《英国社会与文化》教学大纲

《英国社会与文化》教学大纲
辛衍君编写
英语专业课程教学大纲
798 目录
前言 (799)
一、概述 (799)
二、课程教学目的和基本要求 (799)
三、课程主要教学内容及学时分配 (799)
四、相关教学环节 (799)
五、考核方法 (799)
六、教学方法和手段 (799)
Unit One: A General Survey of the United Kingdom (800)
Unit Two: The Government of the United Kingdom (801)
Unit Three: Politics, Class, and Race (802)
Unit Four: The UK Economy (803)
Unit Five: British Literature (804)
Unit Six: The Education System (805)
Unit Seven: British Foreign Relations (806)
Unit Eight: The British Media (807)
Unit Nine: Sports in Britain (808)
Unit Ten: Holidays and Festivals in Britain (809)
英国社会与文化
前言
一、概述
《英国社会与文化》是英语专业本科的一门选修课。

本课程的学习旨在使学生了解英国的历史、地理、社会、经济、文化、政治、教育、宗教等方面的情况及其文化传统，促进对英语语言的深层理解和应用，拓展学生的西方文化视野。

本大纲编写人员为辛衍君。

二、课程教学目的和基本要求
本课程以社会、文化为纲，多方面系统地概括和介绍英国的社会与文化方面的种种特点。

通过该课程的学习，学生应对英国的历史和现状有一定的了解；对英国的社会与文化有一个总体的把握，从而能从广义的文化哲学层面去审视西方文明的精髓，提高学生对中西文化差异的敏感性、海纳百川的文化兼容性以及处理文化差异的灵活性，培养和提高学生的跨文化交际能力。

三、课程主要教学内容及学时分配
本课程为英语专业二年级开设的课程，时间为一学期，共18周，每周2学时，总课时为36学时。

主要教学参考书目为：
1、朱永涛、王立礼主编的《英语国家社会与文化入门》，高等教育出版社
2、吴斐主编 的《英国社会与文化》，武汉大学出版社
3、周宝娣主编的《 主要英语国家概况》，重庆大学出版社.
四、相关教学环节
该课程采取课堂讲授和学生讨论相结合的方法，并辅以多媒体教学手段，增强视听感受，力求教学内容直观、多样。

课堂教学环节包括重点内容的精讲、欣赏以及分组讨论等等；课后练习环节包括课后拓展阅读、相关资料收集以及阶段论文等等。

五、考核方法
平时成绩占30 %，期末考试成绩占70%
六、教学方法和手段
本课程的教学大体分三个层次：第一个层次为提供基本信息；第二个层次为组织学生利用所学的信息进行比较、分析和讨论；第三个层次为拓展部分，调动学生的学习兴趣，开展课外阅读，激发深入探讨英国社会与文化的学习热情。

英国社会与文化
799
英语专业课程教学大纲
800
Unit One: A General Survey of the United Kingdom
1.Introductory Questions
(1).What was the British Empire? What do you know about it?
2.Focal Points
(1).a complicated country with a complicated name
(2).effects of its imperial past
(3).a member if the European Union
(4).a multiracial society
(5).remarkable class, regional and economic differences
(6).the significant role of London
(7).cultural and economic differences
(8).cultural and economic dominance of England
(9).invasion from the Roman Empire
(10).settlement of the Anglo-Saxons
(11).parliament’s dominance over the throne
(12).physical features of Scotland
(13).cultural division between highland and lowland
(14).union with England in1707
(15).strong Scottish identity
(16).brief introduction to Wales
(17).a history of invasions
(18).Wale’s unification with the UK
(19).population and physical of Northern Ireland
(20).economy of Northern Ireland
(21).the collapse of the power-sharing mechanism
(22).cooperation between the British and Irish governments
3.Main Topics of this Unit
(1).England
(2).Scotland
(3).Wales
(4).Northern Ireland
4.Group Discussion on Class
(1). “British history has been a history of invasion”, please illustrate this point with examples.
(2).How does each of the invasions influence English culture?
5.Assignments
(3). Are there any differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition?
英国社会与文化 Unit Two: The Government of the United Kingdom
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What are the characteristics of British government?
2.Focal Points
(1).Divine right of the kings
(2).The civil war
(3).Magna Carta
(4).The Great Council
(5).The Cabinet
(6).The Prime Minister
(7).The Constitution
(8).The power and functions of the Parliament
(9).The role of the monarch
(10).The House of Lords
(11).The House of Commons
3. Main Topics
(1).The Monarchy
(2).The Parliament
(3).The Birth of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(4).The British Government Today
A. The Constitution
B. Parliament
C. The Role of Monarchy Today
D. The House of Lords and the House of Commons
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).What is the history of English parliament? What role did the parliament play in the Civil War?
(2).What kind of institution is the House of Lords? What role does it play in British government?
5. Assignments
(3).Write a paper on the major characteristics and the main content of the British constitution.
801
英语专业课程教学大纲
802
Unit Three: Politics, Class, and Race
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What do you know about the general elections?
(2).What are the three big parties in the UK?
2.Focal Points
(1).Importance of general elections
(2).Formation of the government
(3).V ote of no confidence
(4).Procedure of the general elections
(5).The Conservative Party
(6).The Labor Party
(7)Liberal Democrats
(8).Recent political trends in the UK
(9).Margaret Thatcher
(10).Class system in the British society
(11).Upper middle-class and lower middle-class
(12).The hereditary aristocracy
(13).Oxbridge
(14).Ethnic relations in Britain
3. Main Topics
(1).General Elections
(2).The Political Parties
(3).Recent Political Trends
(4).Current Issues
(5).Class
(6).Race
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).What are some of the recent political trends in the UK? Are these trends more democratic or
undemocratic?
(2).How are the people in the UK divided into different classes? What are some of the main features in the division? Is the class system similar to that of the United States?
5. Assignments
(1).Ethnic relations in the UK
英国社会与文化
Unit Four: The UK Economy
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What do you know about UK economy?
2. Focal Points
(1).Absolute decline and relative decline of British economy
(2).The main sectors of the UK economy
(3).Primary industries
(4).Secondary industries
(5).Tertiary industries/ service industries
(6).Agriculture
(7).Energy production
(8).The off shore oil industry
(9).The manufacturing industry
(10).The aerospace industry
3．Main Topics
(1).Absolute Decline and Relative Decline
(2).Recent History
(3). The Current UK Economy
(4).Case Study: The Aerospace Industry
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).What are the three main areas in national economies? Describe the development of each of the three areas in the UK economy.
5. Assignments
(1).Define “absolute and relative decline” in the UK economy.
803
英语专业课程教学大纲
804
Unit Five: British Literature
1. Introductory Questions
(1).Can you name some of the famous British novelists and their master pieces?
2. Focal Points
(1).Beowulf
(2).The Canterbury Tales
(3).Stories about King Arthur
(4).William Shakespeare
(5).John Milton
(6).Romantic Poets of the 19th century
(7).The Bronte sisters
(8).Charles Dickens
(9).Sir Walter Scott
(10).Robert Louis Stevenson
(11).Modernism
(12).Joseph Conrad
(13).Virginia Woolf
(14).D.H. Lawrence
(15).E.M Foster
3．Main Topics
(1).Early writing
(2).Elizabethan Drama
(3).The 17th Century
(4).The 18th Century
(5).The Romantic Period
(6).The 19th Century Novel
(7).20th Century Literature
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature? Who is the
most important figure in Elizabethan Drama? What are some of his well known plays?
5. Assignments
(1).What is Modernism and what is Postmodernism? Illustrate your points with specific writers or their books as examples.
英国社会与文化 Unit Six: The Education System
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What are the purposes of the British education system?
2. Focal Points
(1).The relationship between education and social class
(2).The influences of the Church on schooling
(3).Comprehensive schools
(4).The National Curriculum
(5).Public schools
(6).Old universities
(7).The Open University
3．Main Topics
(1).Introduction
(2).History
(3).The Present Education System
(4).Higher Education
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).How does the British education system reflect social class?
5. Assignments
(1).What is the Open University in Britain?
805
英语专业课程教学大纲
806
Unit Seven: British Foreign Relations
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What and how did the British empire end？
2. Focal Points
(1).Foreign policy influenced by its history and geopolitical traits
(2).Long-term physical separation from the European continent
(3).The involvement of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the Treasury
(4).The permanent member of the UN Security Council the member of the EU
(5).The member of the Commonwealth
(6).The special relationship with the United States
(7).The presence of the superpower bases in the Britain in participation in NATO
3．Main Topics
(1)British Then and Now
(2).How Foreign Policy Is Made
(3).Britain and International Institutions
(4).British and the United States
(5).British Security and Defense Policy
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?
5. Assignments
(1).Why does Britain have a “special relationship” with the United States? Does the relationship still
exist?
英国社会与文化 Unit Eight: The British Media
1. Introductory Questions
(1).Have you ever listened to BBC broadcasting？What program do you like best?
2. Focal Points
(1).Popularity and functions of the media
(2).The quality press
(3).The Observer
(4).The Times
(5).The Guardian
(6).The Telegraph
(7).The Financial Times
(8).Tabloids
(9).Television and radio
(10).The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
(11).The Independent Television Commission
3．Main Topics
(1).British Newspapers
(2).The Broadcast Media
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).What are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture?
5. Assignments
(1).How does the BBC operate? How is it different from American broadcasting system?
807
英语专业课程教学大纲
808
Unit Nine: Sports in Britain
1. Introductory Questions
(1).What do you know about British sport?
2. Focal Points
(1).Football
(2). “Football hooligans”
(3).FA
(4).Tennis
(5).Wimbledon
(6).Cricket
(7).Golf
(8).Horse racing
(9).The Grand National
(10).The Royal Ascot
(11).Hunting
3．Main Topics
(1).Football
(2).Tennis
(3).Cricket
(4).Golf
(5).Horse racing, Hunting and Equestrianism
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).Find some examples from the text to demonstrate how Christian Church has influenced the sports
and leisure activities of the British?
5. Assignments
(1).Why is cricket very English? Why does the cricket associated with a set of English values?
英国社会与文化 Unit Ten: Holidays and Festivals in Britain
1. Introductory Questions
(1).Do you know how the British people celebrate Christmas?
2. Focal Points
(1).Christmas
(2).Three traditions of Christmas
(3).Boxing Day
(4).Easter
(5).Bonfire Night
(6).The Battle of the Boyne
(7).Orange Marches
(8).St Patrick’s Day
(9).Hogmanay
(10).Burns Night
(11).Halloween
(12).The Eisteddfod
3．Main Topics
(1).Religious Holidays
(2). National Holidays
(3).Holidays in the 4 Nations
4. Group Discussion on Class
(1).In what way does the holiday and the ways of celebration in Britain reflect western cultural tradition in general and British traditions in particular?
5. Assignments
(1).In what way are the Welsh people different from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in celebrating their holidays?
809。