Civilisation

9A

Contents
1. Basic facts about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1.1 England, Britain, the UK: What is the difference?
1.2 National symbols and figures, legends
2. Tourist attractions, cities in the UK
2.1 London
2.2 Oxford and Cambridge
3. The family
3.1 Social class, class consciousness
3.2 Housing
4. Education in the UK
5. The mass media in Britain
6. Holidays, celebrations and festivals in the UK
7. Religion in Britain

1. Basic facts about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1.1 England, Britain, the UK: What is the difference?

Geographically: the British Isles are a group of two larger and a number of smaller islands off the northwestern coast of continental Europe (which is simply called the Continent in Britain). The largest of
these is called Britain (or Great Britain); the second largest is called Ireland.

Regarding the political units on these islands:

The United Kingdom is made up of:
England - The capital is London.
Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh.
Wales - The capital is Cardiff.
Northern Ireland - The capital is Belfast.
England, Scotland and Wales together form Great Britain. Great Britain was created by the Act of Union
in 1707 out of the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England (Wales had been part of the
Kingdom of England since 1284). In 1801, a second Act of Union was passed, creating the "United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". However, in 1921 an Anglo-Irish treaty removed mainland Ireland
from the UK. The current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
has been used since 1927.

Find out more at: http://projectbritain.com/britain/uk.htm and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom to complete your homework assignment. Fill in the table
and write short answers to the questions.

1. What is the title of the Anthem of the UK? Listen to it!

What are the first three lines of the first verse?

2. Which side of the road do British people drive on?

3. What are the five largest cities in the UK?

4. Which four seas surround the UK?

..
5. True or false? No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea. ..
6. Which is the largest lake in the UK? .. Where is it? ..
7. Which river is the longest in the UK? And which one flows through Oxford and
London? .
8. Fill in the table with the appropriate pieces of information (use one of the sources above).
Capital:
Official language:
Recognised regional
languages (min. 3):
Ethnic groups (%):
Government:
Monarch:
Prime Minister:
Total area:
Population:
Currency:
Inflation
Life expectancy:
Religious affiliation:
Time zone(s):

U.... p.. c.... m.

-----------------------------------------km2
P.. s. (symbol:

); =100 p

Locate the following places on the map:

Wales, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland,
the Republic of Ireland;
London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow,
Sheffield, Bradford, Edinburgh, Liverpool,
Manchester;
the Pennine, the Grampian Mountains;
Lough Neagh; Loch Ness
the Severn, the Thames

1.2 National symbols and figures, legends

1. What images are associated with Britain? What places, people, pictures or objects come to your mind
when you think about Britain?

Can you name any of these?

Find more at: http://projectbritain.com/symbols.html

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2. Emblems of Britain
Each country in Britain has its own patron saint and floral emblem:

England - St. George and the Rose

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as
Englands emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses - civil wars (14551485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose)
and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose).

Scotland - St. Andrew - the Thistle and Scottish Bluebell

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple flower
which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Scottish
Bluebell is also seen as the flower of Scotland.

Wales - St. David and the Daffodil

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on
St. Davids Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to be a
traditional emblem of Wales.

Find the English equivalents of the following words in the texts above:
vdszent:
megklnbztet:
harangvirg:

prhagyma:
nrcisz:
jelkp:

jsz:
bogncs:
tsks:

3. Which story belongs to which saint?

Wales - St. David;

Scotland - St. Andrew;

England - St. George;

How did a man born in Cappadocia in AD 270 become the patron saint of .? St s Day
takes place on 23 April, which is traditionally accepted as being the date of his death in AD 303. Was
beheaded for resigning his military post and protesting
against his pagan leader, the Emperor Diocletian (245-313
AD), who led Romes persecution of Christians. The
Emperors wife was so inspired by St s bravery and
loyalty to his religion, that she too became a Christian and
was subsequently executed for her faith. His emblem, a red
cross on a white background was adopted by Richard The
Lionheart and brought to England in the 12th century, when
the kings soldiers would wear it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. The most famous legend
of St is of him slaying a dragon, with the dragon commonly used to represent the Devil in the
Middle Ages. The slaying of the dragon by St was first credited to him in the 12th century,
long after his death and it is therefore likely that the many stories connected with St s name
are fictitious.
Swords clashed as the men of fought for hours to protect their land from the Saxon
invaders. But despite their efforts, the Welsh were slowly losing. In the heat
of the battle it was difficult to tell friend from foe. The fact that both sides
wore similar clothing made the fight all the more confusing. A monk noticed
that this was becoming a grave problem, so the monk cried out to them,
"Welshmen, you must mark yourselves so that you can better tell who is
Saxon and who is Welsh. The monk plucked a leek plant from the ground
and continued, "Here, wear these so you will know that any soldier who does
not have a leek is your enemy." Some of the soldiers thought this was a rather odd idea, but the monk
was one of God's men so they went along with it. Soon every Welsh soldier was wearing a leek on his
helmet. They attacked the invaders and before long, the Welsh had won the battle.
The monk who came up with the idea of wearing a leek was named.. He died on March
1st. After he died, the Catholic Church made him a saint. St. (Dewi Sant in Welsh) is the
patron saint of , and March 1, his feast day, is celebrated as a patriotic and cultural festival
by the Welsh in Wales and around the world. The leek is the national flower of Wales. Welsh people
all over the world proudly wear the stalk, flower or a bit of leaf from a leek plant on March 1st.
The welsh leek has a flower much like a daffodil (which is quite a bit easier to find around the world in
March), so many use daffodils instead.
St is the patron saint of , whose saint's day is celebrated
annually on 30 November. was one of the original 12 apostles of
Christ, and the brother of another apostle, Simon Peter. Both lived and worked
as fishermen in Galilee. Very little else is known about s life. He is
said to have travelled to Greece to preach Christianity, where he was crucified
at Patras on an X-shaped cross. This is represented by the diagonal cross, or 'saltire', on Scotland's flag.
His connection with Scotland relates to the legend that some of his remains were kept at the site that
is now the town of St . A chapel was built to house the remains and became a place of
pilgrimage.
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2. Tourist attractions, cities in the UK

2.1 London
London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. It was founded by the
Romans in the first century on the north bank of the Thames. Londons growth began in the 16 th century.
It had almost 200,000 inhabitants and by 1800 a million people lived in the area, making it the largest
metropolis in the world at the time. The town was growing spontaneously in all directions, without much
central planning, which is why it lacks any clear structure in its street pattern. The south bank was built
up much later than the north; therefore, it has very few sights for tourists. The West End has traditionally
been the more elegant part of London, where the royal residence, Buckingham Palace is found. Many
aristocrats built elegant houses and great parks in this area. Today, it is famous for its theatres, cinemas
and fashionable shopping districts. The East End, the neighbourhood of the docks, has always been a
poorer, working-class area. It has become famous for the Cockneys, the traditional inhabitants of the
area who are distinguished by their typical accent.

From the beginning, London was an excellent seaport and an important centre of trade. London is now a
leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance,
healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transport all
contributing to its prominence. It is one of the world's leading financial centres and has the fifth-or sixthlargest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. London is a world cultural
capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world's largest
city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London's 43 universities form the largest
concentration of higher education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to host the
modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within
Greater London. The Greater London Authority estimated its population to be 8.63 million in 2015, the
largest of any municipality in the European Union, and accounting for 12.5 percent of the UK population.
(Source: Wikipedia)

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2. Here is a map of some famous places in London. Work in pairs. Describe the location of a tourist attraction to
your partner without showing it or mentioning its name. Your partner has to find the place as quickly as possible.
Repeat the same with at least 3 places. You can measure the time to see who is better at finding tourist sights in
London.

3. Match the following places with their definitions. When youre ready, see how many you can find on the map.
Big Ben
Buckingham Palace
Hyde Park
St. Pauls Cathedral
The British Museum
The Houses of Parliament
The National Gallery
The Tower of London
Trafalgar Square
Westminster Abbey
10 Downing Street

The clock tower that is part of the Palace of Westminster (more specifically,
its Great Bell).
It is the Queen's official and main royal London home since 1837.
This place has the famous Speakers Corner and Kensington Gardens.
It was built between 1675 and 1711 by Sir Christopher Wren and is packed
with memorials to notable Britons.
Exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times from around the
world, for example, the Rosetta Stone.
The Palace of Westminster, known also as the is the place where British
laws are debated and passed.
It was founded in 1824 to house one of the greatest collections of European
painting in the world.
It was built by William the Conqueror, following his invasion of England in
1066. It has been a Royal Palace, prison, place of execution and jewel house.
It is named in honour of the British victory, led by Admiral Lord Nelson, at the
Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The most important religious centre; Kings and Queens are crowned here.
It is the Prime Ministers residence.

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Homework:
A. Find information about the Tube and summarize it in 3-4 sentences here:

B. Plan a 2-day sightseeing trip around London. Use the Tube to travel around the city. What route would
you follow? Which places would you visit, why and how much time would you spend at each place?

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2.2 Oxford and Cambridge

Oxford
The Thames runs south into Oxford. As the river approaches Oxford it becomes wide, with low-lying
meadows. Oxford is the first city from the source on the River Thames. It is famous world wide for its
University, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. For over 800 years, Oxford has been a
home to royalty.

Radcliffe Camera

Magdalen Tower

St Mary's church

The first known settlement here grew up in the 8th century around a priory close to a crossing point in
the Thames. The settlement was then known as "Oxenaforda". Oxford's name comes from the crossing
point (ford) across the Thames. The ford was used by cattle farmers to drive their oxen to market. It is
the combination of the words 'oxen' and 'ford' that give Oxford its name. (Fords are places where the
water is shallow enough to walk across to the opposite bank.) On the southern edge of the city the
Thames is joined by the River Cherwell (pronounced Char-well), one of its major tributaries. At the time,
these rivers would have been one of the only forms of transport.

Punting on Oxford's rivers is a popular recreational activity.

The punt is a shallow-bottomed boat propelled with the aid of a long pole.
Punts would originally have been used by local ferry men to carry goods and
passengers on the river.

Did you know? .....

People once crossed the river by using a ford. We can tell where these fords were because the towns
and villages have 'ford' in their names. See how many you can find as you continue along down the
Thames.
Cambridge

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Cambridge is a university city in Cambridgeshire in England. Cambridge brings many images to mind: the
breath-taking view of King's College Chapel from across the river Cam, the Gothic architecture, students
cycling to lectures, and lazy summer punting on the River Cam.
Cambridge manages to combine its role as an historic city with a world-renowned University and, in
more recent years, an internationally acknowledged centre of excellence for technology and science.
The University of Cambridge was founded in the 13th century by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute
with townsfolk. They chose the quiet town of Cambridge as a suitable location for study. In the 17th
century Cambridge University educated many of the founders of a (then) minor American university
called Harvard, also located in a
place
called Cambridge (named
after the English university).
Cambridge University has many
famous
alumni,
including:
mathematicians such as Sir Isaac
Newton, philosophers such as
Bertrand Russell and Ludwig
Wittgenstein, and writers such as
John Milton and Lord Byron. It was
the site of Rutherford's pioneering
work in nuclear physics. Academics
have won more Nobel Prizes than those of any other university in the world.
More than 3.5 million visitors come to Cambridge every year to savour the delights of the historic city
itself, as well as using it as an ideal base for exploring some of the and most unspoiled countryside in
England.
Cambridge's stunning architecture is not just noted by its impressed hum drum tourists. The US
magazine Forbes claimed in 2009 that Cambridge is 'one of the most beautiful cities in the world' with
widespread agreement.
Read more: http://wikitravel.org/en/Oxford and http://wikitravel.org/en/Cambridge_(England)
Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race
The University Boat Race and The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race are a rowing race in England
between the Oxford University and Cambridge University on the river Thames in London. The 4.5 mile
course stretches from Putney to Mortlake.

Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge
in light blue and Oxford dark blue.
The first boat race was the result of a challenge issued to Oxford by Cambridge in 1829. It was rowed on
the Thames at Henley. The idea for a rowing race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
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came from two friends - Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his Harrow school friend Charles
Wordsworth (nephew of the poet William Wordsworth), who was at Oxford.
(Source: Wikitravel)

Homework: presentation or written assignment

Choose a touristy city or town in the UK and either make a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation based on
your own research about the place, or write a description of the place (similar to the ones above about
London, Oxford and Cambridge above) in 600-800 words (in a nicely designed preferably Word
document). Use and properly cite at least 3 online or printed sources. As opposed to the descriptions
above, in your work you should use your own words and do not copy more than 3 words without
quotation marks (otherwise, paraphrase the information it should be your own work, not
teaching/learning resource material).
You can choose any of these places (or else ask for permission to speak/write about another one):
Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol,
Birmingham, Sheffield, Belfast, Exeter, Brighton, or Dublin (not in the UK!) or any other place discussed
with the teacher.

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3. The family

The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge with their son,

Prince George

Summarize what you have just read about British families in 50-80 words and then tell your summary
to one of your classmates.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Discussion: compare the British family pattern to what you think is a typical Hungarian family, or to
yours.

Optional homework: Find out more about the British royal family. Focus on how Prince William and
Kate Middleton appear through the media in the UK. How do they handle the balance between public
appearance and their private life? How do they behave as parents? Etc.
Write a 600-800 word summary of your research and opinions (remember not to copy and indicate
sources properly). OR Make a 5-8 minute PowerPoint presentation and present (dont read) it in class.

Is there a generation gap any more?

The concept of the teenager was encouraged from the 1950s by advertisers looking for a new market. The
term generation gap referred to sharply differing attitudes of parents and their teenage children. By the end of
the 1960s, conflict between them was the expected norm, and the idea of teenagers as a separate species is
now part of the British folklore. However, a 2002 study in Britain indicated that this stereotype may be
outdated. The study found that four out of five teenagers living at home said they were happy with family life
and they got on well with their parents. A third of them had not had a single argument with them in the past
year (and in any case most arguments were about mundane things like tidying up. Therefore, the rebellious
teenager may turn out to have been a short-lived phenomenon of a few decades in the twentieth century.

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3.1 Social class, class consciousness

Discuss:
What is social class?
Can you mention Hungarian social
classes?
Can you think of situations were
differences in social class may lead
to conflicts?
How do the British identify a
persons social class? What is their
judgement based on?
Is it different in Hungary? In what
ways?

Can you mention examples to nonstandard Hungarian pronunciation,

grammar or vocabulary?
Do you think Hungarians are
judgemental about stardard or nonstandard language use?

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 Homework
Find the meanings of these terms:
Standard English:
World Englishes:
International English:
English as a lingua franca:

What is the difference between:

accent / dialect
first language (mother tongue)/ second language / foreign language

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3.2 Housing
Most people in England live in urban areas. Towns and cities are spreading into their surrounding environment to
cope with the increase populations. In England, an average of 7,000 hectares of
farmland, countryside and green space were converted to urban use every year
between 1985 and 1998. This is almost the equivalent size of 9,600 international
football pitches!
Who owns houses in England?
More people are buying their own homes than in the past. About two thirds of
the people in England and the rest of Britain either own, or are in the process of
buying, their own home. Most others live in houses or flats that they rent from a
private landlord, the local council, or housing association.
People buying their property almost always pay for it with a special loan called a This house is over 600 years old
mortgage, which they must repay, with interest, over a long period of time,
usually 25 years.
What are houses in England like?
Most houses in England are made of stone or brick from the local area where
the houses are built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary across the
country.
The main types of houses in England are:

Detached (a house not joined to another house)

Semi-detached (two houses joined together)
Terrace (several houses joined together)
Flats (apartments)

The most popular type of home in England is semi-detached (more than 27% of all homes), closely followed by
detached then terraced.
England has many types of homes. In the large cities, people often live in apartments, which are called flats. In most
towns, there are streets of houses joined together in long rows. They are called terraced houses:

Almost half of London's households are flats, maisonettes or apartments (maisonette is a British term for a selfcontained living space or apartment. It is usually part of a larger house, extends over two stories and has its own
entrance).
Information taken from Census 2001

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See: Photos of the different types of houses and more about UK homes at: http://projectbritain.com/houses.htm
Cost of Houses
A big problem in England is the rising cost of houses. In 1989 first-time buyers paid an average of around 40,000,
in 2001 this had more than doubled to 85,000 and in 2006 to 151,565.
The cost of housing in England has increased much faster than people's wages making it impossible for first-time
buyers to get on the housing ladder unless they are in especially well-paid jobs, are able to call upon rich relatives
or are prepared to buy jointly with friends.
2003
Average wage per year: 20,000
Average house price: over 120,000.
2007
Average wage per year: 23,244
Average house price: 184,924

Chartwell House - Winston Churchill once lived here

Homework. Describe when and how you are going to have a place to live. Ask your parents or other adults
about options available in Hungary or in a country where you would like to live in the future.

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4. Education in the UK
Children's education in England is normally divided into two separate stages. They begin
with primary education at the age of five and this usually lasts until they are eleven. Then they move
to secondary school, there they stay until they reach sixteen, seventeen or eighteen years of age.
The National Curriculum is constructed in five Key Stages:

Key Stage 1 - Foundation year and Years 1 to 2 - for pupils aged between 5 and 7 years old

Key Stage 2 - Years 3 to 6 - for pupils aged between 8 and 11 years old (SATs: Standard
Assessment Tasks: a test taken by children in England and Wales at various ages to find out the
level of the National Curriculum that they have reached)

Key Stage 3 - Years 7 to 9 - for pupils aged between 12 and 14 years old, (SATs)

Key Stage 4 - Years 10 to 11 - for pupils aged between 15 and 16 years old, (GCSEs)

Key Stage 5 - Years 12 to 13 - for pupils aged between 17 and 18 years old (GCSEs or Cambridge
Nationals (=vocational qualification))

The British Government places great importance on the need to assess and test pupils in order to know
what they have achieved. Compulsory testing takes place at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen in
England and Scotland. All children in state schools are tested in English and mathematics at the ages of
seven, 11 and 14, and pupils aged 11 and 14 are also tested in science (SATs are national tests in English,
maths and science). Most young people take
GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary
Education) examinations at sixteen, A levels
(Advanced levels), at seventeen and eighteen.
The General Certificate of Education
(GCE) Advanced Level, or A Level, is a secondary
school leaving qualification in the United
Kingdom, offered as a main qualification in
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as an
alternative qualification in Scotland, and as an
international school qualification worldwide. ALevels require studying an offered A level subject over a two-year period and sitting for an examination
at the end of each year (AS and A2, respectively). Most students study three or four A-level subjects
simultaneously during Year 12 and Year 13 (ages 1618), either in a secondary education institution or in
a Sixth Form College, as part of their further education. A-levels are regarded as equivalent in level to the
BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) Level 3 qualifications. A-Levels are recognised by
many universities as the standard for assessing the suitability of applicants for admission in England,
Wales, and Northern Ireland, and many such universities base their conditional admissions offers on a
student's predicted A-level grades. There is a certain amount of dissatisfaction, with the A-level system,
22

though. Many head teachers are now seriously thinking of throwing it out and adapting a foreign model
specifically the baccalaureate. In fact, there are already dozens of schools in Britain which prepare their
students for the International Baccalaureate (or the British Bacc).

The main categories of school are:

local authority maintained schools (State Schools)

Free to all children between the ages of 5 - 16

independent schools (Private/Public Schools)

Parents pay for their children's' education.

State Schools
In the UK 93% of the children in England and Wales go to "state schools". State schools are non feepaying, funded from taxes and most are organised by Local Authorities (LA). Parents are expected to
make sure that their child has a pen, pencil, ruler etc. but the cost of other more specialised equipment,
books, examination fees are covered by the school.
Parents are, however, expected to pay for their child's school uniform and items of sports wear.
Charges may also be made for music lessons and for board and lodgings on residential trips
Primary schools (5 - 11 year olds)
In the UK, the first level of education is known as primary education. These are almost always mixed sex,
and usually located close to the child's home. Children tend to be with the same group throughout the
day, and one teacher has responsibility for most of the work they do.
Parents are strongly encouraged to help their children, particularly with reading and writing, and
small amounts of homework are set to all children, even during the early years at school.
Secondary schools (11 - 16 year olds)
Most children transfer at the age of 11 - usually to their nearest secondary school, though the law allows
parents in England and Wales to express preferences for other schools too.
Most secondary schools cater for both sexes. They tend to be much larger than primary schools.
Nearly 88 per cent of secondary school pupils in England go to comprehensive schools, as do all pupils in
Wales. These take children of all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most
of the children in a district from 11 to 16 or 18. All children in Scotland go to non-selective schools.
Grammar Schools are selective; they offer academically oriented general education. Entrance is
based on a test of ability, usually at 11. Grammar schools are single sexed schools i.e. children either go
to a boys Grammar School or a girls Grammar School. There are grammar schools in Northern Ireland
and some parts of England.

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Fee Paying Schools (Independent Schools)

7% of the children in England go to independent schools. Independent schools are known
as private schools and public schools. Parents pay for their children to attend these schools.
Nursery/Kindergarten 2 to 4 years
Pre-preparatory 3 or 4 to 7 years
Preparatory 7 to 11 or 13 years (a preparatory school prepares pupils to go to a public school)
Public 11 or 13 to 18 years (public school is an independent secondary school. Public schools in
England are not run by the government. The entrance exams used by most public schools are
known as Common Entrance exams and are taken at the age of 11 (girls) or 13 (boys).)
Historically, stereotypical public schools:
are for boys only, from the age of 13 onwards, most of whom attended a private prep school
beforehand
take fee-paying pupils (and some scholarship pupils who have won a place in a competitive
entrance exam and whose parents do not pay)
are boarding schools (the boys live there during term-time)
are divided into houses, each house being managed by a housemaster
make some of the senior boys prefects, which means that they have authority over the other
boys and have their own servants (called fags), who are appointed from amongst the youngest
boys
place great emphasis on team sports
enforce their rules with the use of physical punishment
are not at all luxurious or comfortable
However, this traditional image no longer fits the facts. These days, there is not a single public school in
the country in which all of the above features apply, and some of them do not apply anywhere. There
have been a fairly large number of girls public schools for the last hundred years, and by now most
public schools are mixed sex. Many schools admit day pupils as well as boarder, and some are day
schools only; prefects no longer have so much power or have been abolished; fagging has disappeared
and so has physical punishment. There is less emphasis on team sport and more on academic
achievement; life for the pupils is more physically comfortable than it used to be.
Among the most famous public schools are Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester.
(Source (public schools): ODriscoll: Oxford)

Optional homework: Create a poster about what one of these schools is like nowadays and tell the
class about it in a 5-10 minute presentation.
e.g.: http://www.etoncollege.com/ or http://www.harrowschool.org.uk/
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Higher education or further education

Around 30% of the 18 to 19 year olds enter full-time higher education. The formal entry requirements to
most degree courses are two A-levels at grade E or above.
Higher education, post-secondary education, tertiary education or
third level education is an optional final stage of formal learning that
occurs after secondary education. Often delivered at universities,
academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology, higher
education is also available through certain college-level institutions,
including vocational schools, trade schools, and other career colleges
that award academic degrees or professional certifications. Tertiary
education at non-degree level is sometimes referred to as further
education or continuing education as distinct from higher education.
If youre interested in undergraduate courses in the UK, you will find
this website useful: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/applyand-track/results/sending-exam-results

Oxford and Cambridge

Rivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a
phenomenon going back many centuries. During most of that time, the
two were the only universities in England and Wales, making the rivalry
more intense than it is now.
The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, sometimes
collectively known as Oxbridge, are the two oldest universities in the
United Kingdom. Both were founded more than 800 years ago, and
between them they have produced a large number of Britain's most
prominent scientists, writers and politicians, as well as noted figures in
many other fields. Competition between Oxford and Cambridge also
has a long history, dating back to around 1208 when Cambridge was
founded by scholars taking refuge from hostile townsmen in Oxford.
(Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford%E2%80%93Cambridge_rivalry;
http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/choosing-university/oxford-or-cambridge;
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/find-out-more/teachers-and-parents/oxford-andcambridge-similarities-and-differences)

25

 Based on the websites above, find at least 3 similarities and 3 differences between Oxford and
Cambridge.

Oxford

Cambridge

26

5. The mass media in Britain

Media of the United Kingdom consist of several different types of communications media: television,
radio, newspapers, magazines, and Web sites.
1. Television (Telly)
Television viewing is Britain's most popular leisure pastime. About 96 per cent of the population of
Britain have television in their homes. In 1999, 13% of households had satellite television and 9% cable
television. It is estimated that about 10 per cent of household have two or more sets. The average
viewing time per person is over 25 hours a week.
The United Kingdom has a diverse range of providers; the most prominent one is the state-owned public
service broadcaster, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). The BBC's largest competitors are the
Independent Television Commission (ITC), which operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters
that make up the ITV Network, and News Corporation, which holds a large stake in satellite broadcaster
British Sky Broadcasting and also operate a number of leading national
newspapers.
There are five main channels in Britain:

two national commercial-free BBC networks, BBC1 and BBC2,

ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5

The BBC channels are commercial free while the other three have commercials.
All the channels offer a mixture of drama, light entertainment, films, sport,
educational, childrens and religious programmes, news and current affairs, and documentaries. ITV1 is
BBC headquarters in
the most popular commercial television channel in Britain, watched on average by
London
45 million people every week.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (see more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC) took its
present form on 1 January 1927 when Sir John Reith became its first Director General. Reith stated that
impartiality and objectivity were the essence of professionalism in broadcasting. The BBC has been
providing regular television broadcasts since 1936.
The BBC operates several television channels in the United Kingdom and abroad. The BBC's international
television news service, BBC World News, is broadcast throughout the world. Allegations that the
corporation lacks impartiality and objectivity have regularly been made by observers (see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_BBC#Political_correctness )

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2. Check out some of these TV programmes from the UK:

Find some recent UK programmes that you would like to watch, or list a few that you have seen:

..
3. Can you still remember what you have read about British television?
Write two prominent broadcasting companies from the UK: .
Write 3 important pieces of information about the BBC (incl. a date and a name):

List at least 3 British TV channels:

and 3 popular TV programmes:....................................................
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2. Radio
Popularity of online radio soars as one third of UK's adult population tunes in via internet
By LIZ THOMAS
UPDATED: 17:56 GMT, 10 December 2009

The popularity of online radio is soaring with one third of the UKs adult
population listening to radio via the internet. Latest figures show that 17.4
million people have accessed the radio online, compared to 16.9 million in
May and 14.5 million eighteen months ago. Almost 14 million are now using
Listen Again type services, while 8.1 million people download podcasts,
according to research from radio industry body Rajar.
The web allows people to listen to niche services and international stations,
which they may not be able to access on FM or digital radio. Christel
Lacaze, of Rajar, said increased access to faster and better broadband
services was fuelling the increased interest in online radio. She said:
People are online more and they have access to faster and better
broadband. Listening to the radio online is easy and it can be done while surfing the web and doing other things. The
success of services such as the BBCs iPlayer, which allows people to listen to stations and shows live (e.g. BBC1
Live Lounge http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01029mq), or tune in to a specific programme at a later date, have
also encouraged people online.
The figures do not mean people are abandoning traditional or DAB radio sets but that more Britons are trying and
using online stations as well. Radio listening via mobile phone has also grown among adults, increasing from 11.6 per
in 2008 to 13.5 per cent in 2009. Rajars survey, conducted by Ipsos Mori, also showed that men are more likely to
listen to internet radio than women. The popularity of online radio is expected to soar next year after the BBC
announced plans for a radio version of the iPlayer. This will allow internet users to listen to more than 400 BBC and
commercial stations online.
The most prominent stations are the national networks operated by the BBC.
BBC Radio 1 broadcasts mostly current pop music output on FM and digital radio, with live music throughout the
year
BBC Radio 2 is the United Kingdom's most listened-to radio station, featuring presenters such as Chris
Evans and Terry Wogan, and playing popular music from the last five decades as well as special interest
programmes in the evening
BBC Radio 3 is a classical music station, broadcasting high-quality concerts and performances. At night, it
transmits a wide range of jazz and world music
BBC Radio 5 Live broadcasts live news and sports commentary with phone-in debates and studio guests
The introduction of digital radio technology led to the launch of several new BBC stations:
BBC 1Xtra broadcasts rap, RnB and drum'n'bass
BBC 6 Music transmits predominantly alternative rock, with many live sessions
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234860/Popularity-online-radio-soars-UKs-adult-population-tunesinternet.html#ixzz3joMezvyz

Find the words in the text that mean the following:

a) to increase or improve suddenly above the normal or usual level
b) to adjust a receiver to receive signals at a particular frequency or a particular program
c) a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet

d) a situation or activity specially suited to a person's interests, abilities, or nature

e) any of several technologies that allow rapid transmission of data, as by using multiple
channels simultaneously
f) to supply with something that sustains or encourages; stimulates
g) to leave, lose interest in or give up entirely
h) much greater in number or influence; mainly

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3. Newspapers and magazines in the UK

There are about 130 daily and Sunday newspapers, over 2,000 weekly newspapers and some 7,000 periodical
(published weekly, monthly, or quarterly) publications in Britain. The press in Britain is free to comment on
matters of public interest. Daily Newspapers sell 322 copies per 1000 people in the UK, the eighth highest rate
in the world. All the major UK newspapers currently have websites, some of which provide free access.
The more serious and intellectual UK newspapers that cover political reporting or overseas news are
usually referred to as the broadsheets due to their large size. They are known collectively as "the quality
press". The Independent and The Times have changed in recent years to a compact format, not much bigger
than that used by the tabloids. The Guardian moved in September 2005 to what is described as a "Berliner"
format, slightly larger than a compact.
Other newspapers, generally known as tabloids, tend to focus more on celebrity coverage and
human interest stories rather than. The tabloids in turn have been divided into the more sensationalist mass
market titles, or "red tops", such as The Sun and The Mirror, and the middle-market papers, The Daily
Express and The Daily Mail.
Magazines are publications, usually periodical publications, which are printed or electronically
published. They are generally published on a regular schedule and contain a variety of content, usually on a
specialized topic (e.g. sports magazines, music magazines, science fiction magazines, news magazines). They
are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by prepaid subscriptions, or a combination of the
three.
Have a look at some British magazines online: e.g.: http://www.airforcesmonthly.com/;
http://www.canoekayak.co.uk/; http://www.gamesradar.com/

Find two interesting articles in one serious UK newspaper and one tabloid newspaper. Summarize the
articles in 2-3 sentences.
Newspaper: . Title:..
Summary of the article:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Tabloid: . Title:..
Summary of the article:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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4. The mass media

The mass media are diversified media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass
communication. The technology through which this communication takes place varies. In the 2000s, a
classification called the "seven mass media" became popular. In order of introduction, they are:
1. Print (books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the late 15th century
2. Recordings (gramophone records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs, DVDs) from the
late 19th century
3. Cinema from about 1900
4. Radio from about 1910
5. Television from about 1950
6. Internet from about 1990
7. Mobile phones from about 2000
Each mass medium has its own content types, its own creative artists and technicians, and its own
business models. For example, the Internet includes web sites, blogs, podcasts, and various other
technologies built on top of the general distribution network. The sixth and seventh media, internet and
mobile, are often called collectively as digital media; and the fourth and fifth, radio and TV, as broadcast
media. Some argue that video games have developed into a distinct mass form of media
(Source: Wikipedia)
5. Review
True or false?
In Britain, most households have more than 2 TV sets. ____
The BBC is a state-owned broadcaster. ____
Internet use has made radio less popular in the UK. ____
More women listen to the internet radio than men. ____
A compact newspaper is larger than a broadsheet. ____
A periodical is published daily. ____
Mass media only refers to the TV and newspapers. ____

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6. Holidays, celebrations and festivals in the UK

Public holidays or bank holidays throughout the United Kingdom are holidays when banks, financial
institutions and many other businesses are closed for the day. Even though all banks are closed on
official bank holidays, many shops remain open.
Workers dont have an automatic right to paid leave on bank and public holidays in the UK,
though most full-time workers receive a paid day off work. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or
Sunday, the holiday is normally postponed to the following week day, which is then referred to as a
substitute public holiday or an observed holiday.
Only fours days cover all countries of the United Kingdom which are: New Year's Day, May Day
Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, most other holidays are decided upon each of the four
nations in the UK.
New Years Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first
day of the year on the modern Gregorian
calendar as well as the Julian calendar. In present
day, with most countries now using the Gregorian
calendar New Year's Day is probably the most
celebrated public holiday, often celebrated
with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new
year starts in each time zone.
Traditionally, in England, on the stroke of midnight people open the back door (to let the old year out) and ask the first dark
haired man to be seen to come through the front door carrying salt, coal and bread. This means that the following year
everyone in the house will have enough to eat (bread), enough money (salt) and be warm enough (coal). In Scotland the
tradition of first footing is observed. This is because the first person to set foot in a residence in a New Year is thought to
profoundly affect the fortunes of everyone who lives there. Generally strangers are thought to bring good luck. New Year's Eve
is called "Nos Galan" in Welsh, and whilst they also believe in letting out the old year and letting in the new if the first visitor in
the New Year is a woman and a man opens the door it's considered bad luck. In addition, if the first man to cross the threshold
in the New Year is a red head, that is also bad luck.
(See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/newyear.html#sthash.kO2c0aY6.dpuf)

May Day (International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day)

Day: May 1st
The date was chosen for International Workers' Day by
the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket
affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886.
Origins: the labour union movement, specifically the eighthour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work,
eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. May Day
also stems from the Celtic festival of Beltane
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(See: https://youtu.be/FxcIqMmlVOs) and is a traditional spring holiday in many cultures on the

Northern Hemisphere.
Celebration involves: crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a maypole
A traditional dance seen throughout the month of May is Morris Dancing. It is a traditional English
form of folk dancing, performed by groups of men or women.

For your next homework assignment form small groups. Your task will be to design and
perform 10-12 minute PowerPoint presentations on one of the following celebrations:
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (20 mins, 4 people)
St. Valentines Day
St. Patricks Day
The Queens Official Birthday
Halloween
Guy Fawkes Day,
Remembrance Day

In your presentations you should mention: when (and since when) and where it is celebrated,
how, by whom, and include any interesting traditions from Britain (outfits, costumes, food,
music and dances). You can also include some information about the origins of the given
celebration.
Your presentations should have approximately 6-7 slides. Be clear and understandable. Dont
read your presentations!
Presentations should be saved in format compatible with old versions of Microsoft PowerPoint
and they should be sent to the teachers e-mail address two days before the presentation is
delivered.
In class: Pay attention to your classmates presentations and take notes, so that you can also
speak about them later.

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Christmas Eve / Christmas Day

Boxing Day

St. Valentines Day

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St. Patricks Day

The Queens Official Birthday

35

Halloween

Guy Fawkes Day

36

Remembrance Day

Anything else

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7. Religion in Britain
Britain has one of the most religiously diverse populations in the European Union. British people are free
to choose and follow their own religious beliefs. Although Christianity is the main religion, there are also
large communities of Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Jews, and smaller communities of Baha'is, Buddhists,
Jains and Zoroastrians.
The most recent (2007) survey by Tearfund discovered that 53% of the population identified themselves
as Christian, compared with almost three-quarters who had in the last census in 2001.
There are three countries in Britain, England
, Wales
and Scotland
.
The official religion of England
is Christianity, as practised by the Church of England (Anglican).
The Church in Wales
is also Anglican.
In Scotland
the official Church is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Other Christians in each country also include the Roman Catholics and the Methodists.
Multi Faith Society
Britain is a multi faith society in which everyone has the right to religious freedom. Although Britain is
historically a Christian society, people are usually very tolerant towards the faiths of others and those
who have no religious beliefs.

A brief history of religion in England

Britain used to be a Roman Catholic country.
In 1533, during the reign of Henry VIII, England broke from the Roman Catholic Church to form the
Anglican Church.
Why did England become a Protestant country?
Henry VIII, the king, wanted a divorce. He wanted a son and his wife only gave birth to daughters. He
asked the Pope for permission to divorce, but was refused. Henry VIII became very angry and decided to
make his own church.
Henry VIII became leader of the Church of England (Anglican Church). He had the Bible translated to
English and the people who believed in this new religion were called Protestants.
Back to being a Catholic Country
In 1553, Mary became Queen. She changed the country back to Catholicism and burned Protestants who
wouldn't change at the stake (similar to a bonfire).
All change again
In 1558, Elizabeth became Queen. She changed the church back to Anglican and it has been the official
religion of England since.
(Source: projectbritain.com)
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 Read more about religion in Britain here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11216566/Religious-studies-shake-up-toprepare-pupils-for-life-in-modern-Britain.html
http://www.corab.org.uk/national-consultation and
http://www.mohammedamin.com/Community_issues/Religion-in-public-life-in-Britain.html
https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us.aspx
Optional homework: Summaries of the articles in well-prepared five-minute presentations or 200-250
word written summaries are welcome.

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