uni lecture about england

...” This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England”.

Wm Shakespeare, King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1

Or...

If you love the rain, the cold, the warm beer, cricket and the football...this is the land for you

Where in the world are we?

What are the Poms, Brits, Limeys, Rosbif, English, Britons like?

We love tea, queues (queue jumping is a big no no), footy, cricket, whinging, we have a stiff upper lip (courage) reserved character, (don’t like to boast – big headed), discussing the weather, tradition.

What’s in a Name?

The name England used to be known as Engla land, meaning the land of the Angles, people from continental Germany, who began to invade Britain in the late 5th century, along with the Saxons and Jutes.

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.“Wm Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act 2

scene 2

What’s in a name ...part 2

• 1536 - Act of Union joins England and Wales • 1707 - Act of Union unites Scotland and England, together

with Wales to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. • 1801 - The Irish Parliament voted to join the Union. The

then Kingdom of Great Britain becomes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

• 1922 - Name changed to United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, when most of the Southern counties in Ireland choose independence.

National Symbols

National Symbols

Londinium The Roman name for London. A theory about the

name is that it is derived from the Celtic word 'lond' meaning wild.

The Tower of London (The bloody tower) – built by Henry III who had been Constable in 1162. with a 900-year history as a royal palace, prison and place of execution, arsenal, jewel house (Crown Jewels) and zoo. Traitors Gate was originally known as Water Gate, but was later changed when it was used as the landing for the Crown's enemies.

St Pauls – a London icon, Covent Garden, Hyde Park, Carnaby Street

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. The Duke of Buckingham built it as his town house in 1705.

Language 5 events that helped to shape the English language.Anglo Saxon Settlement – The concept of the

language started with the Anglo-Saxons (Germanic, Dutch, Frisian, Gothic, and Scandinavian.

Scandinavian Settlement - The next invaders were the Norsemen (Northmen). From the middle of the ninth century large numbers of Norse invaders settled in Britain. The distinct North Germanic speech of the Norsemen had great influence on English.

1066 and after - The centuries after the Norman (Normandy) Conquest witnessed enormous changes in the English language. The course of what is called the Middle English period, broadly speaking, the same system English has today.

Language part 2Standardization - The late medieval and early modern periods saw a

fairly steady process of standardization in English south of the Scottish border.

Colonization and Globalization - During the medieval and early modern periods the influence of English spread throughout the British Isles, and from the early seventeenth century onwards its influence began to be felt throughout the world. From an article by Philip Durkin, Principal Etymologist at the Oxford English Dictionary.

Where do we live

Most people live in detached or semi-detached brick houses. Others live in terraced housing, high-rise and caravans (mobile homes)

English quirkinessMorris dancing (a pre-Christian Celtic, or Druidic,

fertility dance, but usually performed at festivals – especially religious ones). May day (Spring festival); We are probably the only country that uses an vulgar word for urinating to describe a low denomination of the currency (pee). Discussing the aforementioned weather and queues are always a favourite.

Music

We have produced many world famous music groups. Probably the two best know are:

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. There were some notable classical composers too. Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar and Henry Purcell

Music part 2

We have also produced some excellent composers of musicals. The two most notable being Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice. Together they wrote and composed: Joseph..., ...Superstar and Evita. Lloyd-Webber also composed Cats and Phantom of the Opera.

You can see a good show at London’s Leicester Square.

Notable historical eventsThe industrial revolution started in 1750 to 1850’s

Manchester with the invention of Hargreaves’ Spinning Jenny, and Britain’s infrastructure.

Policing started around London, Sir Robert Peel (Peelers) established the modern first metropolitan police in 1829.

Steam power. Englishman Thomas Newcomen (1663–1729), created a machine that used steam to pump water. The Scottish inventor James Watt (1736–1819) substantially improved on Newcomen's model. George Stephenson (1781-1848) built the “Rocket” the first train in 1829.

MannersPeople can become very annoyed if we try to push

in or jump a queue. This applies queues of people or vehicles. In general we don’t kiss people (cheek or lips) when greeting others in public. Also we frown on spitting, burping, slapping others on the back, staring’ picking ones nose, burping, farting, talking or behaving loudly. If you make a mistake you can say “pardon me” If you fart it’s usually ignored and you aren’t expected to say anything, if you burp you would say “excuse me”. We like to drive on the left in cars with the steering wheel on the right. We never ask a lady’s age and never ask personal or intimate questions in public.

The WeatherIt is a common belief that U.K. Weather is gloomy,

dull, always raining! While this may be the case sometimes, it is also true that the long hot days of summer are a perfect compensation for the shorter cold days of winter. These hot and cold days however, are not as extreme as the tropics (hot) or Scandinavia (cold). In essence weather from the north is cool and from the south is hot.

What we like to eat

EducationEducation is free for 5 to 16 year olds. 94% go to

free state run schools and the other 6% go to fee paying schools or are homeschooled. There are 6 terms from September to July. Nursery Schools 3-4 years old Primary Schools 5-11 years old Secondary Schools 12-18 years old. Like Australia.

Education part 2Probably the two best known (in England and the

world) British Universities Are Oxford and Cambridge. They are referred to as University cities because all the colleges that go to make up each university cover the entire city. In Oxford there are thirty-eight colleges and six Permanent Private Halls (P.P.H. are governed by a religious body). In Cambridge there are 31 colleges.

Education part 3

Entry requirements for British universities - For most schools and courses, your level of understanding and competency in English will be key to your acceptance in a major program such as a degree program. You will need to make sure you have a good level of English understanding and you can do this by taking one of the following commonly accepted tests of English ability:

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign LanguageIELTS - International English Language Testing SystemUCLES - University of Cambridge Local Examinations

Syndicate. A useful web site to learn about entry requirements is -

http://www.ucas.com/

Places to goStone Henge - Age about 3100 BC in Wiltshire

made from Bluestone, Sarsen, Welsh Sandstone A lunar, solar pagan worship site.

Blenheim Palace – Oxfordshire. Birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. Blenheim Palace was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough following his famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.

The Lake District - You can walk, cycle and splash about in the beautiful Lake District to your heart’s content. With more than 3,500 kilometres of rights of way and 12 of the largest lakes in England, there's something for everyone!

National Railway Museum - York.

Places to go part 2

Feathered and furry friendsThe U.K. doesn’t have many dangerous animals these

are about the two worst but one will just make you a bit unwell and the other can’t hurt you because their fangs are too short to puncture skin.

The common Adder and

the Daddy Long Legs.

We also have cute animals like Hedgehogs, Deer, Swans,

Feathered and furry friends part 2Robin Red Breast – the unofficial national bird for

England and birds of prey. English Falcon. Used in the royal sport of Falconry.

Interesting eventsThe Oxford vs. Cambridge boat race (on the Thames) in

London (Putney to Mortlake) attracts tens of thousands.Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is the

UK's largest music festival, and a whole lot more - it's a one off!

International worm charming day - Everyone then sets about the task of charming and collecting the most worms from their individual patches of ground.

Dragon boat festival - Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition

T.T. (Tourist trophy) motorbike race on the Isle of Man -Henley Royal Regatta - Henley Royal Regatta is undoubtedly

the best known regatta in the world Founded in 1839.

Farnborough International Air show - The Farnborough International Air show is one of the world's most iconic global aviation events.

Steam Rallies/Fairs – If you like traction engines and other steam engines, these are a must see. The biggest is the Great Dorset Steam Fair -

Bank Holidays

Bank Holidays are national holidays that everybody can celebrate. The tradition is to go to a sea-side resort or pier and spend the day there.

British bank holidays are public holidays and have been recognised since 1871.

There is currently a total of 8 permanent bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. These include Christmas Day and Good Friday, which in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are common law' holidays.

New Years Day Saint Patrick's Day (NI) Good Friday Easter Monday (ENIW) Easter Tuesday (NI) May Day Holiday Victoria Day (S) Spring Bank Holiday Orangeman's Day (NI) Summer Bank Holiday (S) Summer Bank Holiday

(ENIW) Christmas Day Boxing Day

Saying till we meet again

Friendly ways:Cheers, cheerio, tara, farewell, bye now, till next

time, God be with you, God speed, thanks for stopping by, thanks for coming, I must be going now, may God go with you, it’s time to leave, thanks, we have to end it there, ta-ta, thanks again bye-bye, I’ve got to be going now, I’ve got to be off now.