may 2009 lowersecondary teachers

T E A C H E R ’ S N O T E S A N D K E Y

May 2009

- 1 -

TARTING OFF

If you have learners from different parts of the country, or even from different countries, then this discussion will be very

easy to organise. You might also ask where individual students have been, which regions they are familiar with and so

on.

Although every country has its regions and local traditions and customs, it may be difficult for the students to think of any.

If this is the case then focus on the most obvious differences - accent, vocabulary, food - and this should help them to

think of further examples.

EFORE YOU READ

IRST READING

The quiz can be done in groups. You might elicit teams„ answers to the board and do the reading task as a competition.

The quiz can be answered without the second sheet of the text and I recommend you keep this back until the next

reading task. Key:

1. a (three)

2. b (no)

3. b (false)

4. b (false)

5. a (true)

6. a (true)

ECOND READING

The summaries are on the second page of the text. See the Teacher‟s Copy for the key.

OCABULARY

Key:

1. obviously

2. independence

3. separate

4. confused

5. weaker

6. nowadays

7. include

8. choose

OCABULARY

Key:

1. separate

2. nowadays

3. choose

4. independence

5. includes

6. weak

7. obvious

8. confused

OCABULARY

The grammar of multi-word verbs may well not yet be familiar to the students, but they do not need that for the task. After

the gap-fill task make a list of the multi-word verbs on the board and ask the students to translate them into their own

language, highlighting that many have one-word equivalents in other languages. Key:

1. set off

2. get on

3. slow down 4. fall off

5. get off

6. start off

7. speed up

HIRD READING

Key:

1. ...it is the largest island in the British Isles

2. ...England, Scotland and Wales

3. ...Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland

4. ...all of Great Britain

5. ...Scandanavia

6. ...the people choose it

T E A C H E R ’ S N O T E S A N D K E Y

May 2009

- 2 -

RITING

The students will need plenty of time to prepare before they actually start writing. The best way to start would be to

complete the summary tables first, so the students have the basic data ready before they start writing the text proper. You

could provide further help by asking the students to identify useful phrases in the model text. Once they actually start

writing you will need to be available to help, but remember that the students must be allowed to make mistakes - it is a

key part of learning. Final versions, free of errors, can always be produced at the end of the lesson for display.

XTENSION

The writing task leads naturally on to oral presentations, with different groups taking different regions and preparing five-

or ten-

minute presentations introducing „their‟ regions. If time and facilities allow the presentations could be illustrated with

pictures or other supporting props.

T E A C H E R ’ S N O T E S A N D K E Y

May 2009

- 3 -

“You speak English. You are British. Your country is the United Kingdom.

No wonder English people always look so confused

.”

Just over three hundred years ago, on the 1st of May 1707, Great Britain was born. But what is
Great Britain? How is it different from the British Isles and from the United Kingdom?

What is Great Britain?
Great Britain is an island - the biggest island of the British Isles, which is why it is
called „Great‟. It is the ninth biggest island in the world. Great Britain is made up
of England, Scotland and Wales. It does not include Northern Ireland or the
Republic of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is the name of the state. It has a parliament and government
in London; the Queen is the Head of State. The United Kingdom includes
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not the Republic of Ireland.

„The British Isles‟ describes all the islands together. It includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The British Isles is a geographical name, not a state or country.

How are the countries different?

The three countries of Great Britain are different in many ways. Most obviously, they are different
sizes: England has some 51 million people, Scotland around 5 million and Wales about 3 million.
English is an official language for all, but Scottish Gaelic and Scots dialect are official languages in
Scotland and Welsh is an official language in Wales. Different sports are more popular in different
countries: football and cricket in England, football and rugby in Scotland and Wales. The three
countries have different traditional foods as well: roast beef, pies and tea in England; haggis and
whiskey in Scotland; Welsh rarebit and lamb in Wales. Ethnically, the people are very different,
with the Scots and the Welsh being Celtic peoples, while most English people historically come
from Scandinavian countries. Nowadays, of course, there are many cultures in all three countries.

Could the three countries separate?

It is certainly not impossible. There is a strong independence party in Scotland (the SNP - the
Scottish Nationalist Party or Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) and a weaker one in Wales (the Party of
Wales or Plaid Cymru). At the moment both countries have some independence with a National
Assembley in the Welsh capital of Cardiff and a Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh but independence
is possible if the Scots or the Welsh choose it.

T E A C H E R ’ S N O T E S A N D K E Y

May 2009

- 4 -

ENGLAND

Capital

London

Population

51 million

Language(s)

English

Foods

roast beef, pies, tea

Sports

football, cricket

People

the English

“Good morning”

“Good morning”

WALES

Capital

Cardiff

Population

3 million

Language(s)

English, Welsh

Foods

Welsh rarebit, lamb

Sports

football, rugby

People

the Welsh

“Good morning”

“Bore da”

SCOTLAND

Capital

Edinburgh

Population

5 million

Language(s)

English, Scots dialect,
Scottish Gaelic

Foods

haggis, whiskey

Sports

football, rugby

People

the Scots

“Good morning”

“Madainn mhath”