Seminar 1. Who are the British?

Geographical features of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland.
British national symbols.
The languages and dialects of the UK.

Task 1.
 Where are the British Isles situated? (The British Isles are a group of islands in the
North Atlantic off the north-western coast of continental Europe that consist of the
islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and over six thousand smaller
isles). What does the name ‘the British Isles’ refer to? (In British English usage,
the toponym "British Isles" refers to a European archipelago consisting of Great
Britain, Ireland and adjacent islands. However, the word "British" is also an
adjective and demonym referring to the United Kingdom and more historically
associated with the British Empire). Which of the British Isles form the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? (The United Kingdom is made up
of four constituent parts: England, Scotland and Wales, forming Great Britain, and
Northern Ireland in the north-east of the island of Ireland).
 Which is the largest island of the UK? (Great Britain) What is Great Britain made
up of? (Great Britain is an island which is made up of three counties: England,
Scotland and Wales)
 What is Ireland made up of? (It’s made up of two countries: Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland).
 What is the difference in usage between the words ‘British’ and ‘English’? Can
they be used interchangeably? (British refers to politics and it can be used when
you don’t know if your interlocutor is English, Welsh, Scottish or North Irish. But
English refers to ethnos).
 What do you know about the origins of the names ‘Britain’, ‘Scotland’, ‘England’,
‘Wales’, ‘Ireland’, ‘Great Britain’, ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland’, ‘the Irish Republic’?
Britain was the name made popular by the Romans when they came to the British
islands.
The name of Scotland is derived from the Latin Scoti, the term applied to Gaels.
The origin of the word Scoti (or Scotti) is uncertain.
England used to be known as Engla land, meaning the land of the Angles, people
from continental Germany, who began to invade Britain in the late 5th century,
along with the Saxons and Jute.
The English words "Wales" and "Welsh" derive from the same Germanic root
(singular Walh, plural Walha), which was itself derived from the name of the
 Gaulish people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer
indiscriminately to all non-Germanic peoples.
The root of the name Éire (Ireland) is uncertain, but it is thought to be a name of
considerable antiquity. It first appears as Ierne in Greek writings which may have a
base dating as early as the 5th century BC. The name appears as Iouernia in
Ptolemy's map (c AD 150) and has also been found translated into Latin as
Iuverna.
The term Great Britain was first used during the reign of King James I of England
(James VI of Scotland) in 1603, to refer to the separate kingdoms of England and
Scotland. on the same landmass, that were ruled over by the same monarch.
Despite having the same monarch, both kingdoms kept their own parliaments.
The 'United Kingdom of Great Britain' was formed in 1707 by the Act of Union
that created a single kingdom with a single Parliament. (Scotland has always
retained its own legal system)
A hundred years later the Act of Union of 1801 joined Ireland to 'Great Britain' and
the name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" was first used. (Since
1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom and so the name
changed).
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in January 1919.
 What are the other names for Wales (The modern Welsh name for themselves is
Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales; The Latinised forms of these
names, Cambrian, Cambric and Cambria), Scotland (The Late Latin word Scotia;
land of the Gaels), Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic (Southern Ireland, Irish
Free State, Eire)?

Task 3
County – графство, an area of Britain, Ireland or the US that has its own
government
Highlands – высокогорье, an area of land that has hills or mountains
Lowlands – низменность, равнина, an area of land that is fairly flat and not very
high above sea level
Uplands – гористая местность, an area of high land that is not near the coast
Firth – устье реки, a narrow strip of the sea that runs a long way into the land, or a
part of a river where it flows into the sea
Glen – узкая горная долина, a deep narrow valley, especially in Scotland or
Ireland
Strath – широкая горная долина, a broad mountain valley
Loch – горное озеро, бухта, a lake or a narrow strip of sea almost surrounded by
land
 Moorlands – вересковая пустошь, болотистая местность, land that consists of
moors
Canal – канал, a long straight passage dug in the ground and filled with water for
boats and ships to travel along
Ben – горная вершина, гора
Croft – небольшое поле, пашня, a small farm or the house on it, especially in
Scotland
Afon – река, a Celtic word for river

Task 4
 Albion – the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still
sometimes used poetically to refer to the island
 The Isle of Man – referred to simply as Mann is a self-governing British Crown
dependency, an island in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland
 The Channel Islands – Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom, which means
that they are self-governing in all respects except for defense and foreign affairs,
which are the responsibility of the UK government
 The Severn – a river in the United Kingdom. At about 220 miles (354 km), it is the
longest river in Great Britain
 The Lake District – also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region
in North West England
 Cornwall – a duchy in the south west of the United Kingdom and includes the Isles
of Scilly, it is the mystical home of the legendary King Arthur
 Snowdon – Wales' highest mountain and the highest in the UK south of Loch
Lomond, Snowdon is also the most popular mountain in Wales
 The Caledonian Canal – connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west
coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland
 Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in the British Isles. Standing at 1,345 metres
above sea level, it is at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the
Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William
 The Emerald Isle – the poetic name for Ireland due to its green countryside, first
referred to in print by William Drennan in his poem "When Erin first rose"
 Lough Neagh – a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. It is the largest lake by
area in the British Isles, with a surface area of 151 square miles
 The Giant’s Causeway – an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the
result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption

Task 6. Answer the questions.

What are the national flags of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Who are the patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Saint David of Wales. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, who lived in the
sixth century. During his life, he was the archbishop of Wales, and he was one of
many early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes
of western Britain.
Saint Patrick of Ireland. For twenty years, he travelled the length and breadth of
the island, baptizing people and establishing monasteries, schools and churches as
he went. By the time he died, on 17 March 461 (or 493, depending on which date
you started your calculation), he left behind an organized church, the see of
Armagh, and an island of Christians.
Saint George of England. According to legend, St George was a Roman soldier
born in what is now modern-day Turkey in around 280AD and died around 303.
This story was set in Silene in Libya, which was being terrorised by a ferocious
sea-dragon, according to Candida Moss, Professor of New Testament and Early
Christianity at the University Of Notre Dame. George, however, intervened;
promising the king that if they were all baptized he would slay the dragon. The
king did as he was told, George killed the dragon and everyone was saved.
Saint Andrew of Scotland. Andrew, along with Peter, James and John formed the
inner circle of Jesus’ 12 apostles. Andrew was however a disciple of St. John the
Baptist prior to becoming a follower of Christ. One legend builds upon Andrew’s
extensive travels, claiming that he actually came to Scotland and built a church in
Fife. This town is now called St Andrews, the church became a centre for
evangelism, and pilgrims came from all over Britain to pray there.
What are the national plant symbols of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland? Why were these plants chosen to be national symbols?
Tudor Rose of England. After the Wars of the Roses in his marriage, Henry VII
adopted the Tudor rose badge conjoining the White Rose of York and the Red
Rose of Lancaster.
Thistle of Scotland. Although some residents prefer heather, the thistle is the
official national emblem of Scotland. Legend has it that the spiky plant saved
Scotland from being overrun by stealthy Viking invaders when the barefoot Norse
warriors accidentally stood on the plant, their cries of pain alerting local Scots to
their presence.
Leek or Daffodil of Wales. A common sight across the Welsh valleys in the spring,
the daffodil is an obvious choice for the national flower. The daffodil is worn on
the 1st of March each year to celebrate St David’s Day, and is known as “Peter’s
Leek” in the Welsh language.
Flax of Shamrock of Northern Ireland. Although the Shamrock is believed by
many to be the national flower of Northern Ireland, the plant does not actually
produce any flowers. Instead Flax is the official floral symbol, appearing as the
emblem of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, the badge of the Supreme
Court of the United Kingdom and some one pound coins minted between 1986 and
1991.
What is the state flag of the United Kingdom? What do the crosses on the flag
stand for?
The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George
for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland (which
two were united in the first Union Flag), and the red saltire of St Patrick to
represent Ireland.

Task 7. Answer the questions.

What is the official language of the United Kingdom? How many people speak
English today?
The de facto official language of the United Kingdom is English, which is spoken
by approximately 59.8 million residents, or 98% of the population, over the age of
three.
What Celtic languages are spoken in the United Kingdom? Which Celtic language
in the British Isles has the largest number of native speakers today?
Welsh (947.700), Scottish Gaelic (87.056), Cornish (3.000), Manx (1.823).
What other languages are spoken in the country?
Polish 546,000 or 1.0%
Punjabi 273,000 or 0.5%
Urdu 269,000 or 0.5%