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 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: to the south by the English Channel, which separates it from continental Europe to the east by the North Sea to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean Lakes Find out more about the landscape of England
EDUCATION in ENGLAND British children are required by law to have an education until they are 16 years old. Education is compulsory, but school is not,children are not required to attend school. They could be educated at home. Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 16 (inclusive) across England. This can be provided by state schools, independent schools, or homeschooling. About 94 per cent of pupils in England, and the rest of the UK, receive free education from public funds, while 6 per cent attend independent fee paying schools or homeschooling. (Homeschooling numbers uncertain - BBC report) All government-run schools, state schools, follow the same National Curriculum. The school year runs from September to July and is 39 weeks long. For many areas the year is divided into six terms: September to October October to December January to February February to March April to May June to July (Some counties in England still follow the traditional three terms a year.)
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. I have edited it with Thinglink to make it interactive. 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.
Tell Me about Christmas - Part 2 Advent Calendar Hi, I’m gonna tell you about our advent calendar. This has got all the days until Christmas Day on. And when I was a child we’d have these, and in the family, each child would take it in turns, different day, to open the window and would be very excited about it. Mistletoe People often put mistletoe in their homes at Christmas. Christmas Cracker Christmas crackers are something that most people have at Christmas but I think they… It’s a bit of a silly tradition really because nobody, nobody takes Christmas crackers very seriously. And then inside the cracker, you find usually three things I think. So I think what happens is people kind of think, “oh, we’re not gonna bother having Christmas crackers because they are rubbish anyway” but then you just feel like, “oh well, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas crackers”.
Liverpool History Animation customs-and-culture Every November 5th, on a cold winter’s night, the dark skies of England are lit with bright fireworks and filled with the smell of wood smoke. People recite the famous lines: “Remember, remember the fifth of November,Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.” By Charlotte Mountford riends and families gather in private gardens or public parks to light bonfires and set off the fireworks – ‘rockets’, ‘sparklers ’, ‘catherine wheels’ and more. This is called ‘Guy Fawkes Night’ or ‘Bonfire Night,’ which is quite an unusual tradition, and all because four hundred years ago, on November the fifth, 1605, a man named Guy Fawkes tried to assassinate the King of England and all his government. Fawkes’ plan is known as the “Gunpowder Plot.” Like most plots, wars and conspiracies of the age, his motive was religion: Catholics had been fighting Protestants in England for decades, and though both were Christian, each side bitterly persecuted the other. Your Comments
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. The smaller stones possibly are from the Preseli Mountains in Wales, almost 400 km away from Stonehenge. Nobody knows for sure what the function of Stonehenge was.
British Life and Culture in the UK - Woodlands Junior School 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. ‘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. Before you read or watch you could focus on vocabulary to help prepare students for the text or video. By Sally Trowbridge
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
Britain is GREAT The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer. We welcome the world to visit, study and do business with the UK. Business The UK’s dynamic economy and business-friendly environment make it a great place to locate and expand your business. Get support to export and invest in the UK from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Tourism Explore the Queen’s London home, read the curse on Shakespeare’s tomb or climb the misty peaks of Scotland’s mountains. Start exploring Britain today. Education The UK offers international students a world-class education, globally respected universities and qualifications, great career prospects and a real adventure. Get advice about studying in the UK including scholarships, choosing a course and life in the UK. 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. They stand on a small frame called the compartment which sometimes incorporates the plant emblems of Scotland (thistle), Ireland (shamrock) and England (rose). 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. This symbol on the King's shield would immediately identify him in the midst of battle. The Arms of the Stuart kings remained very similar to those of James 1st.