"An Englishman is never happy unless he is miserable; a Scotsman is never at home but when he is abroad".

Anonymous, 19th century

Objectives:

•   to help learners' consolidate and develop vocabulary by active using of the words given

• to develop hstening for gist and details

• to practise students' intensive reading skills

Warm up

Decide whether the following statement is true or false: "British" and "English" are not synonyms.

Introducing the Topic

Vocabulary

Key words: National Identity People:

Communicative — ready and willing to talk and give information Conservative — opposed to great and sudden change Nationalistic — favouring, supporting patriotic feelings, efforts principles Polite — having, showing the possession of, good manners and considera­tion for other people.

Proud — having or showing a proper pride or dignity

Religious — devout, having faith

Reserved — slow to show feelings or opinions

Suspicious of foreigners — having, showing or causing suspicion for peo­ple from other countries

Tolerant — having or showing quality of tolerating opinions, beliefs, cus­toms physical types, behavior, etc different from one's own

Traditional — supporting opinions, beliefs, customs, etc handed down

Serious — thoughtful, not funny, silly or for pleasure

Reading

A) Read the text using the following interactive reading strategy: put some marks on the margins: S — information you know;

--information that contradicts your ideas;

+ — new information;

? — information you are interested

POPULATION OF THE BRITISH ISLES The British Isles are the home of four nations — English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. Even though foreigners often call all British people "English", and sometimes have difficulty in appreciating the distinctions, the component na­tions of the United Kingdom are well aware of their own individual character­istics. The Scots, Welsh and Irish regard themselves largely Celtic peoples while the English are mainly Anglo-Saxon in origin.

The people who now live on the British Isles came from the people who Uved there nearly nine centuries before. Those early people were the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Norsemen. They were forefathers of the present English, Scots, Welsh and Irish. It is characteristic that over most of England and the Lowlands of Scotland the language which soon became the most im­portant was EngUsh. This language is mainly a child of Anglo-Saxon and Nor­man-French, while Celtic languages are spoken in Wales and the Highlands of Scotland and Ireland.

The population of the UK is over 58,000,000 people. This figure gives a population density of 600 person per square mile (234 per square km). Eng­land has an average density of930 persons per square mile (364 per square km). This average does not reveal the even higher densities in some areas of the country, such as south-east parts. Within Europe only the Netherlands has a higher population than England.

People live mainly in cities and towns. The greatest concentration of pop­ulation in Britain is in the London district.

The population of Greater London is 8 million and the population of Glasgow and Birmingham both reach over a million and a half. On the other hand, the north west of England is among the most thinly populated districts in Europe.

Vocabulary

Distinction — різниця Regard — повага, поважати Density — густота населення Reveal — виявляти

В) Answer the questions.

1. How many nations Uve in Great Britain? What are they?

2. What nations regard themselves as Celtic people?

3. Where did people who now live on the British Isles come from?

4. What is the population of the UK?

5. What people were forefathers of the present English, Scots, Welsh and Irish?

6. Where do people mainly live?

7. Where is the greatest concentration of population in Britain?

8. What is the population of Greater London?

9. What country in Europe has a higher population than England?

Listening

Listening Strategies:

• Before listening, look at the task. Try to guess answers to the questions.

• The first time you Usten, answer as many questions as you can.

• The second time, answer the questions you missed.

• Don't worry if you don't understand every word.

A) Listen to radio phone-in programme. Use the Strategies to decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F). The listen again and check your an­swers.

1. Great Britain is made up of four different nations: England, Northern Ire­land, Scotland and Wales. (F)

2. In a poll, British people describe themselves as animal lovers and tolerant but suspicious of foreigners and reserved. (7)

3. Eighty-seven per cent of British people thought that the British were class-conscious. (F)

4. The first caller thinks Britain is an innovative place. (T)

5. She describes herself as English rather than British. (T)

6. The second caller feels European. (F)

7. The third caller is of Indian origin. (F)

8. She thinks Britain is multicultural but there is an intolerant minority. (T)

9. The last caller thinks Britain is a modern country. (F)

10. He is a Scottish nationalist and doesn't feel British. (7)

NATIONAL IDENTITY

Presenter. Good evening and welcome to tonight's phone-in pro­gramme. Our subject tonight is the identity of Britain and the British. For many countries, identity is not a problem but Britain is more complicated. Great Britain is made of three nations. England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is made of Great Britain plus Northern Ireland.

So, at the start of the twenty-first century, who exactly we are? Are we Eu­ropeans? Are we British?

Or are we just a collection of English, Scots and Welsh?

And what kind of people are the British? In a recent poll, British people were asked to describe themselves, eighty-five per cent said we were great ani­mal lovers; eighty per cent described us as tolerant' seventy-seven per cent said the British were class-conscious; seventy-three per cent thought the British were suspicious of foreigners; finally, seventy-one per cent agreed that the Brit­ish were reserved people.

You can call us on 0207 444 333 222 labd give your opinion about Brit­ain's identity. OK, let's start with our first caller. Hello, Claire. You're from Liverpool. How would you describe Britain and British?

Female 1. Well, you know, I think a lot of people from abroad see Brit­ain as a very conservative country and sort of old-fashioned. I don't agree with that. I think England today is a very multicultural place and it's very innova­tive, especially when you think about music and arts and that sort of thing.

Presenter. How would you describe yourself, Claire? English, British, European...

Female 1. Right. I'm from Liverpool and that's very important to me. Then I'm definitely English — I think we are different from the Welsh and Scots. I feel European, too — you know I feel part of Europe.

Presenter. Thanks very much, Claire. We have John Andrews on the line. How would you describe Britain and British, John?

Male 1. In my opinion, Britain is a historic country — we have a long history and we should all be proud of it.

Presenter. How would you describe yourself, John? British, Eng­lish...?

Male 1. Well, I'm fro England. But I feel British of course. And I don't feel at all European — I'm one hundred per cent British and personally, I tMnk we've more in common with people like the Americans and Australians.

Presenter. Thanks very much, John. And now Deshini Mohammed from London. What would your description of Britain be?

Female 2.1 think the first word I'd choose would be multicultural. Brit­ain now has so many people from different races, religions. I think a lot of British people are now tolerant of other races but unfortunately there's still an intolerant minority and that's a real problem.

Presenter. And how would you describe yourself, Deshini? I mean, where are you from?

Female 2. OK, well... my parents were born in Pakistan but I was born here and I suppose I feel British but I also feel a member of the Pakistan com­munity too.

Presenter. Thanks a lot, Deshini. And now our last caller. Fergus McKay from Glasgow. Fergus, how would you describe Britain? Male 2. Right.. .mmm... I think Britain is very conservative. P r e s e n t e r. So do you feel British?

Male 2. No, I don't. I don't feel British at all. I feel Scottish and I'm Scots nationalist.

Presenter. What about Europe? Do you feel European?

Male 2. Yeah. I suppose I do. I tliink Europeans have a lots of things in common.

B) Role play

A phone-in programme.

C) Listen to the interview with Claire. What does she like and dislike about Britain? Where would she like to live for some time? Interviewer. What kind of things would you like about Britain? Female. Well, it must be nightlife. And the music — I'm really clubbing,

you know, and that's really cool up here in Liverpool. Sometimes we go down to London — I really like doing that too. Interviewer. You mentioned music.

Female. Yeah. The music scene in Britain's so dynamic. I mean, I just love the variety and you know it's changing all the time. I'm really keen on Ustening to house and garage — there're a lot of good new bands coming through at the moment.

Interviewer. Is there anything else... anything else about life in Britain you like?

Female. Mmmm, I suppose the countryside. Some weekends we go off to the Lake District or Wales or places like that. I like rock climbing.

Interviewer. So, what sort of things do you dislike about living in Brit­ain?

Female. Well, I don't like all the traffic we've got, you know. I can't stand sitting in traffic jams! Another thing I am not keen on myself is football, though everybody I know is a sort of obsessed by it. And I hate... I hate all the violence around it. I prefer watching tennis myself.

Interviewer. Is there anywhere else you'd like to live?

Female. Well, I wouldn't mind living in Australia, for a while at least. My cousin lives there and he loves it — I'd go out there. Bit I don't think I'd want to live there for ever. You know what I mean?

I think I'd miss England too much. I'd prefer to go just for a few months and maybe work there a bit. And I'd rather go in the summer — just think of it, lying on the beach in January!

D) Listen again and complete the Function File with these words: 'd rather, wouldn't mind, can't stand, 'dprefer, love, hate, don't think, I'd want, really into really like, don't like, really keen on just love, not keen on myself, I'd love, prefer.

Function File Preferences: Colloquial Expressions

I'm_(1) clubbing, you know.

I_(2) doing that too.

I mean I_(3) the variety.

I'm_(4) Ustening to house and garage.

I_(5) rock climbing.

I_(6) all the traffic we've got.

I_(7) sitting in traffic jams.

Another thing I'm_(8) is football.

I_(9) all the violence around it.

I_(10) watching tennis myself.

I_(11) living in Australia, for a bit.

I_(12) to go out there.

But I_(13) to live there for ever.

I_(14) to go just for a few months.

And I_(15) go in their summer.

Answers: 1 — I'm reify into, 2 — really like, 3 — just love, 4 — really keen on, 5 — love, 6 — don't like, 7 — can't stand, 8 — not keen on myself, 9 — hate, 10 —prefer, 11 —wouldn't mind, 12 — 'slove, 13 — don't think I'd want, 14 — 'd prefer, 15 — 'd rather.

Speaking

Make a list of good and bad things about living in your country, town or region. In pairs, ask and answer the questions below. Use the expression from the Function File.

1. What kind of things do you like about living in... ?

2. What sort oft things do you dislike about living in... ?

3. Where else would you like to live? Why?

Vocabulary

Multi-part Verbs

Get at — to criticize someone all the time and upset them

Ring up — to make a phone call

Get to — to arrive at a place

Take off — to leave the ground

Get by — to have enough money or food

Put up with — to accept an unpleasant person or situation

Get on with — to have a friendly relationship with someone

Look forward to — to be excited about something that will happen

Check in — to go to the desk of a hotel or airport and say you've arrived

Complete the description with these verbs in the correct form: get at, put up with, ring up, get to, take off, get by, put up with, get on with, look forward to, check in.

When I am abroad, I always (1)_getting back home. I start feeling

homesick as soon as the plane (2)_. When I (3)_a new place, the first

thing I do after I have (4)_at the hotel is to (5)_my family and have

a chat with them. Unfortunately, I have to travel a lot on business and I often

go to the States. I (6)_the Americans very well — they are always very

friendly. I speak food English too, so I can (7)_in the States without any

problems. I'm not very keen on American food, but I can (8)_it. The prob­lem is that I'm a stay-at-home. My sister always (9)_me — she says I'm

boring and unadventurous. But, as the saying goes, "home sweet home".

Answers: 1 — look forward to, 2 — takes off, 3 — get to, 4 — checked in, 5 — ring up, 6 — get on with, 7 — get by, 8 — put up with, 9 — get at.

Homework

1. Discussion: If you were Scottish, Walsh or Irish, would you like other peo­ple called you English? Why?

2. Make up sentences with multi-part verbs.