MODULE D: Introduction to British Culture through the Media
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Objective
To introduce students to aspects of British cultures and to issues prevalent in the media
Aims
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To give students the opportunity to explore and learn about the UK through a rich
variety of media
To examine contemporary issues affecting different communities and groups
to encourage students to develop and enrich their English language and skills
through the analysis and discussion of set texts, both written and oral.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students:
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will have a well-developed understanding of many aspects of contemporary British
life
will be able to critically engage with a variety of cultural issues in their own spoken
and written texts
will be able to use simple research techniques to tackle questions about
contemporary cultural issues
Topics covered include:
Family and relationships
Religion, ethnicity and multiculturalism
The British film industry
The health of the nation
Education
Social class, gender and social mobility
British youth culture
The media, celebrity and privacy
Key reading
Selections from the following:
Abercrombie, N. & Warde, A. (2002) Contemporary British Society Cambridge: Polity
Press
Childs, P. & Storrey, M. (2002, 3rd Edition) British Cultural Identities London:
Routledge
Higgins, M., Smith, C. and Storey, J. (Eds.) (2010) The Cambridge Companion to
Modern British Culture Cambridge: CUP
Williams, M. (2009) Get Me a Murder a Day!: A History of Media and Communication
in Britain London: Bloomsbury Academic
Module D Syllabus
N.b. Reading and listening texts are available via Moodle. Accompanying worksheets can
also be made available electronically.
Language Support sessions involve substantial vocabulary development work in addition to
the skills and activities outlined below. Written homework can be set as a follow-up to
sessions.
CONTENT LECTURE TOPIC
Defining Terms
LANGUAGE SUPPORT - 1
Reading and Discussion: 3 or 4
articles on students’ home
culture(s) in the UK media: the
images presented.
Higher Education
Discussion: driven by
worksheet of questions on
entry requirements and
procedures for students’ home
country universities
The Media, Celebrity and
Privacy
Reading: article(s) on the
Leveson Report. T/F
comprehension Qs.. Discussion
of issues involved
The British Film Industry
Reading: 2 texts on 2
influential women in the UK
film industry. Split reading:
students read one article, take
short notes, summarise to
each other
Social Class and Social Mobility
Reading and Discussion: text
on Class and Education with
comprehension Qs. Check
answers, then discussion:
comparison/contrast with
home country
Reading: 2 texts on racial
integration (the myth, the
reality); comprehension Qs.
Discussion of issues
Ethnicity and Multiculturalism
LANGUAGE SUPPORT – 2
Reading and writing: from the
text ‘The Language of
Newspapers’, identifying and
unpacking (long) noun
phrases; writing sentences
with long NPs
Reading and vocabulary:
identifying synonyms (text on
tuition fees). Speaking:
preparing arguments,;
discussion/debate on student
grants v. loans
Focus on pronunciation:
reading aloud a text on
privacy; stressing and
intonation. Vocabulary on
‘celebrity’. Speaking:
discussion on celebrity and
privacy
Reading: speed-reading skills
(use of an online test); practice
with BFI Report. Speaking:
scanning text for vocabulary to
describe films; students
prepare short talks about a
favourite film
Focus on language of
comparison/contrast: 3 texts
on social class structure in the
UK
Focus on language of cause
and effect (writing skills), using
concepts from the last two
lectures.
The Family and Relationships
British Youth Culture
Devolution
Reading: 2 texts on family life
and debt. Split reading,:
students make notes and
summarise to each other.
Discussion
Reading: 3 texts comparing the
youth of today to those a
generation ago. Students note
the contrasts in each case.
Comparison of texts and
discussion
Reading: 2 texts, on Scotland
and on Wales. Reading, and
comparison/contrast between
the two. Discussion
Writing: paraphrasing skills,
using short passages from the
reading texts.
Speaking: vocabulary to
describe youth sub-groups;
short descriptions of each
group
Speaking: short talks by
students on devolution in the
context of their home country
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