Tóm tắt môn học Văn hóa Anh – COUNTRY AND PEOPLE 1922: Ireland đ c l p nên ko thu c V ng quốốc – Studocu
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE
The Republic of Ireland (Eire) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The United Kingdom)
In everyday speech: the UK In internet and email addresses: .uk In other contexts: Great Britain Sometimes they say GB in international bank drafts
In writing and speaking that is not especially formal or informal: Britain
The normal everyday adjective: British
Lays off the north-west coast of Europe
Consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field
History: It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, after which it was carried in state to St Paul’s Cathedral. The red dragon was then included as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognized as the Welsh
i l fl in 1959
1922: Ireland độc lập nên ko thuộc Vương quốốc Anh(separate state)
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy (quân chủ lập hiến)
A monarch (king/queen) as Head of State
The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of Parliament
In reality, everything is done on the advice of the elected Government and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process
Consttutonal monarchy: chêố độ quân chủ lập hiêốn: vua và quốốc hội
Quân chủ chuyên chêố: chỉ có vua
Mục lục bài viết
Is it correct when people call Britian “England”?
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Many aspects of government are organized separately (sometimes differently) in the four part of the United Kingdom
Welsh, Scottish and Irish people feel their identity very strongly –> that is why they have separate teams in many kinds of international sport
England/English
Wales/Welsh
Scotland/Scottish
Ireland/Irish
Surname
Smith or Brown (The Smiths)
Evans Jones Morgan Price Williams
Mac (Mc) Smith or Brown (The Smiths)
Mac (Mc) O (O’Brien)
First name for men (given name)
John
Ian
Sean
Nickname (men)
Dai/Taffy
Jock
Paddy/Mick
Kilt (skirt) is worn by men. It is the symbol of Scottishness
Pattern: checked Material: wool Color: colorful They have the same passport for the whole Britain regardless of where in Britain they live
Nationality: British
The tokens of the four nations
England
Wales
Scotland
Ireland
Flag
St.Geogre’s Cross
Dragon of Cadawallader
St.Andrew’s Cross
Lion rampant
St.Patrick’s Cross
Republic of Ireland
Plant
Rose
Leek/daffodil
Thistle
Shamrock
Color
Patron Saint
St.Geogre
St.David
St.Andrew
St.Patrick
Saint’s day
23 April
1 March
30 November
17 March
Characteristics: The Irish are supposed to be great talkers (good at cloquence)
The Scots have a reputation for being careful with money (stingy, mean) The Welsh are renowned for their singing ability (good at singing)
woodwind instrument reeds Bagpipes are a using enclosed fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag
The harp is a stringed musical instrument which has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard, which are plucked with the fingers
Supplement: phụ san Norm: chuẩn mực There is a tendency
The Dominance of England:
Culture: Britain culture is specifically English Public life: Finance: the supply of money in Britain is controlled by the Bank of England
The name of the queen: Elizabeth II. She covers all over 4 countries The Anglo-American relation (British-American relations) The name of publications and organizations
https://bit.ly/3c6kS2d >> More info:
GEOGRAPHY
Climate
Definition: Weather reflects short-term conditions of the atmosphere
Climate is the average daily weather for an extended period of time at a certain location
Overview (generalization of the physical geography): a notable lack of extreme
Geographical elements:
Mountains: None of them are very high Flat land: You cannot travel far without encountering hills Rivers: Not big Volcanoes: Sleeping, not active Earth tremor: No more than rattle teacup Rainfall: London gets no more rain in a year than other major European cities and less than some
–> Moderate
Weather: Britain doesn’t have a climate, it only has weather. Why?
The weather change all the time. You are not sure of a dry day. There can be cool (even cold) days in July and some quite warm days in January.
–> Changeability
Temperature: Lack of extremes
Land and Settlement
What it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in variety. The scenery changes noticeably over quite short distances. It has often been remarked that a journey of 100 miles (160kilometres) can, as a result, seem twice as far. (Thiếu tính hùng vĩ bao nhiêu thì được bù đắp tính đa dạng bấy nhiêu)
Notable: remarkable Đất nước về mặt địa lí thiếu tính thái quá Average hiểu là typical (điển hình)
Human influence has been extensive
Much of the land is used for human habitation
—-> Cities in England and Wales have been built outwards rather than upwards (xây theo chiều rộng hơn chiều cao)
Ex: The London area has about three times the population of the Athena but it occupies about ten times the amount of land
Variety in scenery
Tk20, một trong những nước cnh hàng đầu, giờ đã cải thiện Economy Geography, tiếp giáp Two major cities
The environment and pollution
In the past, do Britain have such pollution? In the past, they did, but now it improves a lot
Britain is one of the industrialized nations in the world
Machine replace people. A lot of factories are set up. When machinery was in operation, it released a lot of smoke.
Its cities were the first to suffer this atmospheric condition –> heavily polluted –> caused 4000 – 8000 deaths in 1952
The River Thames was polluted because fish could not live there in the 20th century
People who fell into the Thames were rushed to hospital to have their stomach pumped
Because Britain is an industrialized country, a lot of factories and plants were built in the past –> a lot of noise
Now: there is less noise
Southern England
The commuter land:
Outer suburbs of London The most densely populated area
Millions of its inhabitants travel into London to work everyday
County of Kent: It is the “garden of England” because it supplies fruit and vegetables
The Downs: A series of hills are used for sheep farming
The West Country: The regionhas an attractive image of rural beauty in British people’s mind. Some parts of the West Country
The Midlands of England
Britain’s second largest city, “Black country”
Industrial areas in the Midlands:
Notably the towns known as The Potteries (famous for producing china) and several towns further east such as Derby,Leicester, and Nottingham.
On the east coast, Grimsby, once one of the world’s greatest fishing ports, has become the country’s major fish processing
Tourisms: Shakespeare’s country (centred on Stratford-upon-Avon,
The prototype of noisy, dirty factories that symbolized the industrial revolution is found in the once-industrial north of England
Scotland
Economy: Tourism, sheep farming Whisky production
Geography: The southern uplands: just north of the border with England
The central plains: further north The highlands: mountain, deep valleys, numerous small island off the west coast
Two major cities: Glassgow and Edinburgh
Glassgow is associated with heavy industry and some of the worst housing conditions in Britain
Glassgow has a strong artistic heritage European city of culture
Immigrants from England —> an echo of the same divisons in the community that exist in Northern Ireland
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland
It is associated with scholarships, the law and administration
Called the Athens of the north
Wales (to the West)
The industrial revolution in the north of England
Locate the prototype coal mine in south Wales
It is the only part of Britain with a high proportion of industrial villages
Northern Ireland
Capital: Belfast
Famous for linen and shipbuilding
Economy: Agriculture
Fact about London
The formation
The City of London
The City of Westminster
London
London is made up of 2 ancient cities which are now joined together. They are:
– The City of London, known simply as “ the City”, which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom. It is also known as the “Square Mile” (2.59 sq km/1 sq mi). It was the original Roman settlement (ancient Londinium), making it the oldest part of London and already 1,000 years old when the Tower of London was built.
– The City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located. Also Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family is
London is the biggest city in Britain and in Europe
London occupies over 620 square miles
London has a population of about 8,172,036 (2011), 8,78 mil (2018)
About 12% of Britain’s overall population live in London
London has the highest population density in Britain, with 4,699 people per square kilometer
London is in the southeast of England
London is the seat of central government in Britain
Some of the most important people from countries all over the world visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace
The tallest building in London is the Canary Wharf Tower
London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway, known as the ‘Tube’
The London Eye is a giant Ferris Wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.75 million visitors annually, and has made many appearances in popular centers
Features
The contrast
Two other well-known areas of London are the West End and the East End.
West End: known for its manytheatres, cinemas and expensive shops.
East End: known as the poorer
A multicultural society
Tourism
M
More than 300 languages are spoken there; its restaurants offer cuisine from more then 70 different countries. In fact, nearly a third of
In late 2007, London was voted the most popular city in the world in an on-line poll of international tourists. It is also the most frequent choice for Chinese companies expanding into
ATTITUDES
It is best to be cautious about accepting such characterizations too easily.
Viewpoint, ideas, thinking about so/st
The attitudes of British people = the ideas of British people towards everyday life
Stereotypes and change
A land of traditions
Red buses: In the early 1990s, red buses were privatized. The different companies want to paint their buses in their own colors. –> many against change and the government ruled that all buses had to stay red, both because this is what the people of London wanted and also because it believed this would be better for the tourist trade.
Political coutinuity:
The military ceremony of “trooping the color”
The annual ceremony of the state of Parliament The changing of the guard outside the Buckingham Palace
Attendant ceremony
Queuing
British people do form queue when waiting for something, but doesn’t mean they enjoy it
Habit of queuing shows that British people are patient
A land of change
Fewer local parades or processions with genuine folk roots than most other countries
Fewer sayings proverbs in common everyday use
Wearing a bowler hat: not anymore
Food and drink:
Past: Breakfast with large fry-up (cereal, milk, toast, butter, marmalade, all washed down with tea) 6 meals a day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea break + biscuit, dinner, supper
Now: Just cereal, tea and toast, even less
3 meals a day
English vs British
They are not identical, sometimes it is hard to know whether one is describing the British as a whole or just the English
Among many people in Britain, there exist in a suspicion of education and ‘high culture’
Ex: teachers and academic staffs, although respected, do not have as high a status as they do in most other countries
Both upper and working class in Britain were not interested in their children getting to university, it is still unusual to arrange extra private tuition for their children, even if they can easily afford it
Anti-intellectual attitudes can be found in all four nations, but better seen as a specifically English characteristic, not a British one
A multiculture society
– A large scale immigration to Britain – diverge from traditional British attitudes
Ex: Areas of London in which a distinctively Indian way of life predominates with Indian shops, Indian clothes and Indian language
British characteristics in general and they made contribution to
British life and attitudes
Conservatism
Being different
They are rather proud to be different
Love of nature
Countryside means: peace and quiet, beauty, health and no crime Countryside represent stability
Continental side: battled to get the line built through their town because it would be good for the business English side: battled to get the line built somewhere else, never mind business
Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies Gardening programmes are very popular Each local authority owns several areas of land which it rents very cheaply
Love of animals
Rossendale Memorial Garden in Landscape is one of more than hundred animal cemertries in Britain
Half of the household in Britain keep at least one domestic pet
The status of pets is taken seriously
Wildlife programmes are by far the most popular kind of documentary Millions of family have ‘bird tables’ in their garden
There is a special teaching hospital which treats injured wild animals
Public-spiritedness and amateurism
“Professionalism” has turned from having negative connotation to having a positive one Some new areas of amateur participation in public life have develop Giving direct help to those in need This voluntary activity is a basic part of British life
Formality and informality
British are supposed to be formal, it is not true
Tourist view: Britain involves lots of formal ceremonies
Formality
When ‘on duty’: obey some quite rigid rules (Ex: employer wear suit and tie) ‘Off duty’: being themselves (Ex: employer tie round his waist, collar unbuttoned)
British people, especially the English, have a reputation for being reserved in their dealings with other people, for being polite
This traditional habit is breaking down, not disappear completely Ex: more people kiss when meeting a friend
‘stiff upper lip’ is emotional tenor of the British to the death of princess Diana in 1997
Informality
Not addressing someone by title
Not dressing smartly when entertaining guests Not shaking hand when meeting
Not saying ‘please’ when making a request
The host wears formally and a grand table set will make the guest feel uncomfortable
Buffet-type meal: common of hospitality, showing that the
guest is accepted like ‘one of the family’
Privacy and sex
Privacy
They respect a lot
Housing: build their house: outward, hedges, front yard, back yard, garage
Avoid asking ‘personal’ questions
Not need puritanical standards of behaviour as long as it is not mixed up with national security, breaking the law and abuse of position
Sex
On the way of being ‘open-minded’
References to sex are explicit
Almost half of children who phone a child support line seek the most basic advice about sex and pregnancy, Only 1 in 3 children feel able to talk about sex to parents
Sex education in schools remains only partial
It is not illegal to be prostitute in Britain, but it is illegal to publicly behave like one.
Red-light streets: are the areas prostitutes are permitted to work
Holidays and special occasions
Features (generalization of holidays)
Britain is a country governed by routine
Fewer holidays than most other countries in Europe.
New Year’s Day was not an official public holiday (except Scotland) until 1974
Almost no semi-official holidays either
Most official holidays occur before or just after a weekend –> ‘bridge’ between holiday and weekend is almost unknown
There are no extra holidays in particular localities
Not all public holiday (also known as ‘bank holiday’) are connected with religious celebrations
The origin is from the word ‘Holy day’
The British seem to do comparatively badly with regard to annual holidays.
The average employee gets about 4 weeks’ paid holiday a year, in no town or city would a visitor ever get the impression that the place had ‘shut down’ for the summer break.
The traditional seaside holidays
The social class:
The upper class started the fashion for seaside holidays in 18th century
– Accommodation
Middle class
Working class
Hotels, resorts for rich people
BnB (Bed and Breakfast)
Boarding houses for average income/low income people
Full boarding house (bed + 3 meals)
– The activities
Adults: sit in deck chair, go for a paddle with their skirts or trouser-legs hitched up. They do not bother to go swimming. Some adults who swim can change into swimming costumes in beach huts/bathing huts/beach cabins
Children: Go for donkey rides, make sandcastles, buy ice-cream, swim in the sea
Holiday camp
Visitors stay in chalets in self-contained villages with all food and entertainment organized for them.
Event: “knobbly knee”
Modern holidays
Caravan holidays:
A caravan is a vehicle without engine that can be pulled by a car or van. It contains beds and cooking equipment so that people can live or spend their holidays in it
Package holidays:
Flights and accommodation are booked and paid for through a travel agent
Spain is the most popular destination for this kind of holiday (many British own villas there and flights are cheap)
Others:
Hiking in the country and sleeping at youth hostels
‘Activity’ holidays
‘Working’ holiday: It doesn’t mean people go to work. They help to repair an ancient stone wall, take part in an archaeological dig, pick up fruits
Christmas
– At family level, family reunion
Normally: 24th December: Christmas Eve
th 25 December: Christmas Day th 26 December: Boxing Day
Christmas trees Christmas cards Holly and mistletoe plants Christmas lights A ‘crib’
The singing of Carols Going to church Gifts given by Santa Claus or Christmas father X’mas dinner/eating
New year
Time for friends
People eat and drink a lot of alcohol
In Scotland only, 2nd January is also a public holiday
Traditional celebrations at Trafalgar Square
Singing the song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (Time’s gone by)
‘First footing’
Other notable annual occasions
Churches are often decorated with flowers. A significant theme for Easter is rebirth, which flowers can emulate and symbolize
Traditional Easter flowers – Easter Lilies
Believed to have grown in the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of Jesus’s arrest
Other Easter flowers – pussy willows, daffodils, narcissuses, and red tulips, which symbolize Jesus’s shed blood
The failure of gunpowder plot was celebrated as a victory for British Protestantism over rebel Catholicism
