British Royal Family Arms Royal Coat of Arms The main element of the Royal Arms is the shield which is divided into four quarters (see diagram). The three golden lions on a red background, symbolising England, occupy the first and fourth quarters. The Arms of Scotland, a red lion rearing on its hind legs inside a red border, are in the second quarter, and the Arms of Ireland's golden harp with silver strings on a blue background - are in the third quarter. The lion and the unicorn supporting the shield represent England and Scotland respectively. Around the shield is a belt or strap with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense ("Evil to him who evil thinks"), the symbol of the Order of the Garter. The Royal Arms we see today have evolved over nine centuries, since Richard 1st (the Lionheart) chose a shield of three lions to represent the three areas England, Normandy and Aquitaine - which were associated with the English crown. This symbol on the King's shield would immediately identify him in the midst of battle.
FASTEN SEAT BELTS 2 - Travel by Continent - Europe Fasten Seat Belts, a light hearted guide to avoid misunderstandings while travelling. An innovative way to learn languages and pick up cultural tips. Travel by Continent / Europe In the Netherlands, it is the custom on someone's birthday to... Gifts, Miscellaneous, Do's & Don'ts, Netherlands Grec AP Audio program, Greece Neerlandais AP Audio program, Netherlands In Greece, you may see people mock spitting, for luck: « ftou ftou ftou... Body Language, Do's & Don'ts, Greece Turc AP Audio program, Turkey In Spain, in tapas bars, you are expected to throw rubbish on the floor. Bar Culture, Table manners, Do's & Don'ts, Spain In the Netherlands and Germany, don't walk on bicycle paths ! Miscellaneous, Do's & Don'ts, Germany, Netherlands In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, wait for the host to propose a toast and... Bar Culture, Table manners, Visiting people, Do's & Don'ts, Denmark, Sweden Allemand AP Audio program, Germany Portugais AP Audio program, Portugal In the UK, stand on the right side of the escalator Travel
Geography of the UK The official title of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . Great Britain (the formerly separate realms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. ) Northern Ireland (also known as Ulster) Numerous smaller islands including the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, and the Scilly, Orkney, Shetland, and Hebridean archipelagos. The UK is an island nation in Western Europe just off the coast of France. The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49°N and 59°N and longitudes 8°W to 2°E. The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22 miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. The UK has a total area of approximately 245,000 km², almost a quarter-of-a-million square kilometres. The UK is made up of several islands. The UK is bordered by four seas: Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous parts of the UK. Lakes Find out more about the landscape of England
Let's talk about the UK (still with Scotland) At the beginning of the new school year teachers usually explain to their students what they are going to study. Sometimes efl teachers not only teach grammar but also British culture, so one of the first cultural topics they discuss with their students are the geography of the UK and its form of government. Here you can find an interactive mindmap, a digital poster and a collection of useful websites, just to simplify the work. Click on the Glogster digital poster below, you will find general information about the United Kingdom and some videos. Now take a look at my Cacoo mindmap below about the UK form of government. You can also click on the following link to enlarge the above image: Last September, 18th Scottish people voted for Scotland independence. Scottish referendum explained for non-Brits If you want more general information about the Uk government, the Queen and the Royal Family, open my Blendspace lesson.
Liverpool History Animation Stonehenge - Tour around Britain Stonehenge is a mystical place. Its stone circles are probably more than 4,000 years old. The huge stones come from an area about 30 km north of Stonehenge. Nobody knows for sure what the function of Stonehenge was. Teenagers and UK culture Why bring UK culture to the teen classroom? We can introduce UK culture into the English classroom to help our students improve their English and at the same time learn about values and ways of doing things which may be different to theirs. Learning about life and culture in the UK can be very motivating as it brings the language alive for learners and creates a link between language and real life. See if you agree with these comments from teachers on teaching UK culture to their teenage learners: ‘We need to avoid reinforcing erroneous British stereotypes to our teenagers. Not everyone in the UK is very formal and drinks tea at five o’clock!’ ‘Culture is the fifth skill in addition to reading, writing, listening and speaking. ‘I try to make British culture "real" to my students. What materials can I use to introduce UK culture? Life in the UK In this section teenagers can read about topics with a British connection. Learning the language doesn’t automatically mean learning the culture.
Bonfire Night The history The year was 1605 and some English Catholics were angry because the King of England, James the first, was treating them badly. In November 1605 a group of men made a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament (the government buildings) in London. Bonfires, Guys and fireworks On November 5th people remember the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. Food It’s normally quite cold in November in Britain, so on Bonfire Night people wear hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. Penny for the Guy In Britain only adults can buy fireworks but in the past they were sold to children too.
Love English: 10 things to see in London (magazine article) 'I love English': magazines designed for language learners that can be used in classroom as extra activities to add colour and motivated students. - talk about London - read about the 'top 10 things to see in London' - complete the activities Discussion: 1. 2. If the answer is yes proceed with the following questions: 3. 4. Reading: Scanning (tell students they have 2 minutes to quickly scan the pages and list the 10 things to see in London) Question: List the top 10 things to see in London? You can download the magazine's pages here:London 1London 2 London 3London 4 Reading for information ( Skimming :ask students to read again and complete the following activities. Vocabulary activities: 1. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. or download the worksheet here:Closing the lesson:1.
History Learning Site British Culture, Traditions and Customs This page has moved to ProjectBritain.com our new British life and Culture website Britain is full of culture and traditions which have been around for hundreds of years. British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things. Enjoy!