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English Speaking Countries (See Activities)

English Speaking Countries

Knowledge of English Speaking Countries (or Introduction to English Speaking Countries) is a common course for second-year Education majors in China. 

 

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It is an academic course focusing on geographical and historical facts, and the political, economic, and social systems of English-speaking countries.

 

Chinese English teachers often teach this course, but occasionally native English teachers are asked to teach the course. 

 

There are two textbooks that are usually assigned with the course that are published in China, The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries.

 

Book 1 is mainly about the UK and Book 2 is mainly about the US.

 

The syllabus for this course was designed for a class of 20 – 30 students. The course is 16 lessons with each lesson containing 90 minutes of material.

 

See the Downloads section for the Course Outline. Complete lesson plans with printable materials are below.

 

See also:

Try Our Lessons for English Speaking Countries

Lesson 1: Introductions

Lesson 1: Introductions

ESL students make a list of English speaking countries and a KWL chart for the US and the UK.
Lesson 2: UK Geography & History, Part 1

Lesson 2: UK Geography & History, Part 1

Compare similarities and differences between England, Scotland, and Wales. Identify England, Scotland, Wales, and capital cities on a map. Illustrate historical areas on a map.
Lesson 3: UK Geography & History, Part 2

Lesson 3: UK Geography & History, Part 2

Identify characteristics of Republicans and Loyalists in Northern Ireland. Identify important dates in UK history.
Lesson 4: UK Government

Lesson 4: UK Government

Students give their opinion about the political problems in Northern Ireland, describe the 3 parts of Parliament, and explain the relationship between the Queen and the Prime Minister.
Lesson 5: UK Politics, Class, and Race

Lesson 5: UK Politics, Class, and Race

Students identify reasons and debate whether to abolish or keep the UK monarchy, discuss characteristics of the UK political parties, and debate the ideas of the Labour and Conservative parties.
Lesson 6: UK Economy

Lesson 6: UK Economy

Students compare the economy and class systems of the UK to China, identify characteristics of the 3 main sectors of economies, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of privatization.
Lesson 7: British Culture Movie

Lesson 7: British Culture Movie

Students observe differences between the working class and the middle class in the UK, and interpret their observations from a film.
Lesson 8: UK Culture Presentations

Lesson 8: UK Culture Presentations

Students prepare and conduct a Power Point presentation based on a topic about the UK, and listen and take notes about the other presentations.
Lesson 9: US Geography & History

Lesson 9: US Geography & History

Students locate the 50 states on a US map and explain basic facts about the first colonists in the US and the Declaration of Independence.
Lesson 10: US Government

Lesson 10: US Government

Students explain the differences between Republicans and Democrats in the US, describe the 3 branches of the US Government, and apply the Bill of Rights to situations.
Lesson 11: US Economy

Lesson 11: US Economy

Students compare the economies of the US, UK, and China, watch a documentary about the development of the US economy, and discuss household income and expenses in the US and China.
Lesson 12: US Social Movements

Lesson 12: US Social Movements

Students learn basic knowledge about the 3 US social movements in the 1960s, discuss issues involving racism in the US, and summarize the meaning of two influential songs.
Lesson 13: US Social Problems

Lesson 13: US Social Problems

Students describe the 4 major races in the US, observe and interpret social problems from a film, and discuss median salary based on race, gender, and education.
Lesson 14: US Presentations

Lesson 14: US Presentations

Students prepare and present a presentation based on a topic about the US, and listen and take notes about the other presentations.
Lesson 15: Review

Lesson 15: Review

Students review material about UK and US geographical and historical facts, and their political, economic, and social systems. Students explain how they accomplished their goals this semester.
Lesson 16: Final Exam

Lesson 16: Final Exam

Students take a final exam about the culture of English speaking countries, which includes geographical and historical facts, and the political, economic, and social systems.
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