british studies introduction estra tõnisson [email protected]
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What do these terms mean? Great Britain UK England Ireland The British Isles
Geographically and politically speaking Great Britain = island
with 3 countries Ireland = island British Isles = these
two islands and all smaller ones
UK = the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland = separate country
Identifying symbols of the four nations
National Anthem
Union Jack
Rule Britannia! Britannia was the original
name given by the Romans to the province that comprised what is now England and Wales
Britannia is seen as a a woman wearing a helmet, and carrying a shield and trident. It is a symbol that blends the concepts of empire, militarism and economics.
sung as an unofficial national anthem.
Population in 2007 – 61 million
Population in 2011 – about 63,18 million
England
53,
012, 456
Scotland 5, 295, 000
Wales 3, 063, 456
Northern-Ireland1, 810, 863
British identity – hard to talk about... Queueing Tea The food is not the best People are cold, reserved Stiff upper lip Need of personal space
Do Stand in line Say ‘Excuse me’ Pay as you go Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ Shake hands Say ‘Sorry’ Smile Open doors to other people Drive on the left Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
Don’t Queue jump Talk loudly on the bus (or use your mobile phone) Brag Smoke in public places
Some other facts: How many cups of tea in a day per nation?
165 million cups
Favourite take-away food Curry - this is used to
generically refer to Indian food, the word actually means a dish with sauce/gravy.
British Identities and Attitudes Ethnic identity: four
nations Multicultural identity Identity through
family Geographical
identity Class Identity in the
Northern Ireland Being British
Geographical identityLocal prideIdentification with a city – Liverpudlians
and Geordies, Mancunians, Glaswegians, Brummies, Londoners
Wayne Rooney - ScouseAdele Grammys 2012 - North-London accent Cheryl Cole - too Geordie for the US? Cheryl Cole interview 2011Scottish accent
BBC – Voices
National identity:four nations National loyalty strong among the
people, who are not from England Culture Education Sports Language English=British?
Being BritishAs an Englishman I am proud to be a
gentleman, to lose gracefully and to stand in queues.Oliver Clark, London, United Kingdom
To feel British is something you experience when you are away from Britain. Its green countryside. Safety when walking the streets. The fact that we band together against adversity. So many things have been invented in our countryBarry Ashcroft, Barnet, Herts, United Kingdom
Being British means being proud of our history, for without it we have nothing to base our future on. It is irrelevant whether we agree with what happened in our country's past (as I am sure future generations will not like what we are doing now) history is a foundation to build on. If we had not had an Empire would we have such a diverse society as we do now? We need to be proud of all that we achieve. Being British also means in times of adversity getting on with life, supporting those weaker than ourselves, being a friend to others and a help to our neighbours. The British play by the rules, and enjoy Sunday pub lunches and still love cricket on the greenSue Fletcher, France
To be British is to be multicultural. The 4 nations that make up Britain, each with their own cultures, the many peoples that conquered us in our ancient history and the many we conquered in more recent times have all contributed to our multi-cultural culture and multi-lingual languageJames, United Kingdom
Becoming a British citizenThe test lasts for 45
minutes during which time the entrants have to answer 24 multiple choice questions. To pass the test, the student must receive a grade of 75% or higher (at least 18 correct answers out of 24 questions).
Life in the UK test
