English around the World

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3

Fun facts about the Empire

check out the map on the next slide and read 

the information at the hotspots

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were 4 Anglo-Dutch Wars, where Britain fought The Netherlands - who also wanted to be a global power. Britain won eventually, and this is how the Dutch lost New York to the British... 

Britain's first permanent settlement in America was Jamestown, in 1607.

The very first British colony was the "Plantation of Ireland" in the 1600's. Ireland did not become an independent republic until 1948!

Britain was responsible for the transportation of 3.5 million African slaves to the Americas; a third of all slaves transported across the Atlantic.

The reason some countries (mainly in Africa and the Middle East) have such straight lines as borders, is because colonial powers (Such as Britain & France) simply drew a line on a map with a ruler to divide land. They didn't think about the people/ tribes living there, which is one of the reasons why some of these countries are war-torn untill this day. 

By 1913, 23% of the world population at the time lived in the British Empire. And it covered 24% of the Earth's total surface!

From the early 17th century, Britain colonised Australia. In the beginning, they mainly used the faraway land to dump their convicts. Therefore, many Australians today are descendants of English criminals!

At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire, because its expanse around the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.

The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It has no permanent residents (too cold probably?). But, of course, the region does have its own postal stamp. 

At its height, the British Empire was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. 

The Empire existed between the 16th and 20th century:  the transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997 marked for many the end of the British Empire.

Which country was the first British colony?

1. Australia
2. America
3. Ireland
4. South Africa

How much of the Earth's surface was part of the British Empire at its height?

1. 44%
2. 24%
3. 14%
4. 4%

The British part of Antarctica has no permanent residents. But, what DOES it have?

1. Its own stamp
2. Its own parliament
3. Its own Disneyland
4. Its own airline

Guess the accent

where are these people from? 

What accent does Billy Connolly have?

Russel Peters is Canadian, but what is his background?

Where is Steve Irwin from?

How can you tell where an accent is from?
Give an example of words/ sounds

one guy - lots of accents

Speaking assignment:

In pairs, talk about these two questions in English:

1 Should schools teach in the regional dialect or Dutch: ABN?

2 Should English be taught with a British, American or other accent?

You have 5 mins to discuss the 2 questions

Should schools teach in the regional dialect of their students or should they teach the students to speak the standard dialect of the language?

Regional

Standard

Should schools teach English in the British, American or other accent?

British

American

Other

Do you recognise this?

In small groups you will choose an accent and research it.

You will prepare a poster in which you include (at least) the following information:

- Geographical / Sociocultural information

- Distinctive features

- Examples

What have you learned today?

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org