tài liệu môn văn hóa Anh - Mỹ

Subject: British Studies
Lecturer: Le Thi Thuy Ha

INTRODUCTION to Great Britain

Great Britain is the largest Island in the UK. Great Britain is surrounded by seas on all sides and is separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. It is just 1,000 kilometers from the south coast to the far north and just under 500 kilometers in the widest part. No
place in Great Britain is more than 120 kilometers from the sea.
Great Britain is one of the most densely populated countries of Europe, with the southern parts of the country reaching the highest density figures of Europe as a whole.

The main mountain regions are the Cornish Heights, the Cambrian in Wales, the Cambrian Mountains (in Lake District) and the Pennies. The highest mountain in Great Britain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. There are many rivers in Great Britain. Among the most important rivers is the Thames, which flows into the North Sea. Its length is 336 km and it is the deepest rive in Britain. It is navigable as far as the capital of Great Britain – London. The longest river in Britain is the Severn. Its length is 354 km (220 miles). Other important rivers include the Trent, the Tay and the Tweed.

The capital and largest city, London, is in the southeast and is situated at both sides of the River Thames. Greater London has a total land area of 1,580 square kilometers with a population of 6.6 million inhabitants. It is divided in 32 boroughs.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain
The United Kingdom is made up of the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain, on the other hand, comprises only England, Scotland and Wales. It is the largest island of the British Isles. Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic form the second largest island.
The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom. They are largely self-governing with their own legislative assemblies and systems of law. The British Government is, however, responsible for their defence and international relations.
Population: Britain ranks 20th in the world in terms of population size. In mid-2000, the population of Britain was 59.8 million, an increase of 21.6 million since 1901.
The total population of England is estimated at 50 million, Wales is estimated at 2.95 million, Scotland at 5.1 million and Northern Ireland at 1.7 million people. England has the highest population density and Scotland has the lowest.
England
England is the largest country of the UK, occupying well over half of its geographical area. Whilst its identity is bound up with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in many ways, it is at the same time a separate country with its own distinct features, history, characteristics and culture.
England's population is estimated to reach 52.5 million by 2021. England has a diverse population. For centuries, immigrants have arrived in England from abroad and from other parts of the British Isles, bringing with them their cultures, religious beliefs, customs and languages. Many aspects of English life have been greatly enriched as a result of this diversity.
The diverse backgrounds and traditions of ethnic peoples who have made their home in England have influenced the quality and breadth of the arts and of popular culture, as well as business, design, food and other aspects of life.
One of the defining features of England is its 'green and pleasant' countryside. The vast majority of England's land is rural, and, while most people live in cities, many travels to the countryside for recreation and holidays, where they can enjoy the peace and beauty of the English countryside.
A strong streak of creativity lies at the heart of the English character. In fashion, design, architecture and the Arts, English creative are making their mark on the international stage, from creating some of the world's landmark buildings, to show-stopping fashion and thought-provoking art.
Originality and the willingness to 'think different' has put the English in the forefront of developments that are helping to shape the modern world, in the fields of science, design, technology or discovery.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland, with a population of more than 1.6 million, consists of six of the nine counties of the Old Irish Province of Ulster. The population is expected to grow to 1.75m by 2025.
Nature has been generous to Northern Ireland, endowing it with a rich landscape of mountains and glens, rolling drumlin hills and island-studded lakes. Although compact in size, it has a rich variety of scenery and cultural attractions, a rapidly growing economy and a first class environment for living as well as doing business.
The people are hospitable, friendly and warm - characteristics obscured by television images and news reports over the past three decades. Northern Ireland people have a passion for life and thanks to the strong education system, have a can-do attitude as well as being highly skilled and easily motivated.
Long recognized for producing a wealth of talented individuals who have made a real impact on the world stage, Northern Ireland is proud of its sense of social responsibility and generous nature.
Scotland
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the northern part of the island of Britain situated between latitudes 54º38' and 60º51' north and longitude 1º45' and 6º14' west. Scotland is bounded west and north by the Atlantic Ocean and by the North Sea to the east. In the south the border with England stretches for 60 miles, roughly along the line of the Cheviot Hills.
Scotland has three natural divisions. The fertile plains of the Lowlands in the south merge into the industrial heartland of central Scotland which in turn gives way to the fast rivers, quiet lochs and picturesque mountains of the Highlands in the north.
It is the third of the land mass of Britain and accounts for 10 percent of the British population. An historic event took place in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, in July 1999 when the Queen opened the first Scottish Parliament for nearly 300 years. The Scottish parliament has assumed the powers previously administered by The Scottish Office. However, Scotland still remains part of Britain and not all the functions of Government have been devolved.
Wales
Wales is essentially an upland country, about a quarter being more than 300m above sea level. Extensive tracts of high plateau and shorter stretches of mountain ranges are deeply bisected by a series of river valleys which typically radiate from the centre of the upland area. The lower lying ground is largely confined to the relatively narrow coastal belt and the floors or lower slopes of the river valleys. The longest rivers are the Dee, Severn and Wyes, which fall to the lowlands of the English border.
The total population of Wales is estimated at more than 2.9 million representing about five percent of the total British population. The land area represents nine percent of the area of Britain.
Welsh is a language belonging to the Celtic family, its nearest cousins being Cornish (now almost extinct) and Breton. The oldest living language of Britain and among the oldest in Europe, Welsh has a rich and varied literature, stretching from medieval times to the present day, particularly distinguished by the poetic tradition. The Welsh language is used widely in everyday speech and also in education, the media, public administration and culture. The Welsh name for Wales in Cymru.
The official name
"England" is sometimes, wrongly, used in reference to the whole United Kingdom, the entire island of Great Britain (or simply Britain), or indeed the British Isles. This is not only incorrect but can cause offence to people from other parts of the UK. England, Scotland, Wales, Great Britain refer to different 'parts of the UK. The British Isles includes many islands not even part of the UK.




England
Scotland
Wales





Great Britain
UK
British Isles

The diverse history of England, Scotland and Wales has led to very different cultural traditions; The Scots and Welsh have right to feel aggrieved whenever the term 'English' is used wrongly, to mean all three.
The name United Kingdom refers to the union of what were once four separate countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (though most of Ireland is now independent, only Northern Ireland remains part of the UK).
The UK's full and official name is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
History of the making of the UK
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.



Climate
It is said that the British are always talking about the weather! The climate in the United Kingdom is generally mild and temperate. There are few extremes of temperature, which rarely rises above 32°C or falls below -10°C.

Rainfall is greatest in western and upland parts of the country, where the annual average exceeds 1,100 mm; the higher mountain areas receive more than 2,000 mm.
During May, June and July (the months of longest daylight) the amount of sunshine varies from five hours in northern Scotland to eight hours in the Isle of Wight. During the months of shortest daylight (November, December and January) sunshine is at minimum, with an average of an hour a day in northern Scotland and two hours a day on the south coast of England.
EMBLEMS OF BRITAIN

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as England’s emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses - civil wars (1455-1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose).


The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple flower which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Scottish Bluebell is also seen as the flower of Scotland.

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to be a traditional emblem of Wales.
There are many explanations of how the leek came to be adopted as the national emblem of Wales. One is that St David advised the Welsh, on the eve of battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps to distinguish friend from foe. As Shakespeare records in Henry V, the Welsh archers wore leeks at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.


The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to clover. An Irish tale tells of how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
Task 1: Answer the following questions
1. Discuss the location of Great Britain?
2. In groups, discuss the official name of the country.
3. Could you give some information about the national emblems of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
4. What’s the weather like in UK?












Lecture 1: EATING culture
You may already have several ideas about typical British food, but the most popular dish in England at the moment is… curry! English food has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable. The most common and typical foods eaten in England include the sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the Cornish pasty, trifle and roasts dinners. Some of our main dishes have strange names like Bubble & Squeak, Spotted Dick and Toad-in-the-Hole.
What may appear strange to our overseas visitors is that not all our puddings are sweet puddings, some are eaten during the starter or main course like Yorkshire Pudding and Black Pudding. The staple foods of England are meat, fish, potatoes, flour, butter and eggs. Many of our dishes are based on these foods.
It is currently (2003) estimated that there are between 3 and 4 million vegetarians in the UK, one of the highest percentages in the western world. Around 7 million people claim to eat no red meat. It is now rare to find no vegetarian foods in a supermarket or on a restaurant menu.
MEALS and MEAL TIMES
Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit.
The British have three main meals a day:
Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)
Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:
Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.
On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and two kinds of vegetables.
The Traditional English Breakfast without the fried bread.
BREAKFAST
Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Nowadays, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.
The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain. The traditional English breakfast is called the Full English and sometimes referred to as The Full English Fry-up. Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc. In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.
LUNCH
Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container. Sandwiches are also known as a butty or sarnie in some parts of the UK. The favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonaise. Many people also love tuna and mayonaise and ham and pickle sandwiches.
DINNER
The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'. A typical British meal for dinner is meat and "two veg". We put hot brown gravy, traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat (but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes. This traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, a recent survey found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.
Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular. We can also buy vegetables from many countries all through the year
The Sunday Roast Dinner
Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast. Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular. Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.
TAKE AWAY FOOD (Eat out food)
Take-away meals are very popular and most towns have a selection of Indian, Italian, Chinese and Greek Restaurants. Fish and chips is the classic English take-away food and is the traditional national food of England. It became popular in the 1860's when railways began to bring fresh fish straight from the east coast to the cities over night. The fish is deep fried in flour batter and is eaten with chips. Traditionally, the fish and chips are covered with salt and malt vinegar and, using your fingers, eaten straight out of the newspaper which they were wrapped in. Now-a-days small wooden forks are provided and the fish and chips are wrapped in more hygienic paper. In the north of England, fish and chips is often served with "mushy peas" (mashed processed peas). Fish and Chips is traditionally England's national food.



Tea

Fish and Chips
Tea
Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day 165 million cups of the stuff are drunk and each year around 144 thousand tons of tea are imported.
Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a warmed china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk.
Task 1: Discuss the similarities and differences of foods between Britain and Vietnam.
Eating Etiquette
The British generally pay a lot of attention to good table manners. Young children are expected to eat properly with knife and fork. The food are eaten with a knife, fork or spoon include sandwiches, crisp, corn on the cob, and fruit.
Do’s
If you can not eat a certain type of food or have some special needs, tell your host several days before the dinner party. If you are a guest, it is polite to wait until your host starts eating or indicates you should do. Always chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or taking a drink. You may eat chicken and pizza with your fingers if you are at a barbecue, buffet or very informal setting, otherwise always use a knife and fork. Always say thank you when served something. It shows appreciation.
On formal dining occasions it is good manners to take some butter from the butter dish with your bread knife and put it on your side plate (for the roll). Then butter pieces of the roll using this butter. This prevents the butter in the dish getting full of breadcrumbs as it is passed around. When eating soup, tip the bowl away from you and scoop the soup up with your spoon.
Don’ts
• Never lick or put your knife in your mouth
• It is impolite to start eating before everyone has been served unless your host say that you don’t need to wait
• Never chew with your mouth open. No one wants to see food being chewed or hearing it being chomped on.
• It is impolite to have your elbows on the table while you are eating. However, when you stop to talk, it is okay to rest your elbows on the table and lean forward.





• Don’t reach over somebody plate for something, ask for the item to be passed
• It is impolite to have your elbows on the table while you are eating
• Don’t reach over somebody plate for something, ask for the item to be passed
• Never talk with food on your mouth
• It is impolite to put too much food in your mouth
• Never use your fingers to push your food on to your spoon or fork
• It is impossible to slurp your food or eat noisily
• Never blow your nose on a napkin. Napkins are for dabbing your lips and only for that
• Never take food from your neighbors plate
• Never pick food out of our teeth with your finger nails
Task 2: Answer the following questions
1. What should and shouldn’t you do while eating in Britain?
2. What can you learn from British eating etiquette?






Lecture 2: Britain's Social Customs
Men should never wear hats inside buildings. British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can bet that they'll be there just after three. Since Britons are so time conscious, the pace of life may seem very rushed. In Britain, people make great effort to arrive on time. It is often considered impolite to arrive even a few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, it is expected that you call the person you are meeting. Some general tips follow.
You should arrive:
* At the exact time specified – for dinner, lunch, or appointments with professors, doctors, and other professionals.
* Any time during the hours specified for teas, receptions, and cocktail parties.
* A few minutes early: for public meetings, plays, concerts, movies, sporting events, classes, church services, and weddings.
If you are invited to someone's house for dinner at half past seven, they will expect you to be there on the dot. An invitation might state "7.30 for 8", in which case you should arrive no later than 7.50. However, if an invitation says "sharp", you must arrive in plenty of time.
Task 3: Complete the information to summarize the passage
1. Punctuality
2. At the exact time specified
3. At any time
4. A few minutes early
Invitations
“Drop in anytime” and “come see me soon” are idioms often used in social settings but seldom meant to be taken literally. It is wise to telephone before visiting someone at home. If you receive a written invitation to an event that says “RSVP”, you should respond to let the person who sent the invitation know whether or not you plan to attend.
Never accept an invitation unless you really plan to go. You may refuse by saying, “Thank you for inviting me, but I will not be able to come.” If, after accepting, you are unable to attend, be sure to tell those expecting you as far in advance as possible that you will not be there.
Although it is not necessarily expected that you give a gift to your host, it is considered polite to do so, especially if you have been invited for a meal. Flowers, chocolate, or a small gift are all appropriate. A thank-you note or telephone call after the visit is also considered polite and is an appropriate means to express your appreciation for the invitation.
Task 4: Answer the questions followed.
1. How do you accept and refuse an invitation in Britain?
2. Discuss the differences between Vietnam and Britain in accepting and refusing an invitation?
Introduction and Greeting
It is proper to shake hands with everyone to whom you are introduced, both men and women. An appropriate response to an introduction is "I am happy to meet you". If you want to introduce yourself to someone, extend you hand for a handshake and say "Hello, I am…” Hugging is only for friends.
Greeting etiquette

A handshake
A hug
A kiss on the cheek
The handshake: a handshake is the most common form of greeting among the English and British people and is customary when you are introduced to somebody new.
The kiss: a kiss is only when you meet friends, whom you haven’t seen for a long time, that you would kiss the cheek of the opposite sex. In Britain one kiss is generally enough
The usual formal greeting is a “how do you do”? And a firm handshake but with a lighter touch between men and women. ‘How are you?’ is a question and the most common and polite response is “I am fine, thank you and you”, ‘Nice to meet you – nice to meet you, too’, ‘Delighted to meet you – delighted to meet you, too’, ‘Pleased to meet you – pleased to meet you, too’, ‘good morning/ good afternoon/ good evening’.
Informal greeting: ‘Hi- hi or hello’, ‘Morning/ afternoon/ evening’ (we drop the word “good” in informal situation), ‘How’r you? Fine thanks. You?’. We sometimes say “cheers” instead of “thank you”. You may hear cheers said instead of “good bye”. What we are really saying is “thanks and bye”
Task 5: Work in groups and discuss the similarities and differences between Vietnam and Britain in greeting?
Some do’s and don’ts
Do’s:
• Do stand in line
• Do take your hat off when go indoors( men only)
• Do say excuse me
• Do pay as you go
• Do say please and thank you
• Do cover you mouth (when yawning and coughing)
• Do shake hand
• Do say sorry
• Do smile
• Do drive on the left side of the road
Don’ts:
• Do not greet people with a kiss (except close friends or relatives)
• Avoiding talking loudly in public
• Impolite to stare at anyone in public
• Do not pick your nose in public
• Avoiding doing gestures as backslapping and hugging (only for close friends)
• Do not spit (eject saliva from mouth)
• Do not burp
• Do not pass wind in public
• Impolite to speak with your mouth full of food
• Do not ask personal or intimate questions
Things that are ok to do
• Ok for women to eat alone in the restaurant
• Ok for women to wander around on their own
• Ok for women to drink beer
Task 6: Work in groups and discuss the things you should/shouldn’t do in Britain?













Lecture 3: festivals and special days
A good start to gaining some understanding of the lives of people living in a country is to look at their cherished customs and traditions. These illustrate not only what is important to the people living there, but also how they relax and have fun.
New Year’s Day (Jan 1)
The beginning of the new year. People make resolutions.
Twelfth Night (the evening of the 5th January)
A party after the Christmas break and before the return to work in the fields. In the UK, people used to have parties on Twelfth Night and it was traditional to play practical jokes on your friends and neighbors. These included tricks such as hiding live birds in an empty pie case, so that they flew away when your startled guests cut open the crusts (as in the nursery rhyme "Sing A Song of Sixpence" goes, "…the pie was opened and the birds began to sing".
April Fool’s Day (April 1)
It is traditional for people to play tricks or practical jokes on each other on this day. You have to play the joke before 12 o’clock midday, otherwise the joke is on you. Children are most enthusiastic about this custom.

Harvest Festivals

It is a Christian festival September. It was held to say thank you to God for a good harvest. Churches are decorated with fruit, vegetables and flowers. Harvest Festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land. Thanksgiving ceremonies and celebrations for a successful harvest are both worldwide and very ancient.
In Britain, we have given thanks for successful harvests since pagan times. We celebrate this day by singing, praying and decorating our churches with baskets of fruit and food in a festival known as 'Harvest Festival', usually during the month of September.
Hallowe'en

Hallowe’en is derived from an ancient Celtic festival, Samhain. The Celts celebrated their New Year's Eve on October 31st. It was celebrated every year with a festival called Samhain (pronounced 'sow-in'), that marked the end of the "season of the sun" (Summer) and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold" (Winter). The beginning of the Celtic New Year on November 1st.
The Celts believed that evil spirits came with the long hours of winter darkness. They believed that on that night the barriers between our world and the spirit world were at their weakest and therefore spirits were most likely to be seen on earth. The Celts built bonfires to frighten the spirits away, and feasted and danced around the fires. The Halloween fires brought comfort to the souls in purgatory (a place where souls are temporarily punished for venial sins. After they have been punished enough, they are permitted to move on to heaven) and people prayed for them as they held burning straw up high.
Christians believe that goodwill always conquers evil, and that Jesus, the light of the World, defeats all the fear of darkness before a New Year comes.
Bonfire Night
In England the day of fires became November 5th, the anniversary of the Gunpowder plot of 1605, but its closeness to Halloween is more than a coincidence. Halloween and Bonfire Night have a common origin they both originated from pagan times, when the evil spirits of darkness had to be driven away with noise and fire.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is the following day after Christmas Day. Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. The name of the day goes back to medieval times, more than 800 years ago, when alms boxes were placed at the back of every church to collect money for the poor.
Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor. The Christmas boxes were made from clay and were not made in the shape of a box. They were hollow clay balls with a slit in the top. Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations.

The tradition of giving money still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees.
Valentine's Day
Traditionally, spring begins on St Valentine's Day (February 14th), the day on which birds chose their mates. In parts of Sussex Valentines Day was called 'the Birds' Wedding Day'.
Each year in Britain, the British spend around £503m on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine's Day. Traditionally these were sent anonymously, but nowadays they often make it clear who is sending each 'Valentine'. There are many

traditions and tales associated with romance activities on Valentine's day including: - The first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband.
- if the names of all a girl's suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water, the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-to-be.
- if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich person.
Remembrance Day
The Armistice that brought an end to the fighting of the First World War was signed on November 11th 1918. Remembrance Day is commemorated annually in Britain on the Sunday nearest to November 11, which falls on November 13 this year.
Two weeks before Remembrance Day paper poppies made by ex-service personnel begin to be sold by volunteers all over Britain. The red poppies represent the poppies that grew in the cornfields of Flanders where many thousands of soldiers lost their lives in the First World War. Wearing a poppy – the symbol of remembrance - remains a small yet significant gesture which helps British people to remember the price of freedom. It is a price which is still being paid, with more than 12,000 British servicemen and women killed or injured in active service since 1945, and 53% of the regular armed forces currently under the age of 30.
National Flowers
The national flower of England is the rose. Its original is the Wars of the Roses – civil wars (1455 – 1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose). The Yorkist regime ended with the defeat of King Richard III by the future King Henry VII at Bosworth on August 22, 1485. Henry VII united the two roses into the Tudor rose (a red rose with a white center) when he married Elizabeth of York.
The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leafed plant similar to clover that is said to have been used by St Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The plant itself is a reminder of the history and importance of linen in Northern Ireland's agriculture and manufacturing industries.

The Scottish national flower is the thistle, a prickly-leafed purple flower that was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The national flower of Wales is usually considered to be the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day. However, the leek is also considered to be a traditional emblem of Wales, possibly because its colours, white over green
Easter Celebration

Easter in Britain had its beginnings long before the arrival of Christianity. Celebrations of spring's renewal probably date back to prehistoric times, and supposedly the word Easter itself derives from the pagan festival of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn.
The hare was said to have been sacred to this goddess, and is supposedly the origin of today's Easter bunnies, though rabbits, because of their fecund reputation, have always been symbols of fertility.
Guy Fawke’s Night
November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars. It is celebrated on November 5 to mark the discovery of a plot to blow up Parliament in 1605. People make models of him and burn them on big bonfires.

New Year’s Eve (December 31)
It is a traditional Scottish celebration. At midnight everybody joins hands and sings Auld Lang Syne.
Christmas Day (December 25)
It is a religious ceremony commemorating the birth of Christ. Children wake up early to find presents in their stockings. Traditional Christmas tree and dinner.




Task 7: Answer the questions
1. What aspects of Christmas in Britain, and the customs associated with it, are different from those in Vietnam?
2. What special days do you have in Vietnam for individuals to celebrate which British people don’t celebrate?








Lecture 4: Dressing
Everyday dress is appropriate for most visits to peoples' homes. You may want to dress more formally when attending a holiday dinner or cultural event, such as a concert or theatre performance.
National costume
England, unlike Wales and Scotland, has no official national dress.
Some people think men in England wear suits and bowler hats, but it is very unusual these days to see anyone wearing a bowler hat. (The man in the photo was taking part in a birthday parade for one of the Queen's Guard regiments.)
An English National Costume group are trying to make England's national dress be the clothes worn by the Anglo Saxons during the 7th century. The Anglo-Saxons were warrior-farmers and came from north-western Europe. They began to invade Britain during 450 A.D.

Morris Dancers
The Pearly Kings were the leaders of the Victorian street sellers. They got their name because they wore 'pearl' buttons on their hats as a sign of authority. Later they began to wear clothes covered all over in buttons. The title of Pearly King is passed down in the family, and there are Pearly Queens, Princes and Princesses too. They now spend their free time collecting for charity.

Pearly Kings and Queens A far better choice for an English national dress would be to choose from our many customs and traditions we have in England. There are a wide variety of costumes from the spectacular ceremonies associated with monarchy to the traditional costumes worn by Morris dancers and others at English country fairs.

Scotland

One of the most famous national costumes in the world in Scotland is a kilt. The kilt is worn around the waist. Modern kilts have up to eight meters of material which is thickly pleated at the back and sides, with the pleats stitched together only at the waistband. Fashion designers have also tried to update the kilt and make it appeal to a wider audience by using non-tartan designs such as camouflage and material such as leather.
Welsh 'national' dress
The popular image of Welsh 'national' dress, of a woman in a red cloak and tall black hat, is one which largely developed during the nineteenth century. It was part of a conscious revival of Welsh culture during a period when traditional values were under threat.

The costume regarded as national dress is based on clothing worn by Welsh countrywomen during the early nineteenth century, which was a striped flannel petticoat, worn under a flannel open-fronted bed gown, with an apron, shawl and kerchief or cap. Style of bed gown varied, with loose coat-like gowns, gowns with a fitted bodice and long skirts and also the short gown, which was very similar to a riding habit style.
The hats generally worn were the same as hats worn by men at the period. The tall 'chimney' hat did not appear until the late 1840s and seems to be based on an amalgamation of men's top hats and a form of high hat worn during the 1790-1820 period in country areas.
Early Irish dress, based on Gaelic and Norse costumes, consisted of check trousers for men, worn with a fringed cloak or mantle, or a short tunic for both men and women, worn with a fringed cloak. This style of dressing was prohibited in the 16th century under sumptuary laws, passed to suppress the distinctive Irish dress and so overcome Irish reluctance to become part of England. In particular, the wearing of the fringed cloak was forbidden, as was the wearing of saffron-coloured garments (saffron yellow was an important feature in Irish costume).
Task 8: Discuss briefly the main ideas
1. The national dress of England.
2. The national dress of Wale.
3. The national dress of Scotland.

Lecture 5: Dating and marriage customs in Britain
Dating usually starts in the teenage years although some kids at primary school age are now having boy and girl friends from the age of 8 years and upwards.
Traditionally, girls used to wait for the lads to make the first move, but these days equality rules. A popular venue for the first date is the cinema (movie House).
Under the age of sixteen, parent's permission for marriage must be sought. At 18 you can get married without anyone’s permission. The trend nowadays is to marry later. Many couples are living together first for all sorts of reasons such as finance.
Weddings
Over half the weddings in the UK take place in local register offices and the rest are religious ceremonies of one kind or another. A few years ago changes in the law allowed couples to get married in all sorts of places (known as a civil Wedding Ceremony).

Most weddings take place on Saturday afternoons, this is very much the “peak period” in any week for getting married.
Before the Wedding takes place
Brides have 'Hen' nights and bridegrooms have 'Stag' parties (similar to bachelor/bachelorette parties). For couples getting married in a church, 'banns' announcing the proposed wedding are read aloud in the church three Sundays before the wedding. It is unlucky for the bride and bridegroom to be present at the calling of the banns.
The Wedding Day
Traditionally the bride wears a white dress and the groom wears a suit (top hat and tales). The bride may be attended by bridesmaids and pageboys.

The Honeymoon
It is traditional for the bride and groom to go away on a holiday, called a Honeymoon, after the wedding has taken place.
Centuries ago it was customary for the Bride and Bridegroom to drink mead made from honey, for a month after the wedding. A month was known as a moon, hence honeymoon.
Task 8: Answer the following questions
1. At what age can you get married in Britain?
2. When and where does the wedding usually take place?
3. Where do the bride and groom often go to after the wedding?
4. What do you think about the weddings in Britain and in Vietnam nowadays?
Characteristics of English men
• Queuing - a national habit, a polite or good manner.
• a reputation for being conservative.
• Going on the left side of the road
• Double-decker buses _ the most popular means of transport.
• Using miles and yards for measurement.
• Dislike displaying their emotion
• Prefer his own house to an apartment in a block of flats
• In the south, a three bedroom semi-detached house _ a typical house.
• On average, two children and a pet.
• Love familiar things
• Famous for their sense of humor.
• Show great love for animals and nature.
• Greatly love domestic animals such as dogs, cats, hens, canaries and many other animals.


The typical English man
• Work in big cities (London) but live in the countryside, in a house with a lovely garden.
• Read The Times and do the crossword on the way to work.
• Love to talk about the weather or cricket in the pub at lunchtime.
• Always wears a dark suit to work and carries an unopened umbrella.
• At weekends, wear an old tweed jacket and a pair of gardening trousers.
• Like plain, simple food, and drink tea.
• Work in garden, play golf or takes his dog for a walk in his free time.
• Kind and polite to his wife but not show her a lot of affection.
• The most popular hobby is gardening and the most popular sports are fishing, football and tennis.
Task 9: Discuss the following points
1. The main characteristics of English men.
2. The characteristics of English and Vietnamese men.













Lecture 6: Superstitions in Britain
Good Luck
1. Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England.
2. Lucky to touch wood.
3. Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.
4. A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horse shoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horse shoe if it is upside down.
5. On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits, white rabbits white rabbits," before uttering your first word of the day.
6. Catch falling leaves in autumn and you're having good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.
Bad Luck
1. Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder
1. Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.
2. Unlucky to see one magpie, lucky to see two, etc.
3. Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck.
4. Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors.
5. The number thirteen is unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day. Friday is considered to be an unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday.
6. Unlucky to put new shoes on the table.
7. Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs.
Food Superstitions
1. When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out
2. In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house!
Animal Superstitions
Animals feature a lot in our superstitions as they do in superstitions around the world.
1. One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough. (Bears used to roam Britain but now they are not seen on our shores)
2. In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost.
3. It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats.
4. If a Sparrow enters a house it is an omen of death to one who lives there. In some areas it is believed that to avoid ill luck any Sparrow caught must be immediately killed otherwise the person who caught it will die.
5. In some areas black Rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White Rabbits are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the Rabbit.
6. It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a Peacock within the home or handle anything made with them. This is possibly because of the eye shape present upon these feathers i.e. the Evil-Eye associated with wickedness.
Task 10: Answer the following questions
1. Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country? and which are different?
2. Do you know anything about the origins of some of the superstitions in your country?
3. Can you give the definition of "superstition"?
4. Do you believe that they can influence our lives and still live on in the age of science?





























References

1. Garwood, C. & Gardani, G. & Peris, E. (1992). Aspects of Britain and the USA. Oxford University Press.
2. Goodwright, C & Olearski J. (1998). In the English speaking world. Chancerel International Publishers.
3. McDowall, D. (1998).Britain in close-up. Longman.
4. Monaha, J. (1996). Education and Training in Britain. Foreign and Commonwealth Office London.
5. Ham, C. and Crawley (1989). The House of Parliament. Garrod and Loft house International Limited.
6. Internet
• http://www.google.com
• http://www.shagtow.com
• http://www.statistics.gov.uk
• http://www.destination360.com
• http://www.aboutmywote.co.uk

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