Everyday Life in Britain
S. Kathleen Kitao
Kenji Kitao Asahi Press INTRODUCTION Learning about English-speaking cultures is an important part of learning the English language. Understanding the cultural backgrounds of various English-speaking people will help students understand the English language better. In this book, students learn about various aspects of daily life in Britain, including the educational system, food and drink, holidays, free time, and shopping. Our goals for this textbook include 1) giving students information about the United Kingdom, 2) interesting them in reading English, 3) improve their reading skills, and 4) increasing their reading speed. When studying about the United Kingdom, it is useful to understand the names used for the country. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland refers to the entire country. The United Kingdom is made up of four parts--England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain and Britain refers to England, Wales, and Scotland. (However, Great Britain or Britain is often used to refer to the United Kingdom.) This book is written from the point of view of outsiders to the United Kingdom. We have used American spellings and vocabulary, except for proper nouns. Hints for Students As you read this textbook, you should try to follow these suggestions. 1. Try to be open to another culture and way of life. The readings will give you information on British people and how they live. 2. Try to read in English. Do not translate the words into Japanese. One purpose of this textbook is to help you to develop reading skills, and so it is necessary to read in English rather than translating into Japanese. The difficult words and expressions in the readings are defined in easy English. These definitions should help you to read without translating. If there are words you do not know, try to guess their meanings first. If you need to use a dictionary, use an English-English dictionary, rather than an English-Japanese dictionary. 3. Use the exercises that follow each reading to help you comprehend the readings. These exercise help draw your attention to such aspects as the main point, the important details, and how they are related. 4. Time yourself as you read each reading passage, and record your reading speed in the "Time Record Chart." Using the "Reading Speed Chart," calculate your reading speed, and record it on the "Time Record Chart." This will help you to see improvement in your reading speed. 5. Look at the photographs and other visual aids. They will help you understand and visualize what you are reading and give you background information about it. 6. Read about British culture in other books. This textbook includes only a few aspects of British life and culture. You can read about other aspects on your own. 7. Read other books in English. This book alone is not enough to improve your English--you should read as much as possible in English to further improve your reading ability and increase your reading speed. When you read other books, choose books about subjects you are interested in. This will help motivate you to read. * * * * * * We would like to express our appreciation to Donna Tamaki of Doshisha Women's College, Clive Pemberton of Warwick University, and Joseph S. Cravotta, III, who read and made valuable comments on this manuscript. We would also like to thank the students in the MA program in the Department of Linguistics and Modern English Language, Class of 1996, the staff of Barklay's Bank and Careers Service at the University of Lancaster, and Alan Davis of Wigan, England, who were generous in helping us in gathering information for this textbook. S. Kathleen Kitao, PhD Kenji Kitao, PhD March 1999 Kyoto, Japan Table of Contents Eating and Drinking 1. Food and Drink 2. Pubs and Drinking Spending Free Time 3. Sports 4. The Mass Media -- The Print Media 5. The Mass Media -- The Broadcast Media 6. Holidays and Celebrations 7. Leisure and Entertainment Education and Beyond 8. Primary and Secondary Education 9. University Life 10. Finding a Job Spending Money 11. Housing and Cars 12. Money and Shopping Catalog (in Japanese)