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Файл:Linguistic and Cultural Studies of English-speaking countries. Лингвострановедение. Англоязычные страны. Учебное пособие
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In 1901 the separate colonies in Australia merged together and became the States
of the Commonwealth of Australia, which acquired the status of a dominion of Great
Britain.
In the beginning of the 20th century, in Australia’s economy there was expansion
of exports of wheat, meat, sugar and fruits.
In 1986 the Australian Act gave the country full independence from Britain while
it is still retaining its Commonwealth membership and the British Queen Elizabeth II
is the official head of the state.
Australia is one of the least populated countries in the world. Its population is 20
million. The Australian population is subdivided into “the original Australians”
(known as the Aborigines), “the old Australian” and “the new Australian”.
The word “aborigines” means “first inhabitants”. The Aboriginals’ ancestors are
believed to have migrated to the Australian continent from South-East Asia at least
40,000 years ago. They were engaged in hunting and food gathering. During the colonization period a great many of the Aborigines were killed by the white men or were
driven to the most unsuitable soils.
“The Old Australians” are people of Anglo-Saxon or Irish descent, born in Australia and speaking English as their native tongue. The descendants of convicts,
guards, free settlers, landowners and pioneers made up this layer of the population of
Australia.
“The New Australians” are post-war immigrants from various countries, mostly
European. Now there are many nations in Australia speaking different languages,
with English being the official language.
Australia is an independent federative state within the British Commonwealth
of Nations. It is a parliamentary state. The legislative power belongs to the Federal
Parliament consisting of two Chambers: the Senate (or the Upper House) and the
House of Representatives (the Lower House). The Government is headed by the
Prime Minister. The main political parties represented in the Australian Parliament
are the Labour party, the Liberal party, the National party and some others.
The main industries include steel, oil, gas, chemical, motor vehicles, electronics,
food, paper, textile and light engineering. Agriculture is the main occupation in Australia. It produces about 2/3 of the rural production exported. Sheep-breeding and cattle-farming are also highly developed.
Australian sea beaches as well as the country’s climate provide year-round opportunities for recreation and outdoor activities. Picnics and back-yard barbecues are
popular.
Australia Day, marked on 26 January, has been celebrated by the state since
1988.
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Canberra is Australia’s National Capital. Today it is an im-
portant political and cultural centre of the country. The Australians celebrate the Capital’s Day on the third Monday in March. The Day is marked with a great festival
where people can enjoy Canberra’s beauty. As a national capital where Parliament
first set Canberra was established in 1927. The capital is a beautifully planned modern city with thousands of trees and shrubs. It is often called “the Garden city of Australia”. Canberra is arranged around the artificial lake. Its notable sights are the National Gallery, the Parliament House, the National Botanic Garden devoted to the
unique Australian flora, the Commonwealth National Library, the Australian War
Memorial. The Australian National University, which stands in the north of the city,
was founded in 1946.
Sydney is the largest and the oldest city in Australia, the city of
hills, built around the shores and ocean views everywhere. It was the site of the first
settlement in Australia.
The world-famous Sydney Opera House looks like waves when they break on the
beach. It was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utson. The famous Harbour Bridge is
also very impressive. Within the famous Aquarium of Sydney there is the tunnel through
the transparent walls of which visitors can see huge ocean fishes and even sharks.
Melbourne is the financial and cultural heart of the country. Melbourne is the centre
of the Melbourne Cup, a horse race; and the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Tasmania is a beautiful, wild island – the sixth state of Australia.
Agriculture is its main industry, but 6 per cent of its land is devoted to national parks.
Tasmania’s coasts are unusual. The eastern coast is pretty and green, while the western one is wild. Tasmania is called “the Isle of Beauty”, “the Isle of Mountains”, “the
Apple Island”, and one more name Tasmania has been given is “Holiday Island”.
Topics for discussion:
Geography and Climate
Early Australia
Australia Today
The Places of Interest
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LECTURE 24: NEW ZEALAND
Geographical Survey
Some Facts from the History
New Zealand Today
Demographic Information
Major Cities
New Zealand is an independent state within the British Com-
monwealth of Nations. It is sometimes called “Britain of the Pacific”. New Zealand,
an island country, is bordered by the Tasman Sea on the west and the South Pacific
on the east. Its nearest neighbour is Australia, some 1,900 km to the northeast. The
country consists of 3 large isles (the North Island, the South Island and Stewart Island) and many small isles. Its territory is over 268 000 sq. km.
The word “New Zealand” means “the land of the long white clouds”; this name
was given to the country by Māoris because of its active volcanoes. The country also
has some other slang names: the Kiwiland, the Māoriland.
New Zealand is a beautiful mountainous country, the Southern Alps being the
highest mountains in the country. There are many lakes, rivers and waterfalls in New
Zealand. The climate is warm. It rains almost all the year round, creating favourable
conditions for the country agriculture.
The scenery of New Zealand includes the beautiful lake districts, natural forests and
snow-capped mountains. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive flora and fauna dominated by birds. Some 84% of the country’s native plants are
found nowhere else. Many of them are protected by law. Today’s forests are dominated by evergreen beech and conifers.
The natural resources are not very rich: timber, gas, coal, iron ore, building materials and fast rivers with hydro-electric stations. But the country produces quite
enough various goods both for its own needs and for export.
The Māoris, a Polynesian people, are the aborigines of New Zealand. The
Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive, in 1642, but the area remained unknown until the arrival of James Cook in 1769. New Zealand became officially British colony
in 1840. In 1856 the country gained the status of a self-governing colony and ob-
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tained control over its internal affairs. In 1907 it was granted the new status of a dominion within the British Empire. In 1947 New Zealand became independent and an
independent member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
The country participated in several wars, including World War I and II.
Economically, New Zealand has been dependent on the export of agricultural
products, especially to Britain, for much of the 20th century. The entry of the United
Kingdom into the European Economic Community (EEC) in the early 1970s, however, forced New Zealand to expand its trade relations with other nations, and also develop its industrial sector.
Today New Zealand is a developed country. The chief industries are transport
equipment, textiles and food processing, oil refining and some others.
New Zealand’s system of government is the Constitutional Monarchy. The formal
head of the country is the British Queen Elizabeth II that is represented by the Governor General. The highest legislative power belongs to the country Parliament consisting of one House – the House of Representatives. The executive power is exercised
by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet and is responsible
for the policy that is conducted by the Government.
The main political parties represented in the country Parliament are the Labour
Party and the National Party of New Zealand.
The New Zealanders spend most of their spare time at home, and are mostly content with newspapers, TV and their hobbies. They like the simple sort of life, delight
in gardening, keeping hens. They like sports, particularly those played out of doors.
Rugby football and horse racing are popular spectator sports. Climbing, skiing and
other winter sports are also very popular.
In numerous galleries and museums Māori art is displayed and it is familiar to the
public.
The principal ethnic majority are the Whites who account for 82 % of the
population and are of European descent while 9% are Māori. Many Māoris have left
the land and work in various industries. But the most part are still countrymen, working in sheep and dairy farms for white landowners.
The population of New Zealand is over 3 million people. The official language is
English. Māori, which is still a living language of the Polynesian group, is spoken
among the Māori population.
The major cities of the country are Auckland and Welling-
ton, the capital. New Zealand’s largest city is Auckland. It is the leading commercial
and industrial city. It is the biggest sea port in the country.
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Wellington is the capital city, the main political, commercial, cultural and indus-
trial centre of New Zealand, the country government’s seat.
In 1839 a British officer bought the site of Wellington from the Māoris; he got it
in exchange for blankets and some other unimportant things. In 1840 the first settlers
arrived and called their settlement Britannia. By 1842 there were 3,700 colonists in
the settlement and Britannia had become Wellington.
Built largely on hills, with deep harbour water reaching almost to their feet, Wellington is an attractive city.
Wellington is the world’s most southern capital. It was named after the first Duke
of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, the British General and statesman who was the British Prime Minister. It is also called “the Top Town” of the country.
The capital’s attractions include the National Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, the National Cricket Museum and the Museum of New Zealand. The
country’s animals are represented in Wellington’s Zoo.
Topics for discussion:
Geographical Peculiarities of the Country
The stages of the formation of new Zealand’s state
The Linguistic Situation in New Zealand
Major Cities and Regions where they are situated
Task:
Prepare presentation about any English-speaking country.
LECTURE 25: THE IRISH REPUBLIC
Geographical Survey
Political and Economic Systems
Notes on History
Languages & Literature
The Capital of the Country
Irish Traditions
The Irish Republic is situated on the large island Ireland. It is
shared by two independent states: the Republic of Ireland, an independent state
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with its capital in Dublin and Northern Ireland the smallest part of the United
Kingdom.
The total area of the Irish Republic is 70,282 square kilometres. The country
consists of the central limestone plateau surrounded by coastal highlands. The central
lowland plain is characterized by many lakes. Ireland’s countryside is green with castles and cottages.
Ireland’s climate is influenced by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The
climate is usually mild all year round. Snow is rare. Rain is part of the Irish life. The
Irish like to refer to the rain as “moist green air”. The population of the Republic of
Ireland is 4,6 million people (over 1 million live in Dublin).
The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The head of the
state is an elected President. The highest legislative power belongs to Parliament
with two houses. The main function of Parliament is law-making. The highest executive power belongs to the Government. A prime minister is the head of the government.
Irish Republic is a developed industrial country with the market economy. The main industries are food manufacturing and brewing, light industry and
tourism. Shipbuilding, engineering, electronics are paid much attention too. Ireland’s
principal exports are beef, livestock and dairy-products. Industrial exports include
chemicals, textiles, machinery and transport equipment.
The major cities are: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford.
Ireland has a rich history. Some of its monuments and castles are older than
the Egyptian pyramids. Ireland has been inhabited for 9,000 years. In the 5th century AD
Christianity was introduced to Ireland by St. Patrick – Ireland’s National Apostle.
From the 8th to the 10th century, Viking raiders and settlers established urban
and trading traditions in Ireland. In the 17th century Protestant settlers from England
came to Ireland. Irish Catholics, the native population, resisted strongly but in 1649
English army defeated the Catholic army.
Irishmen never ceased to struggle for national freedom. In 1919-1921 they
started a War of Independence against the British. In June 1921 a treaty was signed:
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the Irish Free State (26 counties) was given a status of a member of the British Commonwealth, while Northern Ireland (6 counties) remained in the United Kingdom.
Twelve years later the Irish Free State left the Commonwealth and proclaimed
itself an independent state and took the name of the Republic of Ireland (the Irish Republic, or Ireland).
In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Union (EU).
Irish was the only language spoken in Ireland in the 5th century, the time
when historical knowledge of that island begins. The Latin alphabet was introduced into
Ireland by British in the 5th century and soon began to be used for writing Irish.
Today Irish, as the national language, and English are the official languages.
The English of Ireland differs from the standard literary English in pronunciation,
some words and turns of speech. For example: lough – ‘lake’, slieve – ‘mountain’,
glen – ‘valley’. Many English surnames begin with O’ (meaning ‘from the family of
…’) or Mac, Kil, Gil (meaning ‘son of …’).
Ireland’s greatest contribution to world culture is in the field of literature.
Among the famous writers are Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), well-known for his satire
“Gulliver’s Travels”; Thomas Moore (1779-1852) Romantic poet who sang his native
land; James Joyce (1882-1941), his novel “Ulysses” won world-wide fame.
Irish literature has a rich dramatic tradition. Richard Sheridan (1751-1816),
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)
all achieved distinction with their plays. Beckett and Shaw have been awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
Dublin, the capital of the Irish Republic, is one of Europe’s oldest cities. It celebrated its millennium anniversary in 1988. Dublin stands on the river
Liffey and derives its name from the Irish words Dubh Linn meaning ‘dark pool’, so
called because of the black colour of the River Liffey waters.
As legend says St. Patrick used the waters of the pool to baptize the Dubliners
of the 5th century. St.Patrick’s Cathedral founded in the 13th century stands there
now. It is associated with the name of Jonathan Swift who was the Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and was buried there.
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There are many legends in Ireland connected with the name of St.Patrick.
One of them is devoted to the shamrock, a small clover having three leaves on one
stem. It was used by St.Patrick in explaining the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
The shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland, and the Irish people traditionally decorate themselves with a shamrock on Ireland’s national holiday, St.Patrick’s
Day (March 17).
The national musical instrument of Ireland is the harp. The Irishmen hold many
cultural, musical and theatre festivals.
Topics for discussion:
Architecture of Ireland
The stages of the formation of Irish Republic
Culture of Ireland
Public Holidays in the Republic of Ireland
Task:
Prepare presentation about Irish Literature.
PART NINE
BRITISH SONGS
LECTURE 26: MUSIC OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
The History of British Music
Folk Music of England
British Songs
The music of the United Kingdom, which is part of British music, refers to all
forms of music associated with the United Kingdom since its creation, including music inherited from the states that preceded it.
Throughout its history, the United Kingdom has been a major exporter and
source of musical innovation, drawing its cultural basis from the history of the United
Kingdom, from church music, from Western culture and from the ancient and traditional folk music of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. In the 20th cen-
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tury, influences from the music of the United States became most dominant in popular music. The United Kingdom has one of the world’s largest music industries today,
with many British musicians having had an impact on modern music.
Folk music of England is a type of traditionally based music, often contrasted
with commercial music, for which evidence exists from the later medieval period. It
has been preserved and transmitted orally, through print and later through recordings.
The term is used to refer to English traditional music and music composed, or delivered, in a traditional style. English folk music has produced or contributed to several
important musical genres, including sea shanties, jigs, hornpipes and dance music. It
can be seen as having distinct regional and local variations in content and style, particularly in areas more removed from the cultural and political centres of the English
state. Cultural interchange and processes of migration mean that English folk music,
although in many ways distinctive, has particularly interacted with the music of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. There remains a flourishing sub-culture of English folk music, which continues to influence other genres and occasionally to gain mainstream
attention.
There are thousands of traditional songs in England. Many of them tell stories
about British history.
1. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set
to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many English-speaking
countries and is often sung to celebrate the start of the New Year. The song's title
may be translated into English as “old long since”, or “long long ago”, “days gone
by”, “old times”.
Singing the song on New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that
soon spread to other parts of the British Isles.
AULD LANG SYNE
(Words by R. Burns)
1. Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brough to min’?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of lang syne?
CHORUS
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Scottish Song
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2. And surely ye’ll be your pint stout
As surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
CHORUS
3. We twa ha’e run about the braes,
And pu’d the gowans fine
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,
Sin’auld lang syne.
CHORUS
4. We twa ha’e paidl’t in the burn,
Frae mornin’ sun till dine;
But seas between us braid ha’e roar’d
Sin’auld lang syne.
CHORUS
5. And here’s a hand my trusty freen’,
And gie’s a hand o’thine,
And we’ll tak’, a right gude willy waught
For auld lang syne.
CHORUS
Scottish words
auld = old lang syne – старина, былые дни
tak’ = take twa = two
ha’e = have brae – склон холма
gowan – маргаритка mony = many
sin’ = since frae = from
braid = broad
freen’ = friend
gie’s = give us
gude willy waught = a hearty drink – хорошая выпивка
ye’ll = you’ll
stout = a kind of jug with a handle – кружка с ручкой
to paidle – переходить вброд
o’ = of
a burn – ручеек
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