BRITISH COUNTRY &

CIVILIZATION STUDY

NGUYEN THI THANH THANH, M.A.

LECTURER OF UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES,
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG
PEOPLE AND
LANGUAGE

NGUYEN THI THANH THANH, M.A.

LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES
UNIVERSI TY OF DANANG
WHO ARE THE BRITISH?
 
Why British not English?

England =
Britain/ the
UK???

English = British?
 WHO ARE THE BRITISH?

d
t la nd les I relan
Sco Wa
r t h ern
No

BRITISH NOT ENGLISH

JUST ENGLAND IS BOTH ENGLISH AND BRITISH

WHO ARE THE BRITISH?

difference? between the names ‘Great

So, what is the
Britain’ and ‘the United Kingdom”- and what about
‘the British Isles’?

The United Kingdom = the United Kingdom of

Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) + Northern
Ireland
The British Isles is the geographical name that refers
to all the islands off the north west coast of the European
continent: Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, the Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man.
LANGUAGE

Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are still spoken now and
officially encouraged and taught in schools.
English developed from Anglo-Saxon and is a Germanic
language
However, all the invading peoples, particularly the Norman
French, influenced the English language  Some still have
French origin.
Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English but
all the countries have their own special accents and dialects.
MULTIRACIAL BRITAIN
 Recently, there have been many waves of immigration into
Britain and movement within the UK.
 For example, many people from Wales, Scotland and
Ireland; Jews, Russians, Germans, and Poles have come to
Britain (particularly London)

• Commonwealth citizens were allowed free entry into

Britain until 1962. Before the World War II, these immigrants
were mostly people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa.

• The new immigrant communities: is encouraged to continue

speaking their own languages as well as English.
MULTIRACIAL BRITAIN

 This latest wave of immigration has caused problems: racial

tension and racial prejudice in Britain today
 There is still discrimination against Asian and back people,
many of whom are unemployed or in low-paid jobs. However, the
atmosphere is improving.
 British culture is being enriched through its contact with other
cultures.
• For example, the British are becoming more adventurous in
their cooking and eating habits,
• and Chinese, Indian and Pakistani restaurants are very
popular.
• the pop music: where West Indian music has become very
influential.
EXERCISE

Write T for true and F for False. Correct the false

information
T
……………Invaders’ languages influenced the English language.
T
……………People from the 4 countries of Britain speak English.
F
……………Southern English accent is taught to foreigners.
……………People
F from Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland
can understand
T one another easily.
……………The
T British government encourages immigrant communities
to speak their own languages and English.
……………British
T culture is enriched through its contact with
immigrants’
cultures.
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

 The roots of English

 English began as a west Germanic language (brought to England by

the Saxons around 400 AD). Old English was the spoken and
written language of England between 400 and 1100 AD.
 Old English was very different from modern English and only a
few words can be easily recognized.
 From the Norman Conquest (1066) until the late 12th century, English
was replaced as the official language by Norman French, though
English was still used by the lower classes – (Middle English)
 English was influenced by French and also Latin in vocabulary
and pronunciation. French brought many words connected with
government, e.g. sovereign, royal, court, legal, and government itself.
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The development of Modern English

Modern English developed from the Middle English dialect of the
East Midlands and was influenced by the English used in London
English changed a great deal from this time until the end of the
18th century. During the Renaissance, many words were introduced
from Greek and Latin to express new ideas, especially in science,
medicine and philosophy.
The development of printing helped establish standards of
spelling and grammar.
 Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language (1755),
was the first authoritative treatment of English.
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English is now an international language and is used as a

means of communication between people from many countries.
As a result the influences on the English language are wider than
ever and it is possible that World English will move away from
using a British or American standard and establish its own
international identity.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.178)
SUMMARY:
PEOPLE & LANGUAGE
 Who are the British?
 Why British, not English?
 Great Britain and the United Kingdom
 the British Isles’?

 Language
 The multiracial Britain
 The English Language
 The root of English
 The development of Modern English
 English as an international language
 THANK YOU
FOR YOUR LISTENING