English-speaking countries

Although English is the official or one of the official languages in over 45 countries, the most important English speaking countries are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also one of the official languages in the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa. They are situated in different parts of the world and differ in many ways.

The nature of these countries, their weather and climate and way of life of their people differ.

Each country has its own history, customs, traditions, its own national holidays. But they all have a common language.

In today’s lesson we are going to give a brief description of all these countries.

Let’s start from the UK… Or GB? Or simply Britain? Which name is correct? What do all these names mean? These are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) we’ll answer right now.

The full name of the United Kingdom (UK) is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The UK is made up of four countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland is in the north. Edinburgh is its capital. Wales is in the west. The capital city is Cardiff. England is in the center; its capital is London.

Northern Ireland, which is also an island, lies off the west coast of Great Britain. Belfast is its capital.

They are not independent countries, but “countries in a country”. They share citizenship (гражданство), the armed forces, money, parliament and the capital – London. Nevertheless, each of the countries has its own national flag, emblem, anthem, and public holidays.

Population of the UK is about 60 million people. Almost 80% of the population which is 45 million people lives in England, in Scotland over 5 million, in Wales over 3 million, and in Northern Ireland about 2 million people.

The United Kingdom lies on the British Isles – a group of islands that include Britain, Ireland and a number of smaller islands. The Irish Sea separates two bigger islands.

The English Channel, which is about 21 miles separates the UK from the continent.

GB is an abbreviation of Great Britain. Great Britain is a political term, which means three countries together – England, Scotland and Wales, but not Ireland. It is also a geographical term: the largest island in the British Isles is called so.

Everywhere in the UK English is the official and common language. Nevertheless, each country of the UK has its own language.

In Wales there are two official languages – English and Welsh. Welsh is studied at schools and nearly a fifth or the people speak it.

Less than 2 percent of the people in Scotland speak Gaelic.

Only a few people can still speak the Irish form of Gaelic in Northern Ireland.

Now let’s check how well you’ve remembered the information about the UK. Match the names with the definitions.

Now check yourselves.

Canada

Canada is situated in North America. Canada's motto, "From Sea to Sea," because the country is bounded by three oceans — the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. One-third of all fresh water on Earth is in Canada.

Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. It’s area is 9.9 million sq km.

 The capital of the country is Ottawa. Canada is a union of ten provinces and two territories.

The population of Canada is 33.8 million people. About 80% of the population live within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or (звучит of) because of severe natural conditions.

There are two state languages: English and French. English is spoken by 60 % of population; French is spoken by 23 % of people.

The USA

The biggest English speaking country is the USA.

It is situated in the central part of North American continent.

It borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south.

Having the total area of over 9 million sq km it is one of the largest countries in the world.

The population of the country is about 320 million people, making it the third most populous country in the world.

Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations. That’s why the USA is called “the melting pot” (плавильный котёл).

The USA consists of fifty states.

The administrative and political center of the country is its capital Washington D.C. (the District of Columbia), named after the first US President George Washington.

At the same time, the main economic and financial of the USA is New York, called “Big Apple”.

Other important US cities are: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston.

Americans use lots of slang words in their speech and have a distinctive accent.

What does the expression “all-American” make you think of?

This expression means - чисто американский; типично американский.

Which of the (пропущено) things below would you consider to be “all-American”?

The Statue of Liberty, pizza, hot dog, baseball, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween.

Did you know that...?

·                   The statue was a gift from France, so it comes from Europe!

·                   A German immigrant invented the hot dog. Pork sausages were popular in Frankfurt, Germany since the 13^th century!

·                   Baseball is just a version of folk games in England!

·                   Halloween is an originally Celtic festival coming from the British Isles!

·                   Thanksgiving is originally a harvest festival that Europeans brought to America!

·                   The pizza come from Italy! Only its large size originated in New York City!

You see that none of these things is “all-American”.

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia covers the total area of 7.69 million square kilometers. Australia is the world’s largest island - but the smallest continent. The capital of the country is Canberra. The main cities are Sydney and Melbourne.

Australia's population is about 23.6 million people.

This country is unique in many ways.

It has no land borders with any countries.

It is the only continent in the world that is entirely below the equator, that is where the name “Down Under” comes from.

Its flora and fauna has exotic plants and animals you can meet only there, such as kangaroos and humming-birds.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world and the only living thing on our planet that can be seen from space!

Australian English, known as “Strine” is very specific: informal, friendly and often very funny.

Compare these examples of British and Australian English.

Shortened words:

Arvo |ˈɑːvəʊ|=afternoon                  Barbie=barbecue

Aussie |ˈɒzi|=Australian                   Footy=football

G’bye=goodbye                               G’day=hello (good day)

Ta |tɑː|  = thank you                        Oz=Australia

Very common Australian words:

Lolly water = sweet drink

Bonzer |ˈbɒnzə| = very good

Crook = ill

A Sheila   |ˈʃiːlə| = a young woman

Tucker  |ˈtʌkə| = food

A billy = a metal container for cooking

Good on yer = common way of saying well-done, or good-bye

a mate = friend (this words is used even to strangers)

Now “translate” the following conversation from Strine into British English.

- G’day, mate. Are you playing footy today?

- No, I’m going to a Barbie soon. There’ll be a lot of lolly water, and the tucker’s bonzer. Why don’t you come, too?

- Ta, but I’m busy in the arvo. I’m going to see my Sheila. She’s crook.

- Well, good on yer, mate.

- G’bye.

Now check yourselves.

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country with a total area of 268, 700 sq km.

New Zealand lies between the Equator and the South Pole in the southern Pacific Ocean, about 1,600km south east of Australia.

New Zealand is made up of two main islands – the North Island and the South Island.

The capital of the country is Wellington.

New Zealand has a population of nearly 3.5 million people, most of whom speak English and are of European origin.

The official languages are English, and Māori – the language of native Aborigines, with English predominant, though the Maori language is now coming back.

The symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi – a flightless bird, native to this country.

Today, New Zealanders overseas (and at home) are called “Kiwis”.

Ireland’s official name is the Irish Republic.

It is separated from Britain by North Channel.

Its population is almost 4 million people.

The official languages are English and Gaelic.

The capital of the city is Dublin.

South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent.

South Africa has an area of about 1.2 million square kilometers.

About 44 million people live in South Africa. Blacks make up almost 80% of the population.

South Africa has three capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.

South Africa is the richest country in Africa. Its economy is based on mining and industry. It is the world's biggest gold producer.

Like many other African nations, South Africa's population has serious health problems and unemployment. According to the United Nations it is among the most dangerous countries in the world.

Well, that’s all for today. I hope, the lesson was useful and informative to you. See you next lesson.