INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH &

AMERICAN CULTURE & SOCIETY

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, PhD., USSH, VNU-HCM

Email: ndmongha@gmail.com, ndmongha@hcmussh.edu.vn
Office hours: Monday afternoon, Faculty of Education, A314
 Course credits
• No. of course credits: 3 credits (60 class periods)
1.5 credits (30 periods) for British culture &
society (1 credit of theory-15 periods, 0.5 credit
of practice-15 periods) –(2 online sessions)
1.5 credits (30 periods) for American culture &
society (1 credit of theory-15 periods, 0.5 credit
of practice-15 periods) – (may have 1 online
session)
At least 90 self-study hours
 Course overview
The course is designed to provide learners with:
1. some concepts of culture in general and an
overview of the cultures of the UK and the US;
2. some basic knowledge of British & American
cultures including geography, people, politics,
economics, and education;
3. some soft skills of information searching,
critical thinking, and discussion related to
cultural issues
 Course learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. define concepts of culture and society;
2. describe the geographical, social, political, business and
educational settings of the US and the UK;
3. identify similarities and differences between the
geographical, social, political, business and educational
settings of the US and the UK;
4. develop skills to work effectively in intercultural and
multicultural environments;
5. respond positively to cultural differences.
 Course requirements
• Punctuality, active participation & class
contribution
• Mid-term score (40%- 40pts):
- Quiz (individual progress test) or City tour (Museums,
Education Fair, American Center...) or listening to (a)
guest speaker(s) & group report: 20 pts
- (Oral) group presentation (comparison): 20 pts
• Final score (60% -60pts)
Final test: 60 pts
• Total score (100%) – 100 pts
 Format of the final test
A 75-minute in-class test under test conditions
without any materials or dictionaries, including:
✓ Multiple choice: 10 sentences (10 pt)
✓ True/False: 10 statements (10 pt)
✓ Gap-filling: 10 gaps (10 pt)
✓ Open questions: 4-6 questions (30 pts)
 Learning materials
REQUIRED
1. O‘Driscoll, J. Britain for Learners of English, OUP, 2009.
2. Althen, G. et al (1998, 2003). American Ways- A Guide for Foreigners in
the United States (2nd ed.). Maine: Intercultural Press, Inc.
OPTIONAL:
1. Sheerin, S. Spotlight on Britain, OUP, 1997
2. Oakland, J: British Civilization, Routledge, 1998-2002
3. Mc Dowall, D. Britain in close-up, Longman, 1999
4. Birkin, C. et al. (2015). Making America: A History of the United States.
5. Website: http://www.projectbritain.com/ (good)
QUIZZES:
• https://elt.oup.com/student/britain/britainsite/britainbq?cc=vn&selLan
guage=en
• https://play.howstuffworks.com/quiz/can-you-pass-this-british-general-
knowledge-quiz
• https://www.londonschool.com/lsic/british-culture-quiz/
 Course policies
• Attendance in all sessions is strongly recommended.
Participants are required to give advance notice of their
absence in case of illness or any other situations. They
must attend at least 80% of the sessions in order to pass
the course.
• Participants are expected to be well prepared and take an
active role in class discussions and work collaboratively
with their peers.
• Failure of the assignment will be imposed as a penalty for
cheating and plagiarism.
• For late submitted work, 5% of the component grades
will be deducted per day.
 Contents and schedule (the UK)
1. Introduction to the course; “Culture“ concept and
features. The physical setting of British Civilization
(Chapter 1&3) – 9/1/2024
2. The British people: short overview of British history
(Chapter 2), British Identity (Chapter 4), Attitudes
(Chapter 5) – 16 & 23/1/2024 (1 online session)
4. The British government & political sytem (Chap 6-9) –
20/2/2024 (online session)
5. Economy & Business in the UK (Chapter 15) and the
British system of education (Chapter 14) 27/2/2024
6. City Tour (Vietnamese History Museum) or Quiz or guest
lecture (5/3/2023)
Self-study: religions, festivals, food/drinks, clothing, sports..
 Other websites on British culture
• http://www.britishcouncil.org/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/
• http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/society.h
tm (ok)
• www.users.globalnet.co.uk
• http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain.htm (good)
• http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/ac
tivities/aez/resources/british_culture/ (ok)
• http://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/ (ok)
• http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.htm (ok)
• http://british-culture.com/ (ok)
 OVERVIEW OF LESSON 1
• INTRODUCTION: culture concept and features
• The physical setting of British Civilization
A short video clip
The UK – Main divisions
Climate, land & settlement, environment
Rivers & lakes
Quiz for review
What is culture ? - Brainstorming
Food, drinks, clothes, housing
Language, arts
(music, literature,
Geography sculpture, architecture,...)

Culture Entertainment,
History sports, media

Religions, beliefs, values,

Society, Law, politics,
family , education
(organization)
Social vs individual
External environment
customs, habits, morals,
traditions, lifestyles,
behaviors , ideals, practices
Economy, Business,
(Way of thinking,
Science & technology,
feeling, believing,..)
Methods, skills
(Civilization)
 Remarks on Culture
• Complex (many aspects), dynamic, continuous
• Visible & invisible things (underlying, deep, subtle)- like
an iceberg
• Human life is touched & altered by culture
(way of living, systems are organized & function)
• Culture is knowledge, beliefs and behaviours shared by
a group of people (shared language, communication
styles, customs, beliefs /perspectives, attitudes &
values)
• Culture is tranferred from generations to generations
(learned, cross-generational, adaptive, integrated)
 Features & functions of culture
Features Functions
1. System-based 1. Organization
2. Value-based 2. Adjustment
3. Humanity-based 3. Communication
4. Time-based 4. Education
 The attitudes we should have
• Be open to accept differences
• Avoid cultural stereotypes (positive or
negative), avoid “all, no, always, never“
• Be slow in making judgements (difference
between personal & cultural behaviours)
• Be ready to learn from miscommunication
(opportunity for culture learning)
• Be sensitive, adaptive, ready to learn
(education & observation)
 KWL (about British culture)
• K = Know
• W = Want to know
• L = Learned
K W L
- - -
- - -
- - -
 What you know & want to know
about the UK & geography of the UK
Know Want to know
• Pop music (The Beatles)…. • Education, Universities of the UK
• The Queen & Royal family • Food, drinks, clothes, housing,
• Shakespeare table manners
• Like talking about the • History: from medieval time,…
weather • Geography: climate, natural
• Architecture resources,…
• The Thames river • Power of the Queen & the Prime
• ….. Minister
• ….. • Brexit, relationship between UK
& Europe
• ….
• Religions….
 Overview of the U.K.
• Great Britain, Britain, the UK ?
• Great Britain is made up of
England, Scotland and Wales
• The United Kingdom (UK) is both
Great Britain, i.e. England, Scotland
and Wales, and Northern Ireland
• There is no difference between
the names Britain and Great Britain
(1st used to distinguish it from the smaller area in France called
Brittany in modern English) – GBP (GB £) used by int’l banks
 Background
• English (specifically England) ≠ British (generally
Great Britain)
• English domination: Bank of England, Elizabeth II,
Anglo-American relations
• United Kingdom = England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland
• Britain = Great Britain = England, Scotland & Wales
• National Flag = England (St. George) + Scotland (St.
Andrew) + Ireland (St. Patrick)
• National loyalties (esp. in sporting events)
• British Isles: > 5,000 islands off NW coast
 The UK flag
- The British (UK) flag -
sometimes called the
Union Jack – is made up
from three other flags
- England 57,106, 398
- Wales 3,105,410
- Scotland 5,479,900
- Northern Ireland
1,904,563
https://www.statista.com/statistics/294729/population-united-
kingdom-uk-by-country/
 Geographical position
Vietnam – in SE Asia The UK – in NW Europe
 The position of the UK
• Between the North Atlantic
Ocean and the North Sea
• Within 35 km of the northwest
coast of France, separated by
the English Channel
• Northern Ireland shares a 360
km international land boundary
with Republic of Ireland
• The Channel Tunnel beneath
the English Channel now links
the UK with France
• bordered by four seas:
 to the south by the
English Channel, which
separates it from
continental Europe
 to the east by the North
Sea
 to the west by the Irish
Sea and the Atlantic
Ocean
• The Landscape is very
varied
 Compare VN & the UK
Vietnam
• Area: 331.690 km2
• Population: 99,195,039
• Density: 320/km2 – Lai Chau
lowest density (53/km2).
The UK
• Area: 244,800km2
• Population: 67,736,802
• Density: 280/km2 -Scotland
lowest density (70/km2).

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/vietnam-population/
 Major Cities of VN & the UK in 2024
Major cities/provinces of Major cities of the UK
Vietnam
• London: 7,620,900 people
• Hanoi (north): 8,050,300 (430/km2), metro area: 9, 648,000
• HCMC (south): 8,993,082 • Birmingham 2,684,807
• Thanh Hoa (north): 3,640,000 • Glasgow (Scotland) 1,100,000
• Nghe An (north): 3,547, 000
• Manchester 2,791,005
• Dong Nai (south) : 3,097,000
• Leeds: 1,928,661
• Binh Dinh: 2,468,000
• Liverpool 917,032
• Binh Duong: 2, 456,000
• Southampton 951,531
• Dong Thap: 2,477,000
• Edinburgh (Scotland) 553,569
• An Giang : 2,413,000
• Cardiff (Wales) has 488,153
https://www.statista.com/statistics/294645/population-of-selected-cities-in-united-
kingdom-uk/
http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/united-kingdom-population/cities/
 Major Cities of VN & the UK in 2019
Major cities/provinces of Major cities of the UK
Vietnam
• London - largest city, the capital
• Hanoi (north): the Capital- 7,556,900 people (density
7,379,300 430/km2)
• HCMC (South): largest – • Birmingham 984,333,000
8,371,000
• Glasgow (Scotland) 591,620
• Nghe An (north): 3,348,714
• Nottingham 729,977
people
• Edinburgh (Scotland) 464,990
• Dong Nai (south) : 4,544,000
people • Liverpool (864,122) and
Manchester 395,515 each
• An Giang (Mekong Delta-
south): 2,412,569 people • Cardiff (Wales) has 447,287

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/united-kingdom-population/cities/
Major Cities of VN & the UK in 2009
Major cities/provinces of
Vietnam
• Hanoi (north): the Capital-
6,472,200
• HCMC (South): largest –
7,165,200
• Nghe An (north): 2,919,200
people
• Dong Nai (south) : 2,491,300
people
• An Giang (Mekong Delta-
south): 2,149,200 people
General statistics office- www.gso.gov.vn
Major cities of the UK
• London - Britain’s largest city,
the capital 7,620,000 people
(density 430/km2)
• Birmingham 1,010,000
• Glasgow (Scotland) 640,000
• Edinburgh (Scotland) 450,000
• Liverpool and Manchester
400,000 each
• Belfast (Northern Ireland) has
280,000 people
• Cardiff (Wales) has 270,000
 Compare 2 largest cities in 2
countries
HCM CITY
• Area: 2,095,5 km2
• Population: 8,993,082
• Density: 4,097/km2
LONDON
• Area: 1,580 km2
• Population: 7,620,000
• Density: 4,860/km2

https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/London
 Chapter 3: Geography of the UK
• The British Isles: Britain & Ireland
• Compromise, lack of extremes (not too high
mountains/ not too big rivers/not too cold/not
too hot weather...)
• Land: no active volcanoes
– South: mostly low-lying land with hills and
agricultural land
– North: mostly covered in moorland and
mountains
• Area of Land and water: 152,033 square miles
 Mountains and coastline
• Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous
• A ridge of hills, the Pennines
• Many coastal areas are low-lying (east and
south of England)
• Most of the UK is made up of gently rolling hills
• Lough Neagh, the UK's largest lake, in Northern
Ireland: 396 sq. km (153 sq miles)
• Coastline: 12,429 km
Topography
-Southeast: Lowlands, low-lying
(flat plains, rolling hills, drier &
sunnier, deep & rich soil, woods,
agriculture, densely populated,
green fields, quiet rivers, abundant
vegetation)
-Northwest: Highlands,
mountainous areas (old hard
rocks, cool, wet, cloudy, mineral
resources, thin soil, moorland for
sheep, uncultivated, lightly
populated, lakes), Ben Nevis
(1,343m), Pennine Range
(backbone)
-Forests, grassland, green belts,
agriculture, fisheries
 Industrialization
- 6 industrial areas around London; Liverpool,
Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle
(Coal & iron mines, electricity, electronics,
chemistry, ship-building)
- Oil production, transport, communication
- Green energy (wind, tidal), greenhouse gases
reduced and coal fire heating forbidden
- Smog (smoke & fog)
- Water pollution (River Thames, Law passed in
1970s)
- Cars: air & noise pollution (air quality)
 Energy sources
• Reduction of greenhouses gases
• New nuclear power: politically unpopular
• “Green” energy sources:
Solar power energy
Tidal & wave power energy
Wind power energy (built offshore)
 Climate and weather

- Mild, temperate climate; more rain in the west, changable

weather, from day to day, hour to hour (same day: snow, rain,
fog, sunshine);
- Winter: colder in the north east
- Summer: warmer, sunnier in the south
 Temperature in the UK
(from -100C to 320C, mainly between 50C & 250C)
Sunshine & rainfall
•Temperature – the south is
warmer than the north.
•Precipitation – the west
and north-west, more
specifically the mountains in
these areas are wetter than
the lowlands of the east.
•Wind – the north and west
is in general windier than the
south and east, but it is less
windy inland than on the
coasts, and less windy in
low-lying areas than on the
tops of hills and mountains.
Rainfall (1,600 mm in mountains NW– 800 mm central & east)
Rainfall in the UK compared with
other European countries
Summary of temperature and rainfall around Britain
• North: Temperatures in the north tend to be lower than in
the south. The further south you go the warmer it gets.
 Northeast: Northeast England is the coolest in the country;
Relatively dry all year.
 Northwest: Cool summers, mild winters, heavy rain.
• South: Southern England offer the best weather with mild
winters. The south coast of England is the sunniest part
 Southeast: Southeast has more temperature variations with
warmer summers and cooler winters.
 Southwest: Warm summers, mild winters, rain all year especially
winter
• East: East has less rainfall
• West: Warm summers, mild winters, heavy rain (mostly
over the mountains in the west, especially Snowdonia in
Wales and the Scottish Highlands
A variation of weather in different parts of Britain:
The reason for Britain's weather being different North,
South, East and West is because different air masses
(wind) come from each direction as follows:
• North wind – Arctic: very cold
• East wind - Continental from Europe and Asia: cold
and dry
• South wind – Tropical: warm
• West wind - Maritime air (crossing Atlantic) bringing
cloud and rain: warm and wet
 Vietnam weather

http://www.google.com.vn/imgres
 Rivers & Lakes
(Game: http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/maps/ukrivers/index.htm)
Facts about these rivers and lakes
(Game: https://www.theedkins.co.uk/jo/maps/ukrivers/index.htm

• The Thames flows through Oxford, Reading,

Windsor and London
• The Severn flows through Shrewsbury, Worcester,
and Gloucester (the longest British river)
• Loch Ness is the largest Scottish loch (or lake) by
volume: very deep and is famous for the Loch
Ness monster or Nessie
• The Lake District is an area of mountains and
lakes in England (a National Park)
• Loch Neagh: the biggest in Northern Ireland
Ports, coastline, forest, flora & fauna
• Plymouth, Exmouth, Portsmouth
• Length of coast line: 2,350 miles
• Canals, waterway
• Forest: 5%, orchards, hedges,
• Wood: Oak, pine....
• Wolves, foxes, hares, rabbits, squirrels, birds,
pigeons,....
https://www.theedkins.co.uk/jo/maps/ukrivers/
index.htm
Main divisions: 4 nations
 Games
• https://www.geoguessr.com/vgp/3104 (cities)
• https://www.geoguessr.com/vgp/3771 (cities
& towns)
• https://www.geoguessr.com/l/eur
• http://online.seterra.com
 Vietnam map game
• http://online.seterra.com
• Vienam provinces – map quiz game – online
setarra geography
 LONDON
(about 1/6 (7) total population of England)
• Cosmopolitan (political, financial, cultural center, national
TV network & newspapers): Tourism & finance
• Central & suburbs (Most Londoners live in suburbs)
• Cultural & racial variety (>300 languages, cousines from > 70
countries)
• The Square Mile (original walled city of London, “the City“:
financial organizations), now 2 areas of central London (1
inside and 1 outside the London‘s walls)
• West End (theaters, cinemas, shops,...)
• East End (poor, immigrants, Cockney)
• Commuters (1/5 total population of the UK lives in the
wider London area)
 Political,
financial,
cultural
Center

Diversity Central
London &
/Variety suburbs

London

Areas : 1/6 of total

square mile, population of
East & West the England
End
 Southern England
• Commuter land (densely populated)
• Kent: "garden of England“
• Downs: Hills, white cliffs of the south coasts
• Trading, service (little heavy industry, light manufacturing)
• West Country, Bristol: Farming, dairy products
(cream...), sheep farming. SW: rocky coast, bays
• Moorlands (Exmoor, Dartmoor...): holiday area
• Cornwall (palm trees, tourist industry)
• East Anglia (NE of London): rural, flat (wheat, crops)
• Places of interest: Stonehenge, Windsor, Eton,
Canterbury, Bath, Oxford & Cambridge
 Densely
populated
Commuter
land

East Anglia Kent

Southern
(flat, rural), (garden of
England England)
cliffs, coast

Economy:
farming,
trading,
tourism
 Midlands of England
• Birmingham (Black Country): steel, car production,
Derby (engineering center),
• Leicester, Nottingham: large industrial areas,
• also farming + east coast: fishing
• Potteries (factories producing china b/w Birminham &
Manchester)
• Grimsby: fishing port
• Cool, wetter than in the South
• Place of interest: Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry
(Shakespeare‘s birthplace), Nottingham (Legend of
Robin Hood): tourism
 Birmingham

Potteries Midlands Industry

Stratford
and
Nottingham
 Northern England
• Mountainous areas: Pennine
• Natural resources: coal, iron
• Manchester (west): Cotton
• Bradford & Leeds (east): wool
• Sheffield: steel goods
• Newscastle: ship-building
• Wetter in the west, snow in winter
• Places of interest: Roman Wall, Durham, York, Chester
• Wuthering Heights (Emile Bronte‘s novel)
• Romantic poets: Wordsworth, ...
 Pennine
Industry
(steel

Manchester
Sparsely Northern Liverpool
populated England Bradford
Leeds

Lake District
(National
Park)
 Compare England & Scotland
England - a highly diverse Scotland
topograhy

ROSE

THISTLE
 Scotland
• Southern upland: sheep farming
• North: central plain
• Highlands: mountains, deep valleys, small islands
off the west coast
• Tourism, whisky, North sea oil industry (NE)
• Glasgow (third largest city): heavy industry +
artistic heritage
• Edinburgh (capital, scholarship, law, administration
• National dress (kilt), bagpipes, accent & intonation,
religion, landscape, winter sport
 Sheep farming
Whisky
production
Tourism

Highlands
Glasgow Central plain &
Edinburgh coast
North Sea
Scotland

Cultural,
linguistic,
Population:
administration,
about 5.5 mil
education
(distinctive)
 Wales & Northern Ireland
Wales
Northern Ireland
 Wales & N. Ireland
Wales (emblem: leek) Northern Ireland
• SE of the UK
• Belfast: linen, ship-
• South Wales: Coal mines building
• Cardiff (capital): industrial • Largely agricultural
villages
• Natural beauty
• The rest: mountainous
• Rock in North coast
• Mount Snowdown:
beautiful, largest National
Park of Britain
• High rainfall in western
mountains, east: dry
 South east:
heavily
populated
(Cardiff)

Close contact
with England Wales Mountainous:
industry

Coal mines
 A Quiz for review
1. Great Britain is not made up from
A. England
B. Scotland
C. Wales
D. Northern Ireland
2. The British flag is popularly known as
A. Jack Union
B. Jack United
C. Union Jack
D. Union Jacky
3. What is the population of the UK?
A. about 85 million
B. about 65 million
C. about 35 million
D. about 45 million
4. What is the name of the river that flows
through London?
A. The Thames
B. The Seine
C. Heathrow
D. The Loch Ness
E. Severn
5. What is the highest mountain in the UK?
A. St Michael’s Mount
B. Ben Nevis
C. Cader Idris
D. Mount Snowdon
6. Which areas of the United Kingdom have the
most rainfall?
A. North west
B. North east
C. South west
D. South east
7. Diverse West Midlands town in the heart of
England:
A. London
B. Birmingham
C. Bristol
D. Cardiff
8. Which county is called 'the garden of England'?
A. Kent
B. Cornwall
C. Devon
D. Nottinghamshire
9. You are at a famous lake in Scotland. What are
you looking for?
Loch Ness Monster
10. What is the winter like in Britain?
a) Cool
b) Mild
c) Hot
 More links for reference
• https://www.3dgeography.co.uk/geography-
of-the-uk (list of climate, population,…)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWH0wP
zzhtw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGL4hZJc
Ho0 (lecture)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDB
Sn10 (UK & Britain)
 Compare (home assignment)
The UK Vietnam
• Rainfall & sunshine
• Mineral resources
• Crops
• Industrial areas
• Capital (s)
• National park (s)
• Tourist attractions
• Flag
• Size /area
• Population
• Flora & fauna
 Compare (home assignment)
The UK Vietnam
• Ancient towns
• Origin of country name
• Popular sports
• Mountains
• Coldest & hottest months
• Temperature
• Longest river, biggest lake
• Currency: 1 Pound = …. VND
• Seas, Ocean
• Famous people
• Energy (fossil, nuclear, wind,
hydro…)
 Home assignment
• Review of Chapter 1 & 3
READ
• The British people (Chapter 4 & 5)
• Britainproject website:
www.projectbritain.com
• Short history of Britain (Chapter 2 - History)
(If you can read the ebook online)