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CHANGE OF DIRECTION

But now, after long having enjoyed a privileged relationship with America, Britain is gradually turning towards the Continent (be it at its own speed), gently steered by Tony Blair, who regards Britain's place in Europe as a unique occasion to play a dominant role on the world stage. Cunning tacticians that they are, though, the English are waiting to see if the single currency will work and if its national characteristics will be respected within the federal set-up. Especially as the nation's lifestyle has advanced, in the meantime, in leaps and bounds. London is now home to a population that can speak 300 different languages. It has become the European capital of multiculturalism, and draws tourists from across the globe with... its cooking and world music. Today, bridges are being built across Europe as never before. While the idea of the "green, green grass of home" advocated by an elitist layer of society locked in the past is still popular, England, the land of contrast, is busy redefining its image. On the sunny beaches of Spain, France and Greece in summertime. In the Bangladeshi restaurants down Brick Lane and in the clubs of London, Manchester and Birmingham all the year round...!

WORD STUDY

I. Match the following proper names with relevant characteristics:

I.England a) a staunch Anglophile

2.Europe b) the island of liberty

3. Great Britain c) the dark, despotic Continent

4.London d) the country that saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution

5. the English e) cunning tacticians

6. Voltaire f) home to a population that can speak 300 different languages

g) the European capital of multiculturalism

h) the land of contrast

 

Ø COMPREHENSION

I. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct them if necessary.

1. The English have been traditionally suspicious of foreigners.

2. Voltaire admired England and the English.

3. In comparison with Europe, Great Britain has always been more liberal.

4. The journey from Paris to London has always been very comfortable.

5. The British welcomed the launch of the Chunnel.

6. Britain has at last turned away from America to Europe.

7. The British are not particularly willing to give up their currency.

8. The British lifestyle has drastically changed over the past decades.

 

FOLLOW UP

I. Separate the following characteristics into (a) stereotypes and (b) new lifestyle features of the British:

Driving on the left, the cult of gardening, gradually turning towards the Continent, male-only cricket clubs, a population that can speak 300 different languages, being firmly anchored to one's native isle, drawing tourists from across the globe with its cooking and world music, considering it a shame and bad taste to be an alien

 

Can you expand both the lists with other suchlike characteristics? What is your personal experience of Britain and the British?

 

FOLLOW -UP

I. In groups and pairs discuss:



Do you think there's a future for the Monarchy in the UK? Why yes/no? If yes, how do you see it?

Vigdis Vad Milsen: a foreigner's point of view

Vigdis Vad Milsen cornes from Norway. She's a girl with ideas of her own, who likes to travel, and wants to see the world. She's in England at the moment, like thousands of other young people from all over the world. She has enrolled for an English course in London and has found an English family to live with.

Everyone who travels takes more than just their luggage. They take their own ideas, their own ways of thinking, and their own lifestyle as well. Vigdia had heard a lot about Britain be­fore she came.

Some things were as she had expected. She had heard that Eng­lish people were quite reserved, for example, and she found that that was sure. She had to laugh when she went on the "tube" (the London underground railway) and saw everyone sitting reading their newspapers. She couldn't understand why no one talked or smiled.

But some things were not as she had expected. She had seen beautiful photographs of tourist sites, like Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace, but she had not seen pictures of the ug­lier parts of London. To her surprise, she found that London was a grey, rather dirty city. She found it a bit disappointing.

British people surprised Vigdis, too. She had seen pictures of "city gents" with their rolled umbrellas and their smart suits, but she had not seen pictures of the ordinary people. She had not expected London to be so international, with so many people from different parts of the world. And she had not known there were so many kinds of English pronunciation. She could not understand the Scottish and Irish people she met. She could not always understand the Londoners.

Family life came àç another surprise. In Norway, young chil­dren play outside in the streets and fields, even in the middle of winter. In the London family that Vigdis lived with, the children spent much more time indoors, watching television or playing with their toys. They did not go out alone. Their mother always took them to and from school.

What is your idea of England? What would you expect to see in London? Turn the pages, and meet some British people. Perhaps they will surprise you ...

 

American man:

I find the British very reliable, both socially and professionally ...I mean, if you make an appointment with a Brit, they'll keep it. If you ask them to do something for you, you. they'll, they'll do it. ... but I suppose they're a bit serious about life, / mean, people in the States are more easy-going. I guess it's cos, maybe the weather or something like that, it's colder over, over in Britain. I find the Brits rather conservative, I mean. I suppose they got a lot of culture behind them, I mean, a thousand years so they tend to look backwards whereas people in the States look forward.

Australian man

I've found the British are very polite, almost too polite -for example the other day I got into a lift in the hotel where I'm staying and I trod on someone's foot, and I was just about to apologise when they said sorry first, so I mean, I think that's ridiculous, really. The other thing I've noticed is that they're realty sensitive about things, / mean, back home in Australia when, if you don't like someone, you don’t like the shirt they're wearing or whatever, you just say it, you ñîme straight out and say it. Whereas here you say something like that and they get really angry and, I think that's, that's not a very good thing, really. 1 prefer the way things are back home.

Canadian man

They're very shy, the British, I’ve noticed that it really does take a long while to get to know people here, but then once you get to know them, they're, they're really, you know, they're really warm and friendly. I've noticed this especially up in the north. I spent same time in Manchester and there the people were delightful, they were really kind to me, took me info their homes, and I made some really good friends there.

What do Belarusians tell about Britain and its people after their visit abroad? Here some quotations from Belarusians who visited Britain. Read them, put a tick next to ones which surprised you and discuss them in pairs.

- Although the British share the Protestant work ethic, I mean the belief that hard work is good for people, but have always believed that it is also good for people to have activities outside work. A traditional saying warns that 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'. And many British people care more about their leisure time than their work which is, for some, simply a means of getting money to live on.

- The British value hand-made bears, even if they are not of high quality. And the best gift is a hand made one. Also they love crystal.

- Looking at a photo with a grey-coloured taxi in it an old Londoner exclaimed: 'It's a wrong taxi!'

- London is dirty! I hadn't seen pictures of the uglier parts of London. To my surprise it’s a grey, rather dirty city.

- Children didn't go out alone. Mother took them to and from school. They spei time indoors watching TV or playing with toys.

- There are so many thieves in London. And they call the airport 'Thiefrow' instead of "Heathrow",

- I've never thought that many people in Britain form Neighbourhood watch groups to prevent crime.

- Everything written about hitchhiking in Britain is true, I tried it myself and I did it from Trago Mills to Plymouth (45 miles). All the three drivers were bright talkers, nice people and excellent drivers. The British do live on sports and pub - you should have seen the rugby match in 'Pennycome quick pub' - between England and New Zealand teams on TV - what emotions, what humour and laughter! The British do love cats and dogs — for two weeks I've never seen a homeless dog or cat in the streets.

- English people are surprisingly friendly, breaking existing stereotypes about them as being cool and reserved.

- It was shocking enough to see a family with a baby living on the pavement of the Strand compared to the touching attitude of Britishers to wild life.

- Some people start buying presents for Christmas as early as in June!

 

Read the opinion poll. Did people change their opinion after they had visited Britain?

  People who hadn’t visited Britain People who had visited Britain
Nice/kind to foreigners 24% 79%
Friendly/honest 27% 29%
Quiet/serious/polite 33% 37%
Reserved (don’t show their feelings)/cold 54% 33%
Unfriendly to foreigners/ conservative (don’t like changes)/ think they are better than other people 45% 9%

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 898


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