Marco geográfico, histórico y cultural de los paises de habla inglesa.

Aplicación didàctica de los aspectos geográficos, históricos y culturales

más significativos.
English is the second most spoken language in the world. It is spoken in the six continents. F

The United Kingdom

Formed by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Capital  London. (crossed by the
river Thames)

It is member of the Commonwealth and of the European Union.

England, Scotland and Wales form Great Britain. Great Britain + Northern Ireland = UK.

Landscape:

 Low elevation, mainly formed by gently sloping hills.

 Poor vegetation, 10% of the territory can be considered forest.

Climate:

 Moderate temperatures
 High humidity levels
 Annual average:
o 13ºC England
o 10C Scotland.
o Rain

Population:

 60 million people
 One of the highest in EU.
o 80%  England
o 5 million  Scotland
o 3 million  Wales
o 2 million  Northern Ireland

This growth of population is in part due to migratory currents. (Half the population increased in
the final years of the 20th century.

 1945
o European Refugees
 1950-60
o West Indies
o South Asia

Invasions:

 Romans (1st century )

 Nordic tribes (5th century)
 Vikings
 Normans
Henry II conquered Ireland. Edward I conquered Wales and established the first parliament.

Scotland signed the Act of Union in 1707 to become part of the UK and Ireland did it in the 1801
but there were many revolutionary disorders and in 1921 Ireland was separated from the UK
and the Irish State was created. After the Second World Was it became the independent
Republic of Ireland.

During the World War I and World War II the UK fought against Germany and Japan.

1990 Margaret Tatcher was elected Prime Minister. Her monetary policy, her cutting back on
social services and education, the economic situation with high rate of inflation and interest and
her decision to send British forces into the Gulf to participate in the United Nation task force
against the Iraq government divided the country.

1973 Uk joined the European Economic Community with great resistance, reflected on their
current resistance to join the European monetary union.

In 2001 and 2005 the Labour Party won the General Elections.

The economic crisis of 2008 resulted in the Conservative Party lead by David Cameron winning
the elections.

The Uk is the oldest and most influential of the English-languages cultures in the world. It has
produced some of the world’s finest literature and prolific writers. From the earliest writers like
Daniel Defoe to Joseph Conrad and William Golding, from Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. The
Uk’s literature has given us some of the major works: Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice, Robinson
Crusoe, etc.

William Shakespeare is the best-known British writer of drama (Hamlet, Othello, etc.) other
playwrights: Oscar Wilde, Harold Pinter.

Uk cinema has also great actors and directors like Charles Chaplin, Cary Grant.

Music; William Walton, The Beatles, The rolling Stones, The police, David Bowie.

THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

It is one of the largest island in Europe. Very important mountains like Errigal (752m)

Climate:

 Mild and equable

 Low temperatures
 Wet territory

Varied vegetation. River: River Shannon.

Population: 4.600.000 inhabitants.

Irish history is marked by two major events. 1st one the different invasions that the country had
to suffer, first by the Vikings and then by the Normans and the English. This last invasion led to
the second period of Irish History: British dominance. This situation continued until the rise of
nationalism fight provoked the partition of the country, with the signature of the Anglo-Irish
Treaty in 1921, and the country was divided into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
(region of the UK). This lead to constant political fights and terrorist attacks during the 2nd part
of the 20th century. In 1998 both parties signed the Belfast Agreement and violence stopped.
Both are part of the European Economic Community since 1973.

Many important artists and works. James Joyce, Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s travels). Musicians:
Van Morrison.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

One of the most powerful and important counties in the world in many aspects.

The Mississippi-Missouri river system is the longest in the United States and the second longest
in the world.

The climate is very different depending on the region, varying from the tropical rainforest of
Hawaii and the tropical savannah in South Florida to the subarctic and tundra climates of Alaska.

Vegetation is also varied as the climate.

Immigration has played a huge role in the demographic framework of the US. Many Africans
were transported to work as slaves in the 14th century with the Europeans settlement. After the
Civil War the most important groups of immigrants came from Eastern countries. Due to this
migration movements the USA is very multicultural and many languages are spoken.

313.000.000 inhabitants. 15% Hispanic. 13% African-American, 3.5% Asian. 1% of Native

American’s.

Many countries tried during USA history to build their empires in North America. First the
Spaniards reached Florida in 1513, French reached the Mississippi in 1673, the Russian reached
Alaska in 1741 and the British in 1607. British defeat the French and then started a fight between
British and the USA. In 1783 America declared its independence and won the war against the
British army. George Washington was the first president.

Abraham Lincoln in 1860 advocated the prohibition of slavery.

United States involved in foreign affairs, started with the war against Spain and still continues
nowadays. It entered to the World War I and it played a decisive role in the Allied victory.

In the 1929 there was a market crash and started the Great Depression.

Last President Barack Obama (first African-American president) and Trump nowadays.

US literature; Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, etc. works such as Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby,
A Farewell to Arms.

Poets: Ezra Pound, T. S. Elliot, Walt Whitman.

Theatre: Paul Green, George S- Kaufman.

Hollywood is the largest and most influential film industry in the world. Steven Spielberg, George
Clooney, Woody Allen… Films: Casablanca, E. T., Gone with the Wind…

CANADA

Covers most part of the North-American continents.

Climate:

 In winter temperatures fall below freezing point. Arctic Circle 7 months a year like this.
 The south-western coast has a relatively mild climate. Summer months high levels of
humidity and temperatures over the 30 degrees.
 Rainfall

High flora diversity

34 million inhabitants.

Toronto most important city above 5 million people, Vancouver and Montreal. Capital Ottawa.

Canada’s history is marked by intermittent and provisional settlements. The first important
settlement was the French one in the 17th century which created a colony known as the New
France. The English were also interested in Canada and therefore there was a rivalry between
French and English. Vetween 1756 and 1763 both countries fought in the Seven Years War.
British won and in 186ç the government was established. Nowadays is one of the most
important economic powers in the world.

Canada culture is very diverse and prolific. Famous writers Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s
Tale).

AUSTRALIA

This country is the sixth biggest country in the world and is part of the smallest continent.

Climate and vegetation very varied. In northern regions we find a tropical climate with a dry
season. It is a hot climate with the hottest season being also the most humid. High temperatures
through the whole year and its vegetation has tropical features. In the eastern region of the
country a subtropical climate with hot summers and warm winters is found.

20 million inhabitants which is basically concentrated in urban areas near the coast. It has huge
metropolises like Sydney (4 million), Melbourne (3 million), Brisbane (1.3 million), Adelaide and
Perth (1 million).

1688 the British explored it and in 1770 claim is for the British Crown. Britain use it as a penal
colony.

During the Second World War the Australian forces made a significant contribution to the Allied
victory in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. 1945 hundreds of refugees and migrants arrived in
Australia. Economy developed strongly in the 1952.

Literature: Patrick White (The visector, the Eye of the Storm)

Poetry: Henry Lawson (The Sentimental Block).

METHODOLOGY

Socio-cultural competence: knowledge-acquisition of a different language that allows speakers

both to satisfy their communicative needs and achieve a wider and deeper understanding of the
way of life, thinking and behaviour of people with a different cultural heritage.

One of the teachers’ main objectives should be to give their pupils at least a basic socio-cultural
background.
Teaching should no longer focus only in the education field, but try to reach and teach concepts
related with very different spheres: social, professional and “leisure” skills should be included
when thinking about and designing course programmes. These new guidelines should
incorporate role plays placing the student in specific situations, comparative analysis of both
cultures. Teachers should also give more freedom to students’ oral and written expression and
encourage them to ask questions, promote their originality and arouse their curiosity. These
new elements should allow students to put themselves into intercultural, real situations and
resolve possible conflicts that may appear. Promote analytical thinking and speculation; this may
give students the necessary tools to improve both their language and socio-cultural
competences in future courses whereas stimulates an autonomous approach to the subject by
establishing a deeper connection between pupils and knowledge through the transference and
incorporation of classroom concepts into their daily lives.