Marco geográfico, histórico y cultural de los países de habla inglesa. Aplicación didáctica de los aspectos geográficos, históricos y culturales más significativos. (Geographic, historic and cultural framework of English speaking countries. Didactic explanation of geographic, historic and cultural aspects.)
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7. Conclusion 8. Bibliography 1. Introduction
This essay aims to study the Geographic, historic and cultural framework of English speaking countries. In order to do so, and after having set up the legal framework, I am going to focus this essay on two countries, The United Kingdom (UK) and The United States of America (USA) as there are many English speaking countries in the world and there is a lack of time.
classroom 5. The
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OUTLINE1.Introduction1.1Legalframework1.2Communicativecompetence2.TheUnitedKingdom2.1Geography2.2History2.3Culture3.TheUnitedStatesofAmerica3.1Geography3.2History3.3Culture4.DidacticapplicationsintheEnglish importance of the application of ICT in the foreign language classroom The key competences in the foreign language area
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1.1 Legal framework
As we are in a European context and there is a high number of foreign languages, the Council of Europe saw the necessity of having a common way of grading the knowledge of a student in a foreign language. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages describes what a learner is able to do in listening, speaking, reading and writing at each level. These descriptions can be applied to any language, as it is an international standard. There are six different levels: a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2. A refers to basic speaker; B to independent speaker; and, C to proficient speaker. Due to globalization English has become a worldwide tool in order to communicate with other people. This is why in our current law of education, LOE 2/ 2006 3rd May, modified by LOMLOE 3/2020 29th December, the acquisition of a second language has become a vital point. So, in Royal Decree 157/2022 1st March it is established that by the end of Primary Education our students should have acquired basic communicative competence (level A1) in, at least, one foreign language. This communicative competence is achieved through the acquisition of blocks of basic knowledge from RD 157/2022 (communication, multilingualism and interculturality). Before continuing with the development of this topic, I would like to mention that for this topic RD 157/2022 has been taken into account as the main law of education. Moreover, LOMLOE as well as the CEFR establish the importance of taking specific measures for promoting cultural awareness in the Primary Education stage. This implies: encouraging pupils’ interest in other countries, the need of respecting foreign language cultures and promoting furthering international understanding. As we know, language is full of cultural references; therefore, knowing the different geographical, historical and cultural f eatures of the countries where the target language is spoken is essential to achieve communicative competence. However, we must not expect our Primary students to learn all these features.
Nowadays, learning a foreign language is essential in order to have better chances in our society for several reasons. First of all, when we learn another language we increase our possibilities to communicate and it shortens distances between people and cultures. Second, it widens our own language and culture. Third, it helps in the development of cognitive skills such as artistic expression or mathematical competence. And, fourth, it gives the opportunity of having a better job.
Specific legal framework of your Autonomous Community.
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communicative competence is divided into Linguistic competence is the ability of using vocabulary and the rules of the Discourse competence is the ability of using longer structures depending on the Sociolinguistic competence is the ability to adapt oneself to different contexts Strategic competence is the ability to repair the breakdowns in communication. We could add a fifth sub competence, the sociocultural competence, which implies the ability to understand the cultural value of words. This sub competence is of great importance in this topic, as it is relate d to the understanding and respect to other countries, and therefore, their culture.
1.2 Communicative competence said that every human being communicates with a purpose and that the listener is interested in that communicative purpose. When teaching a foreign language we cannot only focus on grammar competence ( is why we, and our laws and decrees, talk about communicative competence as the final aim of teaching a foreign language.,the
In terms of geography we can say that its area is 244,820 sq.km and its terrain is mostly rugged hills and low mountains with rolling plains in east and southeast. The highest peak is Ben Navis in Scotland, and the main rivers are Thames, Dee and Clyde. The capital city of the country is London, and the climate is temperate. Their currency is the pound sterling and their flag is known as the “Union Jack”. The Queen, Elizabeth II, is the head of state, but she is a constitutional monarch, meaning that she rules through parliament. She is also accepted as the queen in all the Commonwealth member countries. The Commonwealth of Nations , generally known simply as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire.
Let's start with the UK, the nearest English speaking country to Spain.
2.1 Geography
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(London)England (Edinburgh)Scotland (Cardiff)Wales Northern(Belfast)Irland UK Ben Navis Thames Dee Clyde England Scotland Union Jack (1606)
2. The United Kingdom
The UK is formed by four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its population is about 65 million people comprising different ethnic groups: English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Ulster, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and others… Anglican and Roman Catholic are the main religions, but there are also Muslim, Presbyterian, Methodist, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish…
In the first half of the 20 th century the UK took part in two big wars: I World War (1914 1918) and II World War (1939 1945) . Right after IIWW, Ireland won its independence creating the Republic of Ireland. During the second half of the 20 century the UK joined the European Economic Union, and Margaret Thatcher , known as the Iron Lady, developed what she called the self help policy.
During the 19 th century there are two facts that must be highlighted: one is the Act of Union signed by Ireland; the other one is the Industrial Revolution which took place during Queen Victoria’s reign .
Now that I have described some geographical features, I will continue with a brief summary of the most important events that have occurred in the UK’s history. Different people have invaded the UK: first the Romans, then the Nordic tribes, after them the Vikings and even the French. In 1066 William the Conqueror became king of the UK, he was French, so the nobility started to speak French to please the new king. In the 11th century, under Henry II’s reign, Scotland signed its Act of Union; and, in the 13th century it was Wales’ turn to sign it, under Edward II’s reign.
2.2 History
Union Jack (1801)St. Patrick’s flag
In the 16 th century , Henry VIII wanted to divorce from his wife, so he asked the Pope for permission; this one denied it. As a consequence, Henry VIII created the Church of England. After the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the UK started to expand its territory and set up colonies in the north of the new continent. After six centuries, under the reign of George III, the colonies won their independence on the 4th July 1776.
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The Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that makes up the government after obtaining a majority of the seats in the general elections. Right now, the Prime Minister is Boris Johnson. Nowadays the king or queen has no political power, but the British love the royal family, which is an institution in itself.
of literature, the UK has an extended list of important and we can highlight: Queen, The Rolling Stones or The Beetles. , we have, among others Sean Connery, Alan Rickman Lets focus now on the Educational System of the UK. We can find three types of schools: state, which charge no fees; public and private. They divide their system in four stages: KS1 (5 7), KS2 (7 11), KS3 (11 14) and KS4 (14 16). As it occurs in Spain, they also have a national curriculum. The education is compulsory from 5 to 16 years old.
The UK suffered different terrorist attacks during the current century, one of the worst occurred in London in 2005, it was a boom attack in the subway. Besides, in 2008, the economic crisis affected the UK, and many people lost their jobs. In 2014 , Scotland carried out a referendum to become an independent country; they decided to remain part of the UK. And, in 2016, another referendum took place, this time it was to know if the UK wanted to stay in the European Union or not; the result of this referendum is known as Brexit . The Prime Minister, Theresa May, negotiated with the EU the terms and conditions for Brexit. After Theresa May, Boris Johnson has continued with the negotiations. Brexit was finally a reality on the 1 st of February 2020 . 2.1 Culture As I explained before, the UK is formed by four countries, each of them has its own culture and language; however, English is the official language, the other three languages are co official. Thus, in Wales they speak English and Welsh, in Scotland, English and Scottish, and, in Northern Ireland, English and Irish. The Scottish, Welsh and Irish are of Celtic origin, but the English are mostly of Anglo-Saxon or Norman Inorigin.terms
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The United States of America (USA) is set in the northern half of the American continent, between Mexico and Canada. It is one of the largest countries in the world and the third most populous. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. It is formed by 50 states and the District of Columbia. The capital city is Washington DC .
∗ Saint George’s Day, patron of England (April 23rd).
∗ Guy Fawkes Day. It is typical to make a bonfire and throw firecrackers. (November 5th).
KS4 KS2KS3KS1
Personalise by adding any other festivity:
∗ Christmas (December 25th) and the day after Christmas (December 26th) which is called Boxing Day.
SYSTEMEDUCATIONAL
There are many typical holidays in Great Britain. Some of the most popular are:
∗ Saint Patrick’s Day, patron of Ireland (March 17th).
3. The United States of America
∗ Saint Andrew’s Day, patron of Scotland (November 30th).
After having described the main features of the UK’s geography, history and culture, I am going to do the same with the USA.
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3.1 Geography
3.2 History During the expansion of the UK after the discovery of America, 13 colonies were established in the new territory. The new arrivals, known as pilgrims, had many difficulties to adapt themselves to the climate, as it was much colder. Fortunately, the Natives helped them and the pilgrims survived. In order to commemorate this, they celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
In 1776 (4 th of July) , the 13 colonies won their independence . During the 19th century, in the west of the country, there was a Gold Rush ; thousands of people went there to look for gold. Another important event that took place during this century was the abolition of slavery, by Abraham Lincoln, in 1860. However, this prohibition increased the problems between North and South and a Civil War broke out, it lasted from 1861 to 1865 . It ended with the Union victory, as a consequence the territory preserved its integrity and slavery was abolished.
More than twice the size of the European Union, the United States has high mountains in the West and a vast central plain. The lowest point in the country is in Death Valley, which is at 282 feet ( 86 meters) and the highest peak is Denali (Mt. McKinley) at 20,320 feet (6,198 meters).
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Denali DeathValley Mississippi Colorado Ohaio
As it is a big country there are different climates depending on the area. Some of the most important mountain ranges are the Western cordillera and the Appalachian Mountains; some of the most important rivers are the Missouri, the Mississippi, the Ohio and the Colorado. There is a huge biodiversity and lots of National Parks, for instance, Yellowstone and Yosemite. The federal government is composed of: the President, who is the head of state, right now, Joe Biden ; the Secretaries of State, appointed by the president, make up the Cabinet; the Congress (Parliament) , the legislative body, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The president and congress are chosen by popular election; and, the Supreme Court , composed by nine judges, is in charge of claims against the U.S. Constitution and it is the most important guarantee for the American people against injustice. Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. The population is diverse with people from all over the world seeking refuge and a better way of life. It is a pluralistic society where there is a majority of white people, followed by Afro Americans, Asians, Hispanics, American Indians, and Eskimos.
First, the USA participated in World War I (1914 1918). Second, the Great Depression (1929) was the consequence of an economic crisis during the 1920s.
Third, in 1939 the World War II started and the Allies fought back Hitler’s army, however, until the Pearl Harbour attack the USA did not officially enter the war, which, thankfully, ended with the Allies’ victory in 1945. After the war, the UK, France, the USA and the Soviet Union divided Germany into four; the tension between the USA and the USSR got tighter, this period is known as the Cold War ; as a result the Soviet area of Berlin built a wall to separate from the other three. This wall caused many deaths; on the 9th of November 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. Fourth, the Vietnam War (1955 1975) caused a moral crisis in the country, and there were many protests to say “no” to the war. At the same time, there was a fight for basic civil rights , many activists asked for equality between blacks and whites: one of them was Martin Luther King , another one was Rosa Parks . In the 21 st century , New York City was attacked by terrorism in September 2001 and the President, George W. Bush, started what he denominated “War on Terror” to fight back terrorism. In 2009, for the very first time in its history, a black man was elected President of the United States of America, Barack Obama , he was even re elected in 2013 . After President Obama, Donald Trump ruled the country until January 2021. Right now, the President of the US is John Biden. 3.3. Culture American culture has produced many outstanding writers and artists. The country’s 19th and 20th century literature was dominated by such names as Mark or Edgar Alan
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During the 20 th century I would like to highlight several events:
The country has also developed several distinctive types of popular music blues, country and western, and rock and roll.
One of the country’s most popular and influential art forms has been the , known by the whole world as the industry of Hollywood. American filmmakers such as Howard Hawks, George Cukor, Orson Wells, Frank Capra, John Ford, and John Huston gained world renown for cinematic artistry. The education system in the USA, unlike in the UK and Spain, does no t have an officia l curriculum , but basic subjects in elementary schools are language arts, science, social studies, music, art, and physical education. There are two types of schools: state (public) and private. Most students attend public schools. The main types of school are elementary school (6 12) and high school (14 18); there are also
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junior high schools (12 15). Education is compulsory from 6 to 16 years old in most of the states.
Grade K • Kindergarten Grades 1-6 • schoolElementary Grades 7-9 • Junior high school Grades 10-12 • schoolhighSenior
4. Didactic applications in the English classroom
Classes are organized in grades: grade k (kindergarten or nursery school), grades 1 to 6 (elementary school), grades 7 to 9 (junior high school), and grades 10 to 12 (senior high school). Students wanting to go to university must take the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Cultural awareness means seeing both the positive and negative aspects of cultural differences and understanding the thinking ways and lifestyle of people from other cultures.
As students study the daily life and history of another culture, read its literature and respond to its art forms, they develop a deeper awareness of the characteristics that bind us together as human beings even as they learn about the ways in which we are all different.
Culture is a manifestation of a person’s belief and values, perceptions and behaviours, and intellectual and artistic achievements. Becoming proficient in a second language is enhanced by an understanding of ways in which a person expresses its values and conducts its relationships with others.
Studying the products (what people create, both tangible and intangible), practices (what people do), and perspectives (how people perceive reality) of a particular culture brings the learner closer to understanding how the people of that culture think, what motivates them, and what colours their perceptions of the larger world. Thus, it is clear that the development of cultural awareness is a far reaching process.
Teachers can include some of the following techniques in their lessons in order to encourage pupils to take an interest and develop a positive attitude towards the foreign language, its people and its culture:
• it can be really effective to introduce cultural knowledge. For instance, teachers can teach different eating habits between Spanish and English by the way of cooperative learning.
conversationPoliteness
Non-verbalfactorsKinesicsProxemics
Discussions • mini-dramas acted by students expose them to a process of self- confrontation with the target cultural communications.Plays and dramas • teachers can use maps, photographs and illustrations to introduce relative cultural elements. Pictures
Cultural
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As our students are young learners, we can foster KC7 (RD 126) or KC8 (RD157) through the different festivities we find in the Englishspeaking countries, for instance, Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day, Fool’s Day, Diwali, Pancakes Day, and many others. Besides, it is essential to show our students politeness conventions , cultural factors such as regional differences, and non verbal factors , for instance, kinesics (body language) and proxemics (use of space).
differencesRegionalfactors
5. The importance of the application of ICTs in the foreign language
Theclassroom.different laws and decrees that I have listed in the introduction support this application for several reasons: it is a great way to personalize the education and it enhances the teacher’s methodology. And, finally, from my point of view, it is important to use ICTs because our students are “digital natives” and, as so, they are surrounded by technology, and they are extremely keen on it, which is translated into a higher motivation in the class. Therefore, we can use different tools such as computers, tablets or interactive boards. We can also use CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) websites to help students practice, review and have fun learning. All these previously mentioned tools
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Afterclassroomhavingdeveloped
• many lyrics and melody of songs are also full of rich cultural content. Students usually are interested in songs, so it is an effective method in the teaching of English cultural knowledge to analyse the content. Songs • cultural aspects can be introduced through school festivals using songs, dances, costumes, parties, and films… Students will immerse in the target cultural context. Festivals • newspapers and magazines are also considered as an insightful means for teaching culture.
Authentic materials
the topic, I am going to explain the importance of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) education in the foreign language
6. The key competences in the foreign language area. I do not want to finish this essay without explaining the importance of the key competences in the English area and providing some ideas to boost them.
Children’s research is one of the most powerful tools that teachers can use with students because it combines their interests with the classroom. For instance, we can ask students to look for information on the Internet about any aspect of the target language culture that interests them. This can lead to poster sessions or digital board presentations. They can add photos, videos or fun facts.
Apart from Linguistic competence (RD157-KC1) and Multilingualism competence (RD157 KC2), if we take into consideration the aim of this essay, we should outline: Citizenship competence (RD 157-KC6), because this topic takes into consideration values such as accepting differences, tolerance and respect to others’ values and Culturalbeliefs.
LOMLOE and RD 157/2022 explain that the new key competences have been created to link these competences with the challenges of the XXI century. RD 157/2022 establishes eight key competences. For each competence it has been specified a combination of descriptors. Through descriptors and objectives, specific competences have been concreted for each area.
13 are also a useful resource to develop contextualised learning situations, always bearing in mind learning methods which part from the students’ interests and experiences.
awareness and expression competence (RD 157-KC8), as this essay is about knowing, understanding and appreciating different cultural demonstrations.
8. Hinke,BibliographyE.(1999)
Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Laird, E. (1983) Welcome to Great Britain and the USA.
7. Conclusion To conclude this topic I will underline the importance of having certain knowledge of the foreign language culture in order to understand it better because, as we know, language and culture are tightly related. By studying the culture of a foreign country we are fostering key competences number 5, social and civic competence, and number 7, cultural awareness and expressions. There is a huge range of different festivities from the different English speaking countries to work the four skills and the different syntactic discourse elements. As teachers we must never forget that reading, teaching, learning, are all activities aimed at introducing civilizations to each other, as Carlos Fuentes once said.
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