Introduction to Country Studies and Culture-oriented Linguistics.
PLAN
Country studies
Country studies is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of a country. It incorporates the study of economics, history, art, literature, the media, film, urban studies and culture of the country.
Country-oriented Linguistics.
Main aims:
teaching a language together with teaching culture, studying culture through analysing the language.
Ensuring communicative competences in intercultural communication/
considering vocabulary items reflecting national peculiarities of the target culture and people.
Realia – words denoting objects and phenomena, characteristic of one particular culture but absent in another
e.g. “субботник» (1919)б «ударник» (1929)б «целинник» (1955)б «букмекер» - book maker – человек, принимающий заклады от публики на скачках, «родстер» - roadster — двухместная машина с откидным верхом.
Background vocabulary – words denoting objects and phenomena, existing in both compared cultures, but having national peculiarities. (австрал. Station – овцеводческая ферма)
In foreign language instruction, as well as translation, the term “realia” refers to objects from the target culture, which can range from traditional clothes or musical instruments to newspapers or ticket stubs, and the names for those objects such as The Times in English, a term which cannot be translated without further explanation.
Lecture 1.
PLAN
General characteristics
The Relief of the Country
Cultural regions
Climate
Extreme points of the country
Natural disasters
Natural resources
USA
(Area – 9,826,630 sq km (¾ position after Russia, Canada and may be China), Population – 295,734,130 (2005), 3 position after China and India)
Federal Republic, shares land borders with Canada and Mexico, water border with Russia, Bahamas.
General Caracteristics:
slightly smaller than Canada
slightly more than one and a quarter times the size of Australia
slightly less than 39 and half times the size of the United Kingdom
14.3 times the size of France
half the size of Russia
3/10 the size of Africa
Consists in 49 contiguous states and 2 (Alaska and Hawaii) non-contiguous states. Has some outlined areas – The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands (Caribbean sea), American Samoa and Guam (Pacific ocean) - they are more independent than states, but the USA is responsible for protection of these areas, their economic health.
The largest state is Alaska (1,717,854 sq km), the smallest – Rhode Island (4,002 sq km). The largest population – in California (35,893,799 (2004). only 506,529 people (2004) – in Wyoming, the least populous state.
The relief of the Country
The Appalachian mountain
The Mississippi Basin
The Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario)
Mangrove wetlands
The Mississippi River
Tributaries: the Ohio River and Tennessee River
Tallgrass prairie
Shortgrass steppe
The western High Plains
The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley, Alaska (20,320 ft or 6,194 m)
Grand Canyon
Mount Whitney (14, 505 ft or 4,421 m) (The Sierra Nevada)
The highest peak of the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier rises to 4,392 m.
Cultural Regions of the US
The states which are in the North Eastern part - “New England”. It includes several states, 1 of the 1st states settled by 1st Europeans. Is dominated by Rocky uplands and Sandy out-wash plains and the climate is very stock seasonal changes. Boston – the centre f the region. Has a lot of historical places (Mayflower came to this place, Pilgrim father – the society of equal people and democratic principles, political system of the US)
“Midatlantic states” - the place where 1st settlements were established. The capital Washington D.C., New York are there. Kingston plains, minor rivers, the northern part of the Appalachian mountains. Multinational and multi-ethnic. Developed cultural region. “Megalopolis”.
“South East” - very favourable climate. Popular place for tourists. Mineral production is rather substantial for this part of the country. Natural resources – oil and natural gas. The main cities – Miami, Atlanta. Urban area are very well developed in this part of the country.
“The South of the Country” - the South West, Midwest (California), the Rocky Mountain Region, The Pacific States. Midwest – was settled during the late 1700 and the early 1800. (after the eastern part of the country). It is connected with some historical events (gold was found in California)/ international conferences are held there. California – an image of prosperity. Ethnic groups – California region – Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Mexicans, Vietnamese can be found.
the 1st Russian settlements – western part of the US (to get furs), came from Alaska, were hunters. Alaska – very specific. 1/6 of all the land in the US. The region is sparsely (scarcely) populated. Harsh weather conditions. The climate is characterised by very long winters, short summers. In the northern part – the climate is harsh Arctic. The economic activities – fishing industry. Raindear herding. Logging activities. Oil and gas production. Population – Eskimos. (Inuit).
Hawaii – 2,600 km long range of islands. The climate – tropical. The region is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (south-west from California). Hawaii – a lot of white people.
Climate
temperate in most areas
tropical in Hawaii, southern Florida
polar in Alaska
semiarid in the Great Plains
Mediterranean in coastal California
arid in the Great Basin
the south-west is a hot desert, with t 38.
The Pacific Northwest – rain falls year-round
Extreme points of the country
northern Alaska- tundra and Arctic conditions, t=-62
Death Valley, California t=56
the central position of the US - tornadoes
hurricanes – almost every year along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico
the South-west – the worst droughts
the West – large wildfires.