Culture File 7
Let s take a fresh look at & the United Kingdom!
What do you know about British geography?
1 Discuss these questions.
1 Have you ever been to the United Kingdom, or are
you planning to go there?
2 How many countries are there in the United
Kingdom?
3 How many languages are spoken there?
2 Look at the map of the United Kingdom and
check your answer to Exercise 2. Label these
countries:
England Wales
Scotland Northern Ireland
2
1
Languages
When people think of the United Kingdom, they think that
3 4
everybody speaks English. But this isn t true! Around 55 million
people speak English as their first language, but there are six
other main languages in the British Isles. These are Scots Gaelic,
Irish Gaelic, Manx Gaelic (from the Isle of Man), Welsh (from
Wales) and Cornish (from Cornwall, in the south-west of England).
Reading
Some people in the Channel Islands speak French, as well.
3 Read the texts about the United Kingdom opposite.
But there are many more languages in the UK now. People who
Find the answer to question 3 in Exercise 1.
have come here from other countries speak their own languages
(for example, Indian languages, Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Greek,
4 Answer these questions about the text.
Polish). In some big cities the signs and notices are written not
just in English, but also in Urdu (an Indian language) and Arabic.
1 What is the difference between the British Isles and
In Wales and Ireland, signs are written in Welsh and Gaelic as
the United Kingdom?
well as English.
2 Where are the Channel Islands?
3 Which countries are in mainland Britain?
4 Which republic is in the British Isles?
Project
5 Does the government in London make all the laws
for the UK?
Choose one of these projects:
6 What systems are different in Scotland?
A Write an introduction to your country s geography
for a tourist book. Draw a map and label the
7 How many people in the UK speak English as their
important cities, districts regions.
first language?
B Imagine a friend from the United Kingdom is
8 Where do British people speak French?
coming to your country to travel round for a month.
Plan a route for them. Draw a map and label the
9 In some big cities, what languages can you see on
places you want them to visit. Include some
signs?
interesting and important facts about the places.
10 What language are signs written in in Wales and
Ireland?
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Geography
The United Kingdom is part of  The British Isles .  Isles means
 islands , and there is one big island (mainland Britain), one
medium-sized island (Ireland) and lots of smaller islands. The
most well-known smaller islands are the Shetland Isles (north
of Scotland), the Isle of Man (between England and Ireland),
the Isle of Wight (close to southern England) and the Channel
Islands (between England and France).
There are four countries in the United Kingdom: England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Mainland Britain
(the biggest island) consists of Scotland (in the north), Wales
(in the west) and England. Northern Ireland is the north part
of Ireland, but the rest of Ireland is a separate country, called
the Republic of Ireland.
Government
The central government of the United Kingdom is in London.
The Queen is the head of the country, but the Prime Minister
is the head of the government, which makes the laws and runs
the country. But not all the laws come from London. Scotland
and Wales have their own separate governments, called
 regional assemblies . These assemblies make some of the laws
for Scotland and Wales. Scotland also has a different
education system and a slightly different university system.
Teachers notes Culture File 7
Let s take a fresh look at & the United Kingdom!
Topic: The United Kingdom  geography, Verbs: be part of something, consist of, be divided up into,
government, languages run a country, survive
Grammar: Present simple Other: medium-sized, north, south, west, northern,
Present simple passive (is taught, are southern, south-west, central, separate, regional, main,
written) similar
Present perfect
Students read the fact files before checking the answer to
Present perfect passive (has been spoken)
question 3, Exercise 1 together.
Past simple
Answer key
Comparatives and superlatives
Seven main languages, as well as a lot of other immigrant
there is/are
languages.
4 Students work either on their own or in pairs. Deal with
Vocabulary: Numbers
any further vocabulary or comprehension questions here,
Geography, points of the compass
then go through the answers.
Languages
Countries
Answer key
1 The British Isles is a collection of islands, but the
United Kingdom is a state made up of four countries.
LESSON NOTES
2 Between England and France.
3 England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What do you know about British geography?
4 The Republic of Ireland.
1 Encourage all students to join in for question 1  if they
5 No. There are separate Scottish and Welsh regional
haven t already been to the UK, they may want to in the
assemblies now, and they make some of the laws for
future. You could get a class consensus on questions 2 and
Scotland and Wales.
3, but don t check the answer key until after Exercise 3.
6 The education system and the university system.
7 55 million
Optional extension activity:
8 The Channel Islands.
Elicit from the class all the English-speaking countries
9 Urdu and Arabic.
they can think of. Find out if anybody has been to any
10 Welsh and Gaelic.
of these countries.
Project
Answer key
For Project A, students might want to include different
2 There are four countries: England, Scotland, Wales
counties on their map, but this isn t necessary if they don t
and Northern Ireland.
want to. They could include pictures or postcards of
2 Students look at the map and try to label the countries.
different regions. Encourage them to write a small piece
Answer key
about some of the regions, comparing them.
1 Northern Ireland
For Project B, students could again include pictures. They
2 Scotland
could also write a letter to the imaginary friend who is
3 Wales
coming, talking about the places they should visit.
4 England
Reading
3 Before students read, you may want to pre-teach all or
some of the following vocabulary:
Nouns: geography, island, rest (= the rest of something),
county, capital, government, head (= leader of something, in
charge of it), law, assembly (= small government with
limited powers), Romans, first/second language, official
language, sign, notice
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