《英语国家概况》教案

1、PAGE PAGE 22英语国家概况教案The Society and Culture of Major English Speaking Countries教学目的：使学生了解主要英语国家（包括英国、美国、澳大利亚、新西兰、加拿大）的历史、地理、社会、经济、政治、教育等方面的情况及文化传统，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养跨文化交际能力。教学要求：该课程要求学生在重点熟悉和掌握英美两国的基本社会文化知识的同时，还要了解一些有关其他英语国家的文化背景知识，大众文化习俗、仪式及其他生活方式。同时要注重学生在语言知识和能力上的提高。教学内容：目的语国家历史、地理、政治

2、、传统等概括性文化知识，目的语国家的大众文化习俗、仪式及其他生活方式，价值观、解决问题方式等影响跨文化交际的深层文化。教学方法：采取提问式、讨论式、发现式、研究式、任务式、中西对比等灵活多样的教学方式。基本形式分两种：讲座；学生制作课件及演示。作业方式：每班分为若干小组，就英语国家社会文化中一些轻松话题做课件并演示（每组一次）。思考问答题(每学期两次)测试方法：1、学生制作课件及演示，占总成绩20%。2、平时作业2次，占总成绩30%,。3、期末测试：简答题（关于英国、美国历史、政治、经济、教育、媒体五个方面的简答题）；占总成绩50%。英国（2015-2016学年度第一学期）The United

3、 Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland第一、二 周A General Introduction概况介绍教学要求及重点内容：了解英国名称、组成部分、地理位置、人口及构成、气候、主要城市等基本信息。Its full name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Geographical location: Western Europe, separated with European Continent by English Channel.Component: E

4、ngland, Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandPopulation: about 6.0 million, 80% living in EnglandSize: 242,000 square kms; north to south 1,000 kms; east to west 500 kms.Climate: latitude between 50-60 degree (long days in summer, short days in winter); influenced by North Atlantic Drift, generally m

5、ild but windy and rainy. Important cities: London; Manchester; Birmingham; Edinburgh; Cardiff; Belfast National Flag: Union FlagLanguage: the English language is becoming the universal language.EnglandMajor cities: London in the south, York in the north, Manchester and Liverpool in the North West, B

6、irmingham in the middle.Major counties: 44 counties, eg: Greater London, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Lankashire, etc.London：A world famous city with 2000 years of history; political, economic, historical and cultural center of the nation; 7 million people.Tourist attractions:Buckingham PalaceWest

7、minster CathedralSt Paul CathedralLondon TowerBig Ben and Parliament BuildingThe British MuseumMadame TussaudsGreenwich Royal ObservatoryDowning street No. 10ScotlandThe 2nd largest of the 4 nations, with only 5 million people (mostly Scottish), and with the most beautiful picturesque landscape (hig

8、hland, Loch Ness).Language: English with strong accent; Gaelic (few people)Major cities: Edinburgh (capital, one of the most beautiful cities in the world), Glasgow( the largest in Scotland).Scottish folk song: Auld Lang Syne; Scottish music: bagpipe; Scottish mens tartan skirt; great poet Robert Bu

9、rns, etc.History: Scotland was an independent nation and didnt join the Union until early 18th century. It experienced countless wars with England during its independent period (Braveheart). Even though its part of Britain, it remains independent in many ways, such as it has its own parliament makin

10、g its own laws, but meanwhile it has parliament members in London.WalesSituated in southwest of Britain; less than 3.0 million people; two languages (English and Welsh); many castles; capital city: CardiffHistory: the native Welsh are mostly Celtic descendants. Like Scottish people, Welsh also exper

11、ienced many wars against English invasion until it was brought to UK administratively, politically and legally.Northern IrelandThe smallest of 4 nations, with only 1.5 million people. Irish people speak English with special accent. Capital city: Belfast. tourist attractions: Giants Causeway. Economy

12、: relatively not as developed as other parts of UK.(largest ship builder: Titanic)History: a complicated one. As a part of Ireland, how did Northern Ireland join the UK and when? Whats the relation between Ireland and UK? The majority of Irish people were descendants of the original Celtic people, t

13、herefore different from the Anglo-Saxon English people. But they were under the control of English for 700 years, and before 1921, the name of Britain was the United Kingdom of G B & Ireland. After endless fights, the Irish finally earned their freedom and independence in 1921. The troubles in North

14、ern IrelandHowever, there was a problem in Northern Ireland. In the 17th century, the English government encouraged people from Scotland and England to emigrate to north of Ireland, trying to increase its control of Ireland. Religiously, these people were Protestants while the Irish were Catholic. P

15、olitically, they saw themselves as British and wished to remain a part of UK rather than join the Republic of Ireland. As a result, the 6 northern counties remained in UK.In Northern Ireland over 60% of the population were Protestant English who dominated the society politically and economically. Bu

16、t there were still 40 % Catholic Irish, who didnt like to be separated from the southern Ireland, and they felt they were dominated by the Protestants. They began to protest and fight for equality. The English government started to send soldiers there to maintain social order, but still the hatred b

17、etween them wouldnt go and conflicts increased. Terrorists(IRA-Irish republican Army) used bombing to attack the military forces and even went to London to bomb. (example of Sean-a roommate from Northern Ireland) (thousands of people were killed during those years) (Bloody Sunday in Derry)第三、四、五周Eng

18、lish History700 B.C. Celts were the first known settlers of the British Isles( as well as Ireland). They lived in tribes.43 A.D. Romans invaded this island and conquered the Celts or drove them to the edge of the island, making it a province of the Roman empire. 450 A.D. The Angles and Saxons of the

19、 German tribes in northern Europe came to England and drove the Romans out of England and the Celts to Scotland and Wales. The Anglo-Saxons set up many small kingdoms in England and finally they were merged into 7 kingdoms. The Anglo-Saxons became the forefathers of todays English people. (a legend

20、about King Arthur1066 Norman conquest Normans (another German tribe) from France crossed the English Channel and invaded England. The Anglo-Saxons were defeated by the Normans led by William. William was then called William the Conqueror and became the first king of an United England. He was William

21、. For the next several hundred years, the French-speaking noble class dominated the English speaking Anglo-Saxons. (a legend about Robin Hood)1337- 1453 the Hundred Years War（百年战争）As England became stronger and more powerful, it wanted to have more control of Europe. The result was the Hundred Years

22、 War with France. Black Death a deadly plague that struck Europe and England in the mid 14th century. At that time, the population was 3.5 million. 40% died of this deadly disease.1455-1485 Wars of the Roses : a series of civil wars between the king Henry(Lancashire) and a powerful Duke(Yorkshire).

23、Those who supported the king wore a red rose, while the supporters of the Duke wore a white rose, thus the name “Wars of the Roses”. In 1533 Henry declared that the church of England be separated from Roman Pope and declared himself the Head of the church. English, instead of Latin, became the langu

24、age for churches.1558 the Elizabethan Age: Elizabeth, the younger daughter of Henry, became the Queen in 1558. It is a time remembered by every Englishman. She was in power for over 60 years. The Elizabethan Age was a glorious time. It was prosperous and well remembered for two things: literature an

25、d economy. The Renaissance started from Italy in the 14th century and spreaded to Britain in the 16th century, and flourished in the form of drama plays. The greatest playwright in England was produced -William Shakespeare. He wrote more than 30 comedies, tragedies and histories, among which the fam

26、ous ones include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet. In 1588, the English Fleet defeated the Spanish Fleet(海上马车夫) and became the most powerful on the sea.The 17th century The English Bourgeois RevolutionDuring the 16th century, parliament already appeared. It comes from the word “parley”, meaning “to discuss”

27、. When the kings were in trouble, such as at war with other countries, they usually went to the nobles and the rich for military and financial help. Naturally, these nobles wanted to have their opinions listened to by the kings. Gradually these people grew powerful and formed an organization called

28、parliament. The kings had to cooperate with the parliament in ruling the country. But some kings didnt like the idea of ruling together with the parliament, especially Charles. He wanted to rule by himself, so he met strong opposition from the Parliament. As a result the civil war broke out. The par

29、liament led by Oliver Cromwell defeated the army led by the king, and Charleswas executed (beheaded). Britain became a republic (the only one in British history, 18 years). Cromwell was a cruel ruler, so when he died, the parliament made a compromise and welcomed back from France the son of Charles-

30、Charles. But ever since then, the power of the parliament was strengthened and the power of monarchs was weakened.The 18th centuryThe Industrial Revolution, was the result of development of capitalism in Britain. It took place first in Britain in the late 18th century and lasted until the early 19th

31、 century. It started from the invention of the steam engine, followed by a lot of other inventions (Manchester). Factories appeared; Big towns appeared. The Industrial Revolution brought a fundamental change to the way of life of British people.It lost its largest overseas colonies_America after 150

32、 years of colonizationThe 19th centuryThe Age of Queen Victoria,: another glorious time. It was also an age of colonial expansion. After Christopher Columbia discovered American land, Spain, Britain, and France started to explore the new land. From the 17th century, the British began to settle in no

33、rth America. Soon the British government began to assert control on it. In the late 18th century, Britain also acquired the vast, underpopulated landsCanada, Australia and New Zealand. By 1819, Britain conquered India , making it a colony. In Africa, almost 2/3of African countries were colonized by

34、Britain. In China, the treaty of Nanking allowed Britain to colonize Hong Kong, and five other ports were opened to British trade. By 1900, Britain had built up a big empire where the “sun never sets”. The 20th century: the two world wars (1914-1918) (1939-1945).Britain was involved in the two world

35、 wars, by which its economy was seriously weakened, and it gave way to the two superpowers, with the US representing the West and the former Soviet Union representing the Communist world.The glory of Britain is no longer there, however, shes still widely respected because of her contributions to the

36、 world. (1) The political system of the Western countries was all established on the basis of British parliamentary democracy. (2) The old Queen Elizabeth 2 is still the head of the Commonwealth members (the British commonwealth of Nations 1931).第六、七周The Government of the UK history1.1 British polit

37、ical system： a system of Parliamentary Democracy, or representative democracy, which means that the people do not rule themselves directly but elect representatives to rule for them.“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, by a British historian of 19th century千真万确1.2.The de

38、velopment of parliamentary democracy: Parliament: from the word “parley”-discuss. From absolute monarchy system in 11th century to power sharing between the monarch and parliament in 17th, 18th and 19th century, to constitutional monarchy in 20th century.At present: Britain is a constitutional monar

39、chy, a monarchy in which the sovereign has mainly advisory and ceremonial responsibilities. Its constructional position is “the Queen reigns but does not rule”.2. The Structure of Central Government Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary 2.1 Legislature立法部门Parliament: The function of it is to pass la

40、ws. At the meantime it watches that the government is working properly and its policies and decisions are in the public interest. eg. It examines in detail what the govt does; it controls govt income and spending; Govt has to justify its actions and policies at Question Time. It consists of two cham

41、bers, the House of Lord and the House of Commons.House of LordWho can become members of this house: religious representation, used to be those Bishops of the Church of England, now under reform750 hereditary Peers: those who inherited their noble titles, under reform now.503 life peers: those who ha

42、ve been appointed by the Queen on the advice of the PM, eg. Margret Thatcher.The House meets about 150 days a year when debates are held on national and international affairs or laws reviewed and revised. They dont get salary but receive a small fee for attending a session.The House of Commons: the

43、real political center. It consists of 659 Members of Parliament. Each MP represents the voters in an area called a constituency ( an MPs seat, represent about 60000 people). They have to be reelected when a new government is formed at a General Election. They are paid a salary of about 50,000When th

44、ey have meetings, the PM and the Cabinet sit on one side in the front row of seats (called the front bench), and the leader of the Opposition Party and the shadow Cabinet sit on the other side. MPS sit behind their respective party leaders on the “back benches” What goes on in the House ?debates of

45、important issues; question Time; making laws2.2 The Executive行政部门The Monarch (Her Majesty)Historically the monarch had more power in the government of Britain, but today does not exercises political power, and the role is largely a symbolic one. The present monarch is Queen Elizabeth , the constitut

46、ional Head of State. She succeeded the reign in 1952 from her father George (Edward , her uncle) and she is well respected and loved by her people. But Her children brought her great trouble esp. in marriage life.Her major jobs:As Head of State，she presides over the State Opening of Parliament (seve

47、ral times a year).She has to give the Royal assent of agreement to any new law that is passed by parliament.She meets with the Prime Minister in Buckingham Palace Once a week.Prime Minister and Ministers: The ministers are executive heads of government departments(about 25, all MPs); Cabinet: minist

48、ers of the major departments, chosen by the Prime Minister. They resign if they make any mistake. Local government: county郡. the same structure with central government, councilors (郡和市议员).3.Politics3.1 How is an MP elected?-Who can become an MP? Anyone over 21, usually actively interested in politic

49、s and belong to one political party, often as councilor in local government, may come from any job or profession.-How? First to be approved by the head office of the political party (which he wants to represents); then has to be selected as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in a constituency.Pro

50、cess: 3 weeks before election day, local campaign is organized by the party in the constituency. Candidates contest for the most votes in the constituency; candidates make public speeches, appear on local TV; on Election Day the candidate who has the most votes wins; enters Parliament, representing

51、all people in the constituency as their MP.Some figures: 3.2 General Elections:there are now 3 major political parties：A general election is held every 5 years, can be held earlier in two cases: when the government loses a “vote of no confidence” in the House of Commons, as in 1979; if the PM thinks

52、 the government is popular and calls an early election hoping to win another 5 years, as happened in 2001 and 2005.Result of election: The party which wins the election forms the government, and the party leader naturally becomes the PM. The party which loses becomes the opposition party, who are re

53、sponsible for criticizing government ministers and making opposition policies. 3.3. Political PartiesThe Conservative party, the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats.The Labor party: newest of the three, created by the trade union movement, believed in a relatively equal society economically, esta

54、blished a series of social welfare programs including NHS and many different kinds of welfare payments, leaving great impact on British society; in power for 34 years continuously. Replaced by the Conservative party from 1979 to 1997. Tony Blair: 1997- present.The conservative party spent most time

55、in power; replaced the Labor party in 1979, under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher; believes in a small government and free-market economies, favoring low taxes. One major policy was the privatisation of nationalised industry. Consequences: industries more efficient and profitable; unemployment r

56、ate higher. Mrs. Thatcher was in power from 1979 to 1990; John Major( 1990-1997)4. ClassCharacteristics of working class: manual labor; speak with strong regional accent; read tabloid newspapers; receive less education; earn less money.Characteristics of middle class: office work; speak without stro

57、ng accent; read quality papers; earn more money; receive better education (their children)Hereditary aristocracy: distinctive from other societies. 5 noble titles: Duke(公爵）; Marquis（侯爵）;Earl（伯爵）; Viscount（子爵）; Baron（男爵）; Baronet （准男爵） These people are not as influential as in the past.About 10% of B

58、ritish citizens are from no-European ethnic groups, among whom 80% are from south Asia and Caribbean countries.Positive side of having lots of immigrants: increases the variety and interest within British culture (food and music)Negative side: Ethnic relations in the UK: general situation 第八、九周 1. T

59、he History of the UK Economy1.1 Before 1945:By the 1880s the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of the worlds manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, half its cotton. The amount of British shipping was greater that in the rest of world put together.1.2 After 1945:The

60、UK Economy gradually declined, from the first, to the second and now the sixth largest in the world, following the US, Japan, Germany, Canada, France.Reasons for the decline: Firstly, the country had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the WW2, selling most of its accumulated overseas assets,