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Summary Britain for the learners of English
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Summary British Civilisation - Entire book used: Britain for the learners of English. British Student's book.
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Chapter 1: country and peopleThe largest island is Great Britain. The other island is Ireland. Ireland consists of Northern Ireland and The
republic of Ireland (Eire). The main island is divided into Wales, Scotland and England, together named
the UK of GB (and northern Ireland). Many people mistake Britain for England, due to England’s
dominance in the world (Anglo – The Angles, Queen Elizabeth II, Bank of England). When migrants move
from any place in Britain to England, they will hold on to their nationality either way.
Chapter 2: History
Prehistory – Celtic culture, Sense of mystery appeals people. Wiltshire, in south-western England
features Sillbury Hill (largest burial mound in EU) and Stonehenge (used by Druids for ceremonies of
passing seasons).
Roman period (43-410)
Most of England and Wales was called Britannia, ruled by Romans. They also influenced South
Scotland. During this time a group of (Celtic) Scots moved from Ireland to Scotland. Along with the Picts
in Ireland, the Scots became the opponents of the Romans. The Celtics in England and Wales who were
influenced by the Romans are called Britons. The Celtics in Ireland and Scotland who didn’t experience
Roman rule are called Gaels. The only thing the Romans left behind in Britain were the place names like
Lancaster and Chester.
Germanic Invasion (410-1066)
Two European tribes, the Angles and the Saxons, invaded and settled. The Anglo-Saxons
controlled the south east fairly quick. They were halted by King Arthur when trying to take the west. By
the end of the 6th century their culture and way of living predominated all of England. Celtic culture and
language did survive in Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. During the 6th and 7th century, Christianity spread
through Britain. Scotland and Ireland kept Celtic Christianity and England took over Roman Christianity
spread by St. Augustine. In the 8th century another wave of Germanic invasions occurred. Vikings,
Norsemen and Danes came from Scandinavia. They conquered and settled on the islands around
Scotland and some coastal areas of Irelands. They were defeated by King Alfred in England (Saxon) and
never took this part. The cultural differences between Danes and Anglo-Saxons were small. The Danes
soon turned Christian. The similarities made unification easier.
Medieval period (1066-1458)
In 1066 England was successfully invaded by Norman soldiers. It brought Britain to the mainstay
of western EU culture. The Scandinavian link only remained in Scotland. During this time the English class
system was founded (Feudal, king – baron – lords – peasantry). The high class people spoke French, the
plebs spoke English. This system made the Anglo-Norman kingdom the most powerful force in Britain and
Ireland, which extended their authority gradually to the other islands. By the end of the 13th century,
eastern Ireland was controlled by Anglo-Norman lords and Wales was in control of the king. Scotland
remained independent. During these 250 years, the Germanic language Middle English became dominant
in all classes of England. Because Wales wasn’t ever settled in by Saxons or Normans, the Celtic language
Welsh and their culture remained. The south part of Scotland (lowlands), even though independent, also
took over the English language. The highlands remained Gaelic. During this time, democracy was starting
to erupt.
The sixteenth century
Recurring outbreaks of the Black Death killed 1/3 part of British population. It caused shortage of
labour, showed the importance of trade and weakened the ties in the feudal system. The power of
barons was also weakened due to the Wars of the Roses. Monarchs wanted to increase their power due
to both these things. The Tudor dynasty (1485-1603) established government departments staffed with
professionals chosen by the monarch. It was now important to get the agreement of the Commons for
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