5 GEOGRAPHIC, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL FRAMEWORK OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES AND ITS DIDACTIC APPLICATION
Geographic, Historic and Cultural Framework of English Speaking Countries: UK and USA ● Didactic Application of Geographic, Historic and Cultural Aspects ●
English speaking countries
5.1. Geographic Framework UK United Political Union and sovereign state. Kingdom Located in the North-Western coast of continental Europe, between the North Atlantic and North seas. Linking Ireland (500km) and France (by the English Channel) Climate: rain all year round. Temp: -5 --> 30.
242.000 km2 (+ 1 million km2 overseas)
England
Mainly a lowland terrain from East to West divided by Cumbrian Mountains and Peak Mountains. Tallest: Scafell Mountain (978m) Rivers: Thames, Severn, Humber Estuary. Langer Urban Area: London
130.000 km2
Montainous. Tallest: Snowdon (1000m). Capital: Cardiff Greatest concentration live in the South Valleys.
21.000 km2
Wales
65 million people (UN, 2017) Wolrd's 0.87%
53 million people (2011 census). UK's 84%
3 million people (2011). 5%
Scotland Varied geography: lowlands and highlands. Tallest: Ben Nevis (1300m) Has nearly 800 islands. Capital: Edinburgh. Largest: Glasgow.
79.000 km2
Northern Mostly hilly. Tallest: Slieve Donard (900m) Ireland Belfast, Derry, Armagh.
13.000 km2 2 million people. 3%
5 million people. 9%
5.2. Geographic Framework USA USA
Mountains and plains
Third largest country by land area. North Atlantic in the east; North Pacific in the west; Mexico and Gulf of Mexico in the South; Canada in the North. (+ Alaska & Hawaii) ● ● ●
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Lakes and Rivers
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Climate ● ● ● ● ● ●
Cities
Appalachian Mountains: North Carolina and New Hampshire – 1800m Great Plains: east of Rocky Mointains Rocky Mountains: 4800 km long from Canada to Mexico. Highest peak: Mount Elbert (4400m). Death Valley, below sea level. California. Grand Canyon and Colorado River: Northern Arizona. Great lakes, in the border with Canada. The largest group of fresh water on Earth. Mississippi River: second-longest river in USA; longest: Missouri River. Niagara Falls Varied. Alaska: tundra and arctic conditions (min. - 62) Death Valley: (max. 57) Mountains on the western: the snowiest place in the world. Tornadoes in central USA Hurricanes along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. Floods in the Southwest
51 metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people living in. (NYC, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Houston...)
5.3. Historic Framework UK ●
15th-20th centuries: the most extensive empire in the history of the world: due to European age of discovery through maritime exploration. –
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By the beginning of 20th c: it controlled ¼ of the world's population.
Industrial Revolution began in UK in 18th c. and spread throughout the world. In 1800: Act of Union of GB and Ireland. In 1922 Reland became independent. At the middle of 20th c: Queen Elizabeth II. She is the monarch and the head of the Anglican Church. Constitutional monarchy. Two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. In 1973 entered the European Economic Community, but in June 2016 it was voted to leave the Union (BrExit). Still negotiating. Prime Minister (2017, before June elections): Theresa May.
5.4. Historic Framework USA ●
Beginnings of 17th c: English pilgrim settlements in Massachusetts and Virginia. –
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In 1776, USA got their independence from Great Britain (they were 13 colonies). Nowadays it is formed by 50 states.
In 1929: Great Depression: worldwide economic downturn. Had damaging effects all around the world. Since 1950 the Cold War took place: struggle between capitalist and communist states. Worlwide political movements and wars still have its influence. It is a federal presidential constitutional state: senate + house of representatives + President (Trump, Republican, 2016). Today there are two main political parties: Democratic Party and Republican Party. None language is official at federal level; but English is national.
5.5. Cultural background UK 5.5.1. Education: Structure of the English Educational System ●
National responsibility: Department for Education and Skills.
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Local responsibility (for publicly funded): Local Education Authorities (LEAs) Compulsory Schooling
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Ages
Key Stage National Curriculum Tests
Primary / Infant
From 4 to 7 (3 years)
In Year 2 (6/7). KS1
Primary / Junior
From 7 to 11 (4 years)
Year 6 (10/11). KS2
Secondary / High School
From 11 to 16 (5 years)
Year 9 (13/14). KS3 Year 10&11. (16) KS4
Some of the world's most famous universities: Cambridge & Oxford. Students such as: Sir Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin Inventions: locomotive, telephone, vaccination, TV, railway, internal combustion and jet engine... Computers and development of the WWW
5.5.2. Music ●
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Composers: Purcell (17th c); Elgar (19-20th c), Sullivan (20th c) Modern music: contributors to development of Rock&Roll (the Beatles), Punk Rock (Sex Pistols) and the rebirth of Heavy Metal. New Wave (1980) and Britpop (1990s)... –
In 21st c.: Britpop + experimental electronic music.
5.5.3. Sport ●
Tennis: Wimbledon Championships.
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Originated in UK: soccer, rugby, golf, cricket, boxing.
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Motorsports: F1 and the World Rally Championship.
5.5.4. Art ●
T. Gainsborough (18th): English School. Landscape and Portrait.
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J. Constable (18-19th): Romantic landscape paintings. Dedham Valley
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F. Bacon (20th): Figurative painter.
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Young British Artists (YBA): Known for shock tactics
5.5.5. Media ●
BBC: radio and television broadcasting internationally
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The Sun (popular), The Daily Telegraph (right of centre), The Times
5.6. Cultural background USA 5.6.1. Education
5.6.2. Music ●
Diverse cultural roots through variety of styles: rock&roll, hip hop, country, blues... –
Jazz (New Orleans, beg.20th). African american contributors.
5.6.3. Sport ●
American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey. –
Soccer popular among children.
5.6.4. Art ●
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The Hudson River School (19th): romantic landscape painters. The Ashcan School (20th): realist artistic movement: scenes of daily life in poor urban neighbourhoods. Andy Warhol (20th): Avantgarde artist, filmmaker, social figure. Pop Art movement (1950s)
5.6.5. Cinema ●
First sequential photographs (1878)
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Hollywood (Film directors and actors and actresses)
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Also comic books and animated films (Disney)
Culture influenced by immigrants: first Europe&Africa, then Asia; now Northern Europe... all looking for the American Dream (cultural component)
5.7. Didactic applications ●
At Primary levels: festivities and holidays (Easter, Christmas,
Guy Fawkes Day,
Thanksgiving, Halloween...) ●
Primary – organized by third cycle (3-6); second, visitor: Cultural week –
Two hours a day (in one week) preparation. Friday aftern, party.
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Groups: divided in workshops (food, history, films, songs...)
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Activities example: Bringing pictures of typical food and labeling them. Menus in the Mensa could be written in English that week. Snacks and lemonade. Ghymkana. Exposition on typical products (money, fairy tales, posters of myths and legends...); typical games, watching videos about geography, population and economy...
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Aim: motivate students to learn the language related to the culture, spread a positive attitude towards English and culture diversity and collaborate for a purpose to show.
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Bring real material – from travel-agencies or embassies.
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Objectives
Students
Teachers
Parents
Increase interest Perceive utility of English Positive attitude
Coordination Real situation teaching Plan activities outside class
English important in curriculum. Participation in activities