Preface

      This book has been designed as a theoretical and practical study guide to be implemented in the seminar course Socio-cultural and Literary Studies of the English-speaking Peoples I in the teaching track at tertiary institutions in Córdoba, Argentina. The wide range of activities included herein will help students in their exploration of the geographical, political, historical and literary dimensions of UK’s culture. It is our hope that in investigating some of the different varieties of English within the British Isles and their main distinctive features, students will become aware of the cultural importance of language and of the respect different nations and their languages deserve.

Through a didactic and reader-friendly approach the three modules present in the book have been designed to be self-contained, and to promote collaborative and autonomous learning. The first module examines the physical, political and economic characteristics of the UK and its most salient literary productions. The second module consists of the varieties of English within the British Isles, its historical phenomena and the subsequent linguistic consequences. The third module analyses diachronically the development of the English language (from Old English to Middle English to Modern English) and the English literature (from the Middle Ages to the 21^st century).

Since the use of ICTs has become more and more widespread in the field of education, we have created a free-access BLOG estudiosscyl1.blogspot.com.ar, complementary to this book, with interesting and useful resources and activities. It will help us and our students engage in more innovative and creative work bringing new technologies to the classroom. We believe that by accessing this BLOG we, as teachers, will foster self-learning, self-assessment and the training of research, analytic and writing skills in our learners. 

All in all, the ultimate goal of this handout is not only to contribute to a holistic and interactive education of our students, but also to make them better appreciate and understand the past and present culture of the UK.

Index

Guide on the use of this material	7
Module 1: THE UNITED KINGDOM: Geo-cultural and Economic Dimensions	9
1.1 Geographic characteristics of the British Isles: the land, the weather and the sea	11
1.2 Sub-countries of the United Kingdom and their capital cities	19
1.2.1 The economy and industries	31
1.3 Literary productions	38
1.3.1 England	38
1.3.2 Wales	40
1.3.3 Scotland	43
1.3.4 Ireland	46
Module 2: THE UNITED KINGDOM:  Political and Cultural Dimensions	61
2.1   The spread of English within the British Isles. An Introduction	63
2.2   England, its people and its language	65
2.2.1         Received Pronunciation	66
2.2.2         Cockney	69
2.2.3         Estuary English	72
2.3. Wales, its people and its language	76
2.4   Scotland, its people and its language	80
2.5   Ireland, its people and its language	86
Module 3: THE UNITED KINGDOM: Socio-cultural Dimension	95
3.1 The developments of the English language. An Introduction	97
3.2 Old English (OE)	97
3.3  Middle English (ME)	113
3.4 Modern English (ModE)	125
3.5 Literary history of the English language       from the Middle Ages to the Twenty First Century	145
3.5.1 Middle English	146
3.5.2 16th and 17th Centuries	156
3.5.3 18th Century	165
3.5.4 19th Century	170
3.5.5 20th Century	173
3.5.6 21th Century	176
Works Consulted	183

Module 1: Geo-cultural and Economic Dimensions

M1 R1: Topographic map of the UK

M1 R2: Climate and Geography in the UK by the British Council.

M1 R3: Link to the Worldatlas web page

www.worldatlas.com

M1 R4: Link to the Directgov homepage: Devolved administration in Wales

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Devolvedgovernment/DG_073308

M1 R5: Britain's Best Breaks: Cardiff

M1 R6: Link to the Directgov homepage: Devolved administration in Scotland

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Devolvedgovernment/DG_073307

M1 R7: Glasgow, Scotland with Style

M1 R8: Wall paintings in Belfast

                         

M1 R9: Link to a panoramic view of Westminster Bridge

http://www.panoramicearth.com/2787/London/Westminster_Bridge 

M1 R10:  Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation, by Robert Burns.

Module 2: Political and Cutural Dimension

M2 R1: Flags of the UK

M2 R2: Text Analysis: RP

Link to "The Story of English", Episode 1, Part 1.

Transcript

08:25 – 09:01

1)      I think, you know, when you does have a particularly foreign accent, whose right in the borders, would firstly be sort of persuaded…gradually sort of conformed with everybody else, and if it didn’t, it’d be ostracized, put out and people go out their way and be unpleasant to make.

2)      When I first came here, I had a working-class accent and thus always sort of …after a while I was ridiculed… When you gradually change your accent so… that dies away.

M2 R3:  Link to an online etymological dictionary

www.etymonline.com

M2 R4: Text Analysis: Cockney

Transcript: 

...
00:06 

I've seen it on the text and in the papers and that, but I didn't really believe it. Then when I got to the game like there was a few rumours flying about. But then like the boss announced the team that I was playing so I was chuffed but nervous at the same time.

...

No, no one knew like, you know, until they obviously would tell in the picture that in, you know, on the channel.

...

Well, I think he just jumps up in it (...) I think.

...

I was waiting for it to go in and as soon as it went in, I couldn't believe it, you know. I just... It was a dream, just a dream. And like I never felt anything like it, I never.

...   

02.30 

I feel me mates in London are answering and saying I'm lucky and that. I know I'm lucky but, you know, you have to give up a lot of things and I was prepared to do that to get what I want, and as for that, I do get what I want. 

M2 R5: Cover of Paul Coggle's book on Estuary English

M2 R6: Text Analysis: Estuary English

                           

Transcript:  

We're gonna do omelets. Omelets are fantastic. They are cheap, they are flexible. You can use all sorts of different things: crispy bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheeses, you name it. 

I think omelets are the kind of thing that don't really get so credit. They do, actually: if they are cooked beautifully, they are incredible.

They are cheap. Eggs are one of the best forms of proteins.

Go free-range kind of eggs, you'll be laughing.

Personally, I use three eggs for a main course omelet. 

Just crak one of these. Get your egg, crak it on the side, open it up. If, for any reason, you get shell in there, use the half of the shell to get the shell out. if you try with your fingers you will be going like these all night and it wont work. 

So, a pinch of salt and pepper, like that. Some people put milk and cream, I don't, at all.

I got a pan. The right size of pan is about sort of 7 inches, I guess.

That's on a medium heat. Whisk up your eggs. Just a little bit of oil, extra virgen overseas is a nice way to go. A knob of butter in there. Then it starts to melt. Give it a chibby amount in the pan. You want to coat the bottom of the pan, like that. 

The great thing about omelets and eggs is that if you get the first one wrong,

then learn from it try again and just get it perfect. If it's too dark, cook it less. If it's too hard, cook it less. If it's too soft, cook it more. 

...

M2 R7:Text Analysis: Welsh English

Transcript:

REV. ELI JENKINS

Dear Gwalia! I know there are
Towns lovelier than ours,
And fairer hills and loftier far,
And groves more full of flowers,

And boskier woods more blithe with spring
And bright with birds' adorning,
And sweeter bards than I to sing
Their praise this beauteous morning.

By Cader Idris, tempest-torn,
Or Moel yr Wyddfa's glory,
Carnedd Llewelyn beauty born,
Plinlimmon old in story,

By mountains where King Arthur dreams,
By Penmaenmawr defiant,
Llaregyb Hill a molehill seems,
A pygmy to a giant.

By Sawdde, Senny, Dovey, Dee,
Edw, Eden, Aled, all,
Taff and Towy broad and free,
Llyfhant with its waterfall,

Claerwen, Cleddau, Dulais, Daw,
Ely, Gwili, Ogwr, Nedd,
Small is our River Dewi, Lord,
A baby on a rushy bed.

By Carreg Cennen, King of time,
Our Heron Head is only
A bit of stone with seaweed spread
Where gulls come to be lonely.

A tiny dingle is Milk Wood
By Golden Grove 'neath Grongar,
But let me choose and oh! I should
Love all my life and longer

To stroll among our trees and stray
In Goosegog Lane, on Donkey Down,
And hear the Dewi sing all day,
And never, never leave the town.

Activity:

Listen to the poem and find examples of the following features:

• non-rhotic accent
• thrilled /r/
• /i/ produced as an /e/
• -ing as /in/
• absence of yod /j/
• Other features

M2 R8: link to a web page with further listening extracts on Welsh English

http://accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?function=detail&speakerid=439

M2 R9: Text Analysis: Scottish English

Transcript:

-Where's the buttons?
-Oh no, they've installed voice-recognition technology in this lift, they have no buttons.
-Voice-recognition technology? In a lift? In Scotland? You ever tried voice-recognition technology?
-No
-They don't do Scottish accents
-Eleven
-Could you please repeat that?
-Eleven
-Eleven, eleven
-Eleven
-Whose idea was this? You need to try an American accent. ELEVEN, ELEVEN.
-That sounds Irish, not American
-No, it doesn't! ELEVEN
-Where in America is that -Dublin?
-I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?
-Try an English accent. ELEVEN, ELEVEN
-You're from the same part of England as Dick van Dyke
-Let's hear yours then, smartass
-Please, speak slowly and clearly
-SMARTASS
-ELEVEN
-I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?
-ELEVEN. If you don't understand the lingo, away back to your home country!
-Ooh, it's that talk now,is it? "Away back home to your own country?"
-Oh, don't start Mr. Bleeding Heart, how can you be racist to a lift?
-Please, speak slowly and clearly
-ELEVEN, ELEVEN, ELEVEN, ELEVEN!
-You're just saying it the same way!
-I'm going to keep saying it until it understands Scottish, alright?
-ELEVEN, ELEVEN, ELEVEN, ELEVEN!
-Oh just take us anywhere, ya cow! Just open the doors!
-This is a voice-activated elevator. Please state which floor you would like to go to in a clear and calm manner. 
-Calm? Calm? Where's that coming from? Why is it telling people to be calm?
-Because they knew they'd be selling this to Scottish people who'd be going off their nuts at it!
-You have not selected a floor
-Aye, we have! ELEVEN!
-If you would like to get out of the elevator without selecting a floor, simply say "Open the doors, please"
-Please? Please? Suck my w*
-Maybe we should just say "please"
-I'm not begging that for nothing
-OPEN THE DOORS, PLEASE
-"Please" Pathetic!
-Please remain calm
-Oh my God! You wait until I get up there... just wait for it to speak..
-You have not selected a floor
-Up yours, ya cow! If you don't let us through these doors, I'm gonna come to America, I'm gonna find whatever desperate actress gave you a voice, and I'm gonna go the electric chair for ye!
-SCOTLAND, YOU B*!
-SCOTLAND!
-SCOTLAND!
-FREEDOM!
-FREEDOM!
-Going up? 

Activity: 

Listen to the video and find examples of the following features:

• rhotic accent
• diphthong alterations
• -ing as /in/
• neglect of /t/ 
• other phonological features
• Scotticisms

M2 R10: Link to a web page with further listening extracts on Scottish English

http://accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?function=detail&speakerid=82

M2 R11: Text Analysis: Ireland

Transcript:

7:42
I'm an innocent man. 
I spent 15 years in prison for something I didn't do.
I watched my father die in a British prison for something he didn't do.
And this government still says he's guilty.
I want to tell them that until my father is proved innocent, until all the people involved in this case are proved innocent, until the guilty ones are brought to justice, I will fight on. In the name of my father and of the truth!

Activity:

Listen to the extract from the film In the Name of the Father and find examples of the following features:

•  rhotic accent
• vowel alterations
• monothongs
• other features
  

M2 R12: Link to a web page with further listening extracts on Irish English

http://accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?function=detail&speakerid=135

Module 3: Socio-cultural Dimension

M3 R1: The History of English in ten minutes: Anglo-Saxons

The History of English in Ten Minutes 
Anglo-Saxon 

The English language begins with the phrase ‘Up Yours Caesar!’ as the Romans leave Britain and a lot of Germanic tribes start flooding in, tribes such as the Angles and the Saxons – who together gave us the term Anglo-Saxon, and the Jutes – who didn’t. 

The Romans left some very straight roads behind, but not much of their Latin language. 

The Anglo-Saxon vocab was much more useful as it was mainly words for simple everyday things like ‘house’, ‘woman’, ‘loaf’ and ‘werewolf’. 
Four of our days of the week - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were named in honour of Anglo-Saxon gods, but they didn’t bother with Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they had all gone off for a long weekend. 

While they were away, Christian missionaries stole in bringing with them leaflets about jumble sales and more Latin. Christianity was a hit with the locals and made them much happier to take on funky new words like ‘martyr’, ‘bishop’ and ‘font’. 

Along came the Vikings, with their action-man words like ‘drag’, ‘ransack’, thrust’ and ‘die’, and a love of pickled herring. They may have raped and pillaged but there were also into ‘give’ and ‘take’ – two of around 2000 words that they gave English, as well as the phrase ‘watch out for that man with the enormous axe.

M3 R2: The Lord's Prayer in Old English

M3 R3: The Normans in England

M3 R4: Link to an online etymological dictionary

www.etymonline.com

M3 R5: BBC Shakespeare Animated Tales: The Tempest

                                                           Part 1:

                                                                         Part 2:

M3 R6: Shakespeare's Linguistic Legacy

M3 R7: The History of English in ten minutes: Shakespeare

M3 R8: How is the Internet changing Language today? By Prof. David Crystal

M3 R9: Link to an online etymological dictionary

www.etymonline.com



 M3 R10: Paintings of the Neoclassical period

Jacques-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii

 William Hogarth's Marriage à-la-mode, Shortly after the Marriage

Thomas Gainsborough's The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly

M3 R11: The Daffodils read by Jeremy Irons 

M3 R12: Little Red Riding Hood, the versions of the classical tale 


http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0333.html