Geographical, Historical and Cultural Overview of English-Speaking Countries

TEMARIO

LUMEN oposiciones com

LUMEN oposiciones docentes By Jesús Fernández

Temario. Oposiciones Cuerpo de Maestros y Maestras. (Inglés). Andalucía.

TOPIC 5

GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES. DIDACTIC APPLICATION OF THE MOST RELEVANT/SIGNIFICANT GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL ASPECTS

INDEX/OUTLINE/TABLE OF CONTENTS I'll show the index below before moving on to the topic.

• Introduction and Justification
• 1. Geographical, Historical and Cultural Overview of English-Speaking Countries
• 1.1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
• 1.2. The United States of America
• 1.3. Other English-Speaking Countries
• 2. Didactic Application of Geographical, Historical, and Cultural Aspects
• 2.1. The Communicative Approach for the Learning of the EFL
• 2.2. Didactic Application Proposal to the Most Relevant/Significant Geographical, Historical and Cultural Aspects
• 3. Didactic implication
• Conclusion and Summary
• Bibliography

Lumen Oposiciones Docentes (by Jesús Fernández)Temario. (Tema 5) Oposiciones Cuerpo de Maestros y Maestras. (Inglés). Andalucía.

Introduction and Justification

'History is Philosophy teaching by example, and also warming; its two eyes are Geography and Chronology.' James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the USA. Geography, History, and Civics are seldom taught in classrooms today. Learning them allows pupils to identify and appreciate important clues of their nation's history, including the influence of landforms and climate, the rise and fall of civilisations, migration patterns, international matters, multicultural concerns, and environmental matters that we see in the goals of 2030 Agenda through playful methodologies (Arnau, 2020). So, we will see geographical, historical, and cultural overviews of English-speaking countries together with the didactic application of the most significant aspects to develop the communicative, intercultural, social and civic competences. To explain it clearly, we can use an atlas or encyclopaedias, but there are many story books such as 'Guy Fawkes' or focusing on unknown women lives in 'Counting on Katherine' to know about the Apollo missions, 'Dancing Hands' and 'Drum Dream Girl' both girls with musical talent who played for important American presidents. Developing different tasks within the LS, Order 30/5/23 Art. 3, through a competence-based methodology based on the UDL (CAST, 2024), the key competences will go up (Council of Europe, 2020), working with words, forms, and functions to comprehend, produce, interact, mediate, use repertoires and respect diversity. Without forgetting our laws, LOMLOE 3/2020 and LEA 17/2007, and RD 157/22 Art. 7 and D 101/23 Art. 5 to get the primary aims and the can-do descriptors of the key competences of the exit profile through the 3 blocks of essential knowledge will be taught with other areas and CIMA programme, with inclusion, creativity, imagination, and love.

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1. Geographical, Historical and Cultural Overview of English-Speaking Countries

Geographical, historical, and cultural facts are part of countries and influence them.

1.1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain (UK) is a state made up of England, Wales, and Scotland, as well as Northern Ireland. Two world wars and the end of the empire diminished its role in the 20th century. Nonetheless, the UK remains an economic and military power with great political and cultural influence around the world. Its capital and largest city is London. Great Britain is the fourth most populous country in Europe and a democratic and constitutional monarchy. Sovereignty rests in Parliament, which consists of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Crown. The monarch (King Charles III) usually asks the leader of the majority party (Conservative or Labour) to be prime minister (Keir Starmer labour leader) because he reigns but does not rule. The British Isles is the geographical term for a group of about 5,000 islands situated in the northwest of the European continent. The main island (1000 km long), Great Britain, the largest island in Europe consists of England, Wales, and Scotland. The north and west of Britain are mountainous and hilly. In Scotland, we can find the highest peak, Ben Nevis (1,343m) and in England the Pennine Range extends 224km. The south and east are fairly flat or low-lying with better agricultural conditions becoming also the most populated part. Ireland is known as the Emerald Island. Rivers are quite short, the longest are the Severn and the Thames, but their easy navigability supports the inland transport network (iron, coal) together with the freight traffic by road. Moreover, Britain is the world's fifth-largest oil and gas producer.

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British Weather and History

British weather is humid and cool, although it has a milder climate than much of the European mainland (extreme temperatures 32℃, -10℃) because it lies in the path of the Gulf Stream. Annual rainfall in the east and south is on an average of 1000mm. The History of the UK and Ireland starts with the ancient Britons building the great round temple of 'Stonehenge' in south England 3500 years ago. They were also known as Celt at Iron Age. Early English history, like most European countries, is characterised by invasions. Romans were the first invaders in the 1st century. The Nordic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in the 5th century were next, followed by the Vikings; until the arrival of Normans who conquered England in 1066 and was the beginning of the medieval period. The arrival of William of Normandy brought the French language. He was crowned William I, king of England and introduced the feudal system. Ireland was conquered by the English king, Henry II (1154-1189). His son John (1199-1216) was compelled to grant the nobles the first Magna Carta (1215). His successor, Edward I, conquered Wales and established the first parliament. The late Middle Ages (14th century) was a period of war because England had to maintain control over Ireland and Wales. The Hundred Years' War fought between France and England had a devastating effect on the English economy. Moreover, the Black Death (a plague in 1348 that killed a third of the population in England) led to the Statute of Labourers (1351) and Peasant's Revolt in 1381 by Wat Tyler.

The War of the Roses and Tudor Dynasty

The War of the Roses (1455-85), between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, ended when Henry VII (Henry of Tudor) united the 2 rival houses, giving origin to the Tudor dynasty. It is the most glorious period in English history with the foundations of a wealthy nation and the Renaissance of learning (printing press).

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Henry VIII and Elizabeth I

Henry VIII (1509-1547). In 1534, the king persuaded the bishops to make him Head of the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy. His daughter, Elizabeth I (1558-1603) restored national unity and encouraged merchant expansion and the creation of colonies. Her reign is considered the Golden Age.

The Stuarts and Industrial Revolution

The Stuarts, from James I onwards, were less successful than the Tudors (a Welsh- English family that ruled England and Wales for 118 years). During the 17th century, economic power moved into the hands of the merchants and landowners who were represented by the House of Commons. King Charles I quarrelled with the Parliament and the result was a Civil War (1642) in which in the end England became a Republic ruled by Oliver Cromwell. In 1660, the Monarchy was restored with Charles II. In 1707, Scotland and England completed their union by Act of Parliament. In the 18th century, the development of industry began, and the Industrial Revolution turned Britain into the most advanced economic force in the world. In the 19th century, Britain was the workshop of the world due to its factories. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Britain's colonial expansion reached its zenith, though Canada and Australia were gradually granted independence. Important facts are the Industrial Revolution, the Reform Act (1832), free, compulsory education (1880) and the extension of vote (1884). Queen Victoria's death (1901) coincided with the decline of the British Empire due to the two World Wars.

Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth

In 1921, after the Civil War, the British granted the status of a dominion to Northern Ireland (Ulster) becoming part of the UK and establishing the Republic of Ireland. There have been tries of peaceful reunification and unity by force with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) until the 'Good Friday Agreement' in 1998.

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UK International Position and Recent Events

The UK tried to hold onto its international position through its Commonwealth (1931), an association of former British possessions. In 1973, the UK joined the European Economic Community, although in 2016 voted to leave the European Union, Brexit. Nowadays the most relevant fact was the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla in 2023 after the death of his Queen Elisabeth II in 2022.

Culture of the UK and Ireland

The Culture of the UK and Ireland is influenced by its history. The fine Arts can be related to Literature, Theatre, Cinema, and Science. In Literature, we have the Old English language with Beowulf in the 7th century (first epic poem). Then, in the Norman period (14th century), with the French borrowings, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Trinity appeared too. In the 16th century, Literature was the greatest art form with playwrights like Ben Johnson and William Shakespeare. In the Modern Age (18th century) there are new plots and ideas related to daily life (trading) in works such as Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders, and Gulliver's Travels. In the 19th century, Britain was the most powerful nation, but 30% of it was poor. This is reflected in works by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Walter Scott. The writers of the 20th century, Yeats, and James Joyce, reflected Victorian self-confidence.

Education and Cinema in the UK

In relation to education, compulsory schooling begins at the age of 5 and until 16 involving two stages primary and secondary. Then they take the GCSE exam (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and two years later the A-level (Advanced) exams. UK cinema has provided Hollywood with great actors and directors. Among the actors, we have to mention pioneers like Charles Chaplin, Cary Grant, Sean Connery and present Hollywood stars like Anthony Hopkins. The most famous British director is Alfred Hitchcock.

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