity, and sometimes the ruthlessness.
The British have produced great poets and writers. And Shakespeare, the most
universal of English poets, was born in the very heart of England, at the cross-roads
where races and cultures mixed.
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The English Mind and Heart
When an Englishman says: “We are not particularly clever”. It means: “We
have no use for brilliant discussions leading nowhere. We use common sense and get
results.” The English distrust idle theorizing. They act from instinct, and not from
logic. Life, they believe, is far more complex than logic admits.
It has been said that the English have an understanding heart rather than an un-
derstanding head. England has produced more poets than philosophers. It is in poetry
that the English race has unlocked its heart. Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, Keats, Shelley, and Eliot, all the major and minor poets are the glory of England. The country
gave birth to Turner and Constable, the fine water-colourists of the early 19th century. The access of all museums is free of charge in Britain.
The cultural programmes of the B.B.C. are probably the best in the world.
Religion in Britain
England was a Catholic country until the 16th century. Then, for a variety of
reasons some of them connected with the matrimonial instability of Henry VIII, it
ceased to acknowledge the authority of the Pope and recognized the King as the head
of the English Anglican Church.
The structure of the Church of England is simple. The heads of the Church, under
the Queen, defender of the Faith, are the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Dioceses
are administered by bishops. The bishops are addressed as “My Lord”. 26 bishops sit in
the House of Lords. The Church of England is the spiritual home of the nation.
3. BRITISH DEMOCRACY
The Constitutional Monarchy
The House of Lords
The House of Commons
Political Parties
The Mass Media
Class Society
The Commonwealth
The Constitutional Monarchy
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a
monarch (a king or a queen). Everything today is done in the Queen’s name. It is her
government, her armed forces, her law courts and so on. She appoints all the ministers, including the Prime Minister. Everything is done, however, on the advice of the
elected Government, and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process.
The Queen exercises a real influence corresponding to her knowledge of public
affairs. She has “the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn”.
Thus, she plays an essential role in the practical working of the constitution.
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The monarch is officially the Head of the State, and the Head of the Church,
moreover, is the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The present Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926. She succeeded to the throne on
the death of her farther King George VI, in 1952. She is married to Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh. The Queen’s heir is Charles, Prince of Wales, born in 1948. Her Majesty has
got a daughter – Princess Ann, and two more sons – Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The House of Lords
The British Parliament consists of two chambers known as the House of Lords
and the House of Commons and the Sovereign as its head. About 900 peers (are entitled) sit in the Upper House. Some are life peers (created since 1958) – they are those
men and women who were given a title as a reward for important public service; 9
judges and 26 bishops sit in the House of Lords; but most peers hold hereditary titles
(dukes, barons, earls).
The House of Lords has always been conservative and was tolerated as such until
it rejected Liberal proposals for taxing the rich in order to finance social reforms.
The work of the House of Lords includes examining and revising bills from the
House of Commons and discussing important matters which the Commons cannot
find time to debate.
The Speaker of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor. The special seat on
which the Lord Chancellor sits in the British Parliament is called the woolsack.
The House of Commons
After centuries of political struggle, the House of Commons has finally estab-
lished its supremacy over the Crown and the House of Lords. At present its 625
members, elected by the whole adult population at intervals of not more than five
years, known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Governmental power is placed in the
hands of a few members of Parliament, the Cabinet, headed by the leader of the majority in the Commons, the Prime Minister.
Based on the two-party system, Members of Parliament sit on two sides of the
hall; one side is for the governing party and the other for the Opposition. The House
of Commons is presided over by the Speaker. The House of Commons plays the major role in law-making.
Political Parties
Today, the Conservative Party and the Labour Party represent the main inter-
ests of the country, and they have practically absorbed the Liberals. Conservative and
Labour Party have to solve the same problems: Housing, Food, Social Security, Full
Employment, etc.; but they disagree on what methods to use in order to achieve their
common ends. The Conservatives believes in individual initiative and private enterprise, the Labour Party in State control and nationalisation.
The Conservative Party, often called the Tory Party, is one of those which can
trace its roots back to the late seventeenth century. The Labour Party, formed in 1906
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as a democratic socialist party, was the one which drew away working people’s support. It was founded by the Trade Unions.
The Party of Social and Liberal Democrats formed in 1988 from the Liberal
Party is the third largest party.
The Mass Media
In Britain 609 copies of daily papers are sold to every 1,000 inhabitants or 14 mil-
lion copies a day. There are 12 national daily newspapers. Newspapers in Britain are of
two main types: quality papers or broadsheets and popular papers or tabloids. Newspapers with the world-wide reputation are the Times, the Guardian, the Financial Times.
The popular dailies are the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, the Sun.
Broadcasting in the United Kingdom is controlled by the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC). The BBC receives its income from the government. There are
two publicly-funded television channels and five national radio services.
Class Society
England preserves a class-system. Social differences are illustrated in manners
and speech, and rend the nation in two classes: the Upper class and the Middle class.
However, the old pattern of society is breaking up. The upper classes are crushed by
heavy taxation. The working-classes enjoy better education and opportunities.
The Commonwealth
The Commonwealth is a free association of independent states, on an equal
footing with Britain. The Queen is the Head of the Commonwealth. She is the only
official link between nations.
The Commonwealth consists of the United Kingdom and various independent
states, previously subjected to Great Britain. There are currently 49 members (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Republics of India and Pakistan, some African countries, etc.). Their Prime Ministers meet for a conference in London every two years to
discuss common problems of defense and economic interests.
PART THREE
The UK
FACTFILE
The official name:
long form: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
short Form: the United Kingdom (the UK)
Type of the state:
constitutional monarchy
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Area:
244, 820 sq km;
Britain is just 1,000 km from the south coast to the north of Scotland
and just under 500 km at the widest point;
twice smaller than France, one fifth smaller than Spain
Population:
over 60 million people
Nationality:
Briton(s), the British
Ethnic groups:
English 81,5%, Scottish 9,6%, Irish 2,4%, Welsh 1,9%, Ulster 1,8%, Indian,
Pakistani, and other 2,8%
Languages:
English
Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales)
Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Longest river:
the Severn, 354 km long
Highest mountain:
Ben Nevis, in Scotland, 1,343 m
Climate:
often changes, mild and temperate
Natural resources: oil and natural gas, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, salt, clay,
chalk, gypsum, sand, gravel, sandstone and some other minerals
Capital:
London
Independence:
1 January 1801, the United Kingdom was established
National holiday:
Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
The Head of the State:
Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
The Head of the Government:
the Prime Minister
The Legislative branch:
the Parliament which consists of an upper house or House of Lords and a
lower house or House of Commons
House of Lords (consists of 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26
clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2019 elections)
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The Executive branch:
monarch
prime minister
Cabinet of ministers
Political Parties:
the two largest parties are the Conservative and Labour parties
Elections:
to the House of Commons, at least once in every five years, every citizen over
18 has the right to vote. Last United Kingdom general election was held 12
December 2019 (next to be held in 2024) The Conservative Party won.
the House of Lords – no elections
Flag:
known as the Union Jack, with the crosses of patron
saints of England (St George), Scotland (St Andrew),
Ireland (St Patrick). It is blue with three red crosses
edged in white
Currency:
British pound (pounds) or pound sterling
1 British pound (J) = 100 pence. There are 1p, 2p, 5p, 20p, 50p and J1 coins
banknotes are J5, J10, J20 and J50
What do you know about:
the UK as an island state?
the languages spoken in the UK?
the chief rivers of Britain and their importance in the life of the country?
the main countries of the UK and their capitals?
countries of the UK which occupy the two main islands?
the area and the population of the UK?
the Lake District?
the longest river in the UK?
reasons why the sea has been important in the history of England?
natural resources of Britain?
national flag of the UK?
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PART FOUR
LECTURES
LECTURE 1: THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND NORTHERN IRELAND
The UK: Country, People
Formation of the Country
Meanings of Some Names
The National Symbols
The British Commonwealth of Nations
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country
situated on the British Isles, lying off the north-west coast of the continent of
Europe. The British Isles are composed of about 4,000 islands. The largest of the
British Isles is Great Britain which contains England, Wales and Scotland. The
second largest island is Ireland. It is shared by two independent states. The larger part of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland, an independent state with its capital
in Dublin. Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom.
People of Great Britain are called “the British” or “Britons”, and separately
they are the English, the Welsh, the Scotch (Scots), the Irish.
The formation of the United Kingdom took centuries. The union of England
with Wales dates from 1301, when Edward I’s son was announced the first
Prince of Wales.
The union of England and Scotland dates from 1603, when King of Scotland
James VI inherited the crown of England after the death of Elizabeth I.
Ireland was joined to England in 1801, and the country’s official name became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1937, 26 Irish counties withdrew from the UK and formed the Irish Free State (renamed to the R epublic of Ireland in 1949). Only 6 northern counties remained under British control and now the official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
The country is often unofficially called the UK, Great Britain, Britain or
England, and sometimes old and romantic name – Albion.
The word “Britain” derives from the word Britannia, the name given by the Romans to the area inhabited by Brits and which is now England, Scotland and Wales.
Nowadays the UK is personified under the name of Britannia “as a woman
seated on a globe”.
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The flag of the UK (known as Union Jack – for an old word “sailor”) is
made up of colours and crosses of national flags of England, Scotland and Ir eland. The name, the colours and crosses symbolize the united parts of the country. Union Jack comprises three crosses. The red cross on the white field is St
George’s Cross – saint of England; the white cross on the blue field is St Andrew’s Cross – the saint of Scotland; the red cross on the white field is St Patrick’s Cross – the saint of Ireland.
The British national anthem “God save the Queen (King)” is the oldest in the
world, established in 1745.
The national emblem of England is the red rose; the purple thistle – of Scotland; the leek or daffodil – of Wales; the shamrock – of Ireland.
The red rose became the emblem of England after the Wars of the Roses
(15th century), which was the war of the dynasties for the English throne. The
War of the Roses was ended by the marriage of Henry VII Tudor (whose emblem was the red rose) with Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV
(whose emblem was the white rose). The red rose has since become the national
emblem of England.
The thistle, the national emblem of Scotland, saved the country from the e nemy. A legend says in ancient times the Norsemen wanted to settle in Scotland.
The people of Scotland were tired after a long march and were resting and not
expected the enemy. The Norsemen saw that no guards protected the camp and
they intended to take the Scots by surprise. They took off their shoes not to
make noise. But one of them stepped on a thistle and cried with pain. The alarm
was given in the Scots camp. So, they chose the thistle as their national emblem.
The leek or daffodil is Welshmen’s national emblem. Welshmen celebrate on
March 1 St David’s Day by wearing either leeks or daffodils. St David is supposed to have lived for several years on bread and wild leeks.
The shamrock, the national emblem of the Irish, is worn on St Patrick’s Day,
March 17. It is worn in memory of Ireland’s saint, who when preaching to the
pagan he used the shamrock.
Today the British Empire is known as the British Commonwealth of Na-
tions. It is used to describe the relations between Britain and its former colonies
that have become independent but still have some links with the UK.
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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
The UK: country and people
Multinational society
What some names mean
The formation of the British Nation
The national symbols
LECTURE 2: HISTORY OF BRITAIN
The Early Days of Britain
The Celtic Tribes
Roman Britain
The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of Britain
Old English
Britain has a long and rich history. Little is known about the ancient population of the British Isles. About ten thousand years B.C. (before Christ) the
British Isles, were peopled by small groups of hunters and fishers. Then they
learned to grow crops, made tools of stone. Later they learned to make metal
tools. These people were religious and built primitive temples which still stand
in some parts of England and Scotland. They are circles of great stones.
In some parts of modern Britain one can see a number of huge stones standing in a circle. These are the monuments left by the earliest inhabitants of the
country. The best-known stone-circle named Stonehenge dates from between
1900 and 1600 B.C. in the south of England. It is made of many upright stones;
they are joined on the top by other flat stones, each weighing about 7 tons.
Stonehenge is still a mystery to scientists.
In the course of time, different groups of people were arriving in Britain,
bringing their customs and skills. During the period from the 6th to the 3rd century B.C. a people called the Celts spread across Europe from the east to the
west. Celtic tribes – the Iberians (иберы), the Picts (пикты), the Scots and the
Britons – invaded Britain. The Picts penetrated into the mountains on the North;
the Scots settled in the North beside the Picts. Powerful Celtic tribes, the Britons, held most of the country, and the southern half of the island was named
Britain after them. Celts lived in tribes, and were ruled by military leaders,
sometimes they were called kings. Celts introduced the use of iron. The ancient
Celts were tall and blue-eyed. They believed their gods lived in natural places
(forests, on hills or by water). Their priests known as druids were an important
part of society.
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Two thousand years ago while the Celts were still living in tribes the Romans conquered a huge empire in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
In 55 B.C. the Roman army with Julius Caesar crossed the Channel and
invaded Britain. The Celts resisted Roman attack and the well-armed Romans
had to retreat to France. In the next year, 54 B.C., Caesar again came to Britain,
this time with larger forces. The local tribes fought bravely for their independence but they were not strong enough. The Romans defeated the Celts and some
of them agreed to pay tributes to Rome.
The Romans didn’t appear on the British shores for hundred years. Then, in
the year 43 A.D. (Anno Domini) the Romans returned and occupied England.
The Celts fought fiercely against the Romans who never managed to become
masters of the whole island. They were unable to conquer Scotland and never
tried to occupy Ireland.
British history of that period contains information on Boudicea’s revolt.
Boudicea was the queen of a tribe after her husband’s death. In 61 A.D. she led
an uprising against the Romans. The revolt was suppressed. The English remember her because she was the first famous British queen. Today you can see
her, a tall, beautiful woman, in Hyde Park, in the middle of London.
The Romans remained in Britain for about four centuries. The Romans had
to withdraw their troops from Britain in 410 A.D. because the army was needed
to defend the Roman Empire from the attacks of the barbarian Germanic tribes.
They never returned to Britain.
As soon as the Romans had conquered Britain they began to build long
roads, bridges, splendid villas, public bath. They constructed new towns, introduced drainage system, houses with glass windows, and central heating. One of
the oldest buildings in Britain is the Roman lighthouse or Pharos, at Dover. Roman camps became centres of trade. The Romans brought the skills of reading
and writing. They introduced the Alphabet the British use today, and almost half
the words in modern English derive from Latin.
There are many Roman remains in Britain, for example, baths in Bath, castle walls in York.
From the middle of the 5th century Celtic tribes had to defend the country
against the attacks of Germanic tribes (the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes)
from the Continent. They were wild and fearless people. Celts fought against the
invaders and it took the Angles and the Saxons a hundred and fifty years to
conquer the country. The British natives were forced to retreat to the mountains
in the west of the isle and settled there.
The Saxons formed a number of kingdoms in the South, and the Angles settled in the North. The new settlers preferred to live in small villages. They destroyed the Roman towns, buildings. Roads were soon in ruins.
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