Succeed in Different Activities and Complex Learning Situations

 

T5: Geographical, historical and cultural aspects of English-speaking countries. Didactic application of the most relevant sociocultural aspects. 1. 2.

Introduction The United Kingdo gdom (UK) 2.1. Geography 2.2. History 2.3. Culture

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Th The Uni nit Stat Amer eric icaa ((US USA) A) 3.1e. U Gted eogSt raates pes hyof Am 3.2. History 3.3. Culture Ireland 4.1. Geography 4.2. History 4.3. Culture Ot Othe herr En Engl glis ishh-sp spea eaki king ng co coun untr trie iess 5. 5.1. 1. Au Aust stra rallia an andd Ne New w Ze Zeal alan andd 5.2. Canada

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55..34.. ISnoduitah A Affrica Did Didact actic ic ap appli plicat cation: ion: Socioc Sociocult ultural ural aspects aspects iinn fore foreign ign llangu anguage age teach teaching ing (FLT (FLT)) Conclusion References

1. In Intr trod oduc ucttion ion The final aim of teaching and learning English as a foreign language, according to the Primary Education curriculum is the acquisition of 7 key competences (RD 126/2014 and Decree 181/2020 for Primary Education in Andalusia). Through the study of cultural and historical aspects of English speaking countries students will linguistic communication sociall andlaw socia civic compet ence awareness and expression, develop their to ,  Spanish , cultural  that and learning learn, among others. The on competence Educatio Education n (LOMLOE modifies LOE) defines compet com petence encess as the ultima ultimate te knowl knowledge edge and skills skills  st stud uden ents ts must must develop  through throughout out thei theirr educat education ion to succeed in different activities and complex learning situations.

As EFL teachers, we must enable our student studentss to communicate in the foreign language  (General Objective F in RD 126/2014). That means developing the four skills and linguistic aspects in order to take part in  simple communicative situations: understanding understanding (listenin (listening), g), expressing expressing (speaki (speaking), ng), interactin interacting, g, reading reading and writing. writing. Moreover, students must understand, respect and develop a positive attitude towards linguistic and cultural diversity, not only in Andalusia, but in the English-speaking world ( Forei Foreign gn Language Language Objectives Objectives from the Order of the 15th of January, 2021 for Primary Education in Andalusia). this is to topi picc we will outli outline ne som somee geograp In th geographical hical,, hist historical orical and cultu cultural ral aspect aspectss  of the most important countr cou ntries ies where English  is spo spoke kenn as a first language or and others where it is an   official language. A complete, in depth study of the history, geography and culture of these countries would obviously require a

 

more extensive framework, framework, which exceeds the scope of this topic. We will also focus on how to teach these aspects in the primary English foreign language class. 2. Th Thee Uni Unite tedd Kin Kingdo gdom m (UK (UK)) 2.1 Geography The United Kingdom, made up of Englan England, d, Scotl Scotland, and, Wales and Northern Irela Ireland nd , is an  island nation in northwestern Europe. The island of Great Britain is the largest in Europe, separated from continental Europe  by the North Sea  and the English Channel. While the south and east (England) are mostly covered in rolling hills, the north and west (Wales and Scotland) have hills and low mountains . The highest peak is Ben Nevis locate loc atedd in Scotland Scotland (1,343 m). Northern Ireland  has highland areas around the edge and the impressive Giant’s Causeway on the northern coast made up of   million year old volcanic rock  which   which look like stepping stones out into the Irish Sea.

The most important rivers are the Severn and the Thames (which flows through the capital city London). Although both are quite short, they have had an important role in the transportation of coal, iron ore and steel thanks to their easy navigability.   temperate climate moderat cool, The UK has aand moderated by the Gulf Stream. In general, thisormeans that Britain Britaithe n gets wet winters warm, wet summers . Ited rarely features the extremes of heat cold, although weather

conditions are also very changeable. Great Britain Britain has a population of more than 68 million people (2022 estimate) with England being one of the most densely populated countries  in the world. The British population has become ever more diverse due to immigration from other Commonwealth countries (India, Pakistan, South Africa) and its previous inclusion in the European Union. There are many important cities due to tourism, industry, culture and politics  including London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool, and Manchester. The flag representing the UK is called the Union Jack  and  and is a combination that represents the other flags of  e d cross cross for St. George  of England, the UK countries: the r ed England, the the white saltire and blue background for St. Andrew of Scotland and the  red saltire for Northern Ireland. Wales’ is a bicolor white and green flag with a red dragon.

2.2 History The island of Great Britain has been inhabited for thousands of years and through throughout out its modern history was invaded several times. In 500 BC the Celts arrived from Europe. In A.D. 43, the Romans invaded and ruled for  nearly 400 years. They built roads, bathhouses, sewers, and left behind language (Latin), laws and medical practices. By 450 AD, German peoples known as Angles, and Saxons came to Britain, and the English people became known as Anglo-Saxons. From the the 900s to the 1400s, England was ruled by Viking, Danish, and Norman invaders. 

 

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Welsh Tudors reigned, including 2 of the strongest monarchs- King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. During this time there were also important religious, social and cultural changes from the works of William Shakespeare to the exploration of America and the end of the Cathloic Church in England when Henry VIII established the Church of England. Under Victorian rule in the 1800s Britain had become one of the most powerful nations in the world with the largest empire. By the end of the 19th century,  most people lived lived in  cities and towns, worked in shops and factories, and homes had piped water and electricity . But the early 20th century  brought  setbacks  with WWI and WWII, independent.

financ fin ancial ially ly Bri Britai tainn coul couldd no longer afford its empire  and most of its colonies became

In 1973 the UK joined the European Communities and in 1993  the European Union was created. The UK  and its citizens remained part of the EU until in  2016  a narrow majority of voters chose to leave the EU, which they finally did on January 31, 2020, the first country to withdraw from the EU. 2.3 Culture England is the birthplace England birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles, the capital London is a globally influential center  of fi finan nance ce an and d cu cult ltur ure. e. The UK is home to Stonehenge  and centurie centuries-ol s-oldd uni univers versit ities ies at Oxford  and Cambridge. Scotland, apart from its traditional kilts, is also widely known for the legend of the Loch Ness monster, while Wales is known for having more sheep than people. British culture is influenced by the combined nations' histories . In the 1950s and 1960s, people from former colonies in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia came to the United Kingdom to work. Its culture is therefore a heterogeneous mix  with distinct celebrations and customs   among the 4 nations that make up the United Kingdom. Sports and literatur e are among the United Kingdom's cultural claims to fame. Football, rugby, cricket, boxing, and golf   were were all all invented  in Britain Britain.. And the U.K. has produced produced many great writers, including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl and. J.K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter books. British music has also become popular worldwide, with most people knowing musicians and singers such as The Beatles, Queen and more recently Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Rita Ora and Adele to name a few.

The main celebrations in Great Britain include the various patron saint days  (St. Andrews of Scotland, St. George of England, St. David of Wales and St. Patrick of Ireland), June 2nd which is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday and also called Trooping of the Colours , Guy Fawkes night on November 5th, and Christmas and Boxingg Day (Decem Boxin (December ber 25th and 26th). The British still recognize their monarchy and many of their customs and traditions revolve around royalty. 3. The Uni United ted Sta States tes of Amer America ica (USA (USA)) The USA is a relatively young country in terms of world history. history. Over the course of its history, the USA has collec col lected ted some notable distinctions,  su such ch as th thee wo worl rld’s d’s most most dominant economic and military power. Likewise, its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television and thanks to its  diverse population due its historical colonizers and seemingly never  ending influx of   immigrants. Here we will look at some of the most important geographical, historical and

cultural aspects of this young nation.

 

3.1 Geography The USA is the world's third largest country in size and nearly the third larges t in terms of  population   population with over  334  inhabitantss (2022 census). Located Located in North America, America, the country is bordered on the west by   334 million inhabitant the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Along the northern border i s Canada and the southern  border is Mexico. Th Ther eree ar aree 50 stat states es  and the  Dist District rict of Colum Columbia bia  plus a number of territories  and  possessions in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean including Puerto Rico and US Samoa.  More than twice the size of the European Union, the landscape varies – from the tropical beaches of Florida to the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains, from the great plains in the west to the dense wilderness in the north. Interspersed throughout are the Great Lakes, the Grand Canyon, the majestic Yosemite Valley and the mighty Mississippi River. Likee its top Lik topogra ography, phy, the climate  of the the U.S. U.S. also also varies depending on location. It is considered  mostly temperate but is also tropical in Hawaii and Florida and arctic in Alaska. The flag of the US consists of  13  13 red and white stripes representing the 13 original colonies and  50 white stars on a blue background representing the 50 states. The major cit cities ies include New York City, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco among many others and US and international tourists alike enjoy visiting these cities as well as historical landmarks and other natural wonders. 3.2 History For centuries, native peoples lived across what would become the USA. In the  early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the ‘ New World’, est establ ablish ished ed col coloni onies es and displaced  the native peoples, the most famous of which are known as the Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth Rock  on   on the Mayfl Mayflower ower in 1620.  The Pilgri Pil grims ms rece receive ivedd hel helpp from the Wam Wampan panoag oag tribe tribe to survive the first brutal winter , and celebrated a successful successf ul first harvest with them which has led to the current tradition tradition of Thanksgiving. However, nowadays only about 2% of the US population is made up of  Native  Native Americans. Later, in the 18th century, the mostly British settlers fought for their  independence  independence from Britain because they were unhappy with taxation without representation. They named George Washington as their Commander-inChief and signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  When the colonists won the Revolutionary War (war of independence), George Washington became the first president and a new constitution was signed. It established 3 distinct and separate powers  of government: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judiciary branch. With this new governm government, ent, federal powers dealt with problems the whole nation faced, and most of the other responsibilities were given to individual state governments. Aft After er this period, period, the US population and economy grew rapidly, in large part due to exploration in the West, industrialization in the  North, but also slave labor in the South. The issue of slavery led to the  Civil War from 1861 to 1865. President Abraham Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery, but many southern states did not. The war left the country traumatized, and racial tensions are still present to this day. The 20th century in the USA is marked by its involvement in   WWI,  the  Great Depression  (1929-1939), WWII, and the subsequent “Cold War” with the Soviet Union. In the following decades, the US entered a number of foreign conflicts that caused a moral crisis among its citizens, while at the same time civil rights for Black people and other minorities were being demanded by activists such su ch as Martin Luther King Jr.

 

The 21st century was ushered in by the worst terrorist attack  on  on American soil, the September 11th World Trade Center attack, which led George W Bush to invade Afghanistan , resulting in the longest US war, from 2001 20 01 unt until il 20 2021. 21. Ot Other her pro progre gress ss in th thee 21 21st st ce cent ntur uryy in incl clud udee th thee el elec ecti tion on of th thee firs firstt Afri African can Ameri American can President, Barack Obama in 2008, and the first Black, Indian and woman elected to the Vice President, Kamala Kam ala Harris Harris in 2020. However, However, during during thi thiss tim timee the US has also become become a polarized society  of either  Democrats Democ rats or Republ Republicans, icans, due in large part to the controversial presidency of Donald Trump , which ended in an attack  on  on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. 3.3 Culture Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. The population is diverse with  people from fr om all over the world seeking refuge and a better way of life. Although there is  no official language , English is the de facto language, while many people speak Spanish, Chinese, French and many others. The USA has often been referred referred to as a “melting pot” in which immigrants from around the world eventually assimilate into American culture. However, since the   1960s  there is more of a trend towards   cultural pluralism, with many nationalities and ethnicities bringing and maintaining their own cultural customs and traditions. tradi tions. For that reason, it is difficult to pinpoint many common manifestations of American culture. Each region of the USA has their  own  own distinct traditions and customs . That said, there are a few  holidays that are celebrated celeb rated by almost all citizens. Those include Thanksgiving day (4th Thursday in November), Civil Rights Day (previously Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 15th), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), 4th of July, and  Labor Day (first Monday in September). Almost all of these holidays are celebrated by gatherings of  family and friends to enjoy typical foods.

Just as cul cultur tures es from from arou around nd the worl world d   have  infl influenced uenced American  cu cult ltur ure, e, today today Ameri American can cultu culture re influences the world . Our students may be familiar with American written works such as The Wizard of Oz (Lyman Baum) or Where the Wild Things Are   (Mauri (Maurice ce Sendak), and pictu picture re books by Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss. The USA has the  oldest and largest (in terms of revenue) film industry in the world, Hollywood. The USA has given the world the most popular social media sites, which heavily influence youth culture, and is the  birthplace of sports such as American football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. 4. Th Thee Repub Republi licc of Irel Irelan andd (Éire (Éire)) 4.1 Geography Ireland is the second largest island in Europe and located on the west in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is made up of The Republic of Ireland (80%  of the land) and Northern Ireland (which belongs to the UK). Ireland is known for its  lush, green fields , giving it the nickname of the Emerald Isle. The midlands and west coast of Ireland are dotted with damp peat bogs , while Ireland's highlands rise mainly in the southwest, often ending at sheer  cliffs  cliffs that plunge thousands of feet into the Atlantic Ocean like the  Cliffs of Moher. The climate is especially mild, but the combination of frequent rain and cool year-round temperatures results in extremely humid conditions.

 

Ireland’s population is just over  5  5 million with nearly two-thirds of the population living in urban areas such as Dublin, Cork and Galway. Ireland’s flag is a vertical tricolor of green, white and orange. 4.2 History It is widely believed that the first human settlements in Ireland were around 6000 BC. Around 700 BC  the Celts arrived and would thrive for nearly  2000 years. St. Patrick   Christianised the entire country in the 5th century, and later the island was invaded by Vikings whose settlements became some of the  main cities today (Dublin). Ireland became an English territory when King Henry II invaded in the 12th century. In the early 1600s, England's official religion became   Protest Protestant ant while most  Irish remained Roman Catholic. This would create tensions that would eventually lead to revolution and Ireland's independence.

By the 1820s, British laws unfair to Catholics had sparked a mass movement for Irish sovereignty. Then came the disastrous potato famine in 1850, during which over  2  2 million people died or emigrated . In 1948, most of  Ireland became an independent country (Republic (Republic of Irelan Ireland), d), while the mainly mainly Protestant counties in the northeast remained a British territory (Northern Ireland). Although successive Irish governments have tried to peacefully reunify with Northern Ireland, militant groups such as the  Ir Iris ish h Re Repu publ blic ican an Ar Army my (I (IRA RA)) resorted to  force. This resulted in   year yearss of violence violence  and discrimination against the two religious groups by the opposite side. Eventually, in   1998  the Good Friday Agreement was signed and peace is now a real hope for Northern Ireland. 4.3 Culture Ireland is a nation of storytellers. The tradition dates back to Celtic bards, who would record and recite the Ireland country's history. Many famed writers come from Ireland, Oscar Wilde and William Yeats . The Irish also excel in music, sports and dancing. They are known for their captivating and gravity-defying Irish dance , and Hurling, an outdoor team game of  ancient Gaelic Irish origin origin.. Countless castles and fortresses dot the country and coastlines, marking the existence of the Celts, Viking s, Anglo-Saxons and Normans. These and the lush countryside draw in  tourists f rom around the world. Due to their strong Catholic roots,  Christian holidays are especially important celebrations, including  Good Friday, Easter Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas and St. Stephen’s day . Hal Hallow loween een is also widely recognized as evolving from the Celtic and Gaelic  traditions of Ireland, and was spread throughout North America in the 19th century by Irish immigrants. 5. Oth Other er Engl English ish-spe -speaki aking ng coun countri tries es A number of other countries speak English as a first language, or as an official or co-official language. Here we will briefly discuss their important geographical, historical and cultural aspects. 5.1 Australia and New Zealand Australia and New Zealand are  island countries located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent, while while New Zealand  is a  remote, mountainous group of islands. Before British and other foreign settlers, both countries had their own indigenous groups,

 

the Aboriginals in Australia and the Maoris in New Zealand . Maori culture is stil stilll widely respected in New Zealand, and the national rugby team, the All Black s, s, still perform a traditional Maori ceremonial  dance called the Haka. Many words in English have also come from aboriginal languages, such as kangaroo  and boomerang. New Zealanders are also called “ Kiwis”, which happens to be the name of a native bird as well. The warm, sunny climate and abundance abundance of open spaces in both countries gives the populat population ion a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, inclu including ding swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, football, and cricket. The people have a reputation for being extroverted and friendly . Both countries are home to a number of unique and exotic animals that are not found anywhere else. 5.2 Canada Canada is a vast and rugged land that spans more than half the Northern Hemisphere from North to South. From east to west it crosses   6 time features es lakes, rivers, mountains, plains as well as arctic time zone zoness and featur tundra and glaciers. The country has 10 provinces with Ottawa as the capital, but Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are other large, important cities. Both Engli English sh and French are official languages, due to the fact Canada was  first colonized by the French . Canada eventually became part of the British Empire and continues to be part of the British Commonwealth, though they were granted complete independence to govern with the Canada Act in 1982. Canada’s culture is heavily influenced by its British and French roots , as well as other European and Asian immigrants, much like the USA. In the most northern regions,  First Nations (indigenous peoples) continue to live by traditional methods, and their artwork is widely recognized as a symbol of Canada. Canada is also known for their national sports- ice hockey and lacrosse,  maple syrup (the Canadi Canadian an  flag features a maple leaf), as well as many musi musicians cians and actors such as Drake, Justin Bieber, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (star of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever). 5.3 India India is part of the Asian continent and formed mostly by a peninsula. India became a federal republic within the Commonwealth Commonwealth of Natio Nations ns in 1950 and Hindi was declar declared ed the first national language. In 1965, English was declared an associate language and is widely used in  business, education and scientific research . Its sociall and cultur socia cultural al systems are very different from those in Europe. Board games chess  and snakes and ladders are believed to have originated in India, as well as  yoga. Its film industry, Bollywood, rivals that of  Hollywood in the US. Our students may also be interested in its u nique cuisine and festivals (Diwali), colorful traditional clothes, as well as its  exotic landscape and animals . 5.4 The Republic of South Africa oldest est own Britilanguage British sh set settl tleme ement on the Afric African an continent. Thee Re Th Repu publ blic ic up ofSouth Sout So uthhAfrica, Afric Afr icaaeach is th the e old Manylanguages different  peoples make with their an dnthistory. and The country has 11 official including English and Afrikaans, derived from Dutch, and many more unofficial ones. This colorf colorful ul mix of  cultures gives South Africa its nickname nickname " rainbow nation." In 1910, the British united four colonies  in the

 

region and created South Africa. They established laws that separat separated ed white whitess from black  South   South Africans, a  practice of segregation called  apartheid, which led to decades of conflict which finally ended in the 1990 s with Nelson Mandela. South Africans are passionate about music and are known worldwide for their skill in sports, including rugby, cricket, golf, and football . In 2010, South Africa became the f irst African nation to host the  World Cup. Other countr countries ies  on

the African continent count English as an official language and form part of the

Commonwealth, such as in Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria. 6. Didact Didactic ic Application Applications: s: Sociocultur Sociocultural al aspects aspects in foreign language language teachin teachingg (FLT) Throughout this topic we have studied some of the main geographical, historical and cultural aspects of the mostt im mos import portant ant Eng Englis lish-sp h-speaki eaking ng coun countri tries, es, but by no me mean anss is it an ex exhau haust stiv ivee st study udy. Such detailed knowledge is obviously not expected from our students in Primary Education. The goal of teaching English as a foreign language is not only to develop students’ communicative linguistic co comp mpet eten ence, ce, but but to develop intercultural and sociocultural competence   as well. According to Vez and Piñeiro, teachers must not only encourage use of the target language in a variety of meaningful contexts, but also develop activities to introduce cultural insights and perspectives. This gives our students the required skills to interact successfully with speakers from other cultures. The teaching and learning of English in Primary education include a cultural component, which highlights the contexts in which the language is used and familiarizes children with other ways of life and customs . The Spanish FL curriculum  (RD 126/2014) recognizes the importance of the relationship between language and culture, and FLT (in our case English) must acknowledge the value of language as a tool for social interaction  between people of different cultures. We must help students know, understand, respect, value and show a  positive attitude for the English language, their speakers and their culture, as well as other languages and cultures (Order 15-1-15 FLO 7). Halliday stresses the importance of meaningful sociocultural experiences in acquiring a second language. We can do this by creating interest in the TL and culture through activities that children enjoy about topics which reflect the lifestyle in countries that speak the TL and creating intercultural links between English and Spanish culture, especially Andalusian culture (Kramsch 93). This can be done through authentic materials, such as using films, tv shows, stories, tales, songs, games , etc. Young learners may be interested in  famous British, American and Irish people,  typical customs, holidays and festivals , the cities and monuments   as well as how children live and what they do  in their free time in those countries. The use of  ICTs   ICTs and the Internet offers a wonderful opportunity to enhance cultural insights  of English speaking countries, as students can research cultural items to gain a deeper knowledge, or take part in  Pen-pal or eTwinning projects to give them the chance to connect with students from other countries while having to communicate in English to carry out joint projects. foreign gn One of the main goals of teaching culture in the modern language classroom should be to reduce forei stereotyping. We can help our students to develop an unbiased cultural frame of reference  by exposing them to a variety of aspects of culture from the extensive English speaking world. Foreign language teaching  can and should sho uld contribute to counteract stereotyping by fostering mutual understanding. FL teachers must make a

 

ca care reful ful sel selec ecti tion on of ma mate teri rial alss and ta take ke ca care re no nott to pe perpe rpetu tuat atee ha harm rmful ful st stere ereot otyp ypes es or ov overs ersim impl plif ifie iedd generalizations of people, countries and their customs. 7. Conclusion Language is one of the most important aspects related to any culture, as language reflects the culture of its speakerss and also helps construct cult speaker culture. ure. When a langua language ge is studie studied, d, its culture culture is also absorbed (Gattegno’s (Gattegno’s Spiritt of Language Spiri Language 1978). TEFL should promote understanding, an open mind and respect for other people and cultures (C. Edelhoff). The Council of Europe, and the Spanish Educational Authorities, also recognize the usefulness of using the teaching and learning of a foreign language to break down barriers, promote acceptance of differences and redu reduce ce di discr scrim imat atio ionn and and pr prej ejud udic ices es.. Th That at is why it is of ut utmo most st im impor porta tance nce to begin begin de deve velo lopi ping ng bo both th communicative linguistic competences and intercultural competences in the early stages of Primary Education. Students must be made aware that not all the people who share the English language share the same cultural aspects. The activities, materials and resources chosen by the FL teacher influence the way students learn about the TL culture and therefore must highlight the importance of linguistic diversity and the acceptance of  differences as a part of using foreign languages as a tool for communication among individuals and countries. 8. Referen rences Brewster, J. and Ellis, G. (1992): The Primary English Teacher’s Guide. Penguin: London Council of Europe. (2001): Common European Framework of Reference for Language: Learning, teaching and  assessment . Council of Europe Publishing: Strasbourg Council of Europe. (2020): Companion Volume to the CEFR. Council of Europe Publishing: Strasbourg Garwood, C. (1992): Aspects of Britain and USA. Oxford. OUP Harmer, J. (2012): Essential Teacher Knowledge. Pearson: London Kramsch, C. (1993): Context and Culture in Language Teaching . Oxford: OUP McLaren, D. and Madrid, N. (2004): TEFL in Primary Education. Granada: Editorial Universidad de Granada Vez, J and Piñeiro, M. (2010): Competencia Plurilingüe e intercultural. Ed. Síntesis: Madrid

American, British, Irish,   Canadian www.Nationalgeographic.com www.Nationalgeographic.com 

history,

geography

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culture:

www.thoughtco.com  , www.thoughtco.com