69 Antonio 2

Tema 69.
SOCIEDAD Y CULTURA. ESTEREOTIPOS

Y EMBLEMAS DE LOS PAÍSES DE HABLA
INGLESA.
LA CANCIÓN EN LENGUA INGLESA
COMO VEHÍCULO DE INFLUENCIA
CULTURAL.
ANTONIO BODÍ
69. Sociedad y cultura. Estereotipos y emblemas de los países de habla inglesa. La canción en lengua inglesa como
vehículo de influencia cultural.
I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................
II. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND STEREOTYPES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING

COUNTRIES.........................................................................................................
A. United Kingdom:
1. Scotland
2. Wales
3. Ireland
4. England
B. United States of America:
III. ICONS OR EMBLEMS OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES................

A. The United Kingdom
B. The United States
IV. MUSIC AS A VEHICLE FOR CULTURAL INFLUENCE.............................

A. Folklore music vs classical music vs popular music
B. The importance of popular music today
C. Using songs in the teaching of English as a foreign teaching
V. CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................................
VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................
Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 2

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I. INTRODUCTION
Understanding a piece of discourse involves much more than just knowing the
language. In order to make sense of any text we need to have “pre-existing knowledge
of the world”. Such knowledge in often referred to as schema (or –in plural–
schemata).
This unit is important insofar as it justifies the need to learn a certain degree of
cultural knowledge of the linguistic community speaking a determined foreign language
(or schemata). This is because you cannot simply command a specific foreign language
if you have not learnt many notable cultural aspects which affect the lives of that
linguistic community in a significant way.
But what is the culture of a linguistic community anyway? It is not only made up of a
language shared by all its members, but also of beliefs and values, and even “rather
scholastic knowledge”. In other words: customs (social rules, dances, festivals, folklore
music, myths, legends, cuisine or cookery knowledge, rituals...) and an extraordinary
compendium of human knowledge related to the usually rather scholastic knowledge
belonging, for example, to the English linguistic community (arts, history, science,
religion, popular knowledge...) are part of it.
To put it another way: for learners of a foreign language it is also of utmost
importance to reach some degree of mastery (or at least familiarity) of customs or
traditions, of the history, or even of the music or the literary or artistic figures belonging
to that linguistic community. The higher the degree of mastery of cultural knowledge,
the better the chances to understand any type of text (be it written or oral, involving a lot
of extra-textual information or little) created by a member of that linguistic community.
This is because speaking, say, English usually involves speaking about some English
cultural aspects, resorting to many implicatures or presuppositions, which may not be
understood by non-native people who are not so familiar with those specific English
cultural aspects.
The problem with this –when it comes to the English linguistic community– is that
the English linguistic community is so diversified (in turn, Americans, Canadians,
British, Irish, Australians or South-Africans... have developed an identity of their own)
that this task is all the more extensive and difficult. However, we Spanish-speaking
people have the advantage of sharing a culture most close to that of the English-

speaking community (as against say Chinese-speaking or Arab-speaking people),

although most of us are not even aware of this fact. This is because western countries
have inherited and developed a Western culture and identity, based on the Greco-
Roman civilisation or even on a Judeo-Christian religious tradition (even though today
the religious element seems to be less and less noticeable). Moreover, thanks to the
predominance of English-speaking countries (especially of the USA) throughout the
West (and even across the world), and to a phenomenon known as globalisation, it is
virtually impossible to keep a “hermetic existence”, that is, to be free from the influence
of the culture of English-speaking countries. To put it bluntly, it is impossible for a
Spaniard to know nothing about the Americans or the English and their culture,
although curiously Americans or English may not know so much about us.
Now that the learning of the culture related to a foreign language has been justified,
it is important that we understand why a society must “create” its own cultural identity
or culture. There are several reasons for that, according to a rather anthropological
perspective:
1) The justifying function: according to it, there is a need for a society to use its
own culture in order to support its own institutions, behaviour and beliefs.
Once a specific group within a given linguistic community has developed an
identity of its own (different from the original one), it can support its own
institutions, behaviour and beliefs. For instance, even before the independence of
America from England, a new identity was being forged (the American identity),
which would justify the creation of an independent country.
2) The etiological function: a society creates its own culture in order to create or
reinforce its own identity, and not a foreign one.
Today, there seems to be an idea of identity directly related to the concept of
linguistic community (e.g. the English-speaking community), but also –and probably
most importantly– to the idea of country (or nationality) (e.g. being British or
American) or even to the idea of nation (e.g. the Scottish, (Northern) Irish, Welsh
and English have developed an identity of their own in spite of being British). Notice
thus that a nation is either a region or country where its inhabitants share common
ethnic origin, culture, historical tradition and, frequently, language.
3) The pedagogic function: a society must lay down a number of rules determining
the basis of behaviour among it own members. Its members must therefore get to

learn them well in order to be wholly accepted by the rest of society. In the past, you
picked up most of these rules by simply living in the bosom of a society. Today, the
teachings received at school are also very important for that purpose.
3) The controlling function: a society must lay down the codes of conduct among its
own members (with a specific hierarchy), which is required to enable its members to
live together in harmony. In the past, the customs regulating our codes of conduct
came from religious, moral and practical beliefs. Today, the legal systems created
across the world seem to play a most important part in this controlling function, too.
II. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND STEREOTYPES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING

COUNTRIES
In order to have a clear picture of the identity of a people, it is necessary to have some
knowledge of its society and history. Note that this unit is to focus in only two English-
speaking countries (which are highly representative anyway): 1the United Kingdom and
the United States, clearly the most predominant English-speaking countries in the
world. However, it is important to highlight that this unit could also have dealt with
cultural aspects peculiar to other countries such as Australia or Canada. However, for
practical and obvious reasons (which have to do with the extension of this unit), that
possibility has been ruled out.
Great Britain (in particular England) is important insofar as it could be considered as
the “cradle of the English-speaking world”. On the other hand, studying cultural and
social aspects of the United States is important insofar as this land constitutes at present
the most powerful and influential country in the world.
A. The United Kingdom and Ireland.

First of all, it is important to understand that the idea that foreigners usually have of
the United Kingdom is wrong: the United Kingdom is clearly made up of four
different nations, each with its own distinct identity and even culture. Notice
however that the country known as the United Kingdom occupies the British Isles
with the exception of most of the island of Ireland. It thus comprises the historic
1
Note that Ireland has also been included on this list, both as an independent country
(the Republic of Ireland) and a British dependency or territory (Northern Ireland).

kingdoms of England and Scotland, the principality of Wales and the province of
Northern Ireland, being only Southern Ireland an independent country. This means
that the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish are British, but only the English
are English (not the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish).
1. Scotland:
The Scottish have developed a clearly distinct identity of their own. They do not
consider themselves English, but Scottish, even if they are “British citizens”. Why is
that? The origins of the Scottish date back to Celtic tribes (the Picts and the so-called
Scots –the latter obviously named Scotland after their own designation), and not
really to Anglo-Saxon tribes.
Under the Roman Empire, the proud and fierce Celts were strong enough to repel
the Roman expansion in northern “Britannia”. In fact, the Romans were so fed up
with the Pictish raids that they eventually set out to build the so-called Hadrian’s
wall (a defensive wall in northern Britain, which originally ran 117 km).
Later on, the Scots, who in 850 had beaten and replaced the Picts’ control of the
territory (forming the Kingdom of Scotland), started a long fight against the
relatively “newly come” Anglo-Saxons (who had come in the 5 th century from the
Continent), and prevented them from conquering this land. For many years, it was
so, but the ever-growing predominance of the English nation in the British Isles
would entail a gradual anglicisation and English influence upon Scotland from the
eleventh century on (for example, the English language –the northern English
dialect– started to spread in the Lowlands). Thus, eventually Scotland would
inevitably become an English-speaking nation, and be united with England in 1707.
As a matter of fact, today the Scottish can proudly say that they have their own
self-government through the Scottish Parliament (in Edinburgh), their own religion
(the Protestant Church of Scotland), their own education authorities and –most
importantly, their own languages. That is to say: the official language is English, but
Gaelic (a Celtic language) is spoken, too. Finally, the “Scots language” (according to
many scholars it is simply a dialect of the English language) is also spoken.
Therefore, whereas Gaelic is the language of the most rural areas of Scotland (that is,
the Highlands & Hebrides Islands –with fewer than 100.000 speakers–), Scots is the
language of the Lowlands, for lowlanders have traditionally been more under the
influence of England.

That is why highlanders –who are by nature more conservative, unsophisticated

and more jingoist than lowlanders– regard themselves as the “genuine Scots” (who
–on the other hand– live especially on the sheep cattle and fishing in the most remote
areas of Scotland). However, the lowlanders (who are usually more sophisticated and
less conservative) are concentrated on the industrialised and densely populated areas
or towns of the South. Another important question, how are the Scottish seen
elsewhere? The stereotype of the Scottish is in general that of a serious, hard-
working (albeit stingy!) person.
Finally, notice that Scotland has given rise to many more famous people than
could be expected from a nation of such modest size and population (about 5 million
people today): Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson (literary figures), Adam
Smith (philosopher and the father of capitalism), James Watt (renowned for the
invention of the first practical steam engine) or Sean Connery (one of the most
popular Hollywood actors nowadays) are only some illustrative examples.
2. Wales:
Somewhat isolated by a rugged, mountainous terrain, the Welsh have retained
more of the culture of their Celtic forebears than the Scots have. In fact, Welsh is
the official language of Wales (together with English), and the most flourishing of
the Celtic languages (with about 500,000 active Welsh speakers of a population of
2,900,000 –especially in rural and less populated areas). Thus, several schools in
Wales now use Welsh as the medium of instruction, several written publications
are made in Welsh (mostly in poetry and the press), and television and radio
broadcasts are even made in that language.
On the other hand, even if Wales has been politically united to England since the
16th century, it has clearly kept a feeling of having a distinct identity (from the
English one). For example, Wales has experienced a relatively recent nationalist
revival of the Welsh political life. Thus, nationalist parties have received a
considerable political support, to the point that representatives of the Welsh
Nationalist Party serve in the House of Commons in London. And what is more,
the Welsh have even obtained their self-government through the Welsh Assembly.

Paradoxically, even if the Welsh have kept a stronger Celtic identity than the
Scottish, it is curious to note that the Welsh constitute a relative submissive nation
(as against say the Scottish). That is to say, the Welsh have traditionally accepted
English institutions better than the Scottish. Think for instance about the following
facts: the educational system of Wales is most similar to that of the English Local
Education Authorities; the Church of England was the established church of
England and Wales until 1920, when it was at last disestablished in Wales; On the
other hand, in a referendum held in September 1997 barely more than half of
Welsh voters supported the creation of a Welsh assembly (50.3 for, 49.7 against).
On the other hand, whereas three-quarters of the population is concentrated in
the mining centres of the South (which are also known for being industrialised
areas for its coal and steel), the North is known for its cattle breeding (in particular,
of sheep).
3. Ireland
Again, the population of Ireland is predominantly of Celtic origin. As a matter of
fact, the process of anglicisation and influence of England upon the British Isles is
quite similar in each case: one strong and predominant nation (England) conquers
and assimilates weaker Celtic nations (Wales, Scotland and ultimately Ireland).
However, to the idea of subjugation (which is normal in any conquest), you
have to add a historic fact, a historic injustice, which will help to better understand
why the Irish have traditionally been such recalcitrant people towards the English,
unprepared to accept the English sovereignty in any form: from the 16th century
on, the Irish people started to be driven out of their homes, and their lands were
systematically been granted to English colonists and Scottish lowlanders, who
spoke English and were Protestants. From then on, aboriginal Irish (whose main
identity features would be their ardent Catholicism and even their Gaelic language)
were regarded as second-class citizens. On the other hand, one of the most
dramatic and decisive events for Ireland's future was the Irish Famine of 1845-
1848, in which almost a million Irish “were left to die by the British authorities”,
and over a million people were thus compelled to emigrate, principally to the
United States. These new exiles carried with them a deep resentment of the British
presence in Ireland, and eventually they and their descendants played a vital role in
financing the fight for Irish independence.

At any rate, the struggle for national freedom in Ireland against the domination of
England (latterly Great Britain) lasted for 750 years (from the time of the invasion of
1170 to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922), which brought
independence to 26 of its 32 counties. In a way, this fight still continues in Northern
Ireland, even if the Protestants and Catholics seem to be on the road to peace
through the so-called Good Friday Agreement.
Probably, as a consequence of this apparent almost never-ending fight, the Irish
have probably kept their Celtic identity more consciously and proudly than Scottish
or Welsh have. However, they have failed in one important aspect: nowadays,
almost all the people speak English. About one third can also speak Irish. Although
Irish is the nation’s official language (with English), it is, however, the everyday
language of only a relatively small number of people, despite the effort made by
the government, and it seems likely to remain so.
Note that as a result of this dual Irish identity (the protestant and the catholic
identities) many famous Irish personalities are often labelled as being of “Anglo-
Irish” descent and of “genuine” Irish descent. Famous Anglo-Irish writers are
Jonathan Swift or Oscar Wilde; and famous “Irish” writers: William Yeats or
James Joyce. Other famous writers from Ireland are Samuel B. Beckett or Bernard
Shaw.
Finally, how are the Irish seen elsewhere? They are often considered warm,
welcoming people, even though –due to the fact that Ireland has traditionally been
a rural country– they are also seen as unsophisticated (or even foolish) people.
4. England:
The population of England is about 49 million, equivalent to more than 83 per cent
of the total population of the United Kingdom. Besides, it is now the most
predominant state of the British Isles. However, the origin of the English is closely
related to the Anglo-Saxon tribes that invaded “Britannia”, following the fall of the
Roman Empire in the fifth century (and not really to the Celtic tribes). These
Germanic tribes conquered and occupied lowland Britain, routing and driving the
Celts (who had mostly lived under the control of Rome until that moment) out of
their lands into Wales, Scotland or even Brittany (France). Much later on, the
power of the Anglo-Saxons (or English) became stronger and stronger, and
England came to conquer and annex Wales, Scotland and Ireland one after another,

imposing its yoke, institutions and even its language. Afterwards, England (which
would later become Great Britain, together with Scotland, Wales and Ireland)
would create probably the most pervasive and vast empire of human history: the
British Empire, which would extend its culture (especially language), influence and
control over all the continents of the world.
Much of this “superiority sense” is still present in the English psychic, even if
the English are now aware of the end of this predominance. Besides, the English
are said to be patriotic (if not jingoist), cold, distant and phlegmatic people but also
dutiful and very polite people.
On the other hand, England has given rise to an astonishing number of notable
writers in all fields: literature writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, William
Shakespeare, Mary Shelley or Dickens; philosophers like Francis Bacon; or
scientists in every field such as Charles Darwin or Isaac Newton.
B. United States:
The origin of this vast country of over 270 million people dates back to the English
settlements in North America in the 17 th century. Naturally, the English extended their
empire at the same time that they expanded their culture (language, customs,
beliefs...). So the most pervasive mark which the English left in America is obviously
a cultural trace, especially the sense of belonging to an English-speaking community.
However, saying that the Americans only identify with the Anglo-Saxons would be
wrong, for the USA is truly a land of immigrants from many different countries. In
fact, the American society is said to be “a melting pot”. That is to say, a society
composed of many different cultures, a place where people of different ethnic groups
are brought together, giving to America a rather intermingled or blurred identity.
Thus, there you will find people of every race, colour or religion, or from every major
country in the world.
On the other hand, everyone knows that the United States has become the most
powerful country in the world. In a way, it has “relieved” Great Britain of the “task”
of promoting the English language around the world, has extended its military and
economic power and influence (e.g. the “American way of life”, American food or
American music) on the five continents, and has recently become the only and
unquestioned super power in the world, now that the USSR has ceased to exist.

Now, how are Americans regarded given the predominance of the USA in the
world? Some people say that Americans are arrogant, but what seems clear to
everyone anyway is that they take pride in this world preponderance and are very
patriotic (just like the Spanish were/are –on the base of their great Spanish Empire– or
the French were/are –for exactly the same reason–). Besides, Americans are said to be
workaholic, very independent and attached to their family, albeit quite materialistic.
On the other hand, the United States has also given rise to an extraordinary number
of illustrious personalities in all fields: literature figures such as Mark Twain,
Hemingway, William Faulkner or John Steinbeck; philosophers like Thomas Pain.
Moreover, it is interesting to stress the fact that the United States is the country with
the greatest number of Nobel Prizes in medicine, physics and economics, which
proves that the USA has become the most important scientific centre in the world.
II. ICONS OR EMBLEMS OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES
A. The United Kingdom
This is the Union Jack or Union Flag. That is, the flag
representing the union of the English, Scottish, Welsh
and Northern Irish; in other words, the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This distinctive
was adopted in 1801, when the diagonal red Cross of St
Patrick (representing Ireland) was added to the red Cross of St George (representing England), and the
diagonal white Cross of St Andrew (representing Scotland).
John Bull: a stereotype personifying the typical Englishman.
For instance, it is often used in the press in satiric cartoons to
refer to the English people or their government. The name was
used for the first time in 1712 in a satire in which someone
named John Bull represented “an honest plain-dealing fellow,
choleric, bold and of a very inconstant temper.” In cartoons,

stocky John Bull is usually depicted wearing a squat top hat,

neckcloth, waistcoat, tailcoat, tight breeches and boots.
The British monarchy: It is without doubt one of the most famous institutions of
the United Kingdom. It is a symbol that epitomises the rich heritage and glorious long
history of its country, even though it has come under increasing criticism in the past
years as a rather archaic relic badly in need of a dramatic change, if it is to earn its
place in the 21st century. What does the future hold for the British monarchy? Will it
survive?
London: it is of course the capital city of the United Kingdom (and its gateway),
and was in the 19th century the largest and most influential city in the world, the
centre of a large and prosperous overseas empire. Today, it is still one of the world’s
leading financial hearts of the globe, but it also constitutes one of the most important
industrial, cultural and tourist centres of the world. With a population of about 7
million, this vast metropolis is by far the largest city in Europe.
British Pubs: the international English word pub is actually short for public house,
which in fact gives quite a good idea of what pubs really mean to the British. Of
course, you go there for a drink or two, or even for a meal. But they are a way of life
for the British. It is a sort of club to which anyone can belong, the place where the
British can chat, eat, drink (or meet and flirt other people!) at ease, the place for
socialising par excellence. Unfortunately, many people in Britain drink more than they
should. This is the reason why the laws deal so harshly with people who are caught
driving, even slightly drunk.
Finally, you could also refer to a typical topic in the lives of the British: the
weather, which is famous in the United Kingdom for being rather gloomy, for
apparently “it’s always cloudy and raining”. This has also contributed to the image of
the British stereotype: a gentleman always carrying an umbrella.
B. The United States:

The American flag (also known as the Star-Spangled

Banner or the Stars and Stripes): There is probably no
easier and better way to show one’s “pride of being
American” than by exhibiting this flag. It consists of 13
horizontal stripes symbolising the 13 original colonies
(7 red alternating with 6 white), and in the upper corner

there is a rectangular blue field containing 50 five-pointed white stars (each symbolising
one of the states of the Union). In this way, the 49 th and 50th stars were added in 1959
and 1960, respectively, after Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union.
Uncle Sam: nickname and image frequently used in journal

cartoons to personify the U.S. government. It is derived from the
initials U.S. The first visual representation or caricature of an
Uncle Sam figure appeared in political cartoons in 1832. In the
20th century Uncle Sam has usually been depicted with a short
beard, high hat, and tailed coat. In 1961 the U.S. Congress
adopted the figure as a national symbol. It is probably much
more famous than its British equivalent John Bull; in fact,
Americans frequently refer to “him” jokingly (in colloquial speech), instead of saying
the (American) government.
New York (city): it is the largest city (with a population of over 7, 3 million people)
in the United States, the home of the United Nations, and the centre of global finance,
communications and business. New York City is unusual among cities because of its
high residential density, its extraordinarily diverse population, its hundreds of tall office
and apartment buildings, its thriving central business district, its extensive public
transportation system, and its more than 400 distinct neighbourhoods. The city’s concert
houses, museums, galleries and theatres constitute an ensemble of cultural richness
rivalled by few cities. All this makes it one of the most famous and important tourist
cities of the world. As a matter of fact, when many people think of America they are
bound to think of New York City, for it is very representative of the greatness and
outstanding potential of this country.
Famous USA festivals:
- July the Fourth: it commemorates the date when the Americans unilaterally
declared their independence from England in 1776. It is the most important date

for the Americans, which explains why it is celebrated with parades and
fireworks across the United States.
- Thanksgiving Day: it is a bank holiday observed annually in the United States
on the fourth Thursday of November. The observance of Thanksgiving usually
stresses the holiday’s connection with the Pilgrims (the forebears of the
Americans in colonial New England in the 17th century), when they were all
gathered to thank God for all they had got, and even invited some Native
Americans to lunch (the holiday thus has also a generosity aspect). Today, most
people celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering with family or friends for a holiday
feast. Thus, it is mainly a celebration of domestic life, centred on the home and
family. That is why this holiday contributes decisively to reinforcing family
bonds between its members.
- Halloween: holiday of Celtic origin (taken to America by Irish immigrants)
observed on the evening of 31 October in most areas of North America and even
in some areas of Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated with
death and the supernatural. On Halloween many children dress in costumes and
go from house to house to ask for sweets by saying ”Trick or Treat!”, which
truly implies “You give me a treat (sweets). Otherwise, I’ll pay a trick on you”.
America has many other famous icons, emblems or symbols such as:
- The Statue of Liberty: located in New York City, this statue of 46 metres high,
is one of the tallest statues in the world. It is a symbol of freedom for the
Americans. It was a gift from France commemorating the first centennial of U.S.
independence from Britain in 1876.
- Hollywood: the Mecca of cinema. It is considered the place where all actors of
the world would dream to work one day. It is located in California, where many
famous actors usually have a luxurious mansion (mostly in Beverly Hills).
- Disney World: the first Disneyland park was built in California in 1955. Since
then other Disneyland park have been built, such as that of Eurodisney (in Paris).
As time went by, Disneyland parks have gradually become the most famous
theme parks in the world, the place where all children want to go.
On the other hand, Walt Disney has become an international leading name in
family entertainment, created the popular animated character Mickey Mouse, and
produced dozens of animated motion picture hits.

III. MUSIC AS A VEHICLE FOR CULTURAL INFLUENCE
A. Folklore music Vs classical music Vs popular music

Music can be considered as an integral part of the culture of a linguistic community.
Therefore, teachers or scholars of one specific foreign language could also include
music as part of the culture to be studied. However, in this case we are rather concerned
about music insofar as it can be employed as material for the teaching of foreign
languages. Yet, this aspect will be seen below
First of all, it is important to distinguish between the aforementioned types of music:
Folklore music is the traditional (often also local) music passed down in a
community or country from generation to generation. It is transmitted orally by
observation among people sharing a culture, maybe having in common an occupation,
language, ethnicity, age or geographical location. This body of traditional material is
preserved and passed on with constant variations shaped by memory.
On the other hand, the term “classical music” –narrowly speaking– refers to the work
of the Viennese classical school (and the works inspired by it afterwards) –with music
talents such as Franz Haydn, Mozart or L. van Beethoven. Of course its name was
coined by analogy with the master works of Greek and Roman art, which followed
“very definite classical cannons based on reason and sound feeling”. At any rate, it is
music famous for being recognised as good by everyone. However, classical music is
regarded as a style of music only fully understood and followed by “a small elite”.
Therefore, even if it is known to everyone, it is not really a popular music style.
Finally, popular music is produced for and sold to a broad audience, contrary to folk
music (which is rather disseminated within families and restricted social networks). In
the 20th century music becomes an extraordinary social phenomenon, especially when
the mass media becomes really accessible to the general public, and when both TV and
radio stimulate the demand for it. As a result of it, popular music –which is in principle
aimed at the general public, and especially the youth market, has become a commercial
phenomenon, and even a powerful way to influence people.

B. The importance of popular music today

The emergence of “pop music” in the way it has developed is rather hard to explain.
Music in the 20th century seems to encompass a bewildering variety of procedures and
approaches: Rock and Roll, Blues, Soul, Gospel, Jazz, Country music, Heavy Metal,
House music, Disco music, Chill-out, New Wave, Funk or Rap could all be
considered as examples of international popular music styles, given that they all have
become an international social phenomenon.
It is interesting to note that many of these music styles come from English-
speaking countries, and that the vast majority of the most popular bands or singers in
the world are of American, British (or even Irish or Canadian) origin. Thus, Elvis
Presley (the creator of Rock and Roll), Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Michael
Jackson, Louis Armstrong (the most influential figure in the history of jazz ), and
James Brown are of American origin; the Beatles (perhaps the most universally
acclaimed group of the 20th century), the Rolling Stones or Elton John are British;
Céline Dion (even if she is actually francophone) or Leonard Cohen are Canadians;
and finally U 2 and the Corrs are Irish.
It is easy to understand from this perspective how strong the influence of pop
English music upon the music landscape is, for most international bands or singers
come from English-speaking countries. In fact, English has come to consolidate as the
pop music language par excellence. As a matter of fact, it is curious to note that many
non-English-speaking artists decided to sing in English (ABBA, Céline Dion, Roxette,
Ricky Martin...) to reach a much broader audience. This confirms that English is an
international language even in the music business.
C. Using songs in the teaching of English as a foreign teaching

According to the communicative approach, the teaching of a foreign language must
provide students with material stimulating communicative purposes. This involves that
–if possible– they should be given “authentic material”, that is, meaningful material
which is as “real and close to them” as possible in order to offer motivating material.
That is to say, in order to get students speaking, listening, writing or reading English as
often as possible.
Considering the interest in pop music among the general public (in particular, among
the youth) around the globe, it would be a mistake to systematically avoid music in

teaching, for it can be highly motivating material. Therefore, music can be a valuable
help not only to motivate students, but also to get students dealing with interesting
issues or current problems (e.g. some songs of U 2 deal with the Northern Irish conflict
and many songs of the Beatles deal with universal subjects such as war, drugs or love).
Moreover, music can be useful for drawing students’ attention to pronunciation,
colloquial language or even to grammatical rules or vocabulary.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
It is very important to sensitise students about the importance of acquiring a good

cultural knowledge (and to teach it), so that they can get a clear picture of the identity of
the English-speaking community. For that purpose, it is important that they get a great
deal of information about the society, the life, the emblems or symbols, or even the
illustrious figures and key historic events of these countries.
On the other hand, it is also important that they understand that stereotypes are
simply an oversimplified standardised image or idea held by one person or group of
another. However, it is normal for people to have stereotypes of the British, Americans
or the Irish, and in principle there is nothing wrong about that. The problem arises when
they are bound to believe that those distorted images apply in almost every case.
Teachers must find ways to teach this type of cultural information in the most
efficient manner. Normally, the material and activities used by teachers include this type
of information implicitly, but the key point is to offer that material at the right time, and
in a natural way. This means that teachers should probably avoid providing this
information in unnatural situations which have nothing to do with the matter discussed
at the time.
Finally, it is important that teachers bear in mind not only all the methodologies and
approaches to the teaching of foreign languages, but also the modern technological
means (e.g. computer, video or audio tapes), and any type of material which can be

highly appealing to students. Needless to say, that material could of course include the
use of popular music.
VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
- François Bedarida: A Social History of England, 1815-1975, Methuen and Co.,

London, 1979.
- José Ramon Pardo: El Canto Popular. Folk y Nueva Canción, Aula Abierta Salvat,
Mardrid, 1981.
- Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corporation.
- William Miller: A New History of the United States, Dell Publishing, New York, 1964.


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Tema 69.

SOCIEDAD Y CULTURA. ESTEREOTIPOS

II. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND STEREOTYPES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING

III. ICONS OR EMBLEMS OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES................

IV. MUSIC AS A VEHICLE FOR CULTURAL INFLUENCE.............................

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 2

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 3

speaking community (as against say Chinese-speaking or Arab-speaking people),

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 4

II. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND STEREOTYPES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING

A. The United Kingdom and Ireland.

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 5

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 6

That is why highlanders –who are by nature more conservative, unsophisticated

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 7

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 8

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 9

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 10

II. ICONS OR EMBLEMS OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

A. The United Kingdom

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 11

stocky John Bull is usually depicted wearing a squat top hat,

B. The United States:

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 12

The American flag (also known as the Star-Spangled

(7 red alternating with 6 white), and in the upper corner

Uncle Sam: nickname and image frequently used in journal

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 13

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 14

III. MUSIC AS A VEHICLE FOR CULTURAL INFLUENCE

A. Folklore music Vs classical music Vs popular music

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 15

B. The importance of popular music today

C. Using songs in the teaching of English as a foreign teaching

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 16

It is very important to sensitise students about the importance of acquiring a good

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 17

- François Bedarida: A Social History of England, 1815-1975, Methuen and Co.,

Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre XXI 18

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