English-Speaking Countries: Geography, History, and Culture
Unit 5: Geographic, Historic, and Cultural Framework of English-Speaking Countries
Didactic Application of Relevant Geographical, Historical, and Cultural Aspects
Introduction
The final goal of the Foreign Language class is the development of the student’s communicative competence, and one of the sub-competences implied in this term is cultural awareness. The teacher must introduce the students to relevant knowledge of the countries where English is spoken. We can use labels, songs, money, stories, maps, or photographs in class to approach this new reality. In this chapter, I will take a look at geographical, historical, and cultural aspects of the main countries where English is spoken.
Great Britain and Ireland
Geographical Framework
Physical Aspects
The British Isles are a set of islands situated in the northwest of the European continent. The main island, Great Britain, is where England, Scotland, and Wales lie. England is the largest one, and the second island in importance is Ireland. London, the capital of Britain, is an important metropolis. British weather is humid and cool. The main British rivers are the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, and the Wye.
Political Aspects
Great Britain, with Northern Ireland, makes up the United Kingdom. There are four different countries in the UK: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State. The currency of the country is the pound. Dublin is the capital of the Irish Republic, and the monetary unit is the euro.
The People
The UK has a population of nearly 60 million inhabitants. English is the main language in the country. In Britain, most of the citizens are Anglicans, and the rest are Roman Catholics. However, in Ireland, 95 percent of the population is Catholic. There is a great variety of races and cultures due to the number of immigrants.
Historical Framework
The Celts came to Britain around the year 700 BC. In the first century, the first Roman expedition was led by Caesar, so they established a Romano-British culture across the southern half of Britain. They left important towns, such as London, which were the basis of Roman administration and civilization. In the fifth century AD, the Saxons began to raid Britain and started to settle there. By the end of the eighth century, the Vikings conquered Britain and started to settle. King Arthur was a Celtic ruler who fought the Anglo-Saxons. In 1066, William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold in the Battle of Hastings. He was crowned William I, King of England, in Westminster Abbey. In 1275, Edward I created the House of Commons, and he brought the first real parliament. The late Middle Ages was a period of war. England had to maintain control over Ireland and Wales. English Kings also tried to control Scotland, and this forced the Scots to look for allies in France. From 1485 to 1603, the Tudor century was the most glorious period in English history. Henry VII built the foundations of a wealthy nation. He understood that England’s future wealth would depend on international trade. He carried out the Reformation. In the 17th century, the Stuart monarchs, from James I onwards, were less successful than the Tudors. Economic power moved into the hands of the merchants, who were represented by the House of Commons. But King Charles I quarreled with Parliament, and the result was a civil war. In 1707, Scotland and England completed their union by Act of Parliament. In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution turned Britain into the most advanced economic force in the world. In the 19th century, during the reign of Queen Victoria, Britain’s colonial expansion reached its zenith. The first great victory for the Irish was when Catholics were allowed to become Members of Parliament in 1829. But then, Ireland suffered the potato crop disaster, so many Irish citizens died of hunger, and others left the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, Britain was the greatest world power, but by the end of the 1970s, it had lost it all because of the two World Wars and the cost of keeping up the Empire. In 1931, Britain tried to hold onto its international position through its Commonwealth. In 1998, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, signed the pacification in Northern Ireland, and an Irish Autonomous Government was constituted in December 1999. As far as the economy is concerned, the discovery of oil in the North Sea has made the UK the world’s sixth-largest oil producer.
Culture
The greatest poet of the Middle English time was Geoffrey Chaucer, with his Canterbury Tales. During the mid-16th century, William Shakespeare filled theaters with his plays. English Literature definitively entered the Modern Age in the 18th century, with heroes and protagonists of books such as Robinson Crusoe or Gulliver. In the 19th century, Charles Dickens, Yeats, and Joyce were highlighted. Britain is full of customs and traditions. Here are some of the festivals:
- St. Valentine’s Day
- Halloween
- Guy Fawkes’ Day
- Christmas
- New Year
Also, the British way of life is very different. They eat the English breakfast, which consists of fried eggs, sausages, bacon, pancakes, and toasts with marmalade. Fish and chips is the original British fast food, and tea is the favorite drink of the British. People live in houses, and they meet in pubs. In Britain, there are state schools, which are funded by the government, and private schools, which are fee-paying.