The U.

K
1. Britain (Great Britain): England + Wales + Scotland
- Why ‘Great’?
 In France: Brittany.
2. The United Kingdom: Britain + Northern Ireland + some small islands
- In speaking: Britain = the UK (informal)
 It can be the same or different.
3. Ireland
- North Ireland (Ulster) belongs to the UK.
- Irish Republic (Eire) or Irish.
4. British Isles is a group of islands between 50N and 61N.
- Great Britain
- The whole of Ireland
- The islands
5. Britannia was made by the Romans.
- England + Wales
- The female embodiment
 Britons/the Brits: British people.

I. DEMOGRAPHY
- British flag: Union Flag or Union Jack
- The most populated country is England.
- 1/3 natural growth, 2/3 immigration
- India is the number one country of birth for non-UK president.
- Baby boom after the World War II.
- Male < female
- Life expectancy
 II. GEOGRAPHY
- None of the mountains are very high.
- None of the rivers are really big.
- Not very cold in winter and hot in summer.
- No active volcanoes.
- Few light earth tremors.
 British love of compromise

- Location: North – West of Europe

- Border: bordered by 4 seas (English Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean)
- Land border: between Ulster and Eire
- The Channel Tunnel
- Speciality:
 London (capital): the world’s seventh biggest city
 The Pennines: ‘Backbone of England’
 Anthem: God Save the Queen/King
The highest Ben Nevis Scotland 1,343m
mountains Snowdon Wales 1,085m
The Severn 354km
The longest rivers
The Thames 346km
Area Volume
(km²) (km³)
The largest lakes Lough Northern
383 3,52
Neagh Ireland
Loch Ness Scotland 56 7,40

- Climate:
 Temperate maritime
 Few extremes in temperature (5C - 25C)
 Cooler summer, milder winter
 The British tendency to moderation
  The coldest month: February
 The warmest month: July
 The wettest month: July and August
- Rainfall:
 Well distributed throughout the year
 Annual rainfall: West > East (Atlantic Ocean + warm sea current + gulfstream)
- Influences on weather:
North wind: arctic,
very cold
West wind: tropical, warm East wind: continental, cold
(near equator) and dry
South wind: warm
and wet
- The better side of town: the western suburbs of most towns and cities are the richer.
- The prevailing winds throughout Britain are from the West make the air here less
polluted than in the East.

ENGLAND
- The largest city in the UK
- Only 35km from France
- Highest point: Scafell Pike
- Longest river: Thames
- Motto: Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)
- Patron Saint: St. George, who killed the dragon and saved the princess
- Flag: Cross of St. George
- Anthem: Land of Hope and Glory, God Save the Queen
- Currency: Pound Sterling (£) (GBP)
- Official animal: Lion
- National flower: Rose (red rose → Tudor rose)
- Capital: London
 + Dominates Britain because all headquarters and monarch(es) are there

+ 1/5 of UK population

+ So cosmopolitan: 300 languages, cuisines from 70 countries

- In 2007, the most popular city in the world (crime rate is the lowest)
- West End: the rich (theatres, cinemas, expensive shops)
- East End: poorer residential area
- Home Counties: areas surrounding London
- Divided into 3 areas: Northern, Midlands, Southern (no clear division, depends on
wealth)
London suburb Most densely populated
Coasts, bays, wild moorland → Most
Southern South West Peninsula
popular holiday area
Dover White Cliff
Nottingham Legend of Robin Hood
UK’s 2nd largest city, major engineering
The midlands Birmingham centre → Black country (West
of England Midlands)
Shakespeare’s birth place → Tourism
Stratford-upon-Avon
has flourished
Prototype of noisy, dirty factories
“Where there’s muck, there’s brass”
The Pennines mountains are like a spine/backbone
Northern
Coal and iron ore → Industrial revolution
England
Lake District (‘Lake
Poets → walking Largest nation park
holiday)

SCOTLAND
- Mountainous
- Border:

+ South: with England

+ East: with North Sea

- Lochs, clans, kilts, medieval (11th – 15th century) castles (Edinburgh Castle),
Hindrance Wall
- Longest river: the Tay
- Highest Mountain: Ben Nevis
- Major river: the Clyde
- Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (No one attacks me with impunity)
- Patron Saint: St. Andrew
- Flag: St. Andew’s cross
- Anthem: Flower of Scotland
- Official language: English, Scots
- Symbol plant: Thistle
- Capital: Edinburgh (Athens of the North)

WALES
- Mountainous → travel is difficult → most people live in Southeast
- Highest point: Snowdon
- Longest river:: Towny (Tywi)
- Largest lake: Bala
- Motto: Cymru am byth (Wales for ever)
- Patron Saint: St. David
- Flag: Dragon of Cadwallader
- Anthem: Land of my Father
- Official language: English, Welsh
- Symbol plant: Leek/Daffodil
- Capital: Cardiff
- Tourism: 3 national parks and the unique Welsh culture
 NORTHERN IRELAND
- Looks like a huge bowl
- Moist climate → nickname ‘The Emerald Isle’
- 1/6 of the island in covered by peat
- Anthem: Danny Boy
- Highest point: Slieve Donard Mount
- Largest lake: Lough Neagh
- Longest river: River Bann
- National flower: the shamrock
- Patron Saint: St. Patrick
→ Holy spirit
- Capital: Belfast
- Natural beauty: Giant Causeway carried by volcanic eruption and seen in the Irish
bank notes.

COMPARISON
ENGLAND SCOTLAND WALES USLTER
Highest
Scafell Pike Ben Nevis Snowdon Danny Boy
point
Longest
Thames Tay Towny River Bann
river
Largest Lough
Bala
lake Neagh
National
Rose Thistle Leek/Daffodil Shamrock
flower
Capital London Edinburgh Cardiff Belfast
No one attacks me
Motto God and my right Wales for ever
with impunity
Land of Hope and
Glory Land of my
Anthem Flower of Scotland Danny Boy
God Save the Father
Queen
 III. WORLDWIDE ORIGIN
1. Early settlers and invaders
Old Stone Age Palaeolithic
(500,000 BC) nomads
Ancient Britain became an island because a
8,000 years ago
tsunami flooded its land-links to Europe.
New Stone Age
Neolithic People from Iberian areas
(4,000 BC)
Iron Age (800 BC) The Celt Celts from mainland Europe
- AD 43: Britania, part of Roman Empire
- AD 401 – 410: Romans withdrew from
Britain.
AD 43 The Roman - The Romans brought Latin language,
network of roads, villas, arts, Christianity
- Reminders of Roman presence: Chester,
Lancaster, Gloucester, etc.
- 450 – 750: The invasion of the Jutes (few)
from Ireland, Angles from South of
Denmark and Saxons from Germany
- Seven kingdoms:
+ England = Land of the Angles
+ Weallas or Wales = Land of foreigners
(Celts)
→ In England, Celtic language or culture was
to the West.
Anglo – - Anglo – Saxons culture:
AD 440
Saxons + Days of the week: German gods
+ New place-names: Reding, Hastings
(ing = family), Birmingham,
Nottingham (ham = farm)
+ New farming methods
- Government:
+ King’s Council
+ Shires = county
+ Shire reeve = sheriff
The - Vikings = pirates
8 – 9th C
Vikings - 9th C, conquered all England, except
 (Scandinavi Wessex (ruled by ‘the Great’ Alfred)
ans)
- Achievements:
+ 11th C, the Tower of London was built.
The
1066
Normans + 12th C, Oxford and Cambridge were
established.
- People lived in a feudal society.
The Tudors
- Henry VIII made Anglican church.
(The
1485 – 1603 - Elizabeth defeated the Spanish navy,
Golden
discovered America (Virginia in USA)
Age)
- Republic led by Oliver Crownwell
17th C The Stuarts
(Puritan) → Civil war
Margaret Thatcher becomes the Britain’s 1st woman and
1979
longest serving Prime Minister.
→ Racial differences and varying identities
2. Immigrants
- Jewish migration
- European migration
- African migration
- Asian and American migration
- Commonwealth migration
- Political refugees
LANGUAGE
- Celtic language (most widely spoken in Europe)
- Roman: Latin (administrators and upper classes)
- 5th C: the Angles (German group) from Denmark
- 10 – 11th C (the Vikings): Old Norse
- 1066 (Norman invaders): French (used by nobles)
- 14th C: English is the main language (King Henry IV)
ENGLISH SURNAME
- Easy to change family name: Deed Poll Service
- No laws about wife’s or child’s surname
- Reflect social trends

+ Preserve upper class status

+ Combine maiden name and husband’s name

- Give clues about ancestors
ORIGIN
- Names of place: Ashby, Baldock, London
- French place name: Beecham (Beauchamps), Manners (Meunieres), Fleming (from
Flanders)
- Names of landscapes: Hill, Brooks, Bridges, Townsend
- Personal names: Peter, William, Donald
- Names of occupations: Cooper, Weaver, Bishop, Walker, Tucker
- From nicknames: Long, Black, Fox
- Names of sons: Perterson, Williamson, FitzWilliam, MacIntosh (Scotland)
IDENTITY
- Class divisions

+ Friends: same background

+ Change social status

- Clues for class identity

+ Accent, topics of conversation (sports, entertainment, TV shows) and terms

+ Upbringing

+ Table manners, attire, deportment

+ Meal times: food, drink, entertainment

Working class Upper class
Regional dialects ( Cockney, Received pronunciation = standard
Accent Yorkshire, Mancunian, Scouse, English = Queen’s English = BBC
Brummie, Geordic) English
Tea Evening meal, after work (6pm) Tea and snack around 4pm
Rugby Rugby League Rugby Union
- Attitudes

+ Sense of humour

+ Modesty

+ Politeness

+ Conservatism

+ Being different

+ Love nature

+ Love of animal

IV. EDUCATION
I. Historical background
− Tradition of anti-intellectualism ≠ present enthusiasm for higher education
− Foreign language (drop languages after 14)
− Little control by governments
+ National Curriculum
+ School hours, holidays
+ Finances
→ Schools develop a sense of distinctiveness

− From 20thC feel uncertain

+ Less literate and numerate (the three Rs: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic)
+ Little basic knowledge and skills
+ Grade inflation
+ Shortage of teachers
+ ‘spoilt brats’
+ Large class size
+ Equality
→ Many changes
+ Revise the national curriculum
+ Grading scheme
+ National awards (teaching Oscars)
+ University accept disadvantages students with poor exam results
+ Advertising campaigns

− Uniform
+ 1960s - 70s: many schools abandoned uniforms
+ Now: parents favour uniforms
→ Symbol of belonging and sign of status
− Public schools: ruling elite (character building, team spirit)
II. Education system
− By law: education until 16
− Free: age 5 to 16
− State schools, independent schools, or homeschooling
3-4 Nursery
5 - 11 Primary (SAT) Mandatory
11 - 16 Secondary (GCSE) No fee
16 - 18 Further (A-level, GNVQ, BTEC)
> 18 Higher (Bachelor, Master, PhD)

1. Nursery education
− Options:
+ State nursery schools
+ Primary schools
+ Private nurseries
− 15 hrs/wk for age 3 & 4
− Expensive (1/3 of income) → informal childcare (37%)
− National Curriculum (2002)
− Children with SEN (Special Education Needs)
− Statutory assessment at age 5
2. Primary and secondary education
− Compulsory (5 - 16)
+ Ulster (4 - 16)
+ England (5 - 18) (2015)
− The National Curriculum
+ 3 core subjects (English, Maths, Science)
+ Religious and Sex Education
+ 7 foundation subjects (Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, Physical
Education, Modern Foreign Language)
− In Wales, pupils study both English and Welsh until 16.
 Type of school
− State school: free, 93% (local authority)
− Independent school:
+ Public school: expensive secondary school, funded by government, controlled by
elected governors
+ Private school: run by individuals, no government fund
− Comprehensive schools: non-selective
− Grammar schools: entrance test, single sex
− Home schooling (informal schooling)
 School life
− School hour: 9am to 3 - 4pm from Mon to Fri
− Lunch break ≈ 1 hour
− Primary school: 1 teacher for all subjects
− Secondary school: different teachers
− Autumn term → Christmas holiday (2 weeks) → spring term → Easter holiday (2
weeks) → summer term → Summer holiday (6 weeks)
− The academic year begins in Sept
3. Further and higher education
→ Find work
GCSE → Vocational Qualifications
→ Academic Qualifications
− Higher education (undergraduate)
+ Admission: A-level results
+ Grants / loans
+ Academic freedom
+ Duration: 3 years + 1 year work (‘sandwich course’)
+ Fee:
● England and Wales: £9,000/year
● Northern Ireland: £3757/year
● Scotland: free
III. Public exams
1. Certificates
 GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)
− Age 15 - 16 in England, Wales, Northern Ireland
− Different syllabuses and exam methods
− Graded from 9 - 1 since 2017 (previously A - G)
− Subjects: English, Maths, Science + additional subjects
 SQC (Scottish Qualification Certificate) (from 2000)
− Graded in numbers (1 - 6) (1 is the highest)
 A-level
− General certificate of Education Advanced Level
− Taken by 18 years old to continue higher education
2. Exam boards
− England, Wales, Ulster: independent examining boards with different syllabus
− Controlled by QCA (Qualification and Curriculum Authority)
IV. Qualifications
− Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BSc)
+ Honour degree: class I, II, III
+ Pass degree
+ Fail
− Master’s Degree (MA, MSc)
− Doctorate: PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
V. Types of universities
− Independent vs State-funded
− Ancient, red brick, modern
 Oxbridge
+ Founded in medieval period
+ Before 1970, single-sex colleges
+ Semi-independent colleges
+ Attract the best brains
− Civic vs campus
− Open university:
+ Started in 1969
+ Distance education
+ Short residential courses
+ No gov fund
+ Top university for student satisfaction in 2005

THE PUCBLIC ATTITUDE (Politics(

- Boring topic
- Public ignorance
- Lack generosity
- Politicians have bad reputation
 ‘Politics is a dirty business, a necessary evil.’
- Confidence in the stability of the system
CITIZEN AND GOVERNMENT
The British citizens The government
Respect laws
Official Secrets Act
 Little systematic law-breaking
Unenthusiastic about governing and
Has a free hand
lawmaking
No identity card Few rules and regulations
leave alone
 Style of democracy: choose who, not what
STYLE OF POLITICS
- Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
- Parliament has the highest law
- No written constitution
- Respect for privacy and lover of secrecy
- Informal
- Cooperate of different parties
- ‘Two-party system’ (>85% of all MP seats)
- In the 2017 general election, no party on its own could achieve a majority, a Coalition
government was created with the Conservative - DUP agreement.
SEPERATION OF POWERS
I. LESGISLATURE – Parliament makes laws
1. Protestant Sovereign
In law In practice
Has absolute power Almost no power
Chooses PM and ministers “servants PM is leader of the strongest party and
of the Crown” decides ministers.
PM ‘requests’ (demands) the monarch to
Summons and dissolves parliament
dissolve parliament
Refuses the royal assent to a bill Royal assent is automatic
‘My government’ Reigns but does not rule
Embodies the law in courts Nominal
Role of the monarch
- Symbol of national unity
 Head of the executive, judiciary, legislature
 Supreme governor of the Church of England
 Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
- Symbol of the country stability and continuity
- Useful functions
 Final check on government
 Regular meetings (PM and foreign leaders)
 Ceremonial duties
2. House of Lords (Upper House)
- Non-elected
- No salary
- No fixed number of members
Hereditary peers
Lord Life peers recommended by the PM and appointed by the monarch
Temporal (1958)
The most senior judges (law lords)
2 archbishops
Lord Spiritual
A few of 44 senior bishops
Debate a bill
Recommend changes
Functions
Delay non-financial bills for a year, but cannot prevent
Introduce certain bills
3. House of Commons (Law House)
- Power (the most important)
- 650 MPs
- Pay twice the average national wage
- Debating chamber:
+ 370 seats
+ Rectangle
 + MPs are not allowed to take their briefcases into the House of Commons
Chamber
- If an MP wants to mention another MP from their party during a speech, they refer
to them as ‘my honourable friend’.
 Parliament
- No fixed life (max 5 years)
- Function:
 Make and change laws
 Check the work of government
II. EXECUTIVE – Government puts laws into effect
 Elections
- At least every 5 years
- Each constituency is represented by 1 MP
- By-election: an MP resigns, dies or becomes a peer
- Secret ballot
- Choice: cross
- Place: Polling station
- System: ‘First past the post’
- Candidate:
 Over 18
 Not clergymen (Lord Spiritual), civil servants, felons, bankrupts
 Deposit (500£) is returned (if at least 5%)
- Voters:
 British citizens (18 and over) or European in some areas
 Registered
 Not insane
 Not members of the House of Lords
 Not sentenced in prison
- If your are eligible to vote, your name will appear on the Electoral Register in your
area. You can find copies of this register in local authority offices.
 Government
1. Prime Minister
- Party which wins the majority of seats  Government  runs the country
- Leader of the majority  Prime Minister  also the Minister of the Civil Service
- The UK had 2 female Prime Ministers.
2. Cabinet
- About 20 senior ministers
- Collective responsibility and confidentiality
- Meet once a week
- Departments, agencies and public bodies
 25 ministerial departments
 20 non-ministerial departments
 HM Treasury (Her Majesty’s Treasury): Bộ Ngân khố
 The Home Office in the UK is the ministry responsible for internal affairs,
immigration and public security.
 Ministers/Secretaries of State
 The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for all economics and financial
matters.
 Opposition
- Largest minority party
- Criticize government
3. Shadow Cabinet
- The team of senior spokesmen chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror
the Cabinet in the Government.
- About 20 MPs of Opposition
Civil servants
 - Political impartiality
- Secure job, higher salary than ministers
- 500,000 servants
 PM residences
- No. 10 Downing Street:
 Official residence of the PM
 Cabinet office
- No. 11
4. JUDICIARY – law court interpret laws
 3 main resources:
- Common law: based on precedent court judgment
- Statutory law (Equity law): made in Parliament
- Laws of the EU
1. Criminal Court  Crown Court  Magistrates’ Court
2. Civil Court  High Court of Justice  County Court
 Supreme Court
 Political parties
- Tories
 Known as the Conservatives around 1830 (symbol: a green tree)
 Aristocracy
 Reduce income tax, support individual ownership
- Whigs
 Developed into Liberals
 Cromwellian Protestants
 Social reform and economic freedom
 Declined after 1918
- Labour: 1906, state ownership
 - Liberal Democrats (1988) = Liberals (Whigs) + Social Democrats (breakaway of
Labour)
- Nationalist Parties
- Other parties
- Conservative Party and Unionist Party are running the nation now.

VI. BUSINESS
I. Business culture
1. Communication
- Humour
- Indirectness:
WHAT THE BRITISH SAY WHAT THE BRITISH MEAN
I hear what you say. I disagree and do not want to discuss it
any further.
With the greatest respect. I think you are wrong.
I almost agree. I don’t agree at all.
Oh, by the way … The primary purpose of our discussion
Accidentally, … is
Maybe we could consider some other Your idea is rubbish.
options.
You must come for dinner sometimes. Not an invitation.
- Understatements
- First time:
+ Handshaking
+ Cards exchange
- Surname → First name
- No academic titles
- Avoid long eye contact and physical contact
- Written correspondence:
+ ‘Dear Sirs’ -- ‘Yours faithfully’
+ ‘Dear Mr/Mrs X’ -- ‘Yours sincerely’
+ ‘Best wishes’/’Kind regards’
2. Meeting
- On time or early, if late:
+ Apologise to the room (< 3’ late)
+ Call the organisers (> 3’ late)
- Agenda
- Minutes
- Follow-up letter
- Gift giving: not usual
+ After successful negotiation/reciprocation
+ Not expensive (e.g. pen)
+ Open in public
3. Etiquette
- Business meals in restaurants:
HOSTS:
+ Email all the participants
+ Arrive early
+ Start with small talk, not business discussion
+ Let guests order first
+ Never order messy food
+ Pay the bill, leave tips
+ Thank participants
+ Send follow-up email
- Party at home:
GUESTS:
+ Wine, flower, chocolates
 + Leave thank-you note
+ No red roses, no white lilies or chrysanthemums
- Social status (speech, dress, behaviours, education)
II. Economy
1. National economy
Type of economy:
- Mixed economy (public and private)
- 1945 - 1980: mostly state controlled
- From 1980: market economy (Thatcherism)
2. Employment
- ‘Anti-work’ outlook
+ Aristocracy
+ Start work later
+ No more than 48 hours a week
+ 28 paid holidays minimum per year
+ Pay > Job satisfaction
- Working life:
Pension: 65 for all, 66 by 2020
- Types of work → class
+ Working class (blue collar): manual work
+ Middle class (white collar): non-manual work
- Job seekers
+ Local or national newspapers
+ Local job centre (government)
+ Employment agencies (private)
→ Internet
- Organisations
+ For employers: Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
+ For employees: Trades Union Congress (TUC)
- Sectors
+ Agriculture: 1.6% of labour force → 60% of food
+ Service: 85%
+ Manufacture: 8%
+ Construction: 4%
- Trends
+ Unemployment ↑
+ Jobs in service sector ↑
+ Vacancies for women ↑
+ Power of the union and membership ↓
3. Cost of living
- Distribution of wealth: least equitable in Western Europe
4. Currency
- Pound sterling: £ = quid (informal)
- £ 1 = 100 p
- Scotland: 3 commercial banks
- Ulster banknotes
5. Shopping
- Not adventurous shoppers → buy brand-name goods
- Dislike haggling → marked price at chain stores
- High Street
- Chain stores:
+ Boots, Superdrug (drugs and toiletries)
+ W.H. Smith (stationary)
+ M&S (clothes, food)
- Supermarket
- Corner shop
+ Small shop near houses
+ Long opening hours
- Charity shop
+ Sell donated goods
+ Very cheap and good quality
- Off-licence shop: sell alcoholic beverages
- Vietnamese enterprises
6. Transportation: London airports have the most expensive taxi fares to the city centre
in Europe.
- Car:
+ 75% of households have at least 1 car
+ Congestion Charge (London): £ 11.50/day Mon-Fri
+ Toll roads, bridges and tunnels
- Bus:
+ Single decker
+ Double decker
+ Open top
- Tram:
+ 5-10 years old’s: free on buses and trains
+ >16
- Coach: for longer distances, cheap
- Taxis:
+ Different colours
+ Black Cabs in London
+
- Train:
+ 2500 stations
+ The Stockton and Darlington railway (1825)
- The tube:
+ All areas of central and greater London
+ London: the world’s first underground railway
- Euro Trains
- Flying:
+ Cheaper than the train
+ 470 airports in England, 5 in London
- Ship: cargo transport
- Ferry to Spain, Ireland, Holland, France, Belgium
7. Housing
- Types of houses
+ Stately house
+ Detached
+ Semi-detached
+ Terrace
+ Flat
+ Cottage
- House name
- Price
+ Average wage/year: £ 27.000
+ Average house price: £ 270.000
8. Media and communications
- Broadcasting media
+ Dominated by the BBC
+ TV licence
- Print media
The serious The sensational
The quality The popular
The broadsheet The tabloid
→ Jokes/puns in headlines of all newspapers
- Social networks (facebook)