Society and culture of english-speaking countries (0)

Society and culture of english -sspeaking countries
Introduction
1. The countries of the world where the English language is spoken.
2. Approximate number of mother tongue speakers of English
approximately 350-400 million native speakers.
Which place does English occupy in the world by its number of speakers?After which language ?
English occupies second place by its number of speakers after Mandarin Chinese .
3. What is the difference between English as a Second Language, English as a Foreign Language and English for Specific Purposes ? Give examples of situations where they are used.
English as a Second Language (ESL or TESL) is a traditional term for the use or study of the English language by non-native speakers in an English-speaking environment. That environment may be a country in which English is the mother tongue (e.g., Australia , the U.S.) or one in which English has an established role (e.g., India, Nigeria)
English as a foreign language A traditional term for the use or study of the English language by non-native speakers in countries where English is generally not a local medium of communication .
English for specific purposes - a sphere of teaching English language including Business English, Technical English, Scientific English, English for medical professionals, English for waiters, English for tourism , English for Art Purposes, etc
4. What is the difference between settlement colonies and the trading empire (dependencies)?
Settlement colonies were regions colonized by the UK that later established governments and became dominions and independent.
Dependencies were regions in the world that became trading partners and where English became a second language.
5. Which British colonies became dominions? What was their status ? Is the name dominion used for these countries nowadays ?
The first dominions were Canada (1867), Australia (1901), and New Zealand (1907)
The name "dominion" is not used anymore.
6. Which organisation unites Britain and most of its former colonies nowadays?
The Commonwealth unites Britain with its former colonies.
Ireland
1. Who were the early inhabitants of Ireland?
Seafarers, fisheremen and hunter -gatherers from mainland Europe arrived around 8000 BC
2. When was Christianity established in Ireland?
432 AD Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland and began converting the Irish to Christianity.
Who is Ireland's patron saint? Saint Patrick is Ireland's patron saint. When is his feast day? His feast day is on 17 March
3. When did the English conquest of Ireland begin?
Henry II, with permission from tha Pope, sought to conquer Ireland. In 1171 he became the first English monarch to set foot on the isle .
4. Who were settled in the province of Ulster by King James I?
James I settled English and Scottish Protestants in Munster and Ulster.
What has this resulted in? It has resulted in an amount of English people in Ireland.
5. What is meant by Home Rule ?
Home Rule was a movement that sought to repeal the Acts of Union 1800. The Home Rule Act, was meant to permit Ireland self- government within the UK.
6. Changes in the number of population since the 1840s.
1841 : 6.5M in Ireland, 8.2M on the island
1901: 3.2M in Ireland, 5M on the island
1951: 3.0M in Ireland, 4.4M on the island
2011: 4.6M in Ireland, 6.4M on the island
Causes of emigration from Ireland.
The Irish Famine caused some 150,000 people to leave the island. The Great Famine (1845-52) killed roughly a million and prompted another million to emigrate.
In 1890, 40 % of Irish people were living abroad
"Exodus in reverse" has been used to describe Irish people returning to Ireland, especially from the US.
Immigration from many countries, but mostly from Poland , the UK, Lithuania , Latvia, Nigeria and Romania.
Is Ireland still an emigration country? No
7. What is the difference between the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland?
All three names refer to the same country ( Northern Ireland was part of the Irish Free State for one day, if you want to be really pedantic).
The Irish Free State was established in 1922. It was part of the British Commonwealth, and a dominion of the UK, with which it shared a monarchy. Before this, all of Ireland was a part of the UK.
In 1937, Irish voters backed a plebiscite which voided the Anglo-Irish Agreement (which created the Irish Free State), changed the country's name to Ireland, and set in motion the formal transition of Ireland into a fully sovereign republic.
This state still exists today , and is still officially called Ireland. It is commonly known as the Republic of Ireland, to avoid confusion with the entire island.
Some people use the term "Irish Republic", interchangeably with "Republic of Ireland", to refer to this modern state of Ireland. However , the original Irish Republic declared independence from the UK in 1919.
8. What are the official languages of Ireland?
Irish (first official language) and English(second official language). English is the dominant language
What is the situation of the Irish language at present ?
Irish is compulsory in all those schools that receive public money .
In 2007, Irish was recognized as an official language of the EU.
Road signs are usually bilingual.
According to the 2011 Census, 41% of the population claim to be able to speak Irish
77,000 people speak Irish daily outside the education system
9. What languages is the Irish language related to?
Irish is a Celtic language. Other Celtic languages include Breton , Cornish, Manx, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh .
In what alphabet were the earliest sources written?
The Ogham alphabet was used tp write the Irish language in C4-C9.
10. Which is the most famous medieval manuscript?
The Book of Kells from C9
11. Which famous writers are of Irish origin ?
W.B. Yeats
George Bernard Shaw
Samuel Beckett
Seamus Heaney
Oscar Wilde
12.The Irish people outside Ireland. Who of the US presidents come from Irish families ?
J.F. Kennedy
The West Indies
1. Where are the West Indies situated ?
The West Indies is an archipelago around the Carribean Sea. The name is derived from its geographical position and its relation to Columbus ' original voyage to the area. 'West' differentiates from the 'Indies' in South and Southeast Asia .
2. Who were the original inhabitants of the area?
After 500 BC, the Saladoid people migrated from present-day Venzuela to the Lesser Antilles.
Around 650 AD, the Saladoid people were replaced by the Arawak Indians
Around 1200 AD, the Arawaks were in turn succeeded by the Caribs.
3. When and by whom were most of these islands discovered for the Europeans?
1490s Christopher Columbus
4. Which countries colonised this area?
The Spanish and Portuguese arrived in C16. England , France , and the Netherlands began their conquests in C17. Denmark only acquired a few islands.
5. Which languages are spoken in the West Indies? What is the origin of the people who live there ?
Pidgin is a simplified language that is born out of contact (e.g. trade) between speakers who do not speak the same language. The elements of two or more languages coalesce.
Creole is a pidgin language that has become the native language of a community. Usually it was a mix of a European and another language.
6. When did most West Indian countries gain independence?
In 1804, Haiti became the first Carribean nation to gain independence. In 1844, the Dominician Republic declared its independence from Haiti. Cuba became independent in 1902 . Subsequently, the British West Indies became independent, starting with Jamaica, as well as Trinidad and Tobago.
7. What are the main branches of economy in the West Indies?
Sugar industry
8. Which styles of music and dance originate in the West Indies?
Syncopation and percussion are direct manifestations of African heritage.
Limbo was born in Trinidad in mid-C19.
9. Which religions are spread in the West Indies?
Voodoo , Rastafarianism, Santerua, Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism , small minority are Hindus, Muslims, or Jews , many worship the Christian God and African gods at the same time.
Why are there so many different religions?
many people came with their beliefs
Who are Rastafarians?
The Rastafari use marijuana for spiritual and ritual purposes. Dreadlocks were inspired by biblical admonitions against cutting hair and the Rastafari are likewise forbidden to cut their hair.
Canada
1. Which place does it occupy in the world by its area?
Canada is the second- biggest country in the world, after Rusiia, so second place. Its area is 9.9M km2
2. The main geographic landforms
Significant landforms include the Appalachian Mountains ; St. Lawrence River; Canadian Shield; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Great Lakes ; Hudson Bay; Great Plains; Lake Winnipeg; Columbia , Fraser, Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers; Great Bear Lake; Great Slave Lake; Rocky Mountains; Canadian Cordillera and the dozens of volcanoes along the Pacific Ring of Fire .
3.How is the population distributed on the territory of Canada?
Population density: 4 residents/km2
Densely and sparsely populated areas . Canada is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.
4. Who are the native peoples of Canada?
Métis (mixed-race decendants of the indigenous peoples)
Inuit (also referred to as Eskimos)
The First Nations (various indigenous peoples who are neither of the above )
5. The discovery of Canada by Europeans (St Brendan, Scandinavians, John Cabot , Jacques Cartier).
St Brendan the Navigator (C6) was an Irish monk. Tradition holds that he reached North America on one of his voyages.
Leif Eriksson (C11) was a Norseman who likely landed in North America around 1000 AD.
John Cabot was an Italian explorer who reached North America in 1497.
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who landed in modern-day Newfoundland on 10 May 1534
6. From which countries did most immigrants arrive in Canada in the following periods: before the 1760s - The French founded New France and Québec City in 1608 .
1760s to the end of the 19th century
The French and Indian War ( 1754 -1763) was the North American theater of the Seven Years ' War. The British colonies in America defeated New France, forcing France to cede almost all of its territory to Britain and Spain .Subsequently, most immigrants arrived from Britain, either directly or via US
Chinese immigration to British Columbia was extensive in the latter half of C19.
In the beginning of 20th century, most immigrants were from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Scandinavia
After World War II,Canada accepted many immigrants from war-torn countries (e.g. Estonia, the Netherlands, and Italy ).
Since the 1970s, immigrants have mainly been visible minorities from the developing world. Most immigrants currently arrive from South Asia, China , and the Carribean.
7. Which province has the highest percentage of population of British origin?
Newfoundland
of French origin?
New France and
One more province that has a large French-speaking population.
Québec City
8. Compare the roles of the Governor General and the Prime Minister in Canada.
The Governor General is the representative of the monarc and carries out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The Governor General is appointed by the queen on advice from the Canadian Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government
10. Who were the Loyalists, why and when did they move to Canada?
Loyalists were American colonists, of different ethnic backgrounds, who supported the British cause during the American Revolution (1775–83).
Tens of thousands migrated to British North America during and after the revolutionary war — boosting the population and heavily influencing the politics and culture of what would become Canada.The vast majority of Loyalists were neither well-to-do nor particularly high in social rank; most were farmers, labourers, tradespeople and their families. They were of varied cultural backgrounds, and many were recent immigrants. White Loyalists brought large numbers of slaves with them . Until 1834, slavery was legal in all British North American colonies but Upper Canada, where the institution was being phased out.
The main waves of Loyalists came to what is now Canada in 1783 and 1784 .
11. In which province is Scottish culture preserved?
In 1910 an incredible 62,000 Scots emigrated to Canada. Tens of thousands of Scots men, women and children boarded ships to make the journey to Canada in the first half of the 20th century.
Nova Scotia Gaelic is still spoken in Nova Scotia, hundreds of years after the first Scots settlement was founded.21st century Scots Canadians celebrate their Scots origins and share their traditions with people from around the world. Scots culture is not a museum piece; it is a living thing that grows and thrives as it is touched by other cultures and other traditions.
In 2006, in the Canadian Census, 4.7 million Canadians reported that they were of Scottish origin. Today, there are almost as many Scots Canadians as there are people in the whole of Scotland .
12. Which important minerals are found in Alberta?
Canada is abundant in many mineral resources — mined in every province and territory — and a world leader in the production of potash, aluminum, nickel , salt , sulphur and uranium, among others .
Today, Canada is the leading producer of potash and is estimated to rank in the top five global producers of aluminum, diamonds , cobalt, nickel, platinum, tungsten , uranium and sulphur
Alberta is the country's largest producer of crude oil and gas products (especially natural gas)
13. Which is the main crop grown in the Prairie Provinces?
The main crop is wheat , but barley, brassica, canola, and oats are also cultivated.
14. The political and language situation in Quebec . Why do the Quebecois want to be called a distinct society?
French is the official language of Quebec
15. What is Nunavut ?
Nunavut is a territory in Northern Canada. Its' capital is Iqaluit
It is Inuits' territory
The USA
1. According to J. F. Kennedy, which were the three strong forces that made people migrate to the US?
religious persecution, political oppression, and economic hardship
2. Which were the first permanent British colonies in America?
Jamestown, VA(1607) and Plymouth, MA ( 1620 )
3. From which countries did most immigrants arrive in the US in the following periods: before the mid-19th century
Colonial era (C17-C18): the English, the Irish, the Scots, continental Europeans, and the Scandinavians
the second half of the 19th century
C19 - WWI: The British, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Poles , the Jews, and the Scandinavians
and the early 20th century, at present?
Post-WWI era: Latinos and Asians
In 2013, most residence permits were given to people from Mexico , China, India, the Philippines , The Dominican Republic, and Cuba
4. Native Americans
Country of origin
America, Alaska ,
status in present-day American society
reservation Natives have the highest levels of poverty and unemployment in the US.
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Country of origin
They descend from the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. Spanish colonization of the Americas began with Columbus's voyages.There are 55M Hispanic and Latino Americans in the US. They constitute the largest ethnic minority group and account for 17% of the whole population. They are less wealthy and less educated than other Americans
African Americans
an estimated 42M African Americans in the US. They are the biggest racial minority and the second-largest ethnic minority.
African Americans attend college at half the rates that whites do, but more than Natives and Hispanics. Home ownership rates are lower and single mother households more common.
Asian Americans
descend from peoples in the Far East , Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontonent. There are an estimated 15M Asian Americans in the US. They are the third-largest ethnic minoritu, but the fastest-growing one. Most Asian Americans have come from China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam , Korea, and Japan
their countries of origin, their status in present-day American society. Asian Americans are sometimes referred to as the "model minority" because of their socioeconomic success. Overall , they are more educated and more wealthy than other Americans, but they also have bigger property rates than White Americans.Asian Americans have a strong work ethic.
5. Why are the metaphors Melting Pot ( named after a play,all the races of Europe are melting and re- forming ) and Mosaic / Salad Bowl / Pot of Stew used about the US?
What is the difference between them?
6. What are the three branches of government?
legislative ( Congress ),
executive (The President )
judicial (the federal courts, incl . the Supreme Court )
7. What is the Bill of Rights ?
In 1791, ten supplemental amendments were made to the Constitution. They largely protect the individual from the federal government.
9. How is the President elected?
Presidential elections occur every four years. Presidents are elected indirectly, as the winner is determined by the electors of the Electoral College
10. How are Senators and Representatives elected?
Congressional elections every two years, half of them are midterm elections.
11. Whose birthdays are celebrated as federal holidays ?
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 18th January leader of the Civil Rights Movement, preached nonviolence, got a Nobel Peace Price
Washington's birthday 1st president of the US
Columbus day
Abraham Lincoln's birthday 16th President of the US
12. Origin of Thanksgiving Day
In 1620, Pilgrims - Puritan separatists - landed in Plymouth, MA.
The Pilgrims celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" in1621, after their first harvest
Traditional foods eaten that day
large roast turkey , side dishes - cranberry sauce , stuffing or gravy, sweet or mashed potatoes, pumpkin or peach pie.
Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving Thursday
The beginning of Christmas season shopping
13. Who were the first European explorers in the area of present-day New York ?
Giovanni de Verrazzano - first European to reach the area of New York Bay
Henry Hudson - in 1609, he explored the New York City area, while in the service of the Dutch East India Company
India
1. Which is the most widely spoken Indian language? Which classical language is it based on?
Hindi , it is based on Sanskrit .
2. Which company played a significant role in British colonization of India?
The EIC - The east indian Company
3. What was meant by the Orientalist-Anglicist controversy ?
The East Indian Company required its officers to have extensive knowledge of Asian languages, laws and customs. In the early 19th century, a discussion developed over what kind of education to disseminate in India. Anglicicsts preferred Western learning and the use of English. Orientalists preferred Hindu and Oriental learning, as well as the use of classical languages (e.g. Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit).
When did India become independent of Britain? Into which countries was the former British colony divided?The Indian Independence Act 1947 partitioned India into independent India and East and West Pakistan
4. What is meant by the term ‘subcontinent’?
5. Why are both Hindi and English used as the official languages of India?
Because of Lord Thomas Macaulay's winning of the debate between the Anglicists and the Orientalists. English was supposed to be phased out and to become the national language, but the non-Hindi areas protested and it failed.
6. What is meant by the Three Language Formula ?
The Indian government regulated the teaching of languages in India. The policy requires children in Hindi-speaking areas to study Hindi, English and one of the local languages.In non-Hindi areas, children study the regional language, Hindi and English.
7. What is Bollywood ?
Bollywood refers to the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai. It is one of the largest centers of film production in the world.
8. What does business process outsourcing mean ? Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the contracting of a specific business task , such as payroll, to a third- party service provider. Usually, BPO is implemented as a cost - saving measure for tasks that a company requires but does not depend upon to maintain their position in the marketplace.
What are call centres and which problems do they face in India?
Australia
1. Densely and sparsely populated areas in Australia.
Population density: 3 residents/km2
2. Discovery of Australia.Aborigines were the first people to discover Australia.
3. Where and when was the first colony established? Who were the first settlers?Aborigines 60000 years ago
4. What changes have taken place in Australia's immigration policy since World War II?
The White Australia policy, in force from 1901 until the 1970s, favoured immigrants from other English-speaking countries. The policy banned immigration from China and the Pacific Islands.In the years after the war, Australia accepted some 2M European migrants and displaced persons. In 1973. race was disregarded as a component for immigration. In 1975, racial selection criteria were made illegal . Currently, people from China, India, and South Africa make up the majority of immigrants.
5. Recent changes in Australia's economic relations .Australia has plans to diversify its exports to Asia: education, financial services , food, health care, and wine .
6. In what way is the Australian government a mixture of American and British forms ?Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy. The Parliament is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The British monarch is the head of state.
The Governor-General is the representative of the monarch and carries out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The Governor General is appointed by the monarch on advice from the Australian Prime Minister. The term length is usually around five years. The Prime Minister is the head of government.
7. The Australian referendum in 1999? The 1999 referendum proposed establishing a republic. 55% voted against the measure.
8. Who are the native people of Australia? Where do most of them live?
The Aborigines are the native people. In 2011, there were 670K Aboriginals in Australia, comprising 3% of the total population. Three-fourths of natives live in urban areas, but some do live in remote areas.
New Zealand
1. The two large islands of New Zealand, their main geographic landforms.
New Zealand is a country of snowcapped mountains and scenic landscapes - north to south.
2. Who are the native people of New Zealand? What is their origin? When did they arrive in New Zealand?
Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people who settled on New Zealand aroun 1300 AD. They did not have a word to refer to themselves. They adopted maori, which means 'normal, natural, ordinary', when they encountered the colonizers, or pakeha, which means 'people of European descent'.
3. Discovery of New Zealand by Europeans.
In 1769 -70 James Cook sailed around New Zealand, charting its entire coastline.
4. By which treaty did the Maoris cede their sovereignty?
By the treaty of Waitangi.
5. The status of the Maori language and Maori culture at present.
Maori became an official language in 1987, New Zealand Sign language became an official language in 2006.
6. The peculiarities of New Zealand’s plant and animal life. The national bird of New Zealand.
7. The political system of New Zealand.
New Zealand is a unitary constitutional monarchy. The Parliament is comprised only of the House of Representative. The British monarch is the head of state.
The Governor-General is the representative of the monarch and carries out most of the monarc's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch on advice from the New Zealand Prime Minister.