BRITISH NATIONAL SYMBOLS (0)

BRITISH NATIONAL SYMBOLS
Research work

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 2
INTRODUCTION 3
1. BRITISH NATIONAL SYMBOLS 5
1.1 Great Britain and British story 5
1.2 National Symbols and Nation Building 5
1.3 The Use of Flags throughout History 6
1.4 The Early Modern Flags. United Kindom: Union Jack 8
1.5 National Flags as Political Instruments 12
2. RESEARCH 16
2.1 The questionnaire 1 16
2.2 Analysis of the questionnaire 1 18
2.3 Results of the questionnaire 1 23
During the first questionnaire 30 students of the 9th and 10th class of Gymnasium were questioned about the British national symbols. 23
Surprisingly, according to the results, more than 50 percent of students are aware of the national flags of Great Britain, Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales . As can be seen , quite a lot of children also know the name of the Great Britain flag. However , almost all of the students have no idea about other names of the British flags, as well as about the patron saints. In addition , almost 90 percent of students are also unaware about the national holidays. 23
All things considered , we see that there is a need for students to pay more attention to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and to learn more information concerning those parts of the United Kigdom. 23
2.4 The questionnaire 2 23
2.5 Analysis of the questionnaire 2 24
2.6 Results of the questionnaire 2 32
CONCLUSION 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY 36

INTRODUCTION

Language is an important and prominent part of culture, so to learn the language well, it is necessary to understand cultural backgrounds of the language. The level of our learning cannot be judged just from the mastery of the vocabulary and grammar , it should also be judged from the point of view of country studies knowledge .
This paper will try to explore the British National Symbols which is one of the themes in the school curriculum.
The importance and choice of my research paper is explained by the following reasons:

• Firstly, there are a lot of different kinds of symbols in our everyday life;
  
• however, the area of my special interest is British National Symbols, to be more exact British national flags;
  

The aim of this research paper is to:

• to study literature dealing with history of national symbols;
  

• explore the British National Symbols;
  
• compare the knowledge of country studies symbols by gymnasium students of basic and high school.
  

The main tasks of the research is to:

• explore the symbols;
  
• explore meaning of symbols;
  
• explore origin of symbols;
  
• explore usage of symbols.
  

The methods of the research are:

• a survey ;
  
• an analysis;
  
• a comparison .
  

The object of the paper is British country studies. The subject is British Symbols.
My written part consists of two parts: theoretical which focuses on national symbols, their history, flags as political instruments and British national symbols, namely – flags. The second part is a practical part: a survey, analysis of the survey and the results of the survey.

1. BRITISH NATIONAL SYMBOLS

1.1 Great Britain and British story

Great Britain is an  island  in the  North Atlantic off the north- west coast of continental Europe . With an area of 229,848 km2, it is the largest island of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world. It is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands. The island is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constituting most of its territory: most of  England , Scotland, and Wales are on the island, with their respective capital cities, London,  Edinburgh , and  Cardiff . (wikipedia, 2015)
The Kingdom of Great Britain resulted from the Union of Scotland and England in 1707. More than a hundred years before , in 1603,  King James VI, King of Scots, had inherited the throne of England, but it was not until 1707 that the Parliaments of the two countries agreed to form a single kingdom. Subsequently, in 1801, Great Britain united with the neighboring Kingdom of Ireland, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. When  five -sixths of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom in 1922, the state was renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

1.2 National Symbols and Nation Building

The nation is visible through its symbols (flags, anthems, emblems), ceremonies (national days , sporting events ), monuments (memorials, buildings, national museums ), the land itself ( landscape ), its borders (insiders and outsiders) and the capital city. This assumption is illustrated by the fact that all nations, in order to be accepted internationally, must have a certain number of characteristics . The nation is usually known by six essential elements : a name, a capital city, clearly defined borders, a national flag, a national anthem and a national day. ( Scott , 2000)
Every nation needs a main sign to represent it. The national flag is for this reason not only a piece of cloth fluttering in the wind, it is a sign of self-expression, and a claim of sovereignty or the wish to attain sovereignty. Flags, generally overlooked in the nation formation process , are also essential symbols to rally around .
National anthems, much like flags, symbolise the nation and its collective self- celebration and unisonance. National days are occasions when national symbols are activated. They are the repeated annual occasions when the nation remembers its founding myth or celebrates its symbolic birthday.

1.3 The Use of Flags throughout History

There are `old', `modern' and `new' national symbols (flags) because nations vary in `age', in terms of continuity and independence.
The Romans , as far as we know , used two kinds of fabric flags, one with the image of the goddess of victory painted on it, and the other the flammula, consisting of red streamers attached to the spear, marking the presence of a general.
Another fabric flag used by the Christian Roman emperors was a ` sacred ' standard called labarum, employed as early as 400 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine. The labarum was a Christian version of the Roman vexillum. It marked an evolution from the latter as it displayed a portrait of the Emperor and his family or other government officials, and atop the staff , the monogram of Christ.
The legend about its origin, as told by the 4th century historian Eusebius in Life of Constantine, has it that the emperor before the victory over Maxentius in 312 had seen a sign of the cross in the sky with the words In hoc signo vinces. Again we have to note that, although similar in some functions to modern flags, none of these devices was flown from flagpoles - they were all portable deities.
In consequence flags in their modern sense were still to be invented. Nevertheless, flags are related to the units they represent, as signs of identification, whether flown in ancient or modern times .
Banners and Flags in the Middle Ages The Koran 's injunction against representational art encouraged the development of flags in the Arab World. These relied heavily on abstract patterns and calligraphic inscriptions - often religious texts - in embroidery, applique or painting. Even before the rise of Islam , promulgated by Mohammed in Arabia , flags of black and white were used in the early part of the 7th century. From what we know today , Mohammed (570-632) used one black and one white flag connected with him. The Arab World developed the tradition of using specific colors and inscriptions for different dynasties and leaders. As dynasties followed one another, contrasting colors were used, in order to differentiate the ruling dynasty from its predecessors. (Smith, 1975)
An interesting difference can be noted with regard to the use of colors by the Chinese and later by the Arabs; whereas the Chinese identified every color with a philosophical or religious concept, the Arabs associated specific colors with dynasties and individual leaders. Another interpretation of the Arab colours , from the last century, and based on the words of the poet Safi al-Din al-H'ily In the West, flags were introduced during the Crusades , and derived from the struggles between Christians and Muslims .
In the Christian world the practice of bestowing banners previously blessed by the Pope became a tradition of high significance at this time and followed the ceremonial forms set by pre-Christian Rome. These banners were generally called `pallia' and like the previously mentioned cloak of Mohammed, they were originally garments.
It is interesting to note that pallia were dedicated to St. Augustine (354-430), Charlemagne (742-814), and William the Conqueror (1028-1087). The cloak of St. Martin was another garment that was turned into a flag, which later became a cult object of Frankish kings and even influenced the choice of blue as part of the modern French tricolour.
Meanwhile the power that finally led to the creation of the Mongol Empire arose in Asia. Many of the Mongol standards displayed a device, a `flaming trident', reproducing the blades of a trident with flames surrounding them .
The flag of the Khan himself consisted of nine yak- tails hanging from a rack of crossbars. After the conquest of China lateral flags were used, still with the horsetail and the flaming trident. The use of flags by the forces of Genghis Khan (ca 1155-1227) was significant for the development of a world- wide flag tradition in that a special flag, actually called ` banner ', came to be connected with each regiment. It reads: "White are our deeds, black our fields of battle ; our pastures are green , but our swords are red with the blood of the enemy ". A banner refers to a cloth stretched between two anchor points bearing a slogan or a flag with heraldic arms, or a flag carried by a military unit. ( Brown , 1994)
It is thus evident from the first cloth flags in the Arab, Asian and Christian worlds that the practise of flagging one's community, beliefs and purposes has been in use for a very long time, regardless of material substance.
Vexillology has also been looked upon as a branch of heraldry and many national flags, their colours and designs, have been influenced by preceding coats of arms which were originally used to identify soldiers on the battlefield.
The first badge used during the Crusades was the Cross, which could be worn as a garment on the chest or back of the warrior. The imperial war flag of the Holy Roman Empire (from 800 onwards) displayed a white cross on red, symbolising the holy cause in which the battle was fought.
As early as 1188 different colours were in use for crusaders from different regions, a distinction illuminating that it is obviously impossible to provide a precise date of the first cloth flags since fabric flags have not been preserved from the Middle Ages.
A `badge' is a distinctive emblem added to a flag or used on its own. It was also decided in 1188, that King Philip Augustus of France was to have his own colours displayed on his cross flag (red cross on white), as were King Henry II of England (white cross on red) and Count Philip of Flanders (green cross on white).
These colours were later reversed and, while the reason for this remains unclear, England embarked on what today is considered a continuous tradition of a red cross on white from 1277, whereas France displayed a white cross, first on a red, then on a blue flag.
From this practice and time emerged the famous and significant cross flags, such as St. George's Cross (red cross on white), the Cross of St. Denis (a white cross on red) and the cross flag of the Teutonic Knights (black cross on white).
The Crusader flag displaying a white cross on red, was originally used by Christians against the European `pagans', and later became the flag employed by the Holy Roman Empire in battle.
The influence of heraldry on modern flags has been substantial, and the effectiveness of the symbolism has been reproduced due to the simplicity, distinctiveness and originality of heraldic colours and designs. The first cross flags indicated primarily that the military operations of the crusaders were sanctioned by the Pope. However, it is clear that these flags gained territorial associations as time went by.

1.4 The Early Modern Flags. United Kindom: Union Jack

As regards the modern national flags, the oldest national flag - the Danish Dannebrogen - from which all the other Scandinavian Cross flags have originated, can claim a direct link to the Crusader Cross. St. George's Cross of England, as one part of the modem Union Jack reflecting the political development of the United Kingdom.
The Cross of St George, originally seen as a less important flag, became as a result the flag to symbolise England, and the English trading companies started to use St. George as a basis for their own flags and in order to identify themselves at sea.
The Cross of St. George, earlier accounted for, has been traced back to 1348 , when Edward III made St. George the patron saint of the Order of the Garter . Later, after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, Henry V ordered all soldiers siding with the English to wear a band with the colours of St. George.
Although St. George's Cross is the founding component of the Union Jack and as such constitutes an old flag, the final version of the Union Jack emerged only in 1801 after the formation of the United Kingdom in 1800.
Earlier designs of the flag existed: a union flag was initiated as early as 1606 after the personal union of the crowns of Scotland and England, although the independent national cross-flags of England and Scotland were still in use on land and were legally formalised in 1707.(reigning 1572-84).
The end of the 18'h century marks the official beginning of the `national' flag. This was a gradual process where official recognition came after the flag and its colours had gained some sort of symbolic value .
It is of course impossible in all cases to establish whether flags had symbolic value for the elites only or whether the people associated themselves with the first flags that were adopted. As we have seen many countries had more than one flag denoting `belonging' before modern times. Varieties of flags referred to vague notions of ` nationality ' and were in their various designs used at sea by warships, unarmed vessels and privately owned craft be recognised in a context where flags emerged as political symbols in modern times. And flag law was adopted in 1906.
England: St. George's Cross (white with red cross) dates from 1348. when Edward III made St. George the patron saint of the Order of the 1348 Cross Flag Garter.
Scotland: References to the Saltire (diagonal) cross of St. Andrew (blue with white diagonal cross)
N. Ireland: The Cross of St. Patrick (white with red diagonal cross)
Wales: (Red dragon on white-over-green) The colours are the livery colours of the Tudor dynasty in the I5 `h c. The 'Dragon' is also (Wales) claimed to go back to the 15`h c. and has been the official badge for ® Wales since 1801.
The Welsh flag is not represented in the Union Jack, and was not recognised until the 1950s. The Welsh Dragon constitutes a 'Heraldic Flag'.
Britain: 'Union Jack' is a combination of the three cross flags above . 1606-Cross Flag England and Scotland in personal union combined their cross flags (1707) at sea (1606): (2) the Act of Union of England and Scotland established (1801) Whereas, internationally, the `Union Jack' represents Britain, the individual flags of England, Wales and Scotland, are flown nationally within those territories.
The cross-flags combined in the `Union Jack' are considered in this presentation including St. Patrick's Cross of Northern Ireland. Although comprising several nations, Britain can in terms of its symbolic and ceremonial expression be considered to possess a national `quality'.
The `Union Jack' is both a union-flag and a cross-flag, being a composite of the Cross of St. George of England (the red cross on a white background), the Cross of St. Andrew of Scotland (the white diagonal cross on blue background) and the Cross of St. Patrick of Northern Ireland (red diagonal cross on white background).
The Welsh Dragon (red dragon on a white-over-green field ), on the other hand, is not represented in the British flag. Although the white and green colours in the Welsh flag have old roots as the livery colours of the Tudors, the flag was officially recognised only in the 1950s, which is one reason for its exclusion on the Union Jack.
St. George's Cross, as an emblem, can be traced back to the 14 th century, when in 1348 Edward III made St. George the patron saint of the Order of the Garter. Later, after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, Henry V ordered all soldiers siding with the English in military action to wear a band of St. George.
The earliest reference to the distinct Saltire (diagonal) Cross of St. Andrew is claimed to date from the 8th century, while its colours evolved four centuries later, in the 12th century.
Regarding the Cross of St. Patrick (Northern Ireland), it has been suggested that the red saltire originated from the arms of the Geraldines, one of the influential Anglo- Irish families sent to Ireland to represent Henry II of England.
The Cross, which appeared in the 16th century, had a prominent place in their arms. The creation of the `Union Jack' was initiated during what can be considered a new era of British national flags, after the succession of the Stuart dynasty to the throne and during the growth of British naval power.
The first reference to the Union flag dates from a proclamation of 12 April 1606 declaring the personal union of the symbolism and ceremonies.
The Cross of St. Patrick, as part of the crowns of Scotland and England, when King James VI of Scotland (1567-1625) ascended the English throne, thereby becoming James I of Great Britain (1603-25). (Smith, 1975)
The design of the first union flag was formed by superimposing the Red Cross of England on top of the White Saltire of Scotland. However, the flags of England and Scotland continued to be flown separately on land.
The use of the first union flag (uniting the crosses of England and Scotland) remained restricted, being allowed only at sea from 1634 onwards on ships in the Royal Navy.
For a period of two hundred years, a great variety of ensigns, jacks and pennants were devised, and all were essentially variations of the Union Jack displaying the recognised British colours.
In the period known as the Protectorate (1649-60) the well-known golden Irish harp was also displayed in one variation of the union flag.
It was, however, removed with the restoration of Charles II in 1660. In the Act of Union (1707), by which England and Scotland joined together as the United Kingdom, the two combined crosses were officially recognised in order to reflect the preceding political events.
After the union with Ireland in 1800 the final design of the Union Jack, where the Cross of St. Patrick was counter -charged (counterbalanced) with the Scottish Saltire, was adopted on 1 January 1801.
To preserve the former cross flags and to manage the incorporation of St. Patrick's Cross (red diagonal cross on white), the heraldic advisers to the King suggested that St Andrew's Cross should be divided diagonally and red appear below and above the white (on the hoist half of the fly and above on its fly half).
In accordance with heraldic law the red cross may not border the blue background, so a white narrow border, or fimbrication, was added in between. This also held for the centre where a white border separated the crosses of St. Patrick and St. George.
The Union Jack has remained unchanged ever since. By an Order in Council of 9 July 1864 the present official system of flags was confirmed. The name `Union Jack' also became the official name for the flag in the late 19th century.
Other flags of Britain include the Civil or Red Ensign (red with the Union Jack in the first quarter) used at sea, the Government or the Blue Ensign (blue with the Union Jack in the first quarter) reserved for government vessels, and the Naval or White Ensign (the cross of St. George with the Union Jack in the canton) used by the Royal Navy.
The Royal Standard displaying two quarters of three golden lions on red and two quarters, one with the Irish golden harp on blue and the other with the Scottish rampant red lion on yellow, ought to be mentioned as the design is the same as that of the national arms.
The Royal Standard is the flag of the head of state and the banner refers to the monarch 's arms of dominion (excluding Wales). Its present form has been dated back to the accession of Victoria as Queen of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on June 20, 1837 . (Stilling, 1995)
No other flags in British flag history have ever rivalled the Union Jack. The flag began as a distinguishing flag of a ship , as an auxiliary of the principal flag, and evolved into the main flag of Britain and its empire.
Today the Union Jack is flown for government and military purposes and, at sea, as the flag of the Royal Navy. It is also used by the public. Traditionally the Union Jack has also been incorporated into 8 other flags, as authorised in civil, governmental, military, naval or royal contexts.
The Union Jack is, for example, displayed in the canton of the British Blue Ensign and the British Red Ensign. It also constitutes part of the flags of the Commonwealth nations such as Australia (and its states New South Wales, Queensland , South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia), New Zealand and Tuvalu ; and, in addition, of the U. S. State of Hawaii and the three Canadian states of British Columbia , Manitoba, and Ontario .

1.5 National Flags as Political Instruments

National flags constitute a powerful instrument for communication and participation. This is one reason why flags are not merely colourful ornaments. Instead, identification and representation are the key functions of the earliest kinds of symbolism.
Symbolic devices have been employed to identify groups and territories throughout history, while, at the same time, they have been used symbolically to differentiate communities from one another: the relationship between `us' and ` others ' isintimately linked to communal forms of symbolism. The original use of the medieval cross flags by England was to symbolise a holy mission (Christianity) against `others' (non-Christians).
Nations cannot be dated in a precise manner . However, national symbols, such as national flags, provide us with an indication when these communities started to assert hemselves.
From such a perspective it is useful to be able to account for, and interpret, the period when flags appear related to historical events and circumstances around this time. This has something to tell us about the complexity of the nationbuilding processes and the symbolic continuity, which may or may not exist with regard to the national community of today.
Symbolic discontinuity may therefore be interpreted as a sign of a period of political instability which has interfered, in one way or another, with the process of nation-building. Thus, some nations may then have been represented by symbolism of early unions or connected to them as part of empires, but they may have developed wholly independent symbolic regimes of their own.
The `old' cross flags of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were simply combined with the emergence of the political union.
The National Flag, the National Anthem and the National Emblem are the three symbols through which an independent country proclaims its identity and sovereignty, and as such they command instantaneous respect and loyalty. In themselves they reflect the entire background, thought and culture of a nation. (Tilly, 1994)
The question is: how is it possible that `a piece of cloth' has had such a significant impact on the most important political and cultural institution in modern times - that is, the nation? The flag has proved to have such powerful symbolic value that people have been willing to sacrifice their lives for it.
The soldier who dies for his flag, dies for his country; but as a matter of fact, in his own consciousness , it is the flag that has the first place. Whether one isolated standard remains in the hands of the enemy or not does not determine the fate of the country, yet the soldier allows himself to be killed to regain it. He loses sight of the fact that the flag is only a sign, and that it has no value in itself, but only brings to mind the reality that it represents; it is treated as if it were the reality itself.
A related and new practice, in which the notions of nationhood and citizenship are sanctified, is the `Citizenship Ceremony' in Britain. Under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, all new British Citizens are required to attend. The central elements of this ceremony are the Pledge of Loyalty to the United Kingdom' and the `Oath of Allegiance'. The latter reads as follows:
I (name) swear by Almighty God that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law.
These ceremonial statements are given in front of the Union Jack and the participants stand whilst singing the National Anthem, which closes the ceremony. The powerful symbolism invested in the practice of flying flags at half-mast is demonstrated by the offence caused when this practice is not respected.
In Britain, when Diana , Princess of Wales, died, the flags on all public buildings were at half mast except for the Union Jack flying atop Buckingham Palace where tradition stipulated that the flag should fly at full mast to mark the fact that Queen was in residence . The associations of the flag flying at full-mast as a sign of disrespect for the dead caused public outrage.
As a result, tradition had to give way to public pressure, and the flag was finally lowered at the Palace under intense media coverage. The process did not stop there; to mark the first anniversary of Diana's death (31 August 1998), the Queen ruled that all flags at the royal residences should be lowered and half-masted as a special mark of respect. The British government declared immediately that they would follow suit .
The national flag can be an ` active ' symbol on national days, coronations and royal weddings, and in parades, parliamentary debates, salutes, ceremonials, rituals, memorials and subtly in everyday procedures in the legislature . A specific example is the saluting of the flag, or standing up when singing the national anthem.
The state not only controls which national flag is to be used but its usage of national flags as they appear on a number of places controlled by the state: embassies, vessels of war, airlines , national museums, national monuments, capital city squares and stationery . There is also a specific protocol involved in the use of national flags at the headquarters of the United Nations and the European Union.
The state, too, specifies the days when the flag is to be flown in the practices of `official flag days'.
The flag as a symbol of dissent can be used as protest against authority, against a single action or as an ideological condemnation, but in such cases "the national symbol is manipulated in order to assert moral value over existing power value.
The public destruction of national flags is a form of desecration and represents deliberate acts of disrespect. An early example of flags being used in this way include the Jacobite struggle against the English Hanoverian kings, who after the battle of Culloden ( 1746 ) put a stop to the Highland resistance.
The treatment of the rebel standards captured provide us with interesting information about the associations involved: they [the rebel standards] were carried by the chief hangman of Edinburgh and by chimneysweeps, with an escort, and laid in the dust , while a proclamation was read explaining why they were to be burnt by the public hangman.
Each standard was then laid over the flames, while the senior herald named the Scottish clan that had marched behind it to battle. This was deliberate disrespect, with symbolic modes of contempt: training in the dust; handling by executioners and men associated with black soot; Historically, it is possible to observe how the national flag, as in Britain, has continuously moved from the sacred to the mundane sphere. Before 1939, it was hardly ever displayed by individuals, as it was associated with an official and/or royal context.
In contemporary Britain it is also used as decoration, for example on clothing. There are three main types of flags: Cross Flags (type 1), Tricolours (type 2), and Heraldic Flags displaying mainly heraldic devices (type 3). The symbolic origin for the `old' cross flags was religious. Cross Flags (Type 1)
The oldest flags of Europe are those which display the Christian Cross. Many of them have their origin during the Crusades and the military campaigns undertaken in the name of Christianity. Others have been selected later in order to symbolise the role of Christianity in the formation of the modern nation. Another old flag, in terms of its parts, is the Union Jack, a combination of the old crosses of St George, St Andrew and St. Patrick. (Tilly, 1994)

2. RESEARCH

2.1 The questionnaire 1

The following survey was conducted.
30 students of the ninth and tenth grades participated in it.
Students had to answer 14 questions .
The questionnaire:
1. What form do you study?
2. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 1. The flag of England
3. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 2. The flag of Scotland
4. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 3. The flag of Ireland
5. Whose national flag is it?
Picture 4. The Welsh flag
6. What is the name of the national flag of Great Britain?
Picture 5. The flag of the Union Jack
7. Whose patron Saint is St. Patrick? What is the name of their flag?
8. Whose patron Saint is St. George? What is the name of their flag?
9. Whose patron Saint is St. Andrew? What is the name of their flag?
10. Whose patron saint is St. David? What is the name of their flag?
11. What national holiday is celebrated on 17 March ?
12. What national holiday is celebrated on 23 April?
13. What national holiday is celebrated on 30 November?
14. What national holiday is celebrated on 1 March?

2.2 Analysis of the questionnaire 1

1. What form do you study?
Picture 6. What form do you study?
9 class
16
53.3%
10 class
16
53.3%
2. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 7. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
National flag of England
21
70%
National flag of Scotland
4
13.3%
National flag of Northern Ireland
3
10%
National flag of Wales
2
6.7%
3. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 8. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
National flag of England
1
3.3%
National flag of Scotland
20
66.7%
National flag of Northern Ireland
3
10%
National flag of Wales
6
20%
4. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
Picture 9. Identify this part of the national flag of Great Britain.
National flag of England
1
3.4%
National flag of Scotland
9
31%
National flag of Northern Ireland
20
69%
National flag of Wales
3
10.3%
5. Whose national flag is it?
Picture 10. Whose national flag is it?
National flag of England
2
6.7%
National flag of Scotland
3
10%
National flag of Northern Ireland
8
26.7%
National flag of Wales
17
56.7%
6. What is the name of the national flag of Great Britain?
Picture 11. What is the name of the national flag of Great Britain?
Union John
4
13.3%
Union Joy
2
6.7%
Union Jack
25
83.3%
Union Jeffery
3
10%
7. Whose patron Saint is St. Patrick? What is the name of their flag?
Picture 12. Whose patron Saint is St. Patrick? What is the name of their flag?
Don't know
29
100%
Другое
1
3.4%
8. Whose patron Saint is St. George? What is the name of their flag?
Picture 13. Whose patron Saint is St. George? What is the name of their flag?
Don't know
29
100%
Другое
1
3.4%
9. Whose patron Saint is St. Andrew? What is the name of their flag?
Picture 14. Whose patron Saint is St. Andrew? What is the name of their flag?
Don't know
29
100%
Другое
1
3.4%
10. Whose patron saint is St. David? What is the name of their flag?
Don't know
29
100%
Другое
1
3.4%
11. What national holiday is celebrated on 17 March?
Picture 15. What national holiday is celebrated on 17 March?
Don't know
26
89.7%
Другое
4
13.8%
12. What national holiday is celebrated on 23 April?
Picture 16. What national holiday is celebrated on 23 April?
Don't know
26
89.7%
Другое
3
10.3%
13. What national holiday is celebrated on 30 November?
Picture 17. What national holiday is celebrated on 30 November?
Don't know
25
86.2%
Другое
4
13.8%
14. What national holiday is celebrated on 1 March?
Picture 18. What national holiday is celebrated on 1 March?
Don't know
26
89.7%
Другое
3
10.3%

2.3 Results of the questionnaire 1

During the first questionnaire 30 students of the 9th and 10th class of Gymnasium were questioned about the British national symbols.

Surprisingly, according to the results, more than 50 percent of students are aware of the national flags of Great Britain, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. As can be seen, quite a lot of children also know the name of the Great Britain flag. However, almost all of the students have no idea about other names of the British flags, as well as about the patron saints. In addition, almost 90 percent of students are also unaware about the national holidays.

All things considered, we see that there is a need for students to pay more attention to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and to learn more information concerning those parts of the United Kigdom.

2.4 The questionnaire 2

The following survey was conducted.
30 students of the ninth and tenth grades participated in it.
Students had to answer 19 questions.
The questionnaire:
1. What form do you study?
2. Do you know anything about British National symbols?
3. What is the national animal of England?
4. What is the national animal of Scotland?
5. What is the national flower of England?
6. What is the national flower of Wales?
7. What is the national flower of the Northern Ireland?
8. What is the national flower of Scotland?
9. What do you think is the national tree of England?
10. What do you think is the national tree of Wales?
11. What do you think is the national tree of Scotland?
12. Who is the heroic outlaw in English folklore ?
13. Do you know that Saint George is the patron saint of England?
14. Do you know that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland?
15. What do you think is the national drink of Scotland?
16. What do you think is English national food?
17. Do you know the national bird of Wales?
18. Do you know that the Eurasian Wren is the national bird of England?
19. Are you interested in knowing British National symbols?

2.5 Analysis of the questionnaire 2

1. What form do you study?
Picture 19. What form do you study?
9 class 15 50%
10 class 15 50%
2. Do you know anything about British National symbols?
Picture 20. Do you know anything about British National symbols?
Yes 6 20%
No 14 47%
Maybe 10 33%
3. What is the national animal of England?
Picture 21. What is the national animal of England?
Don’t know 19 63%
The Barbarian Lion 2 7%
The White Lion 9 30%
The Siberian Tiger 0 0%
4. What is the national animal of Scotland?
Picture 22. What is the national animal of Scotland?
Don't know 15 50%
Unicorn 13 43%
Cat 2 7%
5. What is the national flower of England?
Picture 23. What is the national flower of England?
Don't know 18 60%
The Tudor rose 9 30%
The White rose 3 10%
6. What is the national flower of Wales?
Picture 24. What is the national flower of Wales?
Don’t know 18 60%
Daffodil 10 33%
Tulip 2 7%
7. What is the national flower of the Northern Ireland?
Picture 25. What is the national flower of the Northern Ireland?
Don’t know 18 60%
Shamrock 12 40%
Tulip 0 0%
8. What is the national flower of Scotland?
Picture 26. What is the national flower of Scotland?
Don’t know 18 60%
Thistle 11 37%
Tulip 1 3%
9. What do you think is the national tree of England?
Picture 27. What do you think is the national tree of England?
Don’t know 19 63%
Thee oak 11 37%
The maple 0 0%
10. What do you think is the national tree of Wales?
Picture 28. What do you think is the national tree of Wales?
Don’t know 20 67%
The oak 0 0%
The Sessile oak 10 33%
11. What do you think is the national tree of Scotland?
Picture 29. What do you think is the national tree of Scotland?
Don’t know 18 60%
Scots Pine 10 33%
The maple 2 7%
12. Who is the heroic outlaw in English folklore?
Picture 30. Who is the heroic outlaw in English folklore?
Don’t know 14 47%
Robin Hood 16 53%
13. Do you know that Saint George is the patron saint of England?
Picture 31. Do you know that Saint George is the patron saint of England?
Yes, I know 11 37%
No, I don’t 19 63%
14. Do you know that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland?
Picture 32. Do you know that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland?
Yes, I know 11 37%
No, I don’t 19 63%
15. What do you think is the national drink of Scotland?
Picture 33. What do you think is the national drink of Scotland?
Don’t know 14 47%
Whisky 15 50%
Tequila 1 3%
16. What do you think is English national food?
Picture 34. What do you think is English national food?
Don’t know 17 57%
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding 13 43%
Другое 0 0%
17. Do you know the national bird of Wales?
Picture 35. Do you know the national bird of Wales?
Don’t know 19 63%
Red kite 11 37%
White kite 0 0%
18. Do you know that the Eurasian Wren is the national bird of England?
Picture 36. Do you know that the Eurasian Wren is the national bird of England?
Yes, I know 11 37%
No, I don’t 19 63%
19. Are you interested in knowing British National symbols?
Picture 37. Are you interested in knowing British National symbols?
Yes 7 23%
No 23 77%

2.6 Results of the questionnaire 2

During my research work 30 students of Gymnasium were questioned on their knowledge of British national symbols. 
The half of students are in 9th form and another half in 10th form.
As it turns out only 20 percent of the students know something about British national symbols. For example, only 30 percent of pupils answered correctly the question about national animal and flower of England.
Half of questioned students have no idea what is the national animal of Scotland and 60 percent don't know anything about symbols of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland.
Although, 50 percent of students know the hero of English folklore, but not aware of national birds and patron saints.
According to the questionnaire, we come to the conclusion that students of gymnasium, who study English as a foreign language are not quite aware of the facts about British national symbols. It seems they know some facts, but not much.
What is more crucial and even sad, according to students' answers they are not interested in knowing British national symbols. That means there is not much interest in that kind of information.
So maybe there should be another way of motivating them learn more and attract their attention.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the importance of studying culture. Studying should allow learners to increase their knowledge of the target culture in terms of people’s way of life, values, attitudes, and beliefs, national symbols etc.
Foreign language learning is comprised of several components, including grammatical competence, communicative competence, language proficiency, as well as a change in attitudes towards one’s own or another culture. Cultural competence, i.e., the knowledge of the conventions, customs, beliefs, and systems of meaning of another country, is indisputably an integral part of foreign language learning.
At any rate , foreign language learning is foreign culture learning, and, in one form or another, culture has been taught in the foreign language classroom . Cultural knowledge is not only an aspect of communicative competence, but an educational objective in its own right.
Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who talks to whom , about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted... Culture...is the foundation of communication.
We can’t avoid touching upon different kinds of national symbols studying world history and culture. Having studied national symbols in general, still I read and analysed a lot of information connected with such national symbols as flags. Certainly, there is a lot of interesting and significant information about Britain, its history and its national symbols and their meanings, that students of basic and high school should know. 
At the same time, the second, practical part and the analysis made on the basis of the test, shows how uninformed children are of the simple facts about Britain.
Thus, under the circumstances and realizing how crucial the situation is, that research paper could significantly influence students' perception and realization of their need in paying more attention to this subject. 
In addition, that research can make them be more interested and motivated in exploring more facts and to look for extra information about Britain and even about other country symbols. Motivation is perhaps one of the most important elements in this situation. It goes without saying that cultural competence can lead to respect towards different cultures and it is important to stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity about the target culture. I hope my research might motivate students of Ahtme gymnasium to know more about British history and culture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, S. (1994). Otherness and the actor -network: the undiscovered. London.
Scott, K. (2000). Scotland to boost tourism with searches for ancestral roots. Edinburgh.
Smith, J. (1975). United Kingdom: The Noble Lineage of the Union Jack. London.
Stilling. (1995). Wales: Ddraig Goch (Red Dragon). London.
Tilly, C. (1994). Afterword: political memories in space and time. Edinburgh.
wikipedia. (15 April 2015 г.). Great Britain. http://en.wikipedia.org : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain
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