RESUMEN DEL TEMA 5 DE LA ESPECIALIDAD DE MAESTROS DE INGLÉS DE PRIMARIA
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. THE UNITED KINGDOM
2.1. Physical and Human Geography
2.2. History
2.3. Cultural life
2.4. Education
2.5. Religion
3. THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
3.1. Physical and Human Geography
3.2. History
3.3. Cultural life
3.4. Education
3.5. Religion
4. The united states
4.1. Physical and Human Geography
4.2. History
4.3. Cultural life
4.4. Education
4.5. Religion
5. An outline of the other english-speaking contries
5.1. Australia
5.2. Canada
5.3. New Zealand
5.4. South Africa
6. Geographical, historical and cultural aspects most suitable to be used in the english class. Social and civic competence.
7. Conclusions
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Introduction
According to the LOMCE, one of the seven competences to be developed in Primary Education is the Social and Civic Competences. These competences imply an understanding of the multi-cultural society in which we live, and that students learn to show tolerance, value diversity and respect others. Moreover, the Royal Decree 126/2014, February 28th establishes that it is beneficial to learn other languages and that it contributes to the development of an appropriate awareness of the diversity in our society, acceptance of differences as an enriching factor, and in the development of understanding, tolerance and appreciation of other cultural identities.
In addition Competence in Foreign Languages not only requires the knowledge of vocabulary, functional grammar, awareness of the main types of verbal interaction and registers of a language, but also the knowledge of societal conventions, and the cultural aspect and variability of the language is important. Therefore, the area of English as a foreign language contributes largely to the development of the Social and Civic Competence. Knowing about its different speaking communities will bring about an interest in learning and acquiring knowledge about other cultures and establishing connections with other people, speakers or learners of that language, favouring respect and integration.
Moreover, opening children’s minds to different cultures and people will help them to improve their Communicative Competence. Children have a natural curiosity to discover new worlds, places and people. Throughout our teaching practice we can show them how and where other people live in order to improve their attitude towards those communities, their culture and language. In other words, a better attitude towards the language and the people that speak that language will help our students to improve their communicative competence. Furthermore, in order to introduce other cultures, countries and people, we will normally make use of authentic material. By means of using realia, visual and aural input from the different English speaking countries and their people, children will increase their interest and meaningful learning.
To facilitate this task a great number of programmes have been developed in the last few years. The European Commission of Education and also National and Local Governments have established The Bilingual Programme, Twin Schools and The Comenius Project among others.
2. THE UNITED KINGDOM
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, also commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain, consists of four geographical and historical parts:
- England Capital city: London
- Wales Capital city: Cardiff
- Scotland Capital city: Edinburgh
- Northern Ireland Capital city: Belfast
The British Isles is the geographical term used for the group of islands that also includes the Republic of Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland constitute Great Britain, the larger of the two principal islands, while Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland comprise the second largest. There are also much smaller islands surrounding the Isles, for example, the Hebrides in Scotland, the Isle of Jersey in England, or the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.
2.1. Physical and Human Geography
Apart from the land border with the Irish Republic, the UK is surrounded by sea. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. To the west of Wales is the Irish Sea and to the south of England it is separated from France by the English Channel.
The United Kingdom has a temperate climate. The average annual temperature in winter is 6º C in the extreme north of Scotland and 11º C in south western England. It has plentiful rainfall all year round.
2.2. History
The early pre-Roman inhabitants of Britain were Celtic-speaking people. Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 and 54 BC, but the islands were not subdued by Rome until the first century AD.
In the fifth century Nordic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded Britain leading many Celts into Cornwall and Wales. During the 8th and 9th centuries the Vikings arrived to the coast of Britain. In the 9th century Alfred the Great, ruler of Wessex, unified England to prevent a Danish invasion. By the middle of the 9th century the separate kingdoms of Scotland became united into a largely Celtic monarchy that lasted until the end of the reign of Mac Beth in 1507. Under the sovereignty of Malcolm III English influence was introduced into the country.
William of Normandy conquered England in 1066 and became William I (1066-1087). London was the largest town in Roman Britain and has been the capital of unified England since the Norman Conquest. England has played a dominant role in British history ever since.
2.3. Cultural life
England has a lively cultural life. English weekends are the occasion for countryside trips and for outdoor activities. The traditions of the UK are that of predominant English culture, enriched by the contributions of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and to a lesser degree by the cultures that the period of English colonialism brought.
2.4. Education
Schooling is compulsory and starts from age five up to the school leaving age which is sixteen. Afterwards, there are two voluntary years of schooling. Children may attend either a state school (a state-funded school with no fees) or an independent school (a private fee-paying school).
Roughly 90% of the children receive their secondary school education at Comprehensive schools, where they are offered a general education. There are also other types of secondary schools, also known as the Tripartite System, which require students to take an exam before entrance, usually independent schools that call for students to take the 11 plus exam (at or around the age of 11), in order to select students by ability. They are divided into grammar schools (academic centred), technical schools (academic and scientific centred) and modern schools (practical skills centred). Nowadays, secondary education in the UK seems to be a complex mixture of the Tripartite System and the Comprehensive even though Labour government reinforced the end of the previous system in the Education Act (1976).
2.5. Religion
In England, during the 16th century, Henry III rejected the absolute supremacy of the pope. This break with Rome facilitated the adoption of some Protestant tenets and became the foundation of the Church of England, which is still the established church. In Scotland the Reformation gave rise to a church governed by presbyteries, nowadays the established church (Presbyterian Church).
3. THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Ireland (Eire in Irish), or the Republic of Ireland, occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. It is a republic and is bordered by Northern Ireland – part of the United Kingdom – to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Irish Sea to the east and the Celtic Sea and St George’s Channel to the south and southeast. It lies to the west of Great Britain.
The current population of Ireland is estimated at 4.6 million in a total area of 70,280 Km2. At first, by the 1980s Ireland reached a high level of unemployment and emigration, it was considered one of the poorest countries in Western Europe. Nowadays, it ranks highly for its educational system and boasts of a high quality of life.
3.1. Physical and Human Geography
3.2. History
Approximately Celtic arrival dates from 500 BC. The last Celt’s arrival is thought to be a Gaelic one.
In the 5th century, St. Patrick arrived in Ireland introducing Christianity into the whole country. This brought the great age of Irish monasteries and with them the Golden age. The Norse invaded Ireland to pillage monastic settlements but at the end of the 9th century they settled along the eastern and southern coast. In 1014, Brian Boru, Ireland’s high king defeated the Vikings.
3.3. Cultural life
Irish culture is best known through its literature, for example; W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, G.B. Shaw and Frank McCourt. Its music is also representative, being U2 the most successful Irish band of all times, late twentieth century music has also had its say with singers such as Sinead O´Connor or Van Morrison and groups like Enya, The Corrs and The Cranberries. Hollywood actors from Ireland include Maureen O’Hara, Peter O’Toole and Pierce Brosnan among many others.
Many cultural institutions are concerned with the popularisation and preservation of various aspects of traditional culture, to the point that the national sports of Gaelic football and Hurling have become, by far, very popular. The conservation of the Irish language, traditional folk music and dances are also on the list of concerns.
3.4. Education
Education in Ireland is free at all levels, including college. Students attending a school which receives public money must be taught the Irish language, exceptions are held with those who have studied abroad for a significant period of time or if they show learning difficulties.
3.5. Religion
Approximately 87 % of the population are Roman Catholic and less than 4% are Protestants. The second largest Christian denomination is the Church of Ireland (Anglican), and Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist church. There has also been an increase in another two religions, Islam and Hinduism, due to immigration. The Jewish community is relatively small. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution.
4. The united states
The United States of America commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, the States or America, is a federal republic comprising of fifty states, including Alaska situated in the north western extreme and the island state of Hawaii in the mid-Pacific Ocean. It has outlying territories and other politically associated areas in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. This is country is located mainly in central North America. Forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is bordered by Canada to the north and by Mexico to the south.
It is the fourth largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada and China, with a total area of 9,826,630 square kilometres and with a population of about 318 million people. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. The national language is English.
4.1. Physical and Human Geography
The major characteristic of the U.S. is probably its great variety. Its climate and environment ranges from the arctic in the northwest to the subtropical in the south and southwest, from the moist rainforest in the northwest to the arid desert in the southwest, from the rugged mountain peak to the flat prairie. Several large regions can be distinguished:
- The Atlantic Coastal Plain, from Maine to Florida
- The Appalachian Mountains on the east and the southeast
- The interior lowlands, covering the nation’s vast midsection
- The Rocky Mountains region with ranges, plateaus and deep gorges
- The Hawaii and Maui islands, the first consists of volcanic islands
- Alaska, with active volcanoes throughout, can be categorised into four main areas including two mountain ranges, a central plateau, and the Arctic slope or coastal plain in the northernmost geographic area.
4.2. History
The United States is a relatively young country in terms of colonization. The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain and it has achieved its current size only in the mid-20th century. The States was the first of the European colonies to separate successfully from its motherland and it was the first nation to be established on the premise that sovereignty rests within its citizens and not the government.
- The colonial period (1492-1763)
It begins with the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the first two successful British settlements to the New World, the Virginia Colony in Jamestown in 1607 and the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony in 1620. It ends with the war in which the colonies won their independence from Great Britain. Traditions such as Thanks Giving, when Native Americans helped the Pilgrims to survive, come from this period.
- The revolution and the creation of the Federal republic (1763- 1800)
After 1763 there is a change in the administration of the British Imperial Colonial policy, mainly due to the cost of the war in the occupation and defence of the new territories. This new policy led colonials into the American Revolutionary War. Under the command of George Washington the Continental Congress, which took place in Philadelphia in 1775, established a Continental Army. This congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Finally, Great Britain, France and Spain recognised the American independence in 1783
4.3. Cultural life
No other country has a wider range of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity.
Both the Native Americans and the millions of immigrants who left their countries in search of greater social, political and economical opportunities have enriched the U.S., they have built the Nations’ character.
Linguistically, English is the national language and is spoken by the vast majority of the population as their mother tongue. Spanish is spoken by approximately 15 % of the population at home and is therefore the second most common language and the most widely taught foreign language. Both Hawaiian and English are official language in Hawaii.
4.4. Education
Schooling is compulsory for children aged six to sixteen. Afterwards, there are two voluntary years of schooling. Children can either attend a Public School (State maintained school) or a Private School (fee-paying school). They are placed in different year groups known as grades:
- Grade K: Kindergarten or nursery school (voluntary). Before six.
- Grades 1 to 6: Elementary school. Children aged 6–12.
- Grades 7 to 9: Junior high school. Children aged 12–15.
- Grades 10 to 12: Senior high school. Children aged 16–18.
(Generally, high schools include both junior and senior grades)
4.5. Religion
The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion forbids religious governance. There is no official religion in the U.S.A. Moreover, Americans enjoy an absolute freedom of cults. Most of the population, however, identifies themselves as Christian; the largest denomination is Protestant (51’3%), followed by Roman Catholics (23’9%). The leading non-Christian faiths are Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, placed in descending order.
5. An outline of the other english-speaking contries
5.1. Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth largest country and the world’s smallest continent. It has a land mass of 7,617,930 Km2 and a low population of about 24 million people. The country lies in the southern hemisphere between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The major Island is called Tasmania and it lies southeast, there are also numerous other small islands.
5.2. Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of the northern part of North America. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by twelve states of the USA and on the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.
The capital city is Ottawa, although the most populated city is Quebec and the largest is Toronto. The currency is the Canadian dollar.
5.3. New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country situated in the south western Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main land masses (the North Island and the South Island), and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 268,680 Km2, which is twice the size of England. Its population is of about 4.5 million people.
5.4. South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is located on the southernmost tip of continental Africa. The South African coast borders both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the south. To the north of South Africa lie Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. It is a densely populated country with more than 54 million people in an area of 1,219,912 Km2. It has three capital cities; the largest is Cape Town which is the legislative capital, Pretoria is the administrative capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.
6. Geographical, historical and cultural aspects most suitable to be used in the english class. Social and civic competence.
As we said in the introduction and according to our Spanish Law and European regulations, English teachers need to work on the development of the Social and Civic Competence. This means to put our students in touch with other realities, traditions, places, people and another language. By doing this, we will help our students to develop a positive attitude towards that culture and therefore towards its language. We will also help them to develop an open mind, tolerant attitudes and to increase their curiosity towards the world.
When, how and what contents to present to our students will be determined by several factors, the main one, our students’ age and also their motivation and ability to understand other realities.
6.1. Contents and aspects to be introduced in class to develop the Social and Civic Competence.
The foreign language is an important element of that culture, therefore, pupils discover other cultures by learning how to listen, to speak, to read and to write in that language. For example, by making use of the different forms of address (Yes, please. / No, thank you.) or greetings (Hi! – Am. Eng. / Hello! – Brit. Eng.) students learn to play an important role in English, which will help them build up a whole set of characteristics and essential social relationships.
6.2. When to introduce the socio-cultural contents
Teachers can determine a specific timetable to work on socio-cultural contents. This should be written into the Annual Planning. For example, Halloween, 31st October, would be an appropriate date to introduce some American tradition and features, or St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March, would be a suitable time to introduce some Irish culture.
English Week is also another specific date that could be used to introduce the social and cultural contents of the different English-speaking communities. If possible, it can imply the participation of the whole school, and every level could collaborate in the set project/s. This event must be included in the Annual Planning.
6.3. How to introduce the socio-cultural contents
Activities related to socio-cultural contents will be determined by the age of our students. For younger students we can make use of songs, tales, games and short stories. Older students may study a specific country and organise a display with their findings. They can later place them around the school and other students may learn from their work. They can also make an effective use of ICT in the class or at home: sending emails to ePals, using internet for a specific project, chat with other students or videotape a song. Through these activities we will also develop the digital competence. The Twin School programme or E-Twinning is an excellent tool to develop these socio-cultural contents.
7. Conclusions
The achievement of a basic socio-cultural competence is one of our official curriculum’s general aims.
As Brewster says:
The role of the teacher is to encourage and to help bring out discovery, drawing attention to the fact that the differences in relation to the pupils’ own habits and day-to-day lives are to be seen in a positive light as they add to, by definition, the sum of the pupils’ knowledge of humanity and of the world.
We can therefore conclude that one of the basic principles of genuine education is to develop understanding and tolerance towards others. And by learning a foreign language children broaden their view of the world and become better citizens.
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Adams, W. Los Estados Unidos de America. Historia Universal S.XX. USA 1971
- Beard, Ch. And M. New Basic History of the United States. 1961
- Brewster, J. And Ellis, G. The Primary English Teacher’s Guide. Penguin books 1992
- Boorstin, D. A History of the United States. 1981
- Brogan. The Pelican History of the Unites States of America. Penguin 1986
- Bromhead, P. Life in Modern America. Longman 1986
- Bromhead, P. Life in Modern Britain.. Longman 1989
- Falk, R. Spotlight on the USA. OUP 1993
