黑龙江大学外语部应用提高管理中心
英国社会与文化课程教案
British Culture and Society
英国社会与文化
课程教案
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Department
Heilongjiang University
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黑龙江大学外语部应用提高管理中心
英国社会与文化课程教案
Chapter One
Land and People
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to
1．
2．
3．
4．
Familiarize themselves with the different names of Britain
Equip themselves with the general knowledge of the geographical features of Britain
Talk about Britain’s climate and factors that influence it
Be well informed of the composition and origins of the British people
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. geographical position of Great Britain on earth
2. different kingdoms
3. the origins of the British people
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom; language lab
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
1. Introduction to the course
2. course requirement
3. questions and answers on the information of Britain
4. Lecture
1. 1 Name
People Quite often confuse the names for this the small island north of France and frequently make mistakes in
using them.. The official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and this is also the
full name of the country. However, people feel rather inconvenient to pronounce such a long term when they want
to say the name of their country. So the abbreviation U.K. came into being. There are also some other names:
namely The British Isles; Great Britain; and England. The British Isles are made up of a lot of islands; the two
largest of which are the great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is used to refer to the country just because it is the
largest of all the islands in the British Isles. Therefore sometimes it is used to refer to the whole country.
Politically the island of Great Britain is divided into three kingdoms: Scotland, England, and Wales, among which
England is geographically the largest. Economically, and culturally, England is the riches and the most prosperous.
Therefore people tend to use England when they mean “Great Britain” .When you use these names, you should be
careful , for a Scottish will be annoyed when you use England to refer to their country, because they have their
own language, culture and different origins. After all, the British Isles, Great Britain and England are geographical
names.
Britain has been one of the most important and influential countries in the world. It once had occupied 1/4 of
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the land in the world as well as the same proportion of the world population. Its colonies had penetrated nearly
every continent. However, after the two world wars, one after another, these colonies won their independence.
Once bearing the reputation of “Sunny forever country “, the British Empire, was finally replaced by the British
Commonwealth in 1931. At present, there are 50 member countries within the Commonwealth.
1. 2. The national flag of the U.K. is “Union Jack”.
The distinctive Union Jack of Great Britain was adopted in 1801, when the Red Cross of Saint Patrick,
representing Ireland, was added to the Cross of Saint George, representing England, and the Cross of Saint
Andrew, representing Scotland.
1. 3. The anthem is “God Save the Queen.”
1. 4. Geographical Features
The position of a country on the earth and its geographic features are very important and has considerable
influence on the country as well. They can help us understand and know a country better. From its geographical
features and the position on the earth we can get to know some information on the political and economic
situation of that country. In addition, that also reveals the influence, potentially in the world affaires. That is one of
the reasons that we have to acquaint ourselves with the geographic features of the countries in which we are
interested.
Britain lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the North coast of Europe, which is separated from the rest of
Europe by the English Channel in the south. To the northeast, Britain faces Norway and to the northwest, Iceland.
Across the North Sea, there are Denmark, Germany and Holland in the opposite. To the south, across the Atlantic
Ocean and the Bay of Biscay are Spain and Portugal. On the west side of the Atlantic Ocean lie America and
Canada.
Britain covers an area of 244,100 square km. It runs 1,000 km from north to south. Therefore, all parts of
Britain are not far away from the coast and both the outside sea and the rivers and lakes inland are providing
valuable resources. For centuries Britain, like a gigantic iceberg, though standing rooted in the sea, has been
slowly tilting with the North West slowly rising and the southwest sinking. The north and west of Britain are
mainly highlands and the east and southwest are mostly lowlands.
England
England occupies the largest southern part of Great Britain, bordering Wales to the west and Scotland to its
north. It takes up nearly 60% of the whole island. Most of the southwest and west are a plateau with rolling plains,
downs, and occasional moors. While the east of England is mainly an open cultivated plain. The capital of
England is London.
Scotland
Scotland locates in the north of Great Britain with a lot of mountains, lakes, and islands There are three
natural zones: the highlands in the north. The features of this part are wild, rocky, with mountainous plateaus. Its
western coastlines are saw-shaped. The second zone is the central lowland. It is the most important area in
Scotland with most industries, coal and iron fields, and dairy pasture. The famous valleys of Forth and Clyde are
located here. The third zone is the southern uplands. Here most of the lands are rolling moorland cut by small
fertile river valleys. The Scottish people are proud of being never conquered. The land is very wild, beautiful; the
people are hospital and friendly. Its custom, atmosphere and way of life are different from any other part of Britain.
You will feel pity leaving Britain without a few days spent in Scotland. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh.
Wales
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Wales occupies only 9 % of the whole island with mountains in most of the area. 6% of Wales is covered with
forests and much of the land is pasture-----land for sheep and cattle. 12% of the land is arable. Wales forms a
massif with a lowland fringe widest along the English border and the massif is rocky in the north and its south is
rich in coal. The capital of Wales is Cardiff.
1. 5. Climate and Weather
The meteorological conditions of Great Britain are rather peculiar. According to the British people, they don’t
have a climate; they only have weather because there are small differences between the seasons. The weather in
Britain is so changeable and so unpredictable that you often hear people talking about the weather and
complaining about it. In spite of its variability, British weather is a favourable one. It belongs to the maritime
climate------it is mild in winter, not too cold, and not very hot in summer. The range of temperature is small.
Comparatively speaking, in summer the average temperature is 12℃ to 17℃ . While in winter, it is 4℃ to 6℃.
Snow is rare, if any, it can not last longer than a day. Therefore, even in winter, green grasslands, meadow can be
seen everywhere. Sometimes you don‘t feel it winter for the flowers which we keep as indoors are blooming
outdoors. In the open country, in the parks as well as around the houses.
Another feature of the British weather is its abundant rainfall. The average annual rainfall is Britain is over
1,000mm, and it is distributed evenly through the twelve months of the year without evident wet season or dry
season.
We may wonder why the weather in Britain is somewhat favourable. There are three factors which influence
the weather in Britain. One is the north Atlantic drift, which is a warm current passing the western coast of the
British Isles and warms the land. The second factor is the prevailing south-west winds which blow over the
country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures inland moderate. The
last factor is the surrounding waters which tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in
winter and cooling it off in summer. This oceanic influence makes the air in winter warm and cool in summer.
1. 6. Inland water
Britain is adequate in water supplies. There are many rivers and lakes with sufficient water thought they are
short and small. The longest river is the Severn River which runs 338 kilometres long. The Thames River ranks
the second which is two kilometres shorter than The Severn River.
It rises in the southwest England and flows through the midlands of England to London and out into the North
Sea. Next to the Thames River is the River Clyde. It rises in Dumfries, Scotland highland passing through
Glasgow and out into the Atlantic. River Mersey is the fourth largest river in Britain, which rises in the Pennines
and out into Irish Sea. Liverpool is situated at the mouth of River Mersey.
Most of the lakes in Britain are located in the north of Scotland, the northwest of England and north of Ireland.
The largest lake in Scotland is Lock Lomond. The famous Lough Neagh situates in the middle of North Ireland. In
the northwest England and North Wales is the famous Lake District which consists of 15 lakes and the wild and
beautiful scenery attract hundreds of and thousands of tourists home and overseas every year..
All the rivers and lakes don‘t freeze in winter. Although they are not long, they play very important roles in
British economy, people’s lives, too.
Since Britain is under favourable weather condition, generally speaking, there are no hazardous natural
disasters. But fog, smog, frost, and gales often threaten crops, and people‘s life among which, comparatively
speaking, gales are, more often than not, haunting Britain causing flood and shipwrecks, etc..
1. 7. People
Britain has a diverse population that includes people with connections to every continent of the world. The
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黑龙江大学外语部应用提高管理中心
英国社会与文化课程教案
ethnic origins of this population have been complicated by immigration, intermarriage, and the constant relocation
of people in this highly developed industrial and technological society. Nevertheless, a few particulars about the
historical formation of the population are noteworthy
The origin of English people is Anglo-Saxons while the Scots, Walsh and Irish are Celts. English take up 81.5%
of the entire population ; the Scottish people account for 9.6%; the Walsh occupy 1.9% ; Irish constitute 2.4%; the
Northern Irish total 1.8% and other peoples are 2.8% . The English people came to England after the Romans left,
while the Scots, Welsh and Irish are the descendants of the Celts, who came to England before Romans and
Anglo-Saxons.
V Assignments
1. review what have been delivered
2. preview British Politics and administration
IV Reference
1. Contemporary Britain: An Annual Review, P. Catterall, Blackwell of Oxford
Chapter Two
British Politics and Administration
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. make comment on the British political system
2. understand the British parliament and its functions
3. know the procedures of law-making in Britain
4. tell the functions of the British Cabinet and Civil Service
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. The British constitutional monarchy
2. The Three Readings
3. The two major political parties in Britain
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom; Language lab
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
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1. Lead-in
A. invite two individual students to say something about the geographical position of Britain on earth
B. ask two individual students to tell the political division in Great Britain
2. Warm-up
Questions and Answers
1. How much do you know about the political system in Britain?
2. Who is the present head of the state?
3. Who is the Prime Minister of the state?
4. What is the relationship between the law-making and the ministration in Britain?
5. What are the compositions and functions of the British Parliament?
3. Specific Contents
2.1 The Monarch
In the United Kingdom, the head of the state is the monarch------ King or Queen. As head of the state, the
monarch stands above political decision making. In law, she or he is head of the legislature, head of the judiciary,
the commander-in-chief of all armed forced and the ‘Supreme Governor of the Established Church of England’. In
political terms, the King or Queen primarily serves to perform a symbolic role. The monarch reigns by virtue of
birth, while he or she does not rule. As the person in whom the Crown vests, the monarch’s name is attached to
both government and the armed forces. For instance, her Majesty Services, Her Majesty’s government. Her
Majesty ministers, etc. . Even the opposition in Parliament is entitled Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
The monarch is the oldest secular institution is Britain, which predates Parliament by approximately four
centuries and the law courts by three centuries. It can trace to the ninth century when King Egbert united England.
There is no interruption in the continuity of the institution except the period of 1649 to 1660 when Oliver
Cromwell founded the Commonwealth. The succession is governed by certain principles of common law and by
statute. In succeeding to the throne, eldest son has the priority. In the absence of a son, the eldest daughter will
descend to the throne, with the same power as a king. Only Protestant descendants of the granddaughter of James
I of England and VI of Scotland can descend to the crown according to the Act of Settlement. The Sovereign’s
coronation ceremony is held at Westminster Abbey in London. The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II who
came to the throne in 1952. Her title is “Elizabeth the second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her Other Realms and Territories, Queen. Head of the Commonwealth,
Defender of the Faith”. (托上帝宏恩，大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国和她的其他领土和领地的 女王，英联邦
元首，基督教的保护者伊丽莎白二世 )
There used to be no separation of powers which were exercised by the monarch before 1688 when a limited
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英国社会与文化课程教案
constitutional monarchy was established. Henceforth, the monarch remained as the head of government formally
and practically. Queen Victoria’s reign( 1837—1901) marked the transition from a monarch active in politics to
fulfilling primarily a formal role. The 20th century monarchs have come to occupy a position in which they are
called to fulfill some tasks. In the first place, the Crown is the symbol of supreme executive authority. The
Sovereign summons, prorogue and dissolve Parliament formally, appoints important officials such as the
prime minister, minister, governor, diplomats, bishops and other senior clergy of the Church of England. In the
second place, being the head of the judiciary, the Sovereign can pardon people convicted of crimes. In the third
place,, with an integral part of the legislature, the Queen gives Royal Assent to Bill passed by the Parliament. In
the fourth place, the queen, as the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown , appoints army
officials. Last, as head of the state, the Queen has the power to declare war and make peace, to recognize foreign
governments and states, to conclude treaties and to annex or cede territory, in international affairs.. In addition, the
Queen is informed and consulted on various aspects of national life, and must show utter impartiality, dispensing
honours, granting peerage and knighthood are governed by convention.
The Crown vests in the monarch and embodies the unity of the nation. Hence, there are some social
activities that only the royal family can perform. She is the hostess at the state banquets for foreign monarch,
chairman, head of state visiting Britain. She pays state visits to foreign countries as well as countries in the
Commonwealth. She will be present at honour grant ceremonies held in Buckingham Palace and Palace of
Holyroothouse in Scotland twice a year. Royal marriage and royal funerals as well as the Sovereign’s birthday
celebration are occasions for the presence of the Crown as well. At usual times, she pays many visits to many
parts of the country attending nationally important inaugurations. For example, Maundy Thursday is the day
before Good Friday, at Easter. On that day the Queen gives Maundy money to a group of old people. This
tradition is over 1,000 years old. At one time the king or queen washed the feet of poor, old people on Maundy
Thursday, but that stopped in 1754. Swan Upping. On the River Thames there are hundreds of swans and a lot of
these beautiful white birds belong, traditionally, to the king of queen. In July, the Queen’s swan keeper sails up
the River Thames, from London Bridge to Henley. He looks at all the young swans and marks the royal ones. The
Queen's Telegram This fairly new custom assures aspiring centenarians that they will receive a birthday telegram
from the queen on their one-hundredth birthday. On his or her one hundredth birthday, a British person gets a
telegram from the Queen. However, many public duties of the monarch can be performed by members of the
Royal family on her behalf, such as opening a factory, a hospital or acting as patron of a charity, etc.. Members of
the royal family can also be deputed to represent the queen to visit foreign countries and to be at various state
functions.
The costs in fulfilling public duties by the Queen and other members of the royal family have traditionally
been met from the Civil List approved by Parliament. In 1990, to avoid an annual public debate on the amount of
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royal expenditure, the Queen and the Parliament reached an agreement that the size of the List should be set at 7,9
million yearly for a decade. Other costs are paid by the government departments, such as the maintenance costs of
royal castles, and of the royal yacht Britannia. The Queen’s private expenses as sovereign is met from the Privy
Purse provided mainly from the revenue of the Duchy of Lancaster (farmland, moorland and inheritance) . For
years, the royal family is criticized for their large expenditure and large Civil List .Another public current debate
is the fact that the Queen enjoyed a large personal fortune on which she paid no tax. As is known, the Queen is
reputed to be one of the richest women in the world, with wealth closer to £100 million ($155 million). It is
commented that since Queen Victoria volunteered to pay tax in the nineteenth century when income tax was
introduced, the Queen is subject to income tax. Thus, since April 11993, the queen has paid income tax on all her
private income as well as that part of the Privy Purse income spent for private purposes.
Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London home. It has been the official London
residence of Britain's monarchy since 1837. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there. It is also used for
the administrative work for the monarchy. It is here in the state apartments that Her Majesty receives and
entertains guests invited to the Palace.
Inside Buckingham Palace, there are around 600 rooms, including 19 State rooms, 52 royal and guest
bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, a cinema and a swimming pool. It also has its own post office and police
station. About 400 people work at the Palace, including domestic servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners, plumbers,
gardeners, chauffeurs, electricians, and two people who look after the 300 clocks.
Royal Flag
When the Queen is at home, you can see her royal flag flying from the flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace.
This flag is called the Royal Standard.
The flag is split into four quadrants(四分之一圆). The first and fourth quadrants represent England and contain
three gold lions walking (passant) on a red field; A symbol of England which was created by Richard the
Lionheart (1189 - 1199) who used the three golden lions (sometimes described as leopards) on their scarlet
background as a powerful symbol of the English Throne during the time of the Crusades, the second quadrant
represents Scotland contains a red lion standing on the left hind foot (rampant) on a gold field; the third quadrant
represents Ireland and contains the gold harp of Ireland on a blue field.
In flag protocol, the Royal Standard is supreme. It must only be flown from buildings where the Queen is
present. It flies above the British Union Flag (Union Jack), Standards of other Royal Family members, and other
British flags. It never flies at half staff.
The Queen fulfills the task of representing the unity of the nation as well as carrying out certain political
tasks largely.
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2.2 Parliament
British Parliament is composed of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Queen,
wearing her crown and ceremonial robes then processes through the Royal Gallery to take her place on the throne
in the House of Lords, from where she send her messenger (Black Rod) to summon the MPs. When he arrives at
the House of Commons, the door is slammed in his face, symbolizing the right of the Commons to freedom from
interference. He must then knock three times to gain entry and deliver his summons.
The Queen sits on a throne in the House of Lords and reads the "Queen's Speech". Although she formally
summons, dissolves Parliament and gives an opening speech at each new session, the Sovereign is not involved in
any debates or other activities of the Parliament. In that sense, Parliament is in effect comprised of the House of
Lords and the House of Commons, with the latter as the kernel. Generally speaking, a Parliament has a maximum
duration of five years.
The primary functions of Parliament include: to pass laws; to provide revenues by voting taxation; to
supervise government policy and administrate and to discuss, debate the major issues of the day.
Of the two houses, the House of Commons is popularly elected, while the members of the upper house, the
House of Lords, serve by virtue of birth, by appointment for life, or because of the positions they hold. Thus, the
elected chamber enjoys pre-eminence and can enforce its legislative will over the non-elected under the provisions
of the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts.
2.2.1 The House of Lords
The house of Lords comprises the Lords Temporal and the Lords Spiritual. The Lords Temporal is the
hereditary and life peers of England, Scotland, Great Britain, such as duke, marques, earl, viscount and baron. The
Lords Spiritual consists of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Durham and
Winchester and the 21 senior bishops representing the established Anglican Church. According to the statistics
supplied in 1990s, there were some 1,200 peers, making it the largest legislative assembly in the world sitting on a
regular basis. In effect, not all the peers attend the House for some reasons or other (infirmity, lack of interest or
live abroad, to name just a few) . Thus, the average daily attendance is just over 300. The peers attending sittings
of the House are not paid except £16 as allowance. However, the ministers of the House have salary on a regular
basis.
Sitting on the woolsack is the Lord Chancellor whose duty is to preside over the House of Lords (Don’t
belittle the woolsack, because it is made of wool from every member in the Commonwealth symbolizing the
supreme power in the house). He fulfills the same functions as the Speaker does in the House of Commons.,
However, unlike the Speaker, the Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Prime Minister and with a seat in the
Cabinet.
Given that the house of Lords is not an elected body, in addition, it occupies a subordinate position in relation
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to the House of Commons, we may wonder, what function it is performing?
First, it provides at least two but no more than four peers for Cabinet ministers as well as fifteen more as
junior ministers.
Second, it scrutinizes bills passed through the Commons, discusses provisions that the Commons has not
debated fully and put forward their further amendment.
Third, it is the highest court in England.
According to the Parliament Act of 1911, the Lords could not reject a bill that had passed by the Commons
though they could delay it for two years.
The other main function of the Lords is to provide a forum for debate of important public issues. This debate is
different from that held in the House of Commons in that the Lords allows greater scope for the discussion of
important issues that are not subject to the contention between parties while the debates done in the Commons are
mostly concentrated on partisan issues, hardly having time for subjects and topics outside the realm of party
debate. Although they are only paid an expense allowance without salary, there are some peers who are experts in
particular field and who will attend debates only on the occasions when their subject of expertise is under
discussion. Their debate is both informative and interesting.
2.2.2 The House of Commons
The House of Commons has 651 members, each democratically elected to serve a particular constituency.
As there is no formal limit on the number of terms an MP can serve, MPs sitting in the House of Commons for 20
or 30 years are not uncommon. Thus, the courtesy title “Father of the House” is given to the MP who has the
longest continuous service in the House.
The House elects one of its members as Speaker normally drawn from the majority party in the House. Once
elected, the Speaker, she or he must disclaim any party affiliation and serves as an independent presiding officer
whose duty is to preside over the House, and to see all points of view have a fair hearing. In other words, on
elevation to the Speaker, she or he ceases to be any political representative and becomes a natural official. Though
she or he enjoys important powers of discipline, much of the Speaker’s activity is governed by precedent, to
adjourn the House to a later time; to suspend a sitting, to curtail debate in order that a matter can be voted on; to
control voting system; and to announce the final result, for example.
Since 1945, the proportion of the Commons has changed. There are more MPs with middle class background
and more members drawn from the professions and from academy. Today, most MPs in the House have university
degrees and working experience either in business or in management. An increasing numbers are drawn from the
political world.
It seems, at the first sight, that the task of a Member of Parliament is not at all arduous because it meets at 2:30
P.M from Monday to Friday and it usually adjourns at 10:30 P.M. And on Fridays the House assembles at 10: A.M
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and sits until 4:30 P.M, yet for a conscientious member , he will find that he is really very busy without much
leisure time for an MP must sit on parliamentary committees, deal with the problems of his constituents, keep
himself informed about affairs at home and overseas. However, for those less conscientious ones, such life is
enjoyable and meaningful, too.
The Chamber is designed with two-party system in mind. The Government sits on one side, with the
Opposition on the other side, facing it. On the front bench of the Government side of the Chamber, sit the leading
ministers, whereas directly opposite them are the leading spokesmen for the Opposition. Thus, the MPs sitting
behind the front bench are usually referred to as the ‘back benchers’. Between the two rows of benchers sits the
Speaker, the Chairman of the House who is elected from among the Members of Parliament (as mentioned
previously) and on being chosen, renounces his party allegiance, to become the servant of the whole house. On
ceremonial occasions the Speaker represents the House of Commons and he is no longer a royal nominee because
acceptance of the position inevitably means the end of a political career and of the fact that he will never achieve
Cabinet rank.
As a functional body, the Commons fulfills a variety of tasks. One of the oldest functions of the Commons is
legitimating. Other main functions are to scrutinize public expenditure and to expose government policies to
continual questioning and debate.
Bills are sorted into Public Bills( Finance Bills), Public Bills ( Non-Finance Bills), Private Bills , Personal
Private Bills, and Private Members’ Bills. Public Bills refer to Bills put forward by the Government while Private
Bills are usually promoted by local authorities. Personal Private Bills can be proposed by any citizen or group of
citizens. Private Members’ Bills are Bills introduced by individual Members of Parliament.
Before the introduction of a Bill to the House for debate, the Cabinet and other ministers ought to discuss the
main outline and the principles it embodies. Once agreement has been reached, it is drafted by a team of
ministerial experts and lawyers. There is no discussion at this stage. Then the Bill goes to the printers. Afterwards,
it is circulated to all Members so that they can study it in detail.
In the First reading, the minister in charge makes a speech expounding the aims of the Bill and the reason for
introduction. His proposal that “the Bill be read a second time” at the end of his speech opens the second phase of
the Three Readings which are the important legislation procedure in the U.K. It is in the Second Reading that the
debate on the Bills begins in earnest. The front benchers speak from a position near the dispatch boxes, and the
back benchers speak from where they are sitting. By convention, only front benchers use notes, while other
Members are supposed to give extempore speeches.
The rules of Parliament debate are strict and are closely adhered to. For example, the Speaker addresses the
Members by names of their constituency instead of their real name because a ‘named’ Member has offended
against the rules of the House, and is liable to suspension. Thus, Sir William Wilson is referred to as ‘the
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Honourable Member for Manchester’. What’s more, parliamentary procedure also distinguishes between words
and phrases that are permitted and those that are not. Take Winston Churchill for example, once he called a fellow
Member “a liar”. When he was warned that ‘liar” was not a parliamentary word he had to withdraw it and had to
give another version which was within the category of parliamentary vocabulary.
Members are expected to make their speech brief and to the point. If an MP talks longer time than expected to,
the audience will show their impatience and they may become restless. In this case, the Speaker can intervene to
cut him short .The same goes for the situation that the speaker is found off the point or irrelevant.
Debates are usually going on until the time for the House to close. However, if necessary, the House will sit
after this time, sometimes, it even sits through the whole night. Any proposal that ‘the question be now put’ is
accepted by at least one hundred Members, the debate is brought to a close.
When the Speaker put the question, those in favour call out “Aye”, those against “No”. The Speaker judges the
relative strength of these verbal responses and announces the results. Then comes the Division time. Every MP is
expected to rush to the Chamber to vote on hearing the Division bells. Six minutes after the Division bells the
doors to the Chamber are locked and the members file out through the division lobbies. Those calling out “Aye”
go to the right, and the “No” to the left. Meanwhile, the teller counted the numbers and then reported to the
Speaker who will announce the result of the voting later.
In theory, each MP has the right to decide into which lobby he will go, but on most occasions, he is expected
to “follow the party line” while in virtually every Parliament there are MPs who leave or are expelled from their
party for he is not in accordance with his party. What is interesting is that there are cases where Members have
crossed the floor of the House to join the opposite party, which makes his party member annoyed a bit.
Once the Bill goes through the Second Reading, it moves to the Committee Stage, where it is discussed in
greater detail, normally cause by cause. A Committee of the Whole House considers the important Bills. Less
important ones go to Standing Committees, which consist of ranging from 20 to 50 MPs selected from all parties.
At this stage the Committee proposes some amendment with the acceptance or rejection on the proposed.
Frequently a Bill is referred back to the Committee for further discussion.
Last comes the Third Reading. If it is passed it goes to the House of Lords. The Lords may not reject a
Finance Bill, nor can they delay any other Bills for more than one session.
Once a Bill has been passed by the Lords it is given the Royal Assent. This asset is usually given in Letters
Patent and then announced by the Speakers of both Houses. When a Bill goes through all these procedures, it
becomes an Act.
Another thing worth mentioning is Question Time which is conducted at about 2:40 p.m. every day and lasts
about an hour and which offers the individual MP opportunities to have an influence on the conduct of the
Government and to keep a check on the executive. All the ministers, from the Prime Minister downwards, are
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liable to be questioned. More than once a minister has had to resign as a result of information that was first
brought to light by a Parliamentary Question. Therefore, Parliamentary question Time is of considerable
importance in the British system of government.
All the business of the House is done in public and is open to the public inspection and may be viewed from
the visitors’ galleries or the public galleries, except when matters of national security are discussed. All the
debates and questions are kept in record and are printed in the Official Report. In June of 1975 and since,
procedures of both Houses are televised and radio broadcasted.
2.3 Political Parties.
Although several parties have won seats in the Commons, Great Britain has basically functioned as two-party
system for more than a century. The majority party forms His or Her Majesty’s Government, and the second party
is officially recognized as His or Her Majesty’s Own Loyal Opposition. Since the end of World War
I( 1914---1918), the Conservative Party and the Labour Party have been dominant. The Labour party, generally
socialist, began a program of nationalization of selected industries after an overwhelming election victory in May
1945. The Conservative Party has favoured private enterprise with minimal state regulation.
2.3.1 The Labour Party
The doctrine or beliefs of the Labour Party are “to secure for producers by hand or by brain the full fruits of
their industry, to the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible, upon the basis of the common
ownership of the means of production and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of
each industry and service. With these beliefs the early leaders of the Labour Party severely condemned the British
society. They said that there was too much poverty, injustice, selfishness in the British society. And they
explained that all these were due to the capitalist system of production which was based on selfishness and the
solution to end all these was to turn to public ownership. Thus, they supported votes for women, paid more respect
to individuals, and emphasized sense of freedom in the employer-employee relationship. Since attention was paid
to and emphasis is placed on the practical interests of the working class and on the need for the maintenance of the
welfare system, the Labour Government had tried very little parliamentary reform.
2.3.2 The Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is the successor to the Tory Party in the 17th century. For 16 times it has formed
Conservative Government since 1900 from which we can see the steady growth of it in power and in influence.
The Conservatives are less interested in theories but have strong aristocratic and agricultural interest. Thus, it
can be described as the party of the middle and upper classes; the party of the property-owners and the
businessmen.
The Conservatives have long held the Victorian belief that society was a historical product, a thing of slow
and natural growth, an organic entity with unity and character. Therefore, the government should not meddle in
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some social organization, nor should it concern with the balance of payments; and that the level of employment
had to be left to the supply and demand for labour, etc.
2.3.3 Other Parties
Minor parties in the early 1990s included the Scottish Nationalist, Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist), Ulster
Unionist, Social Democratic, Communist, and Green parties. The Liberal Party, which provided government
periodically for decades, lost electoral support and merged with dissidents from Labour and the Conservatives to
form the Liberal Democrat Party. In the general election of 1992, minor parties won 44 seats from the total of 651
in the House of Commons.
2.4 The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the collective decision-making body of British Government which constitutes the supreme
executive authority of the government, and is the sole advisers to the Crown. It is composed of some 20 leading
ministers, decided by the Prime Minister individually and is presided over by the Prime Minister as well. By
convention, its members are from and remain within the Parliament usually of the same political party as the
prime minister, and thus combine executive and legislative duties..
As far as its functions are concerned, the Cabinet is the heart of the Government system for it is the body
responsible for discussing and deciding Government policy. Members of the cabinet are individually responsible
to the prime minister who appoints them, with approval of the Crown. The prime minister also may remove any
of them. Collectively the cabinet is responsible to Parliament for its policies and actions.
Every Wednesday the Cabinet meets at 10 Downing Street in London, the official residence of the prime
ministers of Great Britain, in the house that the British statesman Robert Walpole presented to the nation, to
decide Government Policy on major issues. The purpose of Cabinet meetings is to keep members informed of
major policy development; to settle inter-departmental conflicts and to test opinion on the policy issues facing the
Government. In spite of the fact that the discussion is free, the contents at the meeting are secretive, and the
circulation of information to be discussed is also done in the same way. There is no voting. If a minister feels that
he cannot accept a decision made, then he has no alternative but to resign, because much importance is attached to
unanimity and collective responsibility, and as such, it can successfully fulfill its functions. And what Cabinet
approves becomes Government policy and all the ministers accept responsibility for it.
2.5 The Prime Minister
The first Prime Minister in the U.K. emerged in the 18th century when George I, the first of the Hanoverian
kings, left the conduct of the state affairs entirely to the Cabinet for he had little interest in British politics, and
each year he stayed on the Continent for only six months. He spoke little, so to speak, no English because of his
German education and breeding. According to the historians, the first Prime Minister in Britain was Sir Robert
Walpole, from 1721 to 1742. With the time passing by, the position of the Prime Minister grew both in recognition
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and in power.
The considerable powers that inhere in the office of the Prime Minister include:
1. Appoints moves and dismisses the ministers
2. Dispenses patronage or honours
3. Chairs the Cabinet
4. Determines the Cabinet agenda
5. Appoints senior members of the civil service
6. Determines the date of general election
7. Enjoys the mandate of an election victory
8. Represents the nation at international summits
9. Is party leader
Among all these powers, the most important and the best known are his right of appointment and dismissal. In
other words, the Prime Minister not only decides the ministers to be, she or he can also decide when they finish
their career as ministers. By convention, these ministers normally are drawn from Parliament and predominantly
from the House of Commons. Thus, the power to choose ministers is critical in that it endures ministerial loyalty
to the Prime Minister; meanwhile, it influences the direction of public policy
As chairman of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister decides the time for the Cabinet to meet and the issues it will
be put to discussion. Even the extent and the composition of Cabinet Committees as well as the date of the general
election are determined by the Prime Minister, too. His power is far from the above mentioned.
On the international stage, as head of the Government, she or he represents the country at major international
summits and on all critical international occasions, while the Foreign Secretary acts essentially in a supporting
role. At home, he also has considerable media visibility and is often the natural focus of media attention. However,
for security consideration, the Prime Minister has to be kept some distance from ordinary public contact, which is
quite understandable.
The Prime Minister is the leader of his or her party. In office, his leadership provides him with the capacity to
call on party loyalty and to utilize the machinery of the party organization. What’s more, anyone who wants to
step into No. 10 Downing Street has to achieve more. She or he must not only be qualified and competent for the
office, but has to have a feel for it. That is, she or he must have intuitive grasp of how to deploy or not deploy, the
powers of the office. Although it can not be excluded that external circumstances can create favourable condition
for the emergence of an outstanding prime minister, yet, the Premiership is within any individual’ political reach if
she or he is a determined occupant of the office.
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2.6 Government Departments
The structure of the Whitehall departments and the system of organization are determined by the historic
decisions and constitutional conventions. The way these departments are structured can well affect the nature of
policy making and the implementation of the policy. The structure of department is not static and responsibilities
change. We may see that the number of major departments has fluctuated during the twentieth century, with the
smallest of 18 in 1914 and the largest of 30 in 1951. For instance, once three departments covering the armed
services were merged to create the Ministry of Defense in 1964. These departments vary considerably in their
range of responsibilities and their size. Ministry of Defense is the largest employing more than 150,000 civil
servants, while the Treasury is the smallest in terms of staff. However, this does not necessarily mean that these
departments have little influence. Take the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for example, though it has a
relatively small number of civil servants, yet it is a complex departmental infrastructure.
Of these, by far the most important is the convention of ministerial responsibility.
Whitehall departments are
like pyramids whose apex is the minister and the whole governmental machine is a larger pyramid with the Prime
Minister at the top.
The Government departments are established to ensure that the government policies are rightly implemented.
The principal Government departments headed by ministers include:
1. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food
2. The Ministry of Defense
3. The Department for Education
4. The Department of Employment
5. The Department of the Environment
6. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
7. The Department of Health
8. The Home Office
9. Law Officers’ Department
10.Lord Chancellor’s Department
11. The Department of National Heritage
12.The Department of Northern Ireland
13. Privy Council Office
14.The Department of Public service and science
15. The Department of Social Security
16.The Department of Trade and Industry
17. The Department of Transport
18.the Treasury
19. Welsh Office
2.9 Civil Service
Government departments are headed by the ministers. Each ministry is staffed by a body of public employees,
known collectively as the civil servants. The civil servants are responsible for advising their ministers and for
putting the government policies into effect as well as for administrating the business of government. Theoretically,
they do not make decisions themselves, but practically, they wield considerable power, much of which comes
from the fact that the minister is in office for a relatively short period of time, while the civil servant is a
permanent official who can acquire substantial expertise in his field over the years serving in the office.
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The relationship between civil servants and ministers is governed by the principle of individual ministerial
responsibility, with the minister answerable to Parliament for the department and its activities, and the permanent
secretary, who is the civil service head in the department, answerable to the minister for the work of the civil
servants in the department. The permanent secretary within the department also serves as the minister’s principal
advisor.
The routine tasks of government are carried out by the civil service, some half of who are engaged in providing
the public with services and the rest of who carry out service wide or internal departmental support functions. The
number involved in advising ministers is relatively small. These small elite of civil servants fulfill the tasks of
advising ministers, briefing papers for them, and ensuring that their decisions are carried out. In addition, they
have to study the party manifestos during each general election campaign. The moment a new government is
formed, advice well-prepared by the civil servants on how to implement its program is always ready hand for the
new ministers. Generally speaking, civil servants prefer ministers capable of making decisions, of winning the
Cabinet battles and of defending their departments when there is criticism from the parliament, in much the same
way that ministers look for officials who can offer them expert advice, a range of options and the loyal
implementation of ministerial objectives and policies. Both the civil servants and the ministers will fulfill their
duty respectively, and at the same time, keep formal and normal relationship between themselves within and
outside the department, in spite of the fact that sometimes it is not exactly the case.
Civil servants reach their positions through open, competitive examination. Since this competition is always
intense, the newly-recruited tend to be intellectual and social elite, who have the highest educational qualifications.
Recruitment also tends to favour generalists over specialists. As a result, few science graduates apply and still
fewer successful.
Unlike ministers who are political appointees, civil servants are permanent public officials. When their party
is no longer in power for one reason or another, ministers have to resign or to leave office, but civil servants have
to remain in post and as such they are required to be non-partisan in the performance of their duties. Since they are
asked to be non-party-oriented, civil servants do not accompany ministers to party conferences nor do they draft
speeches or reply to letters that raise party points. Therefore, letters asking about the minister’s party is referred to
the minister’s special advisor for an answer, while civil servants only reply the inquiry on official policy.
4. Practical Exercises
Encourage the student to form groups of four to make comment on the political system in Britain and make
a comparison between British politics and politics in China.
V
Assignments
1. the Three Readings
2. British Justices and Law
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IV Reference
11. The Government and politics of Britain John P Mackintosh Hutchinson
12. the British Polity, Philip Norton ,Longman
13. The House of Commons, Oxford University Press
14. The House of Commons in the 20th century , Oxford University Press
Chapter Three
Justices and Law
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. equip themselves with the unique features of British legal system
2. be well informed of the knowledge of the Jury system in Britain
3. deal with specific cases based on the functions of the different functions of the British courts of law
4. familiarize themselves with the legal professions in Britain
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. the Jury system
2. the functions of the judges
3. the distinctions between the different hierarchical courts of laws
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
1. Lead-in
2. Warm-up
A. invite some students whose major is law to tell as much as they can about the British
Justices and law
B. encourage the students to make comparison between the justices and law in Britain and in
China
3. Specific Contents
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The legal system in Britain varies geographically. One distinctive feature of the legal system in the U.K. that
distinguishes herself from many other countries in the world is that there is no single legal system nor is there any
complete criminal and civil code. The source of law comes mainly from four sources: statues, common law,
equity law, and European Community Law. The basic organizational division within the court system is that there
is distinction between the criminal law and civil law.
3. 1 Courts in England and Wales
3. 1. 1Criminal Courts
There are two levels of criminal courts in England and Wales. They are the Magistrates’ Courts and the Crown
Courts.
Magistrates’ Courts
magistrates’ Courts are local courts, presided over by three lay
magistrates known as Justices of the Peace, who sit in court part-time and receive no salary for their services.
They are in effect amateur judges who are members of the general public motivated either by the desire to
perform public service or by the desire to have an experience of that supposed prestige of the position A
magistrates’ court is open to the public and the media. In addition, it sits without a jury but they are advised by
their clerk on points of law who is a legally qualified, full-time official of the bench. In theory, anyone without a
criminal record can become Justices of the Peace but in practice, most of the magistrates are middle-class people
who are prominent either in local government or in social life. In London and some larger cities, there are
full-time stipendiary magistrates, besides Justice of the Peace, who are trained lawyers and may sit alone.
The magistrates’ courts primarily function in two aspects. First, they hear ,deal with, and determine charges
against people accused of summary offences such as driving offences, assault charges, public order offences,
thefts, etc., which are not serious enough to go before the higher courts. About 98% of all criminal cases are dealt
with in the magistrates’ courts. The second function of the magistrates’ court is to conduct a preliminary hearing,
to decide whether appeals from magistrates’ courts are possible to the Crown Court. Apart from these judicial
functions, magistrates’ courts also have limited jurisdiction and semi-administrative function as licensing
authorities for public houses, restaurants, betting shops and other public houses, to name a few.
3. 1. 2Crown Courts
Crown Courts try those serious criminal cases such as murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery, etc..In
addition, they also serve as appeal courts for people convicted in the magistrates’ courts. For example, if a person
found guilty in a magistrates’ court is not satisfied with the result, he can appeal to the Crown Courts against the
conviction or sentence. From the Crown Courts, the appeals go to the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal,
from which place go to the House of Lords in some cases.
The Crown Courts have nearly 100 centres, divided into 6 court circuits with one or more High Court and
Crown Court in each area and are served by a bench of circuit judge or a recorder as well as by a High Court
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judge. The difference between a circuit judge and a recorder lies in the fact that although both of them receive
salary, the former is full-time while the latter is part-time. The qualification for becoming a circuit judge or a
recorder is to have at least ten years of practical experience either as a solicitor or as a barrister. There are 6
circuits include South-eastern( London ), Midland and Oxford ( Birmingham ), North-eastern ( Leeds ), Wales and
Chester ( Cardiff ), Western ( Bristol ), and Northern ( Manchester ).
3. 2 Civil Courts
England and Wales
Civil actions are tried before Magistrates’ Courts, before County Courts, and before High Court. In most
cases, civil actions are tried by a judge sitting without a jury.
Magistrates’ courts have some limited civil jurisdiction involving maintenance orders, adoption orders,
guardianship orders, family protection orders, and matrimonial proceedings for separation but not divorce.
The jurisdiction of the county courts presided over by circuit judges at the present time is limited to actions
founded on contract and tort; trust and mortgages; actions for the recovery of land; disputes between landlords and
tenants; race and sex discrimination; admiralty and patent; and divorce.
The High Court deals with the more complicated civil cases, whose jurisdiction covers mainly civil and some
criminal cases and with appeals from tribunals and from magistrates’ courts. The High Court comprises three
divisions----------the Chancery Division, covering chiefly matters of Common Law; the Queen’s Bench Division,
dealing with equity cases; and the Family Division for cases of divorce and custody. Although the jurisdiction of
the High Court covers all civil and criminal cases, the work is usually shared out among the different divisions.
High Court judges sit alone when hearing cases while appeals from inferior courts are heard by between one
and three judges nominated by the Lord Chancellor.
3. 3 Criminal Proceedings
In England and Wales, though it is possible for any individual citizen to institute criminal proceeding, yet in
practice, it is the police that initiate prosecutions, because arrests are generally made by them with or without a
warrant. According to the law, once a person has been arrested and charged with an offence he must be brought
before the court within twenty-four hours. If this is not possible or if the offence he has committed is a minor one
the police must release him on bail. This is also within the power of the magistrates. The bail is granted under the
condition that the assurance of the conduct of the accused may be required by the court such as residence and
reporting to a police station either by the accused or by the person who are willing to support him or her.
Sometimes the police may suspect that the accused person might disappear if he is freed on bail. In this case, the
police may ask for a remand in custody. Under such circumstances, it is the magistrates that have the final say in
serious cases like murder, terrorist actions; the accused is usually remanded until the case against him has been
prepared. Without sufficient evidence, the police have no right to detain any person.
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All criminal trials are heard in open court and all the evidence must be given in the presence of the accused,
the only exception being official secrets, because criminal law in England and Wales assumes that a person is
innocent until he is proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The accused have the right to keep silent before trial.
If he makes any statement, what he said will be considered as evidence at his trial unless he has been cautioned.
Anyone accused of an offence has the right to employ a legal adviser to conduct his defense. And if he can not
afford one, legal aid will be provided at public expense by the court.
The prosecution and defense are conducted in court in much the same that a contest is held, because both
sides try hard to prove their innocence, the judge being the referee whose powers of interference are confined to
warn when either side breaks the rules. He is not the person who decides whether the accused is guilty or innocent.
It is the duty of the jury if a verdict of innocence is arrived; the accused is freed at once. If he is found guilty, the
judge has the responsibility to pronounce sentence, which may be done immediately or sometime later because the
judge may want some time to consider the penalty. Under such circumstances, he may adjourn the court.
Anyone convicted of an offence in a magistrates’ court can appeal to the Crown Court, from which appeal to
the Court of Appeal can be made. Appeal from the Court of Appeal to the House of Lords is permitted if it is felt
that a point of law of general importance is involved.
3. 4 Legal professions
3. 4. 1 Solicitor
A solicitor is a person qualified to advise clients in all legal matters, to prepare wills and deeds etc., to
instruct counsel in cases for the higher courts and to appear on behalf of clients in some lower courts. Although he
is involved in both criminal and civil cases, a solicitor is not permitted to plead in the higher courts.
Anyone who wants to become a solicitor must have the experience of working with an established solicitor
for a period of time. This actual time spent as an apprentice depends on the educational qualifications of the
individual. Apart from this, he must pass the examinations of the Law Society though he may be exempted from
certain subjects with a university degree in law. If the results are satisfactory, he becomes a member of the Law
Society, the professional organization for solicitors in England and Wales, which may pave the way for him to his
independent legal career or to higher position in the world of law.
5. 4. 2 Barristers
A Barrister is the person who conducts proceedings in higher courts and offers advice on legal problems
submitted by Solicitors. Barristers are collectively referred to the “bar” whereas known as “counsel” individually.
It is not a common practice for a client to approach the barrister directly for there are solicitors doing most work
as intermediary.
In order to become a barrister, a person must gain admittance to one of the four Inns of Court (Lincoln’s Inn,
the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple or Gray Inn) , and must pass the examination by the Council of Legal
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Education. Before being accepted as a barrister, the candidate must keep eight terms at his inn, during which
period is required to have dinner together with his fellow members for a specified number of times. What’s more,
he must also pass the Bar examinations. As to the new barrister, he has to keep another four terms at the Inn in
order to gain experience under the supervision of a practising barrister. If he has built up a substantial practice and
accumulates rich experience, plus his luck, he may have the opportunity to “take silk” and become a “Queens
Counsel”, after which he may appear in court as a leader, assisted by another established barrister. A successful
QC can command large fee and enjoy great prestige within and out the legal fraternity. For example, he is entitled
to use the letters QC after his name. Normally, it is also a logical step up the social letter because most of the
higher judicial offices are held by Queen’s Councils. At the presence, there are eighty barristers in the House of
Commons.
3. 4. 3 Judges
Judges are non-political appointments. They are appointed by the Lord Chancellor, who is the senior judge
and head of the legal profession. Once a judge has been appointed, it is virtually impossible to unseat him. Only a
petition to Parliament can remove a member of the bench. There is no official retiring age for judges. They bear
different titles for different ranks. Should he be selected as a “circuit judge” he will be addressed as “His Honour
Judge…..”. If he becomes a judge in the High Court, he then will be referred to as “The Honourabl Mr.
Justice…..”. if he is promoted to the Appeal Court he will be known as “ Lord Justice…..”, or the “ Right
Honourable Sir …..”. “The Right Honourable Lord…..” is given when he sits in the Appeal in Ordinary.
And an English trial is therefore an adversarial contest between defense and prosecution. Both sides call
witnesses in support of their case, and these may be questioned by the other side. The rules and procedure which
accompanied this contest are sophisticated and must be strictly observed. While the judges act as controlling
influence in the battle between defense and prosecution. However, their powers of intervention are limited. They
should not interfere too actively, nor show bias. Their absolute power lies only in pronouncing the final result and
the sentences the verdict would serve.
3. 4. 4 The Jury
Trial by jury is an ancient and important feature of English justice. It is the major element in criminal trials in
the Crown Court.
The jury is a body of responsible, impartial citizens summoned to hear evidence in a court of law and bound
under oath to give an honest answer based on this evidence to questions put before them.
The jury is composed of 12 men or women, between the ages of 18 to 70. They are summoned by the Court
to hear evidence and decide whether a citizen accused on trial is innocent or guilty. Virtually all categories of
British residents are obliged to undertake jury service when summoned. The verdict of the jury has to be
unanimous, providing that there are not more than two dissentients. If a jury cannot reach a decision, it will be
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discharged and a new one sworn in. this means that an accused might be tried twice for the same offence. And in
the vast majority of cases, the jury does its duty efficiently and is able to come to the right decision.
Although the jury serves in both criminal and civil courts, they do not fix penalties. It is the judge who does
this.
3. 4. 5 The Police
The oldest police forces in England and Wales is the Metropolitan Police (founded by Sir Robert Peel,
then Home Secretary in 1809), responsible for maintaining order in the capital. For these historical reasons,
London’s Metropolitan Police Force is directly responsible to and under the control of the Home Secretary, while
police forces in other areas are maintained by local authorities.
At the present, there are 43 police forces in England and Wales, 8 in Scotland and 1 in Northern Ireland (The
Royal Ulster Constabulary).
Police officers are not permitted to join a trade union nor can they go on strike. In Great Britain, officers
normally carry no firearms. Even though officers in armoured response vehicles in London are allowed to carry
pistols, they must keep their sidearm in holsters all the time.
3. 5 Measurement of Penalty
The purpose of the penalty is to warn and deter the potential law-breaker as well as to reform the convicted.
In England and Wales, a Magistrates’ Court can impose a term of less than six months’ imprisonment for a
summary case. The Crown Court may impose a custodial sentence for any term up to life imprisonment. Virtually
about 80% of the cases end up with a fine. The maximum fine imposed by a magistrates’ court in England and
Wales is £5,000, while as for the Crown Court there is no limit to the fine. If a person commits summary offences
without any record of convictions he may receive no punishment but be told that if he does it the second time, the
first offence will be taken into consideration when penalty is concerned.
A court probation order lasts between six months and three years, during which period of time if the
offender fails to abide by the order or be involved in another crime, he will be tried again.
Capital punishment has been abolished in the U.K. whereas for treason and piracy it remains.
There are some 130 prison establishments in England and Wales, and 20 in Scotland. 4 prisons and a young
offenders’ centre are located in Ireland. Training courses, educational schemes, medical services and welfare
services are offered in all prisons.
4. Practical Exercises
Offer the students two cases for them to apply the information they just acquired.
1. If somebody fails to pay his rent for a year , in which court of law can he be tried?
11.. If a burglary occurred , in which court of law should it be tried?
V Assignments
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1. the hierarchical divisions of the Britain justices
2. preview economy in Britain
IV Reference
1. The British Polity, Philip Norton ,Longman
2. A matter of Justices M. Zander, Oxford University Press
3. Crime and Criminal Justices since 1945 T. Morris, Blackwell
Chapter Four
British Economy
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
3. equip themselves with the knowledge of natural resources in Britain
4. understand the evolution of the British economy since the Second World War
5. explain the “English Disease”
6. talk about Thatcherism
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. the evolution of the British economy since the Second World War
2. the “English Disease”
3. Thatcherism
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
1. Lead-in
A. What are the unique features of the British legal system?
B. What are the sources of law in Britain?
C. What is a solicitor?
D. What is the purpose of penalty?
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2. Warm-up
A. Encourage the students to talk as far as they know about the natural resources in Britain.
B. Invite two students to relate briefly the British industry. ( the oldest industry; the new
industry, etc.)
3. Specific Contents
Like many modern developed countries, the United Kingdom has a mixed economy. This means that some
sectors of the economy are operated by the government and some are operated by private businesses. Great Britain
is now primarily an industrial and commercial nation. However, a primary question facing Great Britain in the
mid-1990s is the terms on which it will participate in the ongoing financial and economic integration of Europe.
Britain’s most important trading partners are the countries of Western Europe, the United States, and former
Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc..
4. 1 Natural resources
4. 1. 1 Oil
Britain used to depend entirely on imported oil before 1970s. Natural oil came from a handful of inland oil
fields. In 1969 oil was discovered in the North Sea with handsome reserves. By the 1980s it was adding
significantly to the British economy as oil exports increased during a period of high oil prices. Britain had more
than 80 offshore oil fields which are producing 1.6 million barrels of high-quality oil a day, virtually all of
Britain’s requirements The country also owns some onshore wells, but these are far less productive.
Now Britain is the fifth oil manufacturer in the world. There are some 36 rigs on the sea with a great
potential to be exploited. Major inland oil fields are located in Dorset, Lincolnshire and Hampshire.
4. 1. 2 Natural gas
Gas began to be put in use in the early years of the 19th century when most of gas came from coal. In 1965,
natural gas was discovered in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf and production has increased steadily. Since
then natural gas has walked into ordinary households and has substituted coal and charcoal in the use of domestic
cooking, heating as well as in industry and commerce. In 1996 natural gas accounted for about 25 percent of the
fuel consumption in Britain. In 1997 Britain owned 77 offshore fields producing natural gas. In 1996 about
360,000 people worked in the oil and gas industry, both offshore and in related business sectors.
4. 1. 3. Coal
Coal, Britain’s traditional source of energy, has been serving Britain for about 300 years. It was the main
source of fuel during the Industrial Revolution, when it was mined, used, and exported in large quantities.
Together with other minerals, coal has been determinant in the location and development of centres of population
and in the country’s general prosperity. Its peak production occurred in 1913, when more than 300 million tons
were mined and it greeted its boom in the 1970s by the increase in the price of petroleum and by the discovery of
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extensive new reserves. However, in the past 20 years cutbacks in coal production have been severe. Production in
2001 was 32 million tons.
Several factors led to the closing of many British mines, particularly mines located in Yorkshire,
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and southern Wales. The most lucrative coal seams eventually became exhausted.
Cheaper overseas producers, particularly Poland, South Africa, and Australia, made it less costly to import coal
than to mine it. Rich supplies of cheaper oil and gas discovered in the North Sea since the 1970s have enabled
many industries to switch to these other fuels. Growing concerns about environmental pollution from burning coal
have also played a part in decreasing demand.
4. 1. 4 Iron
Britain used to have very rich resources of iron. According to the information from the U.N., its iron deposit
is about 3800 million ton. Most of the reserves are located in the same area as the area where there is coal fields.
And now, the resource of iron in Britain is on the verge of exhaustion.
4. 1. 5 Forest
As long ago as the early Middle Ages there were vast areas in Britain covered with forest. As the result of
constant wars and the development of industry, forests had been seriously destroyed. The most common trees in
Britain are oak, beech, ash, and elm. Pine and birch predominate in Scotland. The Forestry Commission has run a
reforestation program since the 1950s, under which approximately 17.800 hectares were replanted annually in the
early 1990s, mostly in Scotland. The reforestation of an additional 65.000 hectares in Northern Ireland was also
planned. Despite these recent efforts, however, imports of wood and wood products are substantial because
Britain produces only 15 percent of the wood it needs.
4. 1. 6 Fishing
Britain is one of the most important fishing producers in Europe not only that it at one time provided a cheap
source of protein for the British people, but also that it was the training ground for the Royal Navy. Today fishing
is a less vital economic activity, although the industry provides about 54 percent of Britain’s fish supplies and
involves both deep-sea fishing and fish farming. Fish and fish products are both imported into and exported from
Britain. Substantial amounts of fish oils and fish meals are imported, along with saltwater fish and shellfish.
Exports are significantly less than imports.
The most important catches of inshore and deep-sea fish include Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, cod,
haddock, Atlantic salmon, whiting, and Norway lobster and various forms of shellfish. The principal freshwater
fish caught is rainbow trout. Domestic fish production provides about three-quarters of Great Britain’s need.
Notable fishing industries are located at Hull, Grimsby, Fleetwood, North Shields, and Plymouth in England and
at Aberdeen and Peterhead in Scotland. The British fishing fleet consists of more than 12.000 vessels, the largest
fleet in the European Union.
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4. 2 Evolution of the British Economy
Generally speaking, the British economy since the Second World War underwent three phases. 1950s and
1960s can be regarded as a period of steady development. 1970s is considered as the economic recession.
Economic recovery came in the 1980s and remained so into the 1990s.
1) 1950s and 1960s---slow but steady growth
Although Britain had achieved defensive victory in the Second World War, she was devastatingly hit during
the war for both her economy and the country itself were in desperate need of reconstruction. On the one hand,
previously a creditor, then she became a debtor; on the other hand, she lost the leading position in the international
markets. Thanks to the help from the United States, the British economy had the opportunity to recover quickly.
Only two years after the War, her economy reached the pre-war levels. In 1950 Britain’s GDP and its overseas
trading came second and its per capita income third in the world. She was still one of the great powers in the
world now.
The characteristics of the British economy in the 1950s and 1960s can be said to grow slowly but steadily.
From 1951 to 1962 Britain enjoyed high prosperity in economy with low unemployment of about 1.7%. GDP kept
rising. People’s standard of living had steadily improved. These are due to the fact that the Government adopted
and carried out Keynes’ theory of full employment which really worked wonders and which contributed to the
economic growth at that time. In this period, the government tried fair and steady price, sufficient gold and
foreign exchange reserves as well as an adequate and consistent economic growth. Characterized by this policy,
high consumption and low investment resulted in some problems such as high labour cost which led to the low
competitiveness in the international market, imbalance of export trade, inadequate gold reserve and foreign
exchange reserve, purposefully protection of pound value in the international trading. Britain had to reduce
investment in order to keep balance at the expense of home stagnancy in economy.
On the whole, economy in the 1950s and 1960s was on the steady rise though slowly.
2) 1970s------The Age of Stagflation
Although Britain’s position in the world economy had apparently been stabilized in the 1950s and 1960s,
with the new decade under way, it became clear that the provisional boom came to a close. The following decade
saw the combination of economic stagnation and inflation. By the end of 1973, hit by the first oil shock, inflation
rate rose to 9.1 5 and 16 % the following year. The entire structure of British trade both abroad and at home had
received a heavy blow. To combat high inflation, restrictive fiscal policies were adopted which reduced growth.
The second oil shock struck Britain in 1977, causing inflation to go up to a rate of 22 % in 1980.
After the Second World War, there were seven waves of economic crisis, of which three occurred in the 70s,
the largest of which lasted for two years. Consequently, production fell rapidly. From 1973 to 1975, British GDP
per person dropped to the bottom among the western industrialized countries. Such economic situation inevitably
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turned British economic power into a patient with wounds all over her. Britain was virtually in economic
recession. This economic situation is generally called by the critics “English Disease”. There are multi-reasons.
First of all, although the Empire collapsed, Britain was not willing to give up its responsibilities. In addition, she
had to bear the heavy burden of the large expenses of National Defense and something alike overseas. Second,
because she was the first to experience Industrial revolution, machines, equipment in the traditional enterprises
tend to be out of date. There were not enough new investments. As a result, the reform of industrial structure
seemed slow. Third, traditional education attached much importance to arts, rather than to science, and greater
emphasis was laid on fundamental theory rather than practical techniques. What’s more, technological inventions
could not be directly converted into productivity. Fourth, industry was ignored while trading and banking were the
centres of development. Overseas trades received more care and concern than the industrial production on a
long-term basis. Consequently, golden chances were missed.
3) 1980s and 1990s----- economic recovery
The election of 1979 opened a new era in the history of the U.K. for Margaret Thatcher stepped into the
office in No.10 Downing Street. She was the first woman prime minister in the British history who was to hold the
post for eleven and a half year (1979—1990), and who became the first to lead a political party to victory in three
successive general elections. She strongly believed in monetarism and carried out the policy of market-oriented
economy. Her government adopted an economic program known as Medium-term Financial Strategy. The first
was to privatize some state-owned enterprises by selling enterprise stocks, encouraging workers to become
stockholders in the companies they worked. Second, she took steps to deregulate prices and replace income
control and state intervention by market liberalization. Regular payment was turned into dividend, which bettered
the management of the enterprises. Third, competition among financial institutions was encouraged; effective
measures were taken to promote new industries such as electronics, chemical industry, aviation, etc. In 1985,
many new industries were founded. Restructure and modernization of traditional industries began at the price of
unemployment. Fourth, controls of foreign transactions, company dividend, installment purchase and bank
lending were abolished. Meanwhile, taxation was reformed to stimulate private investment so that a freer
environment for investment was provided. In the course of five years, the number of people employed in the
government, national or local, was scheduled to decline by 15 %. Government budget was tightened and
investment programs were reduced.
This “Thatcherism” were successful especially in the first few years. By 1982 the rate of inflation declined
to less than 8 %. Industry was becoming significantly more efficient and the international balance of payments
showed a healthy surplus. During the second term as Prime Minister, Thatcher set into full gear a process of the
privatization or denationalization of numerous industries. By 1987, ten major enterprises had been sold to private
investors such as seaport facilities, the British Oil Corporation, British Airways, British Gas and British Telecom,
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many of which had been turned into public corporations by successive Labour government since 1945. Those
private sector manufacturers began to bear fruit: productivity rose dramatically by 30 % between 1980 and 1986,
placing Britain first among Europe’s growth leaders rather than last.
By the end of World War Two, Britain became a net debtor country, but after the Thatcher government
lifted all controls on foreign exchange there was a net outflow of investment capital. Britain became the world’s
second largest creditor------- second only to Japan.
During the 19th century both Liberal and Conservative Governments held that the trade was best left in the
hands of the businessman with interference as little as possible from the government. This Laissez-faire attitude
made it possible for British economy to develop rapidly. During the 20th century, the Conservative Party still
carried out the policy that the economy should operate with the minimum of intervention from the government.
The Labour Party on the other hand, believed that the economy should be managed for the benefit of the whole
society. Consequently, Britain has a mixed economy at present with some industries controlled by the State and
the majority of manufacturing companies run by private enterprises.
4. 3 Industry
4. 3. 1 Iron and steel industry
Britain was the first to build a large iron and steel industry with rich deposits of iron ore. But now the
superiority of its iron and steel has gone due to the fact that the supplies have become exhausted. Nevertheless,
Britain remained the tenth largest steel producing nation.
The principal regions for steel production are in Wales, and North and Eastern England. The Midlands are
the areas for steel re-rolling and further processing.
Today, supplies of iron ore are mostly imported from Spain, Sweden and elsewhere.
Most of Britain’s steel products are delivered to the United States and other European Community countries.
4. 3. 2 Textile industry
The textile industry is one of the British pride not only because it was the initiation of the Industrial
Revolution, but because it is one of Britain’s oldest industries, which used to provide the most valuable
exports-------woolens, cottons and synthetic fabrics. However, all the cotton for the textile industry was imported
for Britain does not grow cotton.
The major textile regions are located in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Humbershire and Northern Ireland.
Midlands used to specialize in knitwear and hosiery, while Yorkshire and Humbershire turn out the best
high-quality wool produce. Northern Ireland was recognized as the manufacturer of linen. Bradford and Leeds are
important centres for wool weaving; Lancashire is the home to the cotton textile industry.
However, since the 1970s, Britain’s textile industry has changed dramatically. The reasons behind the
decline are many. First of all, the produce of textiles for export is not able to complete with those cheaper goods
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imported which kept increasing in quantity. Poor and outdated management, lack of new technology and new
markets are another reason. What’s more, there is shrinking in demand because synthetic fibers such as nylon
became favourites among the British people.
4. 3. 3 Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding used to enjoy high prosperity during the mid-19th century, and it was once the lead in the
world shipbuilding. The two main centres for shipbuilding are on the River Tyne near Newcastle, England, and on
the Clyde near Glasgow in Scotland.
Since the Second World War, especially during the 1970s, Britain’s shipbuilding is declining, too. This is
mainly the result of the ever-increasing competition overseas. Most important of all, with the demand decreasing,
orders for ships both at home and abroad fall sharply. Consequently, many building yards have had to close.
4. 3. 4 Motor industry
Motor industry is one of the large industries. With west Midlands and South-East of England, Merseyside
region in South Wales, and central Scotland as the base of motor industry, British cars were seen running all over
the world during the 1940s. Due to the recent economic recession, Britain’s motor industry has been seriously
affected. Total sales are declining. Although motor-vehicle production became a significant part of the industrial
base, yet it was subject to severer foreign competition.
Now the motor industry is dominated by 5 groups------Ford, the Rover Group, the GM-Vauxhall, Peugeot,
and Nisson. Nearly 1/3 motor vehicles produced every year is for export. Britain also imports cheap cars.
4. 3. 5 New industries
New industries in Britain are developing fast in the past few decades. These include microprocessors and
computers, biotechnology and high-tech industry. Based in the area between London and south Wales, the
computer sector produces large computers for large-scale data-processing and scientific work and mini-computers
and microcomputers for control and automation system and for home, educational and office use. Area between
Glasgow and Edinburgh is called “Silicon Glen” in Britain where about 40,000 people are employed and is the
site of many overseas computer firms. Britain now manufactures approximately 40 percent of Europe’s desktop
computers.
Radar produced in Britain is widely used in airports in most western countries as well as communication
equipment, x-ray scanner, sonar navigational aids which have competitiveness in the international market.
4. 3. 6 The Service Sector
It is known that a large and sophisticated service sector is one sign of a highly developed nation. When a
nation’s economy matures, its service sector grows rapidly while its manufacturing sector stabilizes or diminishes.
This was the case with Britain. In 1997 Britain’s service sector accounted for about 63 percent of the GDP and
almost three-quarters of employment, about 17 million workers. The service industries include finance, retailing,
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wholesaling, tourism, business services, transport, insurance, investment, advertising, public relations, market
research, education, administration, and government and professional services.
Britain developed sophisticated banking, financial, insurance, and shipping operations as early as the 17th
century to support its expanding international trade. Lloyd’s of London, an early insurance house, began when a
number of people were willing to underwrite, or insure, Lloyd’s now insures approximately half of the world’s
shipping and cargoes as well as much of the aircraft industry.
London is the world’s leading center for insurance which handles 20 percent of the world’s insurance
business because of its high levels of specialization and expertise which has attracted ever-larger amounts of
business from an increasingly global economy.
Several significant developments in the service sector have taken place since the later part of the 20th century.
Telecommunications have become a dynamic growth industry, particularly with telex, facsimile, and e-mail
communications. Independent retailing has declined sharply as large chain stores, called multiples in Britain, have
brought the advantages of size to bear on purchasing. In food retailing, for example, five major groups own more
than half of the food markets in the nation. In many cases food wholesalers have been eliminated or cut back
because large chains contact directly with manufacturers.
The leisure industry has also been growing dynamically, commanding an increasing proportion of consumer
spending. In the past most people in the U.K. took vacations, or holidays at the seashore, but now overseas
holidays have become more affordable and thus more common for middle-class and working-class people.
Another growth area has been organizations catering to international conferences and exhibitions. These
organizations have been particularly successful because Britain is one of the world’s top locations for business
meetings and shows.
4. 4 Shipping
Britain is an island country with irregular coastlines providing many natural harbors. In addition, its
gentle, navigable rivers have always been conducive to shipping.
Today many British shipping firms operate under foreign flags to avoid the more stringent British shipping
regulations, including higher wages for crews. Most British passenger shipping involves ferry trips to the
continent of Europe or to Ireland. Tankers carrying oil and dry bulk cargo make up the majority of oceanic
shipping.
The most important port in the United Kingdom is London. Many old docks, such as Bristol, located on the
Lower Avon River in England, which has been a thriving port city ever since the 10th century is now being
carefully restored and transformed into arts and recreation centers. Other important commercial ports are at Forth
in Scotland and at Grimsby and Immingham in eastern England.
4. 5 Nuclear Power
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Britain was a pioneer in the development of nuclear power plants. The first commercial-scale power station
in the world opened in northwestern England in 1956. Modern nuclear power stations built after 1975 were
privatized in 1996, while the government maintained ownership of six older power plants built between the 1950s
and the 1970s because they were nearing the end of their service life.
By 2001 nuclear power provided 24 percent of the electricity produced in Britain.
4. 6 Agriculture
British agriculture is a well-organized institution in modern Britain. Farms in Britain are highly productive
and efficient due to the high-level mechanization, biological engineering of seeds and plants, advanced technology
such as computers, automatic control and the increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides as well .
Compared to other nations in the European Union, Britain’s agricultural sector is much smaller in terms of
employment and contribution to the GDP.
There were about 234,300 farms, two-thirds of them owner-occupied.
Chiefly six farming types are performed in Britain:
1) Arable farming
Arable farming refers to farming in which land is plowed and planted for crops. Most arable farming in
Britain are conducted in eastern and south central England and in eastern Scotland.
2) Dairy farming
The principal areas can be found in western regions with moderate rainfall, mild winters and cool summers,
areas around all cities and some parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
3) Stock farming
More than half of the full-time farms are devoted to livestock farming—raising cattle for dairy products or
beef, or raising sheep for wool and meat. These animals contribute about 37 percent of the total value of
agricultural output. Stock farming is mainly carried out in areas in the North and West of Britain where the
climate and physical features are not fit for crops.
Grave concern arose in the 1980s over cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
popularly known as mad cow disease. Consumer confidence in British beef declined, and in 1996 the European
Union banned Britain from exporting any beef or beef by-products. After considerable action by the government
to halt the spread of the disease, the EU lifted the ban in 1999.
Livestock farmers in Britain faced another crisis in February 2001, when several cases of foot-and-mouth
disease were detected in a British slaughterhouse. The dangers of foot-and-mouth disease are largely economic,
since infected animals often lose weight or stop producing milk. However, it rarely affects human. The outbreak
spread rapidly across the British countryside. By mid-April the British government had ordered the slaughter of
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more than 1 million animals. Cases of the disease were also reported in Belgium, France, and Ireland, leading to
the destruction of herds in those countries.
4) Mixed farming
Most rural areas in Britain keep this mixed farming of cattle raising and crop-growing where the local
conditions are suitable for it.
5) Hill farming
Hill farming suits rocky mountain crags, steep slopes, little fat land and deep valleys cut by rivers.
6) Marketing gardening
It is the growing of vegetables and fruit which can be rapidly transported to market while fresh. The Channel
Islands, Cornwell and the Sicily Islands are the largest producers of early vegetables and flowers.
There are three common cereal crops: wheat, barley and oats. Wheat is mainly grown is England. It is the
source of bread which is the main food on the British table. Wheat yielded in Britain does not meet the demand
domestically. So every year, large quantities of wheat are imported.
Barley is grown chiefly for the production of beer while oats as food for animals such as cattle and horses.
They are also the basis of porridge-----a common breakfast food. Other crops include potatoes, sugar beets, etc.. A
variety of fruits and vegetables are grown, too. But there are no rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, coffee, orange,
water-melon, bananas and so on in Britain. Most of them are imported.
4. 7 Banking and Financial Services
Britain is one of the world’s leading financial centers. Banking, finance, insurance, and other business
services accounted for about 12 percent of Britain’s output in 1996 and more than a million people were employed
in these sectors.
The Bank of England, chartered in 1694, was nationalized in 1946 and is the only bank that issues banknotes
in England and Wales. Several banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue currencies in limited amounts. After
the Labour government was elected in 1997 the Bank of England was given operational independence in monetary
policy. This means it can set interest rates independent of the government in power. There are more than a dozen
major commercial banks in Britain, including Lloyds TSB, Barclays, National Westminster, and HSBC. The
postal system, savings banks, and cooperative and building societies also provide some banking services.
Historically, the financial service industry has been based in the City of London. Now the city is also the
greatest concentration of foreign banks in the world. It is not only one of the world’s largest insurance markets but
also the world’s major center for trading in stock of overseas companies. One of the world’s largest financial
derivatives markets is in the City as well.
The London Stock Exchange, one of the largest exchanges in the world, has always been a focus of
international trade.
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4. 8 Tourism
Every year, tourism brings Britain substantial income contributing more than 5 percent to the British GDP
for Britain is one of the world’s foremost travel destinations. The British Tourist Authority, which is supported by
the government, promotes tourism in Britain and maintains more than 800 Tourist Information Centres to assist
visitors.
Visitors to Britain come from all over the world, attracted by Britain’s heritage and arts, historic buildings,
monuments, museums, and galleries. According to the statistics in 2001, 22.8 million overseas visitors traveled to
Britain among whom an estimated 67 percent were from Europe and 15 percent from North America, with more
visitors from the United States than any other single nation.
London, the most popular tourist destination, is crowded with tourists throughout the year. Among the sites
regularly visited by millions are the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, the exterior and interior of
Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. The most appealing to tourists to London may be to witness the
ceremonial “changing of the guard” in which a sentry is relieved of duty with traditional military precision.
The cape of Lands End in Cornwall, England marks the westernmost part of the English mainland whose
favorable climate and natural beauty attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
In Scotland, historic Edinburgh Castle looms over the capital. Great cathedrals from the Middle Ages still
dominate the skylines of many English cities, including Salisbury, Durham, and Canterbury. The Scottish
highlands are famous tourist resorts.
Stately homes are abundant throughout Britain, among which more famous ones are Blenheim Palace, the
home of the Churchill family. Hampton Court Palace, just outside of London, was one of the homes of Henry VIII.
The Palace of the Hollyroothouse in Scotland was once the home of Mary, Queen of Scotland. Among other
worthwhile places to visit are Oxford and Cambridge, both university towns with many ancient buildings, and the
Tudor home in which William Shakespeare was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
4. 9 Foreign Trade
Foreign trade has been vital to the British economy over the centuries and is essential today because Britain
must import some of its food and many of its raw materials especially raw materials which are needed to be
manufactured into finished goods to export for profit. The nation also draws profits from providing a number of
services, such as shipping and insurance, which are calculated as invisible exports. Although only 1 percent of the
world’s population lives in Britain today, it is one of the largest trading nations in the world, exporting more on a
per capita basis than either the United States or Japan.
Visible exports, or trade in merchandise account for only 52 percent of Britain’s overall trade. Trade in
services (invisible trade) including sea transport, civil aviation, travel, government services, investment income,
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transfers, and financial services accounts for 47 percent. More than half of Britain’s overseas trade is with the
European Union, and more than three-quarters of its foreign trade is with developed nations
United Kingdom Trading Partners
Country
Value (billion US$)
Imports
Germany
42.8
United States
39.5
France
28.9
Netherlands, The
21.7
Belgium-Luxembourg
15.3
Exports
United States
39.3
Germany
32.9
France
27.2
Netherlands, The
21.9
Ireland
17.3
United Kingdom Leading Imports and Exports
Goods Value (billion US$)
Imports
Electrical machinery
66.1
Road vehicles and parts 39.0
Mechanical machinery
28.0
Clothing and footwear
15.4
Oil
7.8
Exports
Electrical machinery
58.0
Mechanical machinery
35.4
Road vehicles and parts 24.3
Oil
14.6
Scientific and photographic instruments 10.9
4. Practical Exercises
A. Tell the evolution of the British economy after the Second World War
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B. Define English Disease
C. Explain Thatcherism
D. what are the new industries in Britain?
E. What are invisible exports referred to?
V Assignments
F. Review what have been delivered
G. Preview education in Britain
VI. Reference
1.
Chapter Five
British Education
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. equip themselves with the knowledge of education system in Britain
2. understand the different forms of second education in Britain
3. familiarize themselves with the common features most universities in Britain share
4. be well informed of university life in Britain
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. forms of secondary education
2. common features most universities in Britain share
3. the Open University
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
1. Lead-in
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A. What is Thatcherism?
B. What is invisible exports?
C. What is English Disease?
2. Warm-up
A. Encourage the students to talk about education in Britain.
B. Invite two individual students to tell the oldest university in Britain and the most famous
ones as far as they know.
3. Specific Contents
5. 1 General survey
Education is a vital concern throughout Britain because a highly developed nation depends upon educated
professionals and a skilled workforce. The literacy rate in Britain is one of the highest in the world at over 99
percent.
Historically, the first English schools were founded by the Church in the 6th century with the aim of
providing priesthood. Since then the Church had enjoyed a virtually monopoly on education for many centuries.
Although Alfred the Great (871—899) established schools and institutions, and Henry VI (1422—1461 ) set up
Eton College , the state played no role in education. In Tudor Dynasty, a number of schools were founded by
Edward VI (1547—1553). Later on, some other schools opened their doors in Elizabeth I’s reign. Despite the fact
that these enlightened Kings or Queen did begin to attach some importance to education then, it was still the
prerogative of the rich to receive education, and many ordinary people remained illiterate for life.
In
18th century, a considerable number of ‘industrial schools’ and ‘Sunday schools’ were founded.
Although these institutions were intended to provide an elementary education for the working class, the founders
had no interest in making the students into technicians and engineers, either. Thus, reading was emphasized for
the purpose of equipping the students with the ability to read the Bible, while arithmetic, writing and other
subjects were ignored. Shortage of qualified teachers, poor teaching facilities also retarded the spread of education
throughout the country. One is not hard to imagine that the classrooms in the 18th century were overcrowded with
parents as well as children.
In spite of the fact that some elementary schools were still financed by the church at the beginning of the
19th century, the Church of England had lost the monopoly of education it had enjoyed in earlier times. In 1833, a
grant of £20,000 made by Parliament for the provision of school houses marked the beginning of the state’s
involvement in education. By the end of the 19th century, a national system of education had been established,
offering free compulsory education for all children of five to ten.
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Although great achievement had been made in elementary education, there was no radical progress in
secondary education. Many new schools were set up still providing classical curriculum for children of middle
and upper classes. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that an opportunity was provided for children
whose parents could not afford the benefit from secondary schools. In 1918, the Fisher Education Act made it
possible for the number of secondary schools to grow faster and a new Education Act in 1944 ensured the
reorganization of secondary education in England and Wales. By the new Act, education in England and Wales
was divided into three phases: primary (from five to twelve); secondary (over twelve to under nineteen ); and
further ( post-school ).
5.2. Elementary Education
For most local authorities their responsibility for education virtually commence when a child reaches the age
of five, the age for compulsory education, though they are expected to provide nursery schools for the
two-year-old and over. In the nursery schools provided by the Government for four-year-old children from 1998,
children learn drawing, modeling, realizing values of money, weight and practising domestic chores. There are no
prescribed books or formal syllabus. Most of the time, children learn through playing under the guidance of
teachers. According to the law in Britain, children of five must go to infant schools where what they do is
somewhat more pedagogical. Playing also occupies most of the school time, but under the teachers’ supervision
and guidance, the children are taught reading, writing and arithmetic. After two years spent in the infant school,
children entre primary schools where they will stay until they are eleven years old. More formal classroom
teachings are provided in this period such as English, math, geography, music, sports etc.. There are about 25
thousands of primary schools in Britain, among which 2500 are public schools. The majority of primary schools
are co-educational. Primary education in Britain is free and what’s more, books and stationery are also provided
by the schools so that pupils just have to go to school to study. After school, they go home leaving all their things
in their own drawers in the school. An interesting phenomenon is the fact that the society and the school teachers
reached an agreement that there was necessity for the pupils to have some assignments. Then from 1999 on ,
children of five to 11 would have to do 10 minutes to 30 minutes assignment at home daily while children of 11 to
16 90 minutes to 150 minutes daily. This is one part of the British reform on education.
5. 3. Secondary Education
5. 3. 1 Grammar Schools
Being the oldest type of secondary education in England and Wales (12th century), Grammar School enjoys
great popularity and high esteem due to its historical aims of teaching. Grammar schools in larger towns and cities
are single-sex schools. Their purpose is to provide the children an academic education for the entry to universities
especially for the famous universities. Consequently, more importance is attached to examinations, especially to
the General Certificate of Education (the GCE). The GCE consists of two parts----- Ordinary Level known as “O”
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level and the Advanced Level or “A” level. Children at the age of 15 or 16 in grammar schools have to take the
“O” level which is viewed as the professional certificate, and a lot of them leave school after they get the “O”
levels. If a pupil shows special talent he will be encouraged to study on in the Sixth Form in order to study for “A”
levels. There are still some children who will spend another two years of time studying for the “A” level
examinations after getting their “O” levels. It is an undeniable fact that “A” level is widely recognized as the
initial qualification for most universities and other higher education courses as well as for some professions.
Success in the GCE examinations sometimes makes a name for schools and as such brings the school high
prestige and fame.
The curriculum in grammar schools is much more academic than the other types of secondary schools.
There is selection at the age of eleven.
5. 3. 2 Secondary Modern Schools
Originally secondary modern schools were considered as schools for those children with less academic
ability. The purpose of it was to provide a good all-round secondary education, which was not focused on the
traditional subjects of the school curriculum, but developing out of the interests of the children. They were to be
free from the external pressure of examinations and their teachers were encouraged to experiment in order to
discover the most appropriate forms of education for the less able children.
Unfortunately, many secondary
modern schools followed the example of grammar schools, providing courses for the preparation for “O” level.
Not surprising, some pupils in secondary modern schools have managed to pass “O” level with success.
Nowadays, there are Sixth Forms in secondary modern schools and gifted children there, though without the
chance to study for the GCE, also can go to a college of further education and take examinations there. As a result,
secondary modern schools become selective. Nowadays, there is very small handful of Secondary Modern
Schools because some of them have merged with Comprehensive Schools due to their inefficiency.
5. 3. 3. Comprehensive Schools
Comprehensive schools with the features of grammar schools and Secondary Modern Schools, as the name
suggests, take pupils without reference to their ability or aptitude and the basic idea of them is to provide a
wide-ranging secondary education for most of the children in a district. Pupils will stay and study there for five
years.
There are seven different kinds of comprehensive schools in England and Wales today. Unlike most grammar
schools and secondary modern schools, classes are not “streamed”. On the contrary, they try, as far as possible, to
eliminate the disadvantages of “streamed” classes by dividing children into different groups, according to their
ability in different subjects. Pupils also can study for the GCE and the Sixth Form. About 7/10 pupils study at
comprehensive schools. There is no selection.
5.3. 4. Public Schools
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Public schools are so called, because originally “public” meant the registration was exempted from regional
limitation and family background. However, because of the high fee, only a handful of the very rich could enjoy
this privilege.
The oldest public school was Winchester School which was founded in 1382. Now there are around 30
public schools in Britain, among which the best known are Eton College, Harrow School, Rugby School, and
Winchester School .Although the number is small and only 1% of the school population can study in such
institutions, in terms of influence and prestige, their importance is beyond our imagination. 80% of the Britain’s
celebrity has attended these private schools, which cater to the wealthy and influential. Although this is not to say
that public schooling guarantees a university place, or a good job, it does tend to tell us that with it life will be
made easier.
Most public schools are boarding schools and single-sex institutions, catering for boys. More recently a
number of such schools for girls have been established. These schools also offer some scholarships to gifted
poorer children. Courses are more academic and disciplines are emphasized. The administration there is very rigid,
with the aim of producing gentlemen of noble characters. There is always a long waiting list of enrollment not
because a child does no have to take the 11-plus, but because parents who are willing to sacrifice a large sum of
money for the privilege of their children’s education in public schools consider that the fee they pay is a
worthwhile investment for it does mean easier, if not free entry to universities, in particular to the Oxford
University and Cambridge University and some professions. On the other hand, traditional British people still
emphases origin and pride and as such, the peers and gentlemen produced in public schools are more respected.
The colourful and flexible teaching approach, plus rich practice outside the classroom cultivate the
students’ wider interests and sharp and agile thought. While the rigid but scientific administration and the high
level of education have produced a lot of social elite who are the backbones of the country. For example, Eton
College is considered generally as the arena for British politics famous for statesmen and politicians. Winchester
is regarded as the factory producing legal professionals. It is no denying that public schools also act as the very
cradle where arrogance, conceitedness and superiority are nurtured.
In addition to the public schools there are a number of other independent schools, all of which are under the
state control, open to the inspection by the Department of Education and Science.
5. 4. Higher Education
Broadly speaking, higher education covers universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Britain.
There are about 90 universities, some of which have college institutions. Take Oxford University for example,
there are 39 colleges within the university, each with its own internal structure and activities. London University
has 40 colleges. The percentage of young people enrolling in higher education in Britain has kept increasing ever
since 1960s. The proportion was one in three in 1996.
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5. 4. 1 Universities.
The oldest universities in Britain are Oxford and Cambridge founded at the end of the 12th century. Both of
them restricted their membership to members of the Anglican Church until the 19th century when the Universities
of Durham and London opened their doors to non-Anglicans. Most of the universities were founded in the 19th
and 20th centuries.
British universities have been founded at different times bearing distinctive responsibility to meet different
needs. Thus, the type and the content of courses offered may also differ considerably, as do entrance requirements,
staff—student ratios, teaching methods, etc.. Nevertheless, they do share certain features. In the first place, they
are all not state universities but receive some grant for the state. Most universities are supported by public funds,
tuition fees and income charged by institutions for research or other purposes. In the second place, all universities
enjoy total academic freedom. The authorities are in complete control of admission, curriculum, teaching
approach, awarding degrees, appointing staff as well as the use of money provided by the state. In the third place,
students for first degrees are intended to be the same at all universities. In England and Wales, except for subjects
such as medicine and dentistry, the first degree normally takes three full-time study years with a Bachelor’s degree
(BA or BSC ) . A Master’s degree is awarded after a further period of study------one to two years if nothing
unusual occurs. A PhDs takes even longer time (four or five years) .
The nominal head of the university is England and Wales is the Chancellor, usually a distinguished public
figure, often a member of the royal family or the aristocracy. The duties for the Chancellor are almost completely
ceremonial, attending degree—awarding ceremonies, for instance. He is not involved in the daily routine of
administration of the university. The person who virtually does this is the Vice-Chancellor, whose position is
usually permanent in most universities. Executive control of the university is vested in the University Council,
who is principally concerned with finance and seeing to it that the university is able to meet its responsibilities.
The academic body of the university is the Senate, responsible for academic policy, teaching, examinations
and discipline. As far as the practical academic work is concerned, it is totally the responsibility of the faculty,
each of which is headed by a Dean. There are a number of departments in a faculty. The head is a professor. Large
departments will have more than one professor. The position of “Reader” is generally reserved for senior members
of staff with strong research interests. Then comes the senior lecturers and lecturers who are expected to do the
teaching and research, as well.
Most university teaching is done through lectures, supplemented by tutorials and seminars. Term papers and
dissertations are required and in some discipline, written examinations are also necessary. The most distinguishing
feature of the British universities is their tutorial system in which the specialists in certain discipline help and
supervise several students in their studies. No materials, no answers are provided by the supervisors but the
students are encouraged to learn to deal with and solve the problems themselves. Most of the times in the
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face-to-face tutorial, students are encouraged to raise questions, to express their own opinions on the questions
instead of the traditional teaching. In this way, the ability to think, to solve the problems is nurtured and cultivated.
Students are free to choose whatever courses they prefer without the barrier of major, department, etc. so that they
add new energy to the academic studies and in turn their horizons are greatly broadened.
With the encouragement from the Government, many universities have close relations with and keep tight
cooperation with commence, industry and enterprise. There are over 40 science parks set up by higher educational
institutions in conjunction with industrial scientists to promote the development and application of high-techs.
5. 4. 2. The Open University
Higher education can also be obtained through the Open University which is an autonomous, independent,
degree-awarding university charted in 1969 and officially started its first enrollment in 1970. The Open University
has the largest student body of any higher education and training institution in the United Kingdom. The purpose
of the Open University is to reach people who may not ordinarily be qualified for university study. Thus it is a
non-residential university requiring no formal academic qualification for admission and is open to any person over
age 18 living in Britain or another member nation of the European Union, regardless of previous education.
Today, instruction often makes use of such course materials as special equipment to conduct science and
technology experiments at home, audio and videocassettes, and computer software. Many lectures are conducted
through television programs on the national British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) networks. Some courses are
taught via the Internet, while others make use of the Internet as one component of instruction. Some courses
include a one-week instruction in residential schools, usually offered during the summer.
Open University confers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees, but the school has no
requirements to follow any particular course of study. However, it does require specific levels of academic
achievement for admission to postgraduate programs. The curriculum involves more than 130 kinds such as
programs in the arts, mathematics and computing, science and technology, social science, education, health and
social welfare, business, and humanities. Students have to get 6 credits (one for each year) to graduate and 8
credits for graduate.. Roughly three-quarters of the students work full time while they pursue their studies.
Compared with that of the conventional university, the tuition fee for the Open University is cheaper.
Because of its low cost, its convenience and its flexibility, more and more people study in the Open University,
both young and old.
4. Practical Exercises
A. Define Open university
B. Tell the common features most British universities share
C. How are classes conducted in British universities?
V Assignments
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D. Review this Chapter
E. Preview religion in Britain
1. How to apply for the studentship in Britain
2. Study in Britain
VI Reference
1.
British Encyclopedia
2005
Chapter Six
Religion
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. understand established churches in Britain
2. have general knowledge of religious practices in Britain
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. the Church of England
2. British people’ religious attitude
3. major religions in Britain
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
1. Lead-in
A. oldest university
B. open university
C. GCE
2. Warm-up
A. encourage the students to discuss religion in Britain
B. invite one individual student to tell the state religion in Britain
3. Specific Contents
6. 1. General Survey
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The United Kingdom guarantees its citizens religious freedom without interference from the state or the
community, and most of the world’s religions have followers in Britain. As in many European countries today, the
majority of the population in Britain does not regularly attend religious services, yet nearly all faiths have devoted
congregations of active members.
Today, The United Kingdom has two established churches: the Church of England and the Church of Scotland.
An established church is the legally recognized official church of the state. The Church of England, also called the
Anglican Church, is a Protestant Episcopal church.
There are other forms of religion in addition to the established churches. But with the evolution of society
and the advances made in science and technology, more and more people have become less interested in religion
and an increasing percentage of the population professes no religious faith.
6. 2. The Church of England
The Church of England claims to be an apostolic church, meaning it traces a direct line of bishops back to the
12 apostles of Jesus. The head of the Church of England is the sovereign who holds the titles of Supreme
Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith. Archbishops, bishops, and deans are appointed by
the Crown upon the advice of the prime minister, who consults a commission that includes both lay people and
clergy. Two archbishops (Archbishops of Canterbury and York) , the bishops of London, Durham and Winchester,
and 21 other bishops sit in the House of Lords and participate in debates on equal terms with other members of the
House. Changes in church ritual can only be made with the consent of Parliament.
The Church of England does not have a formal register of members. Baptism received in the church means the
member of it, though this membership is often re-endorsed at confirmation at the age of 14. Baptism for the
newly-born is viewed as the traditional rite because the doctrine of Christianity believes that people are born with
sin. Baptizing the newly-born can purify them and only after the baptism can they be accepted by the God. What’s
more, the date for the Baptism is also the date for the baby to have a name. Thus, the parents, relatives and the
Christian father and mother will all come to the church to attend the child’s Baptism. Nevertheless, a person can
change his religious belief at will and there is no prejudice against an individual who may alter his religious belief.
Being a member of the Church of England does not necessarily mean that you must hold your allegiance or
loyalty and devotion to it all your life It is estimated that of over 28 million of the population Baptized, only 10
million have been confirmed. Church attendance is rather difficult to estimate. Many members are merely
baptized, married, and buried in the church, but do not otherwise attend services.
Churches today are not only the places for people to conduct religious service but they are also revolved into
the places for people to discuss social problems within the parish. Things like the problems of the disabled, the
administration of the community, the social affairs, so on and so forth, are the common topics to be talked about
and discussed during the service.
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In spite of its state church status, the Church of England receives no money from the government. The main
financial support for the church comes from the free-will offerings of church members and from its own land and
capital.
6. 3. The Church of Scotland
The established church in Scotland is the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian. The Presbyterian
Church is governed by courts composed of ministers and elders. The Church of Scotland is not subject to state
control. It is the principal religious group in Scotland
The status of the Church of Scotland was confirmed by the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland in
1707. It is also an established church with Queen of Scotland as its head and is completely free from Parliament
control.
6. 4. Non-established Churches
6. 4. 1. The Anglican Churches
In the U.K. there are three unestablished Anglican churches. They are the Church of Ireland, the Episcopal
Church in Scotland and the Church in Wales. All share the features in common that there are no archbishops no
bishops. The religious rites are relatively simpler.
Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, England, is the largest Anglican cathedral in the world. It was completed in
1978. Construction took nearly 75 years due to two world wars and rising costs.
6. 4. 2. The Free Churches
Although they are non-established churches, the Free Churches are that of the Protestant churches in
Britain, whose members are nonconformists.
(1) The Methodist Church
Being the largest of the Free Churches the Methodist Church originated in the 18th century, founded by a
Church of England clergyman named John Wesley. Today, the Methodist Church has some 1.2 million
members. Individual Methodist Churches have a considerable degree of self-government and there is a
conference each year chaired by elected president, to discuss matters of concern to the Church.
The Salvation Army founded by one of the follower------William both (1829—1912) serves as the
volunteer of social services which is said to be the second to the government. There are more than 1,000
worship centres.
(2) The Baptist Churches
The Baptist churches were founded by the British puritans who took refuse in the Netherlands. There are not
bishops in the Baptist churches. And the churches are completely independent of Parliament. Equity among
the members is its doctrine. Presently, there are about 150,000 members, 2,300 ministers and 2,000 places of
worships. Most of the Baptist Churches belong to the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
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(3) The United Reformed Churches
The United Reformed Church, the third largest Free Church in the United Kingdom, was formed in 1972
whose predecessor was the Congregational Church in England and Wales and the Presbyterian Church of England.
Apart from the Free Churches mentioned above, there are others, too, such as The Presbyterian Church in
Ireland; the Presbyterian Church of Wales, and the Union of Welsh Independents, to mention just a few.
6. 5. The Roman Catholic Church
After the Reformation, the Catholic Church in England suffered a great deal of hardship and ceased its
practices. It was not until 1850 when attitudes had mellowed somewhat that the formal structure of it was restored.
Now there are 7 Roman Catholic provinces, 30 Episcopal dioceses and about 3, 3000 parishes. One out of ten
British citizens claims to be Roman Catholic.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church is the Archbishop of Westminster.
6. 6. Other Christian Churches
In addition to the major Christian Churches mentioned previously, there are other Protestant Churches which
made their appearance in the 1970s. They include: the Unitarians, Free Christians, the Pentecostalists, the
Religious Society of Friends, the Christian Brethren, etc..
The principal non-Christian communities in Britain are the Jews, the Moslems and Buddhists.
4. Practical Exercises
A. What are the two established churches in Britain?
B. Who is the head of the Church of England?
C. Where is the center of religion and pilgrimage in Britain?
V
Assignments
D. review this chapter
E. preview mass media in Britain
VI Reference
A.
Chapter Seven
Mass Media
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
have broad knowledge of British press
explain Quality papers and popular papers
make comment on the British Daily and Sunday papers
get to know about the radio and TV
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II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. Quality dailies
1. The most important and the most influential daily papers
2. The BBC
3. The Reuters
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
Greetings
A. Lead-in
1. What are the two established churches in Britain?
2. British people’s attitude towards religion
B Warm-up
A. ask some individual students about the most famous and most influential newspapers in
Britain.
B. Encourage the students to tell something about the world famous broadcasting company.
3. Specific Contents
The United Kingdom is a world leader in publishing, information, communications, networking, media, education
and research. The relatively early liberalization of the UK telecommunications market led to the widespread use of
the internet and the web within the country. The UK exports more of its book production than any other country in
the world. The world-renowned strength and reputation of the UK's media services, including the BBC, Reuters,
ITN and several of its national newspapers and journals, and of its software industries, has ensured the UK's place
as a leader and a place to watch in the emerging global information society. People from all walks of life can now
access the world's information resources. Governments, opinion-leaders, students and business people use the
internet and the web, computers, the media and libraries, transforming the ways in which they live, work, trade
and communicate.
Communication is essential and integral part of any society. Generally speaking, the mass media is serving to
convey information which can exert tremendous influence on the citizens. Mass media included newspapers and
magazines, radio and TV, etc..
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7. 1. Newspapers
Since the first newspaper made its appearance in 1772, the press has played an important part in British life.
By international comparison British people are still the most voracious newspaper readers besides the Swedish
people in the world. They read morning papers at breakfast, as they go to work, they read newspapers on their way
to buses or on the buses; and after work at home, and they are engrossed in an evening paper. It is estimated that
nearly 90% of the British people read local newspaper, and half of the population read morning paper daily and
65% of the people read weeklies. Comparatively speaking, men read more newspapers than women. Thus, buying
newspapers and reading news papers are the major activities in life of the British people.
There is no censorship of the British press so that it can express its own ideas, free of the pressure from the
government. of course this does not mean that they are all impartial, without prejudice. In effect, some newspapers
do reveal their own views on politics, and their attitude of partisan, but they are not organs of any political parties.
Fleet Street is justifiably regarded as the home of the British press and over the years this name has become
synonymous with the national newspaper industry though many leading newspapers have their editorial offices
elsewhere.
There are two types of national newspapers. They are national dailies and national Sundays.
As far as style and content are concerned, national papers can be classified into 3 kinds: quality paper, popular
paper and mid-market paper. The quality papers have in-depth news items, backed up by articles interpreting the
news, photographs are sparingly used .in format, quality papers employ broad sheet. Among the dailies, The
Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent are quality papers. As the
Sunday papers, The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday and The Sunday Times belong
to quality Sundays.
Popular newspapers give relatively little space to news stories. Much concern is given to comment, travel, food
and other leisure topics. Tabloid format is used together with pictures extensively. There are three popular
dailies-----Daily Mirror, Daily Star and the Sun, and three popular Sundays------News of the World, Sunday
Mirror and the People.
Between the quality papers and popular papers there are three “Mid-Market” dailies and two “Mid-Market”
Sundays. They are Daily Mails, Daily Express, and Today, The Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express.
Of the national daily newspapers the most influential and most important ones are The Times and The
Financial Times with statesmen, politicians, businessmen and bankers as their major readers. Of Sunday papers
the Observer and the Sunday Times are the best known for their literary and artistic reviews which make them
prized among the more highbrow members of the community.
Apart from national newspapers, there are a lot of regional and local newspapers which carry regional or local
news and events. In England, important regional morning papers include the Yorkshire post (Leeds), the Northern
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Echo (Darlington ), the Eastern Daily Press ( Norwich ), the Sunday Mercury ( Birmingham ) and Sunday Sun
( Newcastle upon Tyne). Popular evening papers are Manchester Evening News and the Birmingham Evening
Mail.
Wales has three newspapers of its own: the Western Mail, the Daily Post, and Wales on Sunday.
7. 2. Periodicals
Something like 7000 periodicals are published in the U.K, covering a very wide range of topics. The leading
serious weeklies are The New Statesman, The Economist, and The Spectator. They provide coverage of national
and international affairs from different points of the political spectrum. The Economist is an independent
conservative publication. The News Statesman reviews social issues, politics, literature and the arts from an
independent socialist point of views. The spectator covers similar subjects from an independent conservative
standpoint.
The most flourishing and successful magazines are those published for women. They offer articles on cookery,
fashion, needlework, knitting, and many other matters of feminine interests. Advice to those in love, stories of
romance with handsome heroes, topics on diet, cosmetology, and calisthenics are designed and provided catering
for different tastes. Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own, Woman’s Realm, My Weekly are very popular among
women, old and young.
There is also a wide variety of technical or semi-technical publications such as magazines for the computer
programmer, motorist, the farmer, the gardener, the nurse and many others published in Britain. Everybody can
find a magazine just to his or her taste regardless of age, occupation or sex on the bookstalls either on the
pavement or in a railway station.
7. 3. Radio
The first radio broadcasting company----the British Broadcasting Corporation—came into being in 1927.
Initially, the British Broadcasting Corporation was financed by a license fee levied originally on radio receivers
and remained so until 1971 when it was abolished. BBC has five national networks: BBC Radio 1 which produces
rock and pop music around the clock; BBC 2 which transmits the nation’s favorite playing middle-of-the-road
music, chat shows; BBC Radio 3 which broadcasts mainly classical music, serious drama, poetry, short stories and
talk shows, too. BBC Radio $ which covers news, current affairs, drama, comedy, documentaries and panel games,
parliament debate; and BBC Radio 5 concentrates on news and sports twenty-four hours a day.
In 1992, Classic Fm, the first national commercial radio station began its broadcasting and more national
independent stations are planned. At present there are thirty-nine BBC local radio stations and the BBC World
Service use English and thirty-eight other languages to convey international news.
7. 4. Television
The BBC was the first authority in the world to provide a regular public television service which began in
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1936. The 1950s witnessed the rapid growth and spread of television. More sets were produced and more services
were provided. Cable television became available during the 1980s and in 1989 the first satellite television
channel known as Sky television began transmission, attracting more subscribers. By the 1990s, the viewers were
offered considerable choices. The two principal television channels----BBC 1 and ITV retain the mass audience,
drawing 3/4 of the viewing public. According to a rough estimation, 95% of the households own two or more
television sets and video recorders and people spend an average of over 4 hours a day watching TV.
BBC-British Broadcasting Corporation provides a distinctive, high quality service of regional television news,
current affairs and local radio services which- uniquely - provide listeners everywhere with news, information and
debate about their local areas. There are four national channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV, and channel 4. The State-run
BBC is financed by the sale of television licenses while ITV and Channel 4 are funded by advertising. However,
the amount of the time devoted to advertising is small and strictly limited by the special Art that allowed
commercial television.
BBC 1 broadcasts news, documentaries, sport, light entertainment, popular drama and programs for children.
BBC 2 presents music, arts, sports, foreign serious drama and a forum for debate. Programs on ITV are more
informative. They cover news, current affairs, documentaries, education and religion with a small room for sport,
drama, film, and other light entertainment. Channel 4 began its broadcasting in 1982. Programs on Channel 4 have
a distinctive character and appeal to tastes and interests for which the ITV does not generally cater.
On the whole, the British TV is serious and responsible though sex is shown on special channel with charge at
prescribed time.
(1) News Agencies
The important and influential news agency in Britain is Reuters whose headquarters is based in London.
Reuters was originally founded by Julius Reuter, a German in 1851. Now it is a publicly owned company
with more than 11.000 staff working in 80 countries. The company serves subscribers in 150 countries
involving financial institutions, major corporations, government agencies, news agencies, newspapers, etc..
4. Practical Exercises
1. What feature do British newspapers have compared with ours?
2. Tell the quality national dailies in the UK.
3. Mention the most important and most influential newspapers in the UK.
4. What are the leading weeklies in the UK?
5. What kind of magazines are the most successful among females?
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V Assignments
A. Sports and entertainment in Britain
IV Reference
1.Power Without Responsibility: The British Press and Broadcasting since 1945
2. Politics and Mass Media in Britain, R. Negrine
Chapter Eight
, J Curran and J. Seaton
Sports and Entertainment
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. equip themselves with most popular sports and leisure activities among British people
2. familiarize themselves with the typical English sports
3. understand the different forms of arts
4. get to know some places worth visiting
II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1.
2.
3.
4.
typical British sport
Royal Ascot
The British Museum
Library service
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
1. Greetings
2. Lead-in
Invite four students to tell the quality papers in Britain
The features of British press
Important radio station
3. Warm-up
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Invite two students to say something as far as they know about the favourite sport among the British people
Encourage the students to list the sports commonly done in Britain.
4. Specific Contents
8. 1. Sports
The British have always been a nation of sports lovers whose love for sports is much beyond our
imagination. Sports are not only part of British life but also indispensable daily activities. They have not
only created some kinds of sports, they also love to watch. According to a rough estimation, 70% of men and
50% of women participate in at least one kind of sports. They can enjoy sports without the limitation of space
or time. Almost every city has gymnasium with all kinds of sports apparatus catering all ages. The favourable
geographical and climatic condition guarantee sports activities to be conducted all the year around. And the
popularization of sports crystallizes the humanism of sports.
8. 1.1. Football
England is the home of football. As early as in the third century there was football playing among the
ordinary people. Modern football originated in the 12th century and it became very popular in England in the
14th century. To most British, the eight months of the football season which runs from August until May are
very important. It is estimated that attendance at football matches is about 30 million marks each season,
without accounting large numbers of people who prefer the follow the game on television. The climax of the
year for both players and spectators is the Cup Final, played at the Wembley Stadium in London in early May.
England, Wales and Scotland all have their national teams that participate in international matches. Among
them, Liverpool, Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Arsenal continue to be the dominate figures.
The football violence continues to be the headache of the British. The football hooligans not only
created violence at home but also made it walk outside. Thus the government has launched a series of severe
rules to regulate these trouble-makers as well as their players.
8. 1. 2.Rugby Football
Rugby football, one of popular winter games all over the country, was invented at Rugby School in
Warwickshire in the early 19th century. It s a game played with an egg-shaped ball, which may be carried or
thrown, and played on the basis of two codes: Rugby Union and Rugby League. The former is a 15-a-side
game played by amateurs while the latter is a 13-a-side game for both amateurs and professionals.
Rugby is enjoyed and loved by the middle class and particularly by the pupils in public schools. There are
hundreds of amateur rugby clubs, many of which are formed by “old boys”, or former pupils of public
schools, or grammar schools. The exciting rugby season is between September and May.
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8. 1. 3. Cricket
Cricket, created in the 16th century can be said to be the most typical English sport, which is widely played in
towns and villages throughout the country from late April to the end of September. It is universally regarded as
the elegant ports so that it is very popular in universities and public schools in Britain. There are 19 first-class
teams: the University of Oxford and Cambridge as well as 17 counties. They compete for the Britannic Assurance
County Championship. Each summer a Test Series is held between an English team and a touring side from
overseas, say, Australia, India, Srilanka New Zealand South Africa, so on and so forth.
8. 1. 4. Golf
Golf, originated in Scotland in the 17th century, is played in all parts of the United Kingdom. It has been
regarded as the Royal and Ancient Game. In terms of its code, it is gentle and civilized and welcomed especially
by the middle and upper classes.
The most important event is the Open Championship, the Walker Cup for amateur and the Ryder Cup for
Professionals. There is considerable number of golf courts all over the country. Some of them are owned by local
authorities. Some are in the hands of private individuals; more belong to the private clubs.
8. 1. 5. Tennis
Tennis is also popular British game played and enjoyed by both individuals and clubs. The most important
event is the Wimbledon fortnight held at Wimbledon each year, which is one of the four tennis “Grand Slam”
tournaments. The grand occasion is televised extensively.
8. 1. 6. Horse racing
Horse racing is a spectator sport with a large following .basically; horse racing takes two forms in Britain: flat
racing which is held from March to November, and steeplechase, which takes place from August to June.
The most exciting and fashionable horse-racing event is the Royal Ascot during June, when the Queen will be
present. In terms of popularity, the Grand National held at Aintree in Liverpool is the world’s best-known
steeplechase. There are over 60 racecourses and about 12,000 horses are under training.
8. 1. 7. Rowing
Rowing is practised on many rivers and lakes since Britain is rich for its sufficient waters. There are courses
in schools, universities and clubs throughout the country. The University Boat Race, between eight-oared crews
from Oxford and Cambridge, ever since 1836, has been rowed on the Thames every spring. The Henley Regatta
held on the Thames is an international rowing event.
Other sports that are enjoyed by the British people are athletics, hockey, bowling, hunting, fishing,
swimming, boxing, and snooker, so on and so forth.
8. 2. Arts and Entertainments
The United Kingdom has a long history of excellence in the arts. British contributions to literature are
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remarkable in their richness, variety, and consistency. Reading, music, culture, and the arts are pursued zealously
by countless millions.
8. 2. 1 The Theatre
There are some 300 theatres in the U.K., over 40 of which are seated in London. Most towns and cities have at
least one theatre presenting productions from their theatre company or from touring companies. The National
Theatre has staged a wide range of modern and classical plays. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre mainly hosts
plays written by Shakespeare presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Many new playwrights are staged
at the Royal Court Theatre, which is also one of the important theatres in London.
8. 2. 2. Music
Music which used to be the highbrow interest in the Middle Ages became democratic and was
enormously important in Britain in the 20th century. The British people are fond of music. One may be very
surprised and admire that even the choir are professional and well-trained. Classical music, popular music,
Jazz, county music and light music are loved by both the old and the young.
Appreciation of music is extremely widespread, and the kinds of music regularly performed are diverse,
ranging from early music to modern. Britain boasts thousands of amateur opera societies, choirs, and musical
groups, including orchestras; dance, brass, and steel bands; and rock and jazz groups. At the beginning of
1960s, four boys in Liverpool formed the “Beatles” who initiated the beginning of popular music in Britain
which then was not completely welcome nor accepted. However, the “Beatles” did have its heyday for some
time. They sang their own music written and composed by themselves. Soon they became world famous and
their songs were more serious. Now, there are still some youngsters who prefer popular music.
There are also some prominent orchestras in Britain. London has five which enjoy international
standing------- the London Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the new
Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony. The Hallé in Manchester is the best-known orchestra outside London.
The English Chamber Orchestra and the London Mozart Players are the most famous among the chamber
orchestras. Seasons of orchestral concerts are promoted in all large towns where there are many concert halls.
The first National Music Day was held in 1992 on which occasion a lot of events were organized.
Wales has the reputation of “the Land of Song” for music and songs are heard everywhere. The Welsh
people are renowned for their good voices and it is rare to find a village without any choir. There are numerous
arts festivals, the biggest of which is the International Eisteddfod held annually in Zlangollen in Clwyd where
singers, musicians, dancers, and poets often in colourful national costume coming from all over the world.
Britain hosts more than 600 professional arts festivals each year, attracting more than 4 million
visitors. The two largest arts festivals in Britain are held in Scotland: The Edinburgh International Festival is a
mixture of six arts festivals that takes place every August and September, and the Mayfest is held every May in
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Glasgow. Festivals focusing on music include the Three Choirs Festival, so-called because it takes place in
three separate English cities; the Cheltenham Festival; and the Aldeburgh Festival, founded in the 1940s.
8. 2. 3. Opera and Ballet
The Royal Opera and the English national Opera are the world’s finest opera companies. The Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden, where the great opera singers of the world can be heard, is the home of opera while the
elegant Edwardian theatre, the English national Opera, housed the Coliseum encourages English singers in
particular and performs most operas in English at reasonable price.
Although the Royal Opera House tour both at home and abroad, the scope is very limited for very few
provincial theatres can provide facilities for the opera. The English National Opera Company stages an opera
season each winter and summer, it is the usual time for the Company to make a tour to provinces. Apart from
these London-based opera companies, there are the English Opera Group, the Welsh National Opera and the
Scottish Opera, the name but a few.
As far as ballet is concerned, the Ballet Rambert comes the oldest while the most distinguished ballet
company is the Royal Ballet. In London, the major dance arena is the Sadler’s Wells Theatre where all kinds of
dances are presented, and it also hosts international dance companies.
The leading ballet companies in Wales are often performing at the New Theatre in Cardiff and the Grand
Theatre in Swansea. And the Theatre Royal and the Robin Anderson Auditorium are often honoured to provide
the regular venues for the excellent performance given by the Scottish Ballet which also makes tours around
Scotland. The people of Edinburgh are happy enough to appreciate the performance by it twice a year.
8.2. 4. Films
The British film industry has a long history and is noted for many critically acclaimed productions and actors.
In recent decades it has become largely international. The great pull of the American box office has always lured
British actors, directors, and producers to Hollywood, and conversely, British studios and locations have been
used in international productions.
The film industry in Britain developed during the 1930s after the government established a quota requiring
that a certain percentage of films shown in British cinemas be made in Britain.
British film output after World War II tended to be literary, drawing upon classics from Charles Dickens and
William Shakespeare. Director David Lean, who had produced many popular films in the 1940s, became noted for
big, lavish epics during the 1950s, particularly The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia
(1959), both of which won Academy Awards.
Alfred Hitchcock, British-born motion-picture director is known as the Master of Suspense for his skill in
directing psychological thrillers. Hitchcock began his directorial career in Britain, but moved to the United States
in 1939 to continue his work. His notable films include The 39 Steps (1935), Notorious (1946), Rear Window
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(1954), and Psycho (1960).
8. 2. 5. Libraries
Britain is rich in libraries. No nation in the world, it can be said, love books and enjoy reading more than the
British people. It is not uncommon to find old people in the streets pulling a suitcase full of books borrowed from
the library or young people on buses, in parks, on campus lawn reading books or newspapers. This may partly
counts for the high quality of the nation. The British people seek courage, strength, belief and truth, at least to me,
from books.
Britain is served by a complete network of public libraries, administered by local public library authorities.
About 1/3 of the total population are members of public libraries. Lending and reference library service is free.
There are city libraries, county library, and district library in every area. Through regional co-operation and
that of the National Central Library, it is possible to borrow books that may not be available at the local library.
There are central library, discipline library and faculty reference room in schools, universities, polytechnics,
institutions, professional associations and organizations alike. In addition, various private lending libraries are
often seen in communities.
The greatest and world famous library in Britain is the British Museum which houses over six million
volumes and receives a free copy of every book published in the U.K. under the British copyright regulations. It is
common for anyone to meet a famous scholar or a notability there because the reading room of the Museum is
their resort. Nevertheless, the British Museum Library is not a lending library. It was housed in the British
Museum until 1997, when it moved to a new building.
Next to the British Museum Library is the Bodleian Library at Oxford University which also contains one of
the most extensive collections of English publications in the country. The National Library of Scotland comes
third. Followed it, is Cambridge University Library with over 2 million books. The National Library of Wales are
well-known as well. There is also a National Library for the blind which possesses a book collection of more than
300,000.
8. 2. 6. Museums and Art Galleries
Britain is famous for its outstanding museums. There are numerous museums and art galleries located in
every city and town all over the country. It will be a great pity if you leave Britain without being to the museums
and art galleries. Many museums and art galleries are situated in London. The important ones include:
8. 2. 7. The British Museum
The British Museum, founded by act of Parliament in 1753, one of the most spectacular museums in the
world, is renowned for its extensive and diverse collections in existence. Its treasures were acquired either by
private donations, or by archaeological expenditures, undertaken at public expense and state grants. They include
the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon at Athens (438 B.C.) , the Egyptian mummies, Rosetta Stone, found by
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some of Napoleon’s soldiers in 1799 near Rosetta, on the western mouth of the Nile ( a large piece of black basalt
being an inscription in Egyptian hieroglyphics, in demotic script and in Greek. Jean-François Champollion and
Thomas Young found the key to the deciphering of ancient Egyptian hierophyphics from it) and art, manuscripts,
etc..
The Museum of Mankind, part of the British Museum, has fascinating displays of anthropological artifacts.
The National Gallery
The National Gallery houses a vast collection of British and all schools of European paintings dating from
the 13th century to modern times. Admission to the Gallery is free.
The National Portrait Gallery
Next door to the National Gallery is the National Portrait Gallery with about 10,000 portraits of famous
figures from British history, some dating from the 14th century. Visitors can get themselves acquainted with
British monarchs since Richard II (1377—1399 ) as well as historical celebrities such as Chaucer, Shakespeare
and Cromwell.
III. The National Museum of Science and Industry
The National Museum of Science and Industry exhibits five floors of collections on medicine, photography,
engineering, transportation, and communications. It is fairly informative.
The National History Museum
The National History Museum displays contain Plant, animal, and mineral specimens from all over the world.
Visitors will witness the real dinosaur and whales skeletons.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum features one of the world’s largest collections of fine and decorative arts
such as jewelry, clocks, and pottery to fabrics, furniture, and musical instruments.
The Imperial War Museum
The Imperial War Museum focuses on exhibits on the wars of the 20th century.
IV.
The Tate Gallery
The Tate Gallery named after the donor Sir Henry Tate, a prosperous sugar merchant, houses a vast collection
of British art, as well as European works from the past two centuries.
V.
Madame Tussaud
Particularly popular with tourists is Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks, a unique collection of lifelike wax figures
of famous people all over the world, both living and dead. Visitors can take pictures of any celebrity they favour.
Several museums and galleries of note are located outside London, The Ashmolean Museum of Art and
Archaeology at Oxford University,the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge University,
Birmingham Museum and
Art Gallery, The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, The Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum, National
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Museum of Wales in Cardiff, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to name just a few.
Britain has several specialized museums, including the National Railway Museum in York, with its large
collection of locomotives, many from the 19th century. The Industrial Museum is Manchester is also a place worth
visiting for it presents a vivid picture and provide great fruits of Industrial Revolution from John Key’s flying
shuttle to James Watt’s first steam engine, from which reflect the complete revolution of British national industry
and evolution of the British society. In recent years some museums have taken on the lively aspects of theme
parks. Examples are the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which recreates a Viking village, and the exhibits at
Warwick Castle, which include wax figures, collections of weapons and torture devices, and jousting
reenactments.
Museums and art galleries are usually run by local authorities with the exception of national museums which
are governed by the Minister for the Art in the Department of Education and Science. Bequests of pictures, art
treasures, have been made to the galleries often by private individuals.
5. Practical Exercises
A. what is the typical English sport?
B.
At which sport event will the Queen be present?
C. Where can you appreciate all schools of arts pf painting?
D. Where is the Elgin Marbles displayed?
E. Where can you view the Rosetta Stone?
V Assignments
A. Welfare state
IV Reference
1. Background to Britain
M D Munro Mackenzie and L J Westwood
2. 英美社会与文化 作者：罗选民
Chapter Nine
Social Life in Britain
I. Teaching Objectives
On completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. familiarize themselves with the very basic elements of living in Britain---food, clothing housing and
travelling
2. be well informed of marriage and social life of the British people
3. tell the major holidays and festivals in Britain
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II. The Points to Be Highlighted
1. British food
2. marriage
3. National Day
4. Christmas Day
III Teaching Approaches and Facilities
Approaches: 1. Group work
2. Task-based approach
3. Questions and answers……
Facilities: media classroom;
IV Teaching Procedures and Contents
1. lead-in
A. encourage the students to have a discussion on the British food, clothing
B. invite some individual students to talk about manners in Britain
C. ask the students how much they know about British festivals.
D. Ask the students if they know the unique feature of the British National Day.
2. Specific Contents
The striking features of British culture are the coexistence of tradition and openness, the mixture of reserve and
fanaticism, all of which make us perceive the change and evolution of the national culture of Britain with the
change of the times.
Food, and clothes; housing and traveling are the primary elements of human living. They are also the most
important aspects of a national culture, which crystallize the features of the nation involved.
9.1 Clothes
England, unlike Wales and Scotland, has no national dress. Some people think men in England wear suits and
bowler hats but it is history. Anyway, British people are particular about dressing, especially about the styles, the
quality the matching of colours. Much attention is paid to presenting individuality social status and etiquette in
order to show their gentlemen personality. British gentlemen in neat suit, ladies in high-heeled shoes and dress are
commonly seen on the streets, in the tubes or on the train, bringing an air of spring and creating a visual pressure
and enjoyment. British people are fully aware of the importance of proper dressing. They usually dress formally in
offices or on formal occasions. But when they go to church for services, dark-coloured clothes are much preferred.
As for students particularly in public schools uniforms are required. In regard to the upper class, such as the
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members of the royal family, government officials, to name just a few, are quite fastidious about clothes. for
example, the cuff （袖口）of the shirt should be a little longer than the suit, the trousers should be as long enough
to cover the instep（脚面）and ties should not with stripes.（不带条纹的领带）,etc. because British people judge
people by their clothes. However, with the time, more and more people pay less attention to clothes especially
young people whose dressing is fashionable and trendy, casual and simple without convention. Jeans are popular
among students.
Hats and jewelry go together with clothes for women. Choosing a hat which can match clothes is not a easy
job. As for the jewelry, though most women in Britain love jewelry, they don’t wear pure gold jewelry if it is not
in formal occasion. They think more about whether the jewelry match their clothes or not such as rings, earrings,
necklaces, or brooch(胸针) but less about the value of the ornaments which only function as additional beauty
created..
There are lots of clothing shops and many of them are specialty shops where there will be certainly
something that caters to your taste. Prices vary according to different quality, but for that famous brand, only very
small handful people can afford. In most shops you can try on whatever you want without anyone trying to
persuade you to buy. Thus buying clothes is an exciting and pleasant experience. And what’s more, if you are not
quite satisfy with the item you bought home, you can change or refund your money easily.
9.2 Food
British cooking has a reputation for overcooked vegetables and unhealthy fried foods. British people are not
particular about food as opposed to their taste for clothes. Menu and food are simple and dull. Therefore, there is
no dish like French snail which is world famous. Perhaps the most famous British specialties are roast beef with
Yorkshire pudding. Other favorite foods include fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, Cornish pasties, What
should be mentioned is that although British food is tasteless, yet, people there are particular about the
environment they have their food. Everywhere restaurants with beautiful and elegant environment are not
uncommon to find.
There are pork, beef stake sausages, hotdogs bacon and mince for sale. Chicken provided on the market is the
most and the cheapest so that we will feel sick at the mention of chicken after a year staying in Britain. Besides,
there are varieties of sea foods. With regard to vegetables, most of them are imported due to climatic reasons.
Vegetables are usually wrapped in plastic boxes and they are clean so that you don’t have to wash them.
Although British people are not good at cooking, yet they are experts in deserts making. Various fruit pies
make your mouth water and colourful deserts also can make your stomach making revolution.
Traditional British breakfast is served formal and rich with milk, eggs, bread, bacon, butter, jam, fruit juice,
tea or coffee and fruit at eight. With the life pace quickening, British breakfast is becoming simpler. Lunch is at 12
to 2 p.m. moat British people are not care about their lunch. Snack is the first preference for most people. At about
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4 to five in the afternoon is the settled and unshakable time for the Tea Time. A cup of tea or coffee with some
sweet allow the serious British people feel relaxed and easy. As to dinner, it is the richest. You have to be patient
enough because dinner in Britain is usually served at 8 in the evening.
The typical British snack is fish and chips. British cheese is not as famous as it is made in France, but it is
special British. It usually goes with wine. The best cheese is made in Lancashire and Stilton that is white with
grey-blue marks and has a strong taste. Frozen food makes facilitates home cooking and saves much time while
tin food guarantees British people enjoy their picnic, camping and outing.
9.3 Drinking The British tend to socialize by joining clubs and hobby groups. Politeness is a hallmark of British
society, and shouting is regarded as rude. People are often reserved and do not want to show emotion in public,
although this appears to be changing.
9.3.1 tea
Coffee and tea are the most common drinks in Britain. Interesting enough, compared with coffee, tea is
viewed as the national drink which is indispensable to the British life. Tea used to be the symbol of social status,
wealth in the 17th century. Nowadays, British people drink most tea in the world. According to a rough estimation,
10 pounds of tea is consumed per person on the average every year. Green tea or jasmine tea are not popular in
Britain most British people love black tea with milk or sugar, which is served after a meal and drinking tea over a
meal is commonly considered as rough inbred. If someone asks you if you would like a ‘cuppa’, they are asking if
you would like a cup of tea. If someone says 'let me be mother' or 'shall I be mother', they are offering to pour out
the tea from the teapot. British people also drink a lot of coffee nut not as much as tea.
9.3.2. Beer
It is tradition for the British people to go the pub enjoying a drink. Inns, pubs and bars seen everywhere
which constitute the unique landscape---feast to the eye. The local public house, or pub, often having two bars,
one usually quieter than the other, many having a garden where people can sit in the summer, serves alcoholic
beverages and is an important gathering place, and an important part of British life for people talk, eat, drink, meet
their friends and relax there. The most popular kind of British beer is bitter, which is dark and served at room
temperature. More popular today though is lager, which is lighter in colour and served cold In the West of England,
cider made from apples, is very popular. The most striking feature of English beer lies in the fact that whether is
cooled or not the taste or flavour will remain the same which accounts for the popularity of English beer on the
European continent.
In addition to beer, whisky brewed in Scotland is also the British pride, which is universally acknowledged as
the most expensive drink whose popularity is much beyond our imagination. Scottish whisky has a history as long
as 2000 years. What makes it famous is the fact that whisky brewed has to be stored for three year and then it will
be on sale on the market. Thus the date of production is the price. Of course the longer it is stored, the more
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expensive it is.
Whisky can not be served over a meal, while wine and champagne are the very drink for a party. Sipping is
the right way to enjoy whisky. Sometimes soda or ice should be added.
There are laws about pubs and bars. For example, the minimum drinking age in Britain is eighteen, but
fourteen-year-olds may enter a pub unaccompanied by an adult if they order a meal. Children may enter a pub
with their parents until 9 p.m., which lets families enjoy reasonably priced pub meals together, and allows pubs to
continue in their traditional roles as community centers. What’s more, there is also a prescribed time for selling
alcohol in the bars. For instance, the pub is allowed to operate between 11 a.m. and 11p.m. every day except
Sunday, when they must close at 10:30 p.m.
9.4 Housing
British homes are comfortable, closer to nature beautiful and traditional. For the British people most
important of all is the quietness, comfort so that they can lead a life of country gentry whom they admire and run
after. Thus outskirts and suburb are of their first preference. Their houses are very big, usually two or three storey
high with a small garden in the front and the back where they can grow some flowers and vegetables. Inside the
house, one thing is commonly seen is the carpets which cover wherever they can and which produce and create a
sense of warmth and peacefulness. Central heating is now widespread; previously, individual fires or heating
devices were used. In general, British people are much more tolerant of the damp chill and less tolerant of heat
over 26°C.
What is much appreciated and ought to be learned is the love of the British people for green plants. Their
homes are always surrounded by the colourful flowers and plants so that one can hardly distinguish which is the
house and which is the garden. When weekends come, British people usually get up early in order to do
gardening .their gardens are always spring giving out fresh air and fragrance, thus, making people linger on there
with no intention to leave.
9.5 Transport
Britain has historically been an innovator and world leader in many forms of transportation, from shipping to
rail systems to aviation. In the early 21st century, private transportation by automobile was the most prevalent
means of transportation, while travel by trains had declined greatly since its heyday in the 19th century. In the late
1990s, the British government was developing an integrated transport policy, which will include improving roads,
determining the environmental impact of further road construction, and looking for ways to encourage alternative
forms of travel.
Travel by car, van or taxi is by far the most common means of transport, accounting for 85 per cent of
passenger mileage in Great Britain. 70% of the family own one car; 30 % of the family have two cars and 5 %
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have three or more than three cars, making the percentage of cars per person rank first in the European Union,
while the utilization ratio of means of public transport is the lowest among European countries.
Although the density of roads in Britain ranks the highest, and there are numerous vehicles running on the
roads, its traffic safety has a very good reputation for Britain is the country in the European Union whose rate of
traffic death is the lowest. This is mostly due to the facts that both the drivers and the pedestrians have the good
habits of using the safety belts without warning. The very first thing when they get on the car is to fasten the
safety belts, which has become the consciously observed behaviour. Most important of all both the drivers and the
pedestrians obey the traffic rules on their initiative, even though the roads are narrow, often with a lot of turnings
or sharp curves.
In addition to roads, tubes also play an indispensable part in transport. London was the first city in the world
to have an underground railway, called the 'tube built in 1860. Since then, the tube has gradually forced its way
into the fast, comfortable and convenient means of transport in cities which enjoys very high popularity. Apart
from London, the major cities in Britain such as Liverpool, Glasgow all have the tube. The tube system in London
covers the whole city and the suburb running 392 kilometres with 267 stations on the way. With more than 200
years history, British tubes look shabby compared with the newly-built modern tube system, yet, its sound
management and its sturdy and durable equipment, particularly its security system bring it very good reputation.
Britain built the first railway in the world in 1820, and even today, trains have been the best means of
transport for people to travel or go to work. In London, the busiest railway stations are: Euston, St Pancras,
Victoria and Charing Cross. Trains traveling under the sea in a very long tunnel called the Channel Tunnel are
called Eurostar which is the high-speed train service linking London, Ashford, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Avignon,
Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris and the French Alps. The Eurostar will take you to Paris in 4 hours, to Brussels
in 3 hours and to Disneyland Paris once a day.
Eurostar only transports people if you would like to take you car you have to go on the Euro Shuttle.
If you are careful enough you will find that most of the passengers on buses are the senior citizens, mothers
with their children, the handicapped and the poor.
9.6 Marriage and family life
There have been considerable change in the pattern of marriage and family life in recent years. It is
sometimes argued that the British family structure is falling apart, failing to provide for its elderly and disabled,
and looking automatically to the state for support. But, though the traditional nuclear family has decreased in
numbers, it still remains a majority element in British life, and new family structures have emerged to complement
it.
Marriage continues to be popular in Britain, despite a decline in recent years. Of the English and Welsh
population aged 16 and over, 59 % are married, 26 % are single, 9 % are widowed and 6 % are divorced. M re
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people are delaying their marriages until their mid- or late- twenties, with an average age of 26 for men and 24 for
women. These statistics suggest that the British are postponing marriage for a number of reasons, such as career
considerations, rather than rejecting it as a social institution. At present some one-third of all marriages end in
divorce, and remarriages are at greater risk than first marriages. The average duration of marriages which end in
divorce is ten years, and the average divorce age is 35 for women and 38 for men. But legislation in 1984 has
made it somewhat easier to obtain a divorce, since petitions may now be presented after one year of marriage
instead of the previous two years. This may increase, rather than stabilize, the divorce rate. Divorce is a very
painful business for most people, and affects a considerable number of children under 16. The difficulties are
arguably increased by the confrontational nature of the divorce system. It is maintained that special family courts
providing conciliatory procedures might lessen these problems and that better counseling services might prevent
many divorces.
Despite the continuing popularity of marriage, there has been a considerable increase in cohabitation (couple
living together outside marriage.) this has led to new family patterns, which occur mostly in the cases of separated
or divorced women rather than single women. A growing number of these relationships are stable and long-term,
and two-thirds of the illegitimate births which result from these relationships are now registered by both parents,
rather than only one as previously. Total illegitimate births are now some 23 per cent of all live births. Illegitimate
children may be legitimated if and when their parents marry, but illegitimacy still retains some of its traditional
stigma. However, government legislation has now improved the legal standing of such children.
Generally speaking, the births in Britain are low. This relatively low birth rate is due to several factors.
Marriages are generally taking place later in life and children bearing are being delayed, with an average age of 27
at which women have their first child in marriage. Some career women are delaying even longer, and there has
been an increase in the number of single women and married people who choose to remain childless.
Contraception has become more widespread, voluntary sterilization of both men and women is more common,
and legal abortion has increased. On the other hand, while most English people like dogs, not many of them like
children for children make them nervous and children are unpredictable.
Another element of the family structure is the one-parent families. Statistics show that in Britain there is one
in every seven families which is a one-parent family. Many of these one-parent families are struggling with the
greatest poverty and reduced living standards, and are dependent upon what many regard as inadequate welfare
benefits.
The majority of the elderly and handicapped children and adults are cared by their families. This represents a
considerable saving to the state without which the cost of state health care would rise steeply. At the present some
19 per cent of the population is over the state retirement ages of 60 for women and 65 for men. It is also likely that
the government’s proposed community care policy will increase the demands upon families and local authorities.
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9.7 Leisure activities
Leisure activities in earlier centuries were largely conditioned by the rural and agricultural nature of British
life. Village communities were isolated and transport was either poor or non-existent. People were consequently
restricted to their villages and obliged to create their own entertainments. Some of the activities were home-based,
while others were enjoyed by the whole village. These might be added to by itinerant players, who travelled the
countryside and provided a range of alternative spectator entertainments.
Improved transportation and road conditions from the eighteenth century onwards enabled the rural
population to travel to neighbouring towns where they took advantages of a variety of amusements. Spectator
activities increased with the industrialization of the 19th century, as theatre, the music halls and sports developed
and became available to more people. The establishment of railway systems and the formation of bus companies
initiated the pattern of cheap one-day trips around the country and to the seaside, which were to grow into the
charter and package tours of contemporary Britain. The arrival of radio, films and television in the 20th century
resulted in a further huge professional entertainment industry. In all these changes, the mixture of participatory,
spectator and home-based leisure activities has continued.
Many contemporary pursuits have their roots in the cultural and social behaviour of the past, such as boxing,
wrestling, cricket, football and a wide range of athletic sports. Dancing, amateur theathre and musical events were
essential parts of rural life, and were often associated with the changing agricultural seasons. The traditions of
hunting, shooting and fishing have long been practised in Britain country life, in addition to a number of blood
sports, such as dog and cock fighting and beer baiting which are now illegal.
In addition to these cultural and sporting pastimes, the British enjoy a variety of other leisure activities. More
people have more free time, which results from a 35—40 hour working week, and more diversified opportunities
are now available.
The most common leisure pastimes are social or home-based, such as visiting or entertaining friends,
watching television and videos, reading books and listening to the radio, tapes, records and cassettes. The home
has now become the chief place for family entertainment in these respects, and poses serious competition to other
passive activities outside the home, like the cinema, sport and theathre.
Do-it-yourself hobbies, such as house painting, decorating gardens, are very popular, as are going out for
meals and visiting the pub. The pub, as an institution, has changed somewhat over the years, but still caters for a
wide range of different groups and tastes. The licensing hours, which apply to open times for the sale of alcohol,
have been liberalized by the government to bring England and Wales into line with Scotland. Pubs are now
allowed to open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on every day except Sundays. Most pubs now provide food in
addition to drinks, and often have restaurants attached to them.
Holidays and where to spend them have become an important part of British life, accompanied by more
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leisure time and money for the majority of the people. Most workers receive at least four weeks’ paid holiday a
year in addition to public holidays, and some people have more. While recent years more British people have been
taking their holidays in Britain itself, where the south-west coastal resorts are very popular, large numbers also go
abroad in both winter and summer. Places such as Spain, Italy, etc. are welcome.
Many people prefer to organize their own holidays and make use of the good air and sea communications
between Britain and the continent. In Britain, different forms of holidays exist, from the traditional “bed and
breakfast” at a seaside boarding house to hotels, caravan sites and camping. Increased car ownership has allowed
greater travel possibilities. Today, more than three-fifths of households have the use of at least one car, and 16 per
cent have two or more.
9.8 Social characteristics and attitudes
The English might like to see themselves as calm, reasonable, patient and commonsensical people, who
should be distinguished from the excitable, romantic and impulsive Celts. The Celts, on the other hand, may
stereotypically consider the English to be arrogant, patronizing and cold and themselves as having all the virtues.
The English, and sometimes the British as a whole, are often thought of as restrained, reserved, conservative,
unemotional, private and independent individuals, with a respect for the amateur and the eccentric. Underlying all,
there is supposed to be a dry sense of humour which specializes in understatement, self-deprecation and an
enjoyment in using the language in very flexible ways. Such qualities may be offset by a certain aggressiveness,
stubbornness and lack of co-operation. These stereotypes may have some value as initial identifying points, but
cannot be taken to represent the whole truth either about the various nations or about individuals.
In the period between 1090 and 1986, when British society was continuing to experience grave social and
economic problems, a series of polls showed that many British admitted to being racially prejudiced and class
conscious, but nevertheless admired the country, surveys found that a majority of people were opposed not only to
further coloured immigration into Britain, but also to further immigration from European Community countries
and the Old Commonwealth. People considered that civil disturbances would continue in Britain and that
worldwide terrorism would increase. A majority favoured the reunification of Ireland, rather than Northern Ireland
continuing to remain part of the United Kingdom, and wanted the government to withdraw British troops from
Ulster. Attitudes to authority remained conventional, and most people considered that the law should be obeyed
without exception. Homosexuality was frowned upon by the majority, who also opposed the legalization of
cannabis. However, these people were in favour of the mercy-killing of terminally-ill patients, and supported the
testing of medicines on animals if this was necessary to save human lives. Most people apparently had traditional
and somewhat conventional ideas about love and family life. But there was a growing support for more equality
within marriage, and faithfulness, mutual respect and understanding were regarded as the most important aspects
of marriage. Most people agreed that schools should teach children to obey authority, and also favoured
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censorship of some forms of the mass media in order to preserve moral standards. In addition, “moral
traditionalism”, old values and civic responsibilities were supported, and there was often a greater adherence to
concepts of personal and social morality than those dictated by official and legal restrains. Sexual and moral
permissiveness was still frowned upon, although there were more liberal views among the young. However,
attitudes towards AIDS, while marginally sympathetic reflected majority disapproval and a disinclination to
increase resources to help sufferers.
9.6Manners and Etiquette
It is generally believed that the English are more formal than they really are. In effect, in day-to-day contact
with each other they are less inclined to formality than the French or the Germans.
9.9 Festivals and Public Holidays
There are three very important religious festivals in Britain------Christmas, Easter and Whit Sunday.
Apart from its religious significance of commemorating the birth of Christ, Christmas has two distinctive
features that distinguish it from other festivals, one being the custom of distributing gifts among friends and
relatives, the other the occasion for family reunion. The current highly commercialized times always remind us of
this exciting, long-expecting merry Christmas at least 3 weeks before the exact date------December 25th. On the
way to work or home, Christmas decorations in front of shops, in the private gardens or yards greet you;
Christmas trees are seen inside and outside the buildings, special decorations set up in the shopping centres make
one sense the atmosphere and taste the flavour of this grand festival. In London, Oxford Street, Rogent Street,
Piccadilly often attract and crowded with tourists and natives . As early as the beginning of December, comes the
Christmas Rush. The streets which previously seem deserted suddenly come to life with hundreds of people
shopping for Christmas gifts, decorations, clothes, food as well, all working happily and prosperous. The post
office is the busiest at this time of the year for the number of Christmas cards and parcels rises sharply, three times
or even five times as usual. Everywhere you go, you are made aware that Christmas is coming.
On Christmas Eve, excited children hang up stockings at the foot of the bed expecting Santa Claus to deliver
Christmas presents for which they have asked him. Everything is ready for the great day to come. However,
Christmas Day is generally spent quietly at home. Children are still intoxicated in the excitement of their
Christmas presents; family members, relatives are chatting, talking about the year. Then it is time for the
traditional Christmas dinner with turkey as the special Christmas food and Christmas pudding. The entire
Christmas is spent in an affable, peaceful and merry atmosphere.
Easter is mainly Christmas festival which falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon to celebrate the
Resurrection of Christ. Easter Monday is regarded as an unofficial consecration of spring in that Easter is often
coincided with the spring equinox. (21st March). Eggs are traditional food on Easter dinner tables. People don’t
change cards during Easter, but attend special Church services for Easter.
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Whit Sunday is a particular occasion to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit of Christ’s apostles
seven weeks after his death.
9.7.1. Other Festivals
1) Guy Fawkes Day
Guy Fawkes Day is a national festival, whose origin comes from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when James I
was the King of England. Guy Fawkes, head of the conspiracy, plotted to bury 36 barrels of gunpowder in the
basement of Parliament so that the King and the Parliament would be blown up. Fortunately, the plan was
smashed with the result of Guy Fawkes beheaded. Since then November 5th has become the national festival
celebrated in Britain with bonfires, fireworks and the burning of straw guying.
2) National Day
The Second Thursday in June is the National Day in Britain. Instead of the celebration of the birth of the
nation, British National Day is the birthday of the Monarch. Virtually there is no fixed National Day in Britain for
the birthday of the monarchs is not the same. For the present time, the National day in Britain is the second
Thursday of June, which is not the exact birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926. The
National day is settled in June simply because the weather in April is not as pleasant as it is in June. Generally,
national celebrations are held that day with the presence of the Queen and the members of the Royal Family.
3) New Year’s Day
In Scotland, New Year’s Day is seen more important then Christmas. During this Scottish “Hogmanay”
Festival, many colourful celebrations, activities are held locally. Church belling rings as the clocks strike midnight,
people stay up at parties or watch-night service. In the ringing of the Church bells and the striking of the hours of
the New Year, friends, and family members drink a toast wishing each other a happy new year.
4) Remembrance Sunday/Armistice Day
Remembrance Sunday is the patriotic festival, which falls on the Sunday nearest to November 11th to
remember those who die in the two World Wars. Special church services and civic ceremonies are held in cities,
towns or parishes in mourning of those who sacrifice their lives to the interests of the country, generals in chief,
privates and civilian. The members of the Royal Family lay wreathe at the cenotaph in London in the presence of
the top statesmen and politicians including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
5) April Fool’s Day
April fool’s Day falls on the first in April, which can not be regarded as a festival actually, but traditionally,
on that day people play practical jokes. False messages are one of the common jokes made by the young on the
day. With somebody made an “April Fool”, life is made easier, more tolerable, more interesting and more
enjoyable. April fool’s Day adds more colour to the routine life in Britain.
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In addition, there are other festivals in Britain. For instance, Mother’s Day (Second Sunday in May),
Valentine’s Day(14th,Februry), St. George’s Day in England ( April 23rd ), St. Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland
( March 17th ), so on and so forth.
9.7.2. Public Holidays
Public holidays are referred to as “bank holidays” they are so called because banks are legally closed on this
period. In Britain, bank holidays include:
1) The New Year’s Day
2) Good Friday
3) May Day
( January 1st )
( the Friday before Easter )
(May 1st )
4) The Spring Bank Holiday
5) The Summer Bank Holiday
6) Boxing Day
(the last Monday in May )
(the last Monday in August )
( December 26th )
7) St. Patrick’s Day
( March 17th ) ( in Ireland)
3. Practical Exercises
A. Explain the National Day in Britain.
B. What is Guy Fawks Day?
C. What is the typical English food?
V Assignments
D. culture shock
E. living and studying in Britain
IV Reference
1. Britain 1982 The world Almanac and Book of facts 2000
2. A people’s History A.L. Morton, Lawrence and Wishart Ltd. London, 1999
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