SESSION 2: THE PHYSICAL SETTING OF BRITISH CIVILIZATION

FAST FACTS
Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary government
Capital: London
Population: 64,960,000
Official language: English
Money: Pound sterling (£)
-​ Coins: 8 (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2)
-​ Paper money: 4 (£5, £10, £20, £50)
Area: 93,635 square miles (242,514 square kilometers)
Major rivers: Thames, Severn (longest), Tyne
Flag: Union Jack

●​ The British Isles: All the islands put together (England + Wales + Scotland
+ Northern Ireland + Southern Ireland)
+​ Lying off north-west coast of Europe
+​ 2 large islands + thousands of much smaller ones (e.g. Isle of Man:
self-governing British Crown dependency)
+​ Largest island called Great Britain; second largest called Ireland
Two states:
-​ One governs the south of the island of Ireland, called The Republic
of Ireland.
=> ‘Ireland’ or ‘the Republic’; ‘Eire’ in Irish language
-​ The other has authority over the rest of the British Isles.
→ Official name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
⇒ ‘The United Kingdom’ or ‘the UK’
-​ Great Britain/Britain:
‘Britain’ or ‘Great Britain’ refers to England, Scotland, and Wales (joined
in ONE island), but it is sometimes used to include Northern Ireland.
→ Northern Ireland is also called ‘Ulster’.
-​ The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK): Made
up by 4 countries (England + Wales + Scotland + Northern Ireland)
-​ The Republic of Ireland (also Ireland or ‘Eire’): Independent country (NOT
part of THE UK)

ENGLAND SCOTLAND WALES NORTHERN

 IRELAND

London Edinburgh Cardiff Belfast

St. George’s Cross The Saltire Y Ddraig Goch St. Patrick’s

Saltire

English English & Scottish English & English & Irish

Gaelic Welsh

Note
-​ Albion: used in some poetic or rhetoric contexts to refer to England; it
was the original name for Britain.
-​ Britannia: name that the Romans gave to their southern British province
(area of present-day England)
-​ Britannia: name given to the female embodiment of Britain
-​ Caledonia: Roman name for Scotland
-​ Cambria: Roman name for Wales
-​ Hibernia: Roman name for Ireland
-​ Cymru: Welsh name for Wales\Erin: poetic name for Ireland\The
Emerald Isle: for Ireland, evoking the lush greenery of
countryside\Briton: used in official contexts and formal writing to
describe a citizen of the UK
●​ The UK climate
-​ Varied climate + changeable weather
→ Hard to predict
✓ Lack of extremes
✓ Damp
✓ Subject to frequent change = changeability
-​ Temperate maritime
-​ Warm summers and cool winters
✓ Winter: east colder than west
✓ Summer: south warmer and sunnier than north
What influences the weather?
-​ Atlantic Ocean
-​ Northern latitude
-​ Gulf Stream (a warm current of the northern Atlantic Ocean).
4 seasons
-​ Spring: March to May
-​ Summer: June to August
 -​ Autumn: September to November
-​ Winter: December to February
Land and settlement
-​ No towering mountains
-​ No big rivers, plains or forests
​ ​ ​ ↳ Topography: Lacking grandeur but making variety
-​ South and east: low-lying; either flat plains or gently rolling hills
-​ North and west: mountainous
-​ Much of the land for human habitation:
+​ Dense population
+​ Privacy: Cities in England and Wales have been built outwards
+​ Love of countryside
Environment and pollution
-​ Air pollution:
+​ ‘Smog’ was first used in Britain to describe a mixture of smoke and
fog.
+​ ‘Pea-soupers’ in Charles Dickens’s works and Sherlock Holmes
stories
-​ Water pollution: the Thames
+​ Laws were passed to fight against pollution: forbidding heating of
homes with open coal fires; stopping much of factory pollution
+​ Situation in London reached its worst point in 1952.
-​ 1970s: less pollution
-​ But a new kind of air pollution due to increasing use of motor cars
●​ London
-​ Capital of the UK; Southeast of England
-​ Largest city (in Britain and in Europe)
-​ Home for headquarters of
+​ All government departments,
+​ Parliament,
+​ Major legal institutions
+​ The monarch
-​ Business and banking center
-​ Transport network center
-​ Headquarters of
+​ national TV networks: BBC
+​ national newspapers: the Times, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the
Independent…
-​ Global/Cosmopolitan city
 -​ Situated on the river Thames
​ ​ ​ ​ ↳ the longest river entirely in England and the second
longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn
-​ Tourist destination
-​ Favorite city to do business (by readers of Business Traveller magazine)
-​ Majority of Londoners live in suburbs and millions travel to the center to
work.
-​ Central London:
+​ City of London (‘the square mile’; 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km2)): home to
main financial organizations
+​ City of Westminster: St. James's Palace, Buckingham Palace,
Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street
-​ Greater London: 32 London boroughs (districts)
Westminster Abbey
-​ Where Wedding of William and Kate Middleton took place
●​ Southern England
-​ Including a dozen of counties and Greater London
-​ The area surrounding outer suburbs of London:
+​ ‘commuter land’
+​ most densely populated in the UK
-​ County of Kent: ‘the garden of England’
-​ The Downs: series of hills in horseshoe shape; for sheep farming
-​ Southern side of the Downs: reaching sea and forming white cliffs of
south coast
-​ South east: employment mainly in trade, services and light
manufacturing; little heavy industry
↳ Not suffering slow economic decline of many other parts of England
-​ The West Country:
+​ rural beauty
+​ some industry
+​ one large city (Bristol)
+​ farming (e.g. Devonshire cream and fruit)
+​ South west peninsula: most popular holiday area (e.g. city of Bath)
– City of Bath: UNESCO World Heritage Site –
-​ East Anglia: north east of London
+​ rural
+​ uniformly flat land
+​ wheat & arable crops
+​ The Fens: reclaimed from sea; watery, misty
– Norfolk Broads: popular for boating holidays –
-​ Canterbury Cathedral is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
●​ The Midlands
-​ During Industrial Revolution: Birmingham & surrounding area of West
Midlands (also Black Country) developed into major engineering center
-​ Industry: iron and steel
-​ Birmingham:
+​ Britain’s second largest city
+​ Social, cultural, financial, and commercial center of both the East
and West Midlands
●​ Northern England
The Pennine mountains
+​ Coal mines
+​ Iron ores
Industrial Revolution in the 18th century
+​ Cotton (Manchester)
+​ Port (Liverpool)
+​ Wool (Bradford and Leeds)
+​ Steel (Sheffield)
+​ Shipbuilding (Newcastle)
- Decline in heavy industry in second half of 20th century
→ High unemployment
- Towns on either side of the Pennines are flanked by steep slopes and
surrounded by land unfavorable for agriculture.
→ Open and uninhabited countryside is never far away from cities and
towns.
→ Only sheep farming
- The typically industrial and the very rural interlock.
The moor: a broad area of open land that is not good for farming
-​ Setting for the Emily Bronte’s famous novel Wuthering Heights
The Lake District National Park - The largest National Park in England
●​ Scotland
Three distinct regions:
-​ Southern uplands
+​ Bordering north of England
+​ Small towns apart from each other
+​ Sheep farming
 -​ Central plain + strip of east coast
+​ 80% Scottish live
+​ Same difficulties as the industrial north of England
-​ Highlands
+​ Mountains & deep valleys
+​ Natural beauty
+​ Same land area as southern England
+​ But about 1 mln people
Loch Ness
-​ A large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands
-​ Best known for alleged sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known
affectionately as "Nessie"
2 national parks:
-​ Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, created in 2002
-​ Cairngorms National Park, created in 2003
Ben Nevis - The mountain with its head in the clouds
Scotland - Edinburgh
-​ Britain’s third largest city
-​ Heavy industry
-​ Some worst housing conditions
-​ Also strong artistic heritage (e.g. Glasgow School)
-​ Half size of Glasgow
-​ Middle-class image
-​ Capital of Scotland
-​ Associated with scholarship, law and administration
+​ Many fine historic buildings
+​ Topography
=> ‘the Athens of the North’
-​ Internationally famous annual Edinburgh Festival
●​ Wales
-​Most people live in one small part
-​The Welsh case, south east of Wales is most heavily populated
-​Coal mining in south Wales has almost entirely ceased.
-​No really large cities in south Wales
-​Cardiff, the capital, has about 350,000 people.
→ Change to other forms of employment
-​ Most of the rest of Wales is mountainous.
→ Difficult to communicate bw north and south
→ Closer contact with neighboring part of England than with other parts of
 -​ The area around Mount Snowdon (highest mountain in Wales) in the
north west is very beautiful and is Britain’s largest National Park.
→ Snowdonia National Park
-​ National festival of literature, music and performance: Eisteddfod
●​ Northern Ireland
-​ Belfast, the capital, famous for linen manufacturing and still a
shipbuilding city
-​ The rest -> largely agricultural.
-​ Several areas of spectacular natural beauty (e.g. the Giant’s Causeway,
formed by an ancient volcanic eruption )
Lough Neagh
-​ sometimes Loch Neagh
-​ Freshwater lake in Northern Ireland
-​ Largest lake by area in the British Isles
The north-south divide
South
-​ More prosperous
-​ Lower rates of unemployment
-​ More expensive houses
‘Home Counties’
-​ South-eastern area surrounding London
-​ The word ‘home’ highlights the importance attached to London and its
domination of public life.

—————————————————————————————————————————

SESSION 3: THE BRITISH PEOPLE

I.​ BRITISH IDENTITY
1.​ Ethnic identity
Native British
●​ Scottish, Welsh or Irish people can have:
✓ weak (just emotional attachment)
✓ strong national loyalty (joining sporting/social clubs promoting their
folk culture or distinctiveness)
●​ Scottish reminders:
✓ Education, law, religion
✓ Scots as dialect
✓ Symbols of Scottishness:
-​ Scotland’s national poet: Robert Burns (1759- 1796)
 -​ Traditional dance: the reel
-​ Traditional dress: kilt
-​ Traditional food: haggis
●​ Native British
●​ Welsh do not have as many reminders.
●​ Public life is identical to that in England.
●​ Today many English people make their homes in Wales or have holiday
houses there.
* Symbols of Welshness?
✓ The red dragon
​ ✓ The daffodil and the leek
✓ The harp
✓ Eisteddfod festival
✓ The Welsh language: mother tongue of 20% population
* Native British
●​ In Northern Ireland, ethnicity, family, politics and religion are all
interrelated and social class has a minor role in establishing identity.
✓ Britons vs Irish people
✓ Protestants vs Catholics
✓ To remain part of UK vs to become Republic of Ireland
Lowland Scotland or England Native Irish
●​ People whose ancestors came ●​ People whose ancestors were
from lowland Scotland or native Irish are
England are self-consciously self-consciously Catholic and
Protestant and want N.I to would like N.I to become part
remain in the UK. of the Republic of Ireland.
NATIVE BRITISH:
●​ English people make no distinction in their minds between ‘English’ and
‘British’.
●​ Ex: Their anthem is the same as the British national anthem while the
Scottish, the Irish and the Welsh have their own songs.
✓ British national anthem “God save the Queen”
✓ Welsh national anthem “Land of My Fathers”
✓ Scottish national anthem “Flower of Scotland”
✓ Irish national anthem “The Soldier’s Song”
NON-NATIVE BRITISH:
●​ Caribbean roots, South Asian roots or others: different languages and
religions; different habits and attitudes
●​ Proud of their cultural roots/heritage
 2.​ Family identity
●​ Rather weak in Britain, esp. in England
●​ Means nuclear family (but extended family for racial minorities)
●​ Rate of divorce?
✓ Statistics in 2013 showed a decline
✓ Due to cohabitation before marriage
3.​ Geographical identity
●​ Sense of identity based on place of birth is not very common or strong in
most parts of Britain.
* Reasons:
✓ People are too mobile.
✓ Local pride
●​ Sense of identity with a larger geographical area is a bit stronger.
* Sense of identification:
✓ Accent (Liverpudlians, Mancunians, Geordies, Cockneys)
✓ County (Yorkshire, Cornwall)

London
* West End: many theaters, cinemas, expensive shops
✓ City of London (‘the square mile’; 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km2)): home to main
financial organizations, national TV networks, national newspapers
✓ City of Westminster: St. James's Palace, Buckingham Palace, Houses of
Parliament, and 10 Downing Street
* East End: poorer, home of the Cockneys, immigrants
North-South divide
North
●​ Poorer
●​ Northerners see themselves tougher, more honest and warm-hearted
than the soft, hypocritical and unfriendly southerners.
South
●​ Richer
●​ Southerners view the stereotypical northerner as rather ignorant and
uncultured and interested only in sport and beer-drinking.

British Identity: Religious and political identity

●​ Neither religion nor politics is an important part in people’s social
identity in modern Britain, except Northern Ireland.
●​ This is because the two do not go together in any significant way.
4.​ Class and gender
 ●​ Class system: flexible -> social mobility through education, marriage or
wealth
→ Class system has never been swept away by a revolution and an awareness of
class forms a major part of most people’s sense of identity.
●​ People in modern Britain are very conscious of class differences because
of different sets of attitudes and daily habits
✓ eating different food at different times of the day
✓ talking about different topics using different styles and accents of
English
✓ enjoying different pastimes and sports
✓ going to different schools…

●​ The Upper Class

✓ with inherited wealth
✓ some oldest families, with many of them being titled aristocrats
●​ The Middle Class
✓ majority of British population
✓ industrialists, professionals, business people and shop owners
●​ Lower or Working Class
✓ agricultural, mine and factory workers
✓ British Identity: Class and gender
- Most obvious class indicator? → not what but how to speak

●​ Standard British English + RP: Received Pronunciation

‘BBC English’
‘Oxford English’
‘Queen’s English’

●​ Society no longer overtly endorses differences in the public and social

roles of men and women.
●​ It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex.
●​ People still expect a fairly large number of differences in everyday
behavior and domestic roles.
II. ​ BRITISH ATTITUDES
1.​ Stereotypes and change
Stereotypes:
●​ Definition: A stereotype is "...a fixed, over generalized belief about a
particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996).
 ●​ In other words stereotyping is believing that people of a certain group,
race or religion all have the same characteristics when they don't.
●​ Britain is a ‘land of tradition’.
→ True at the level of public life -> for tourism
●​ The annual ceremony of state opening of Parliament
●​ The Trooping the Colour takes place on the second Saturday in June at
Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall in London.
●​ The official name is “the Queen’s Birthday Parade” or Birthday of British
Sovereign.
●​ Britain is a ‘land of tradition’.
→Not true in private everyday life: people are too individualistic
●​ Past: traditional ‘British’ or English’ breakfast (cereal + large fry-up +
marmalade + tea)
●​ Today: more continental or ‘European’ breakfast + coffee
●​ Queuing​
●​ British people don’t like to wait as they seem to.
●​ They are just patient (and polite).
English vs. British
●​ What is called typically British
→ may be only typically English
●​ Ex: anti-intellectualism
●​ Common sense
Multiculturalism
"We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength from the cultures and
the races that go to make up Britain today.“ Prime Minister Tony Blair, 2
October 2001
●​ People from all cultures and ethnicities can be found in every corner of
Britain and each person in his or her own way has contributed to make
Britain the place it is today.
→ Avoid generalizations
●​ a mixed race (multiracial) society:
✓ Celtic people: from mainland Europe BC
✓ Invaders: Romans (1 c. AD - early 5 c. AD, Anglo - Saxons (early 5 c. – 11
c., Vikings and Normans armies (11 c. – 15 c.)
✓ Slaves or servants: Africans were brought to Britain in the 17th & 18th
centuries
✓ Refugees from France, Ireland, Russia, and other countries, escaping
from persecution (ngược đãi) or famine (nạn đói) in their own countries
 Multiculturalism: legacy
●​ Celtic culture survives in south-west Scotland, Wales and Cornwall:
1.Celtic cross​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2.Bagpipe

3.Welsh language (Wales),​​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Gaelic language (Scotland)​ ​ 4&5. Celtic religious sites: Silbury Hill &
Stonehenge

●​ Romans: from Rome; focused on towns; little legacy

✓ Place names: Chester, Lancaster, Gloucester…
✓ Language: Latin
✓ Construction: Hadrian’s wall, villas, temples, steam bath, roads,
aqueduct system
→ Most destroyed/ruined

●​ Anglo-Saxons: from north-western European mainland

✓ New farming methods
✓ Shire, Essex, Sussex, Middlesex, Wessex
✓ Police title: Sheriff
✓ Place names: England, Wales
✓ Old English + Anglo-Norman Eng = Middle English

●​ Vikings (Norsemen or Danes): from Scandinavia

✓ Place names: Derby, Grimsby, Rugby or Whitby (-by from the Old
Norse meaning a ‘farmstead’ or ‘village’)
✓ Old Norse language -> Middle English -> Modern English
✓ Thursday, named after Thor, mythical Norse god of thunder
✓ Surnames: Benson, Jackson, Stevenson or Davidson
✓ Seafaring/navigation skills, shipbuilding…
 ●​ Normans: From Normandy (France); descendants of Norsemen
✓ Doomsday Book
✓ Strict feudal system -> English class system
✓ Anglo-Norman language -> Middle English
✓ Eastern Ireland was controlled by Anglo-Norman lords in the name of
the English king
✓ Whole Wales was under his direct rule
→ Since 14th c., naming monarch’s eldest son ‘Prince of Wales
Multiculturalism
●​ Some British people whose parents first came to Britain in the 1950s and
1960s from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and others.
→ Homes mainly in big cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester
●​ About 8% population from other cultures and ethnicities = about 5
million people
●​ People moving to Britain have brought their own cultures and try to keep
two cultures alive.
Ex: Notting Hill Carnival celebrates the Caribbean Culture → a very big part of
British life today
●​ 250 different languages spoken in London (Metropolitan city)

Conservatism
●​ Just few living folk traditions
●​ Too individualistic to have the same everyday habits as each other →
does not mean they like change
- The British like symbols of traditions and stability.
Ex:
✓ politicians’ enthusiasm for traditional family values
✓ continuity over modernity
✓ children’s reading habits…​

Being different
●​ Driving on left-hand side of road
●​ Using a different system of measurement: pound, gallon, inch, foot, F°…
●​ Remaining one hour behind CET (Central European Time)
●​ Starting fiscal/financial year at the beginning of April
●​ Double-decker buses
●​ System of measurement: inch, foot, yard, mile, nautical mile, thou.

Love of nature
 ●​ Majority live in towns and cities but have an idealized vision of the
countryside.
●​ Growing plants
●​ Gardening: one of the most popular hobbies
●​ Countryside:
✓ Peace and quiet
✓ Beauty, good health and no crime
✓ Stability
●​ Thatched cottage built around an area of grass called ‘village green’
The National Trust:
“We are a charity and rely for income on membership fees, donations and
legacies, and revenue raised from our commercial operations.”
→ Preserves Britain’s countryside and historic buildings

Love of animals
●​ Rossendale Pet Cemetery in Lancashire
●​ Wildlife programs
●​ St Tiggywinkles: hospital for animals
●​ RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)​

SESSION 4: THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

1. The constitution: Hiến pháp

2. The monarchy: Chế độ quân chủ
3. The parliament: Quốc hội
4. The government: Chính phủ
5. The legal system: Hệ thống pháp luật

The Constitution (Hiến pháp)

• Constitutional monarchy (Quân chủ lập hiến)
= country governed by a king/queen who accepts the advice of a parliament
• Parliamentary democracy (Dân chủ nghị viện)
= country whose government is controlled by parliament elected by people
→ The monarch is the official head of state, head of the Church of England,
head of Parliament & head of armed forces.
→ In reality, he/she has little real power.
→ Just ceremonial roles
• An ‘uncodified’ constitution = accumulation of various statutes (laws passed by
parliament), conventions, judicial decisions and treaties
→ 2 problems:
1. It makes it difficult to know what the state of the constitution actually is.
2. It suggests that it is easier to make changes to the UK Constitution than in
countries with written constitutions, because the latter have documents with a
‘higher law’ status against which ordinary statute law and government action
can be tested, and are only amendable via elaborate procedures.
The Monarchy (Chế độ quân chủ)
Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson
Current King: Charles III
Previous Queen (Predecessor): Elizabeth II
Current King & Royal Family
Royal succession lines
-​ First line heir:
●​ William, King Charles III’s elder son, Prince of Wales
-​ Second line heir:
●​ William's three children:
○​ Prince George
○​ Princess Charlotte
○​ Prince Louis
Head of State
❖ The King/Queen
●​ goes on official State visits abroad.
●​ also invites other world leaders to come to the United Kingdom.
●​ usually stays at Buckingham Palace or sometimes at Windsor Castle or
Holyrood house in Edinburgh.

Head of the Armed Forces

●​ is also the Head of the Armed Forces.
●​ is the only person who can declare when the country is at war and when
war is over.
Head of the Church of England
❖ The King/Queen
●​ is Head of the Church of England - a position that all British monarchs
have held since it was founded by Henry VIII in the 1530s.
●​ appoints archbishops and bishops on the advice of the Prime Minister.
●​ The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of
Canterbury.
Represents the Nation
●​ represents the nation at times of great celebration or sorrow.
But in fact the monarch can
▪ summon, suspend and dissolve Parliament
▪ give royal assent to laws passed by Parliament
▪ appoint ministers, judges, officers, governors, diplomats and bishops of
the Church
▪ confer honors such as peerages and knighthoods
▪ remit sentences passed on convicted criminals
▪ declare war or to make peace.
• The Crown is only sovereign by the will of Parliament.
• The country is actually governed by His/Her Majesty’s Government.
• The King/Queen has to act on the advice of their ministers to appoint the
Prime Minister.
□ the leader of the party which have won the majority in the House of
Commons
• If no party has a majority or if the winning party has no leader, the
King/Queen’s duty is to select a PM.
• The King/Queen sees the Prime Minister weekly.
□ discusses urgent matters
□ sees all the cabinet papers and correspondence.
• He/She is the second after the Prime Minister best informed person in the
UK.

The Parliament
●​ Parliament represents the people: chosen representatives represent
people’s views in the House of Commons.
●​ Bicameral: The House of Commons and The House of Lords
●​ Not the same as the Government (which runs the country).

Functions of Parliament
●​ to pass laws
●​ to provide by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of
government
●​ to scrutinize government policy and administration including proposals
for expenditure
●​ to debate the major issues of the day
Three parts of Parliament
●​ The King/Queen
●​ The House of Lords
●​ The House of Commons

The Parliament
●​ Note: King John vs. Robert FitzWalter and the barons (= landowners) King
John vs. Church
NOTE:
●​ Simon De Montfort’s Parliament was the first instance of a parliament in
which representatives from towns and the shires were summoned
together to discuss matters of national concern.
●​ This Parliament is seen as the earliest forerunner of the modern
Parliament because of its inclusion of both knights and burgesses, for a
reason other than the granting of taxation.
Suggested answers
House of Commons
●​ Elected body
●​ 650 members; each representing each constituency
●​ Proposes new laws; amends/changes existing laws; challenges
government’s work
●​ Candidates either belong to a political party or are independent
●​ Government + Cabinet; Party not in power -> the Opposition (Shadow
Cabinet); Speaker
House of Lords
●​ Non-elected body
●​ 800 members
●​ Life peers; hereditary peers; (Law Lords); bishops
●​ Reviews laws proposed by House of Commons
●​ Helps government by looking at laws and issues in detail

The Parliament (Quốc hội)

- The election: first-past-the-post voting system- Who wins in each
constituency?
Chesterfield Votes Totnes Votes
Conservative (Right Martin Potter 4,752 Sir Anthony Steen 19,637
wing)
Liberal Democrat Tony Rogers 20,330 Rob Chave 18,760
(Left wing)
Labour Tony Benn 26,105 Victor Ellery 8,796
(more Left wing)

- The election: first-past-the-post voting system

Chesterfield Votes Totnes Votes
Conservative Martin Potter 4,752 Sir Anthony Steen 19,637
Liberal Democrat Tony Rogers 20,330 Rob Chave 18,760
Labour Tony Benn 26,105 Victor Ellery 8,796

How a bill becomes a law (7 steps)

First reading
●​ The bill's title is simply read out in the chamber. The bill is then made
available to all members of Parliament.
Second reading
●​ MPs or peers discuss the main principles of a bill. MPs may vote at the
end of this stage, particularly if a bill is controversial. A bill in the House
of Lords passes to the next stage without a vote.
Committee stage
●​ A bill is then considered, line by line, by committees of MPs or peers.
Changes - called amendments - are proposed and voted on. Commons bill
committees normally consist of around 20 MPs. The entire House of
Lords often takes part at this stage.
Report stage
●​ The bill, with amendments or changes, is 'reported' to the House. All
members can review the amended bill. Those not involved at the previous
stage may suggest further changes.
Third reading
●​ MPs debate and vote on the bill in its final form. In the Lords, further
amendments may still be introduced.
A bill approved by one chamber is considered by the other
●​ If a bill begins in the House of Commons - and is approved - it is then
sent to the House of Lords, where it goes through the same stages. If the
Lords were to make changes to the bill, it would return to the Commons
for MPs to consider the Lords' amendments. Both the Commons and
Lords must agree on the final shape of a bill before it can become law.
The King/Queen's 'assent' turns a bill into an Act
 ●​ With approval from the Lords and the Commons, a bill will also receive
formal approval by the monarch - called 'Royal Assent'. The Queen always
gives her approval on the advice of ministers.
●​ A bill then becomes law, and is described as an Act of Parliament.

The Government (Chính phủ)

The Prime Minister
●​ Chosen by King/Queen
●​ Leader of the strongest party; Head of the UK government
●​ Ultimately responsible for all policies and decisions
●​ Oversees the operation of the Civil Service and gov. agencies
●​ Appoints members of the government
●​ Principal government figure in the House of Commons

Where does the Prime Minister live?

The official residence of the Prime Minister
✔ is at Number 10 Downing Street.
✔ has a house in the country called Chequers.

Who was the PM of the UK (after David Cameron resigned due to the Brexit
referendum)?
- Prime Minister Theresa May

Who is the new PM of the UK (after Theresa May resigned)?

- Boris Johnson served as Prime Minister of the UK and Leader of the
Conservative Party from July 2019 to 2022
- Liz Truss (2022)
- Rishi Sunak (2022)

The Cabinet
●​ Made up of senior members of government.
●​ Meet every week during Parliament to discuss the most important issues
for the government.

The most important Secretaries of State

• The Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance)
• The Foreign Secretary (international affairs)
• The Home Secretary (internal affairs)
• The Lord Chancellor (the legal system)
• The Secretary of State for Education
• The Secretary of State for Transport & the Environment.

Ministers
●​ 01 PM + 22 Cabinet ministers + 100 Other ministers = 123 Total ministers
●​ Chosen by the PM from members of House of Commons and House of
Lords
●​ Responsible for actions, successes and failures of their departments

How government is run

●​ Departments and their agencies are responsible for putting government
policy into practice.
●​ 23 ministerial departments (cục bộ trưởng)
●​ 20 non-ministerial departments
●​ 300+ agencies and other public bodies
Civil Service
✔ Does the practical and
administrative work of
government
✔ Is coordinated and
managed by PM, also as
Minister for the Civil
Service
●​ Around half civil
servants provide
services direct to the
public, including:
✔ paying benefits and
pensions
✔ running employment services
✔ staffing prisons
✔ issuing driving license

The Legal System

British Courts
●​ Supreme Court
●​ Senior Courts
○​ Court of Appeal (Tòa phúc thẩm)
 ○​ High Court of Justice ( Tòa cấp cao)
○​ Crown Courts (Tòa hình sự trung ương)
●​ Subordinate Courts
○​ Magistrates’ Court (Tòa pháp quan)
○​ County Courts (Tòa địa hạt)
○​ Family Courts (Tòa gia đình)

Notes
-​ Prima facie: vụ án đã đủ chứng cứ để thụ lý
-​ Crown Court: Tòa án Vương quốc Anh; tòa đại hình; tòa án hình sự lưu
động
-​ Queen’s bench division: civil cases
-​ Chancery division/court of equity: tòa án công lý
-​ Privy Council: Hội đồng cơ mật
-​ ECJ: European Court of Justice

—————————————————————————————————————————

SESSION 5: BUSINESS IN THE UK

1. Work in Britain
2. Work organization
3. Brexit
4. British business culture

1.​ Work in Britain

1.1. Economy of the UK
According to The World Economic Outlook (WEO)
●​ $2.76 trillion -> world economy’s 5th largest in GDP (2020)
●​ $2.91 trillion -> 9th spot in GDP purchasing-power-parity
●​ $42,557 -> 23rd in GDP per capita
●​ Services sector: > 75% of GDP with manufacturing
●​ Agriculture: 60% of GDP
 ●​ Modernization of business and industry: happened later than in other
Western European countries
●​ Graduate business qualifications: the norm for newly-hired managers
(1980s)
●​ Decades after WWII, agriculture performed better than industry: large
scale organization (i.e. big farms) more common than in European
countries
●​ Economic system: a mixture of private & public enterprises
●​ 1945 – 1980: various industries owned by the government (esp.
production & distribution of energy, transport & communication services)
●​ From 1980: the trend started going in the other direction
●​ 1980s: philosophy of Conservative government:
✔ ‘market forces’ rule;
✔ turning state-owned companies into companies owned by individual
members of the public (Thatcherism)
●​ 1980 – 1994:
✔ companies were privatized/ ‘de-nationalized’;
✔ more shareholders in the country than members of unions

1st PM of the UK?

-​ Margaret Thatcher
●​ Nickname: Iron Lady
●​ 2 important policies:
-​ Laisser-faire
= free trade
 = ‘market forces’ rule
-​ Privatization

Thatcherism
●​ A form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party
leader Margaret
●​ Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular
policies but also her personal character and style of management while in
office.
●​ The economy performs rather well, but has negative effects:
○​ The widening gap between rich and poor
○​ The creation of various public 'watchdog’ organizations with
regulatory power, but consumers often feel cheated
○​ Ofcom monitors the privatized communication industry (including
TV, radio, & telecommunications)
○​ Ofwat monitors the privatized water companies
●​ London: one of the centers of the financial world
●​ The Financial Times Stock Exchange Index (FTSE): one of the many
indicators of world stock market prices
●​ Bank of London: “The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street”
●​ An indication of the importance of banks in people’s lives:
✔ strong dislike of them
✔ always grumbling about the charges
✔ sometimes horror stories about charges or other inhumane treatment of
customers appear in the national news media

1.2. Working in The UK

●​ 3.7 million businesses in the UK.
●​ 75% of British jobs in service (industries - hotels, restaurants, travel,
shopping, computer, finances)
●​ fastest growing business & employs > 20 million people.

1.3.The Working Time

●​ Usual working day
○​ starts at 9am
○​ finishes by 5pm.
○​ Most people work a five-day week.
●​ Working week: longest of any country in Europe. (42.3 hours/week)
●​ Normal lunch break: an hour or less
 ●​ Working people: until 5 o’clock or later.
●​ Working hours: several hours overtime in a week.
●​ Normal retiring age: 65

1.4. Facts about British labor laws

Paid Holidays
British employers must give their workers 24-day paid holiday a year.

UK minimum wage & living wage 2018 - 2019

UK national minimum wage
-​ is reviewed annually
-​ varies depending on the employee’s age
-​ £8.21 in April 2019

UK Employment Law
●​ Children: work at the age of 13.
●​ Under-15s: work from 5 hours on Saturdays + weekdays in summer a
maximum of 25 hours a week during school holidays only work 2 hours
maximum on schooldays & Sundays
●​ Over-15s: work from 8 hours maximum on Saturdays & school holiday
weekdays to 35 hours a week during holidays

Public holidays
●​ Main public holidays
✔ Christmas (25 and 26 December),
✔ Easter (dates vary, March/April)
✔ New Year (January 1).

●​ Four UK countries have different numbers of bank holidays:

✔ eight in England & Wales
✔ nine in Scotland
✔ ten in Northern Ireland

2.​ Work organizations

CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY (CBI)

TRADES UNION CONGRESS (TUC)
NATIONAL FARMERS’ UNION (NFU)
CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY
●​ is a UK’s leading business organization
●​ representing employers in private industry
●​ formed in 1965
TRADES UNION CONGRESS (TUC)
●​ represents employees of all types of business
●​ founded in 1868
NATIONAL FARMERS’ UNION (NFU)
●​ largest farmers' organization in England & Wales with over 300 branch
offices.
●​ founded on December 10, 1908

ROLES:
CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY
-​ To promote business interests by
●​ lobbying & advising governments
●​ networking with other businesses
TRADES UNION CONGRESS
-​ To support trade unions to grow & thrive, help them represent their
members & keep pace with the changing world of work
-​ To stand up for everyone who works for a living by publishing research &
evidence, & campaigning for changes to the law & in society
-​ To help union members get on in life through running & managing
learning & skills programs
NATIONAL FARMERS’ UNION
-​ Negotiates with the government & national organizations on behalf of
English & Welsh farmers
-​ Highlights hundreds of reasons why farming deserves public support
through the NFU's Back British Farming campaign

3.​ Brexit
-​ “A combination of "British" & "exit"
-​ The withdrawal of the UK from the EU

SETTING
●​ In 1973: joined the European Union
●​ On Thursday 23 June 2016: referendum where the UK voted to leave the
EU
 ●​ The vote: 17.4 million in favor of leaving versus
16.1 voting to remain

4.​ British business culture

Manners are Important
DOs & DON'TS (Taboos) in Britain

DOs DON'Ts

●​ Do stand in line. ●​ Do not greet people with a kiss

●​ Do take your hat off when you ●​ Avoid talking loudly in public.
go indoors (men only). ●​ It is impolite to stare at anyone
●​ Do say "Excuse Me”. in public.
●​ Do pay as you go. ●​ It is impolite to speak with
●​ Do say "Please" & "Thank you“. your mouth full of food.
●​ Do cover your mouth ●​ Do not ask personal or intimate
●​ Do smile questions.
●​ Do drive on the left side of ●​ Do not spit
●​ the road ●​ Do not burp in public
●​ Do open doors for other ●​ Do not ask a lady her age
●​ people ●​ Do not pick your nose in
●​ Do shake hands public:
●​ Do say “Sorry”. ●​ Avoid doing gestures such as
backslapping & hugging
●​ Never eat off a knife when
having a meal

Business communication
1.​ Face – to – face communication
✔ On first acquaintance, you should be introduced by a third party
✔ A handshake is anticipated ONLY on the first meeting
✔ Commence the conversation with a neutral topic
✔ British people have a penchant for understatement

2.​ Making contact

✔ Not be offended if someone addresses you “love”, “mate”, “chuck”, “pet”
✔ Avoid explicit gestures & physical contact (backslapping, hugging)
✔ Long eye contact - an invasion of privacy
 3.​ Personal titles:
✔ Usually use first names in day-to-day conversations
✔ Add social titles in formal context
✔ Talk to a female, use “Ms” if you are not aware of her marital status
✔ Only finalized once the written contract is signed & witnessed
✔ Contracts may be reviewed by solicitors or law experts.
✔ British people value trust, reliability & fairness.
✔ Organizational structures are becoming flatter in the UK.

Business Etiquette
1.​ Punctuality
2.​ Gift giving:
✔ Gift-giving is not a usual part of British business etiquette
✔ If a gift is offered, it should not be so valuable or it may be considered as a
bribe
✔ Suitable gifts: company greeting cards, pens, books, diaries, flowers,
souvenirs from the visitor’s country, etc.
3.​ Business Dress Code:
✔ Classical conservative attire is the norm for both men & women in the UK
✔ Denim is not normally acceptable
✔ Dress code varies across industries

—————————————————————————————————————————

SESSION 6: EDUCATION IN UK

1. Types of schools in the UK

2. Learning style and school life
3. Public exams
4. Types of universities

1.​ Types of schools in the UK

-​ State school: Funded by the government (free)
-​ Independent/private school:
+​ NOT funded by the government
+​ Fee-paying
+​ NOT follow the National Curriculum
 -​ Public school (independent/private secondary school): class-bound +
very selective (dành cho giới thượng lưu và hoàng gia - không phải có tiền
là vào được)
-​ Grammar school (trường chuyên giỏi mới vào được):
+​ STATE secondary schools in England and are very selective,
selecting pupils based on academic ability.
+​ NO these schools in Wales and Scotland.
-​ Comprehensive schools (hỗn hợp - mix nhiều chương trình học và thời
gian khác nhau) → Có cả học sinh năng khiếu và học sinh học thuật.
+​ State schools where students of all abilities and aptitudes
are taught together
+​ MORE PRACTICE
●​ THREE concerns: Quality; Shortage of teachers; Social justice
a.​ Quality
Problem:
-​ A widespread feeling: schoolchildren do not get taught properly and learn
enough => less literate and less numerate than their European
counterparts (CHẤT LƯỢNG GIẢNG DẠY SOS → ĐẦU RA KHÔNG CHẤT
LƯỢNG)
-​ Universities and employers’ complaints about students’ lack of basic
knowledge and skills (3 Rs) and about ‘grade inflation’ (HỌC SINH MẤT
GỐC - TOÀN ÚT KHỜ )
-​ Solution?
●​ Revise the national curriculum
-​ Note: British Department of Education sets the overall learning objectives

b.​ Shortage of teachers

Problems:
-​ Rapid turnover of staff and class
-​ Large class sizes
Why:
-​ Tradition of English anti-intellectualism
-​ Low status of teachers
Solutions:
-​ Advertising campaigns and other initiatives (e.g. the teaching ‘Oscars’)
-​ Foreign teachers
c.​ Social justice
 -​ Obsession: Most well-performing children from middle-class (quite
wealthy) → mất cân bằng giáo dục trong xã hội (tồn đọng chưa giải
quyết được)
-​ Ý này lthu hong hiểu lắm có gì mn xem lại nhe
Problem:
-​ Obsession: Most well-performing children from middle-class (quite
wealthy)
Why worry:
-​ The elitist history of schooling
-​ Emphasis on fairness
Solution:
-​ Now most 11 year olds go to same local school (comprehensive schools)
→ The problem still remains.

2.​ Learning style and school life

Style
-​ Traditional view: education is purely to enrich students’ knowledge.
-​ Modern view: more practice – approach
-​ Sports achievement is the priority whole-person development

School life
-​ Kids usually starts to go to school at 5
-​ School time: 9 a.m – 4 p.m + lunch break
-​ Reduce homework burden
-​ 3 school terms, starting in September
-​ Aged bw 7 and 11: students take the National Exam (Math + English +
Science).
-​ Aged 16: students may leave school.
-​ They may go straight to work or further their education

3.​ Public Exams

-​ Administered by independent examining boards (khác vs VN - có
Bộ GD&ĐT)
-​ Each school or LEA (Local Education Authority) decides which
board to take exams and which subjects (hình thức thi cử khác
nhau và độc lập trên từng địa phương)
 4.​ Types of universities
Russell Group (thuộc hàng MASTERPIECE ĐẲNG CẤP THẾ GIỚI)
-​ Association of 24 world-class research-intensive universities in the U.K.
(Các trường trong danh sách này có ảnh hưởng sâu rộng đến xã hội, kinh
tế và văn hóa không chỉ tại UK mà còn trên toàn thế giới)

Oxbridge (Oxford & Cambridge Uni)

-​ The most prestigious
-​ Before 1970s,all males, but now both sexes
-​ High-performance students stand a better chance of being accepted

Old Scottish Universities (nhóm trường ĐH lâu đời thời Trung Cổ và Phục Hưng
- Ancient)
-​ Established by 1600
-​ 4 universities: Glasgow, Edinburg, Aberdeen, St. Andrews
-​ Prides of Scotland
-​ Fewer specializations compared to Oxbridge

Redbrick Universities (ra đời tại những TP công nghiệp thời Victoria) (được xây
bằng gạch đỏ đất nung nên gọi là Redbrick)
-​ Established during 19th century
-​ In new industrial towns
-​ Were built with bricks instead of stones
-​ At first only open to locals but later open to students around the country

Campus Universities (hong có nhiều thông tin về nhóm trường ĐH này → hơi
flop)
-​ Located in the countryside
-​ Offer accommodations, research facilities, and leisure activities
-​ In early 1960s
-​ Teaching in small groups (seminars)

Newer Civic Universities (thuộc nhóm trẻ tuổi mới thành lập gần đây)
-​ Originally technical colleges
-​ Upgraded around 1960s
-​ Notable for their flexibility Sandwich courses
→ Có tính thiết thực, hướng nghiệp cao (chương trình học phù hợp với môi
trường làm việc thực tế)
 Lesson 8: Agenda

The Physical Setting of the USA

1.​ Official name: United States of America
2.​ form of government: Constitution-based federal republic
3.​ Capital: Washington, D.C
4.​ Languages: English, Spanish (ko có ngôn ngữ chính thức của cả nc)
5.​ Major mountain ranges: Rocky Mountains (West), Appalachian Mountains
(East)
6.​ Major rivers: Missouri (longest), Mississippi, and Colorado.
7.​ About the American flag:
a.​ Colors: White - purity&innocent, Red - hardiness & valour,
Blue(color of the Chief) - vigilance, perseverance & justice.
b.​ Stars&Stripes:
i.​ 50 sao=50 states, a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal
to which man has aspired from time immemorial
ii.​ 13 stripes = 13 colonies, a symbol of the rays of light
emanating from the sun
iii.​ The first one to create the flag: Elizabeth Griscom “Betsy”
Ross
iv.​ The current flag: phiên bản thứ 27, thiết kế bởi một hs cho
một dự án của trường (Robert G. Heft)
8.​ The US anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner
9.​ Tượng nữ thần tự do, món quà của Pháp, hiện thân của người phụ nữ
Columbia, tượng trưng cho freedom, hope, justice, và friendship between
countries.
10.​Money: US DOLLAR/BUCK (Benjamin Franklin, Independence Hall)
11.​ US geography:
a.​ 3rd largest country in size (<Russia and Canada)
b.​ 2nd largest in population (<China and India)
c.​ Located in North America
d.​ Bao bọc bởi Atlantic Ocean (Đông), Pacific Ocean (Tây), Mexico
(Nam), Canada (Bắc)
e.​ Gồm 50 states (48 contiguous + the District of Columbia);
+​ Smallest state: Rhode Island (1,231 sq. miles)
+​ Largest state: Alaska (616,240 sq. miles)
+​ District of Columbia, Washington
+​ Alaska and Hawaii: 2 states separated from the contiguous
USA
f.​ twice size of the European Union
g.​ Các núi cao ở phía Đông
h.​ VÙng thấp nhất ở Death Valley (-282ft/-86m)
i.​ Vùng cao nhất Denali (20,320ft/6198m)
j.​ Chia làm 6 regions:
+​ Northeast (New England) gồm 6 states: Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
_17th c, European settlers came in search of religious
freedom
_The intellectual hub of the US
+​ The Mid-Atlantic gồm 5 states (Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) + Washington, D.C
_Các vùng công nghiệp thu hút hàng triệu dân du nhập từ
European dẫn đến sự phát triển của vài tp lớn của East Coast
(New York-biggest/most popular), NY Harbor (Largest),
Baltimore (Marylanđ), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
+​ The Midwest gồm 12 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin),
_Home to the country’s agriculture base
_Called “nation’s breadbasket”
 +​ The South (12 states),
_ Chịu sự khó khăn sau Civil War (1860-1865),
_ Phần lớn nguồn lực nhân sự là nô lệ
_ Mâu thuẫn giữa chủ nô và nô lệ
+​ The Southwest (4 states):
_ a beautiful stark landscape of prairie and desert
_ home to some of the world’s marvels, including the Grand
Canyon, and Carlsbad Caverns.
+​ The West (11 states):
_ home of rolling plains and the cowboy
_ A symbol of the pioneering spirit of the US
_ Diverse
Nature
-​ The landscape varies:
-​ Rocky Mountains
-​ From rolling prairie lands and barren deserts in the West to dense
wilderness areas in the Northeast and Northwest
-​ East: most various topographical features
-​ Interspersed throughout are the Great Lakes, the Grand Canyon, the
Yosemite Valley, and the Mississippi River.
-​ The bald eagle (ưng trọc) is the national emblem and symbol of the US
and is a protected species. Eagle = Strength, Freedom
-​ Islands:
-​ Hawaii: largest island => Polynesian culture
-​ Đa số đảo lớn nằm ở Alaska
-​ Extent
-​ 6 time zones (120 độ longtitude, 50 độ latitude)
-​ easternmost/westernmost points are in Alaska
-​ Mountains: Varied and beautiful
 -​ two main mountain ranges run north and south, the Appalachian
Mountains(east), and the Rocky Mountains = Rockies (west)
-​ ở giữa the Great Plains
-​ Rivers:
-​ Mississippi River: greatest
-​ Missouri: longest
-​ The Missouri + Ohio RIvers = the Mississippi
-​ The Mississippi -> the Gulf of Mexico, makes up part of the
boundaries of 10 American states

Lesson 9: Agenda - The US People

Early America

●​

· ​ Early group: Hohokam, Adenans, Anasazi, Hopewellians.

o Built villages and grew crops

o Were connected to land

o Valued family and community

o Picture writing called

o Worship nature

o Traded with each other, but also fought

=> mysterious disappearance

· ​ Later groups, Hopi and Zuni, prospered

o About 2 million native ppl lived before first Europeans arrived.

 o The Norse (from Greenland): first Europeans to arrive in late
10th century

· ​ How did Europeans immigrate to the “New World”? why named NW?
(Source YTB: History on Maps)

· ​ Christopher Columbys (Italian) was paid by Spanish Queen to explore

India.

· ​ 1497: John Cabot (English)

· ​ 1500s: Spain explored and claimed most land in the Americas

· ​ 1522: Spain conquered Mexico

· ​ The first permanent European settlement in North America was Spanish

and built in St.Augustine, Florida.

· ​ Giovanni da Verrazano, Jacques Cartier, and Amerigo Vespucci explored

further north.

· ​ The two American continents were named after Amerigo Vespucci

(Italian explorer).

Colonial America

· ​ Majority of immigrants in 1600s were English

· ​ Others: from the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, France, Scotland, and

Northern

· ​ Different reasons for emigration:

 o To escape war in home country

o To seek political or religious freedom in the New World

o Had to work as servants to pay back trip cost be4 gaining

freedom

o Arrived as slaves (black Africans)

· JAMES I of England and JAMES VI of Scotland 1603 – 1625

o Publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible

o This caused problems with Puritans and their attitude towards

the established church.

o 1620: Pilgrim (Pilgrim refers to people moving into another

place to…) Fathers sailed for America in The Mayflower.

· ​ Colonial Period (1600-Independence)

o 13 colonies in the north

+ Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts: two

earliest settlements.

o The Pilgrims established the colony of “Plymouth,” (named after

the English port they had departed from) in Massachusetts.

o Later, Plymouth Colony merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony

into the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

o 13 colonies developed within 3 distinct regions:

1. First settlements: Northeast or New England

 +​ Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island
+​ based on timber, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade.

2. Middle colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and

Delaware, ppl work in industry and agriculture. Society more
diverse & sophisticated

3. Southern colonies: Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, North

Carolina, South Carolina

+ Most ppl were farmers

+ Wealthy farmers owned large plantations and used

African slaves as workers.

o Relationships between European settlers and Native Americans

were both good and bad

+ 2 groups traded and were friendly

+ Settlers forced Indians/native Americans to move.

· ​ Revolution

o The American Revolutionary War (the American War of

Independence) lasted 8 years, and America was free from England
(1775-1783).

o 1776: Americans declared independence from England

The American Frontier (characterized by the westward movement)

· ​ Remained an open door to lands that were ostensibly unclaimed, where

place and fortune were yet to be won
· ​ Became a vital factor in shaping American life and American character.

Significance of The Frontier: F.J.Turner’s Frontier Thesis (1893)

Be compelled to adapt to the changes:

+​ crossing a continent
+​ winning a wilderness
+​ developing out of economic and political conditions

· ​ The necessity of doing things for oneself and standing alone much of the
time against difficulties => individualism + cooperative attitudes toward
neighbors

· ​ A practical inventive quality in dealing with material things

· ​ An idealism that merges into an incurable belief in progress

· ​ A willingness to try new things when the accepted fails

· ​ Emphasis on courage, energy and physical strength

· ​ Indifference to abstract things

US Civil War (1861-1865)

· ​ Abraham Lincoln: 16th US president

· ​ Leader of the Union during the Civil War

· ​ Abolished slavery

Civil Rights Movement (1960’s): African-Americans were equal citizens and

allowed to vote in the USA
· ​ In 1954, Supreme Court ruled schools for black children & white children
to be integrated because of equality.

· ​ President Lyndon Johnson supported Martin Luther King for civil rights
& voting rights for African Americans.

· ​ 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated because he believed all ppl
are equal.

Traditional values, assumptions, and beliefs of American culture:

· ​ Informality, Freedom, Privacy, Self- reliance,

Practicality(anti-intellectualism), competitiveness, equality of Opportunities,
Informality, Individualism, Material wealth/Achievement/Hard work,
Directness and assertiveness, Openness, Time (Monochronic), Goodness of
Humanity, Diversity (Melting Pot – Salad Bowl – Mosiac – Pizza)

Examples:

+ American denial of class division reflects American individualism and belief in

equal opportunities.

+ Separation of church and state ensures freedom of religion in America.

+ More and more young Americans are looking for a belief system that will help
them grow and improve as individuals, instead of following a religion out of
duty

Puritan work ethics

· ​ Protestant work ethic/ Calvinist work ethic/ Puritan work ethic: concept
in

o Theology, sociology, economics, and history.

 o Emphasizing that hard work, discipline and frugality result from
a person’s subscription to the values espoused by Protestant faith,
particularly Calvinism.

American Dream

· ​ National ethos of the US

· ​ Set of ideals:

o Democracy

o Rights

o Liberty

o Opportunity

o Equality

· ​ Freedom includes the opportunity for prospersity and success, as well as

an upward social mobility for family and children, achieved through hard work
in a society with few barriers.

· ​ Definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931[1]

· ​ “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with
opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social
class or circumstances of birth.

Goodness of humanity

· ​ Americans assume that human nature is basically good, not basically evil.

· ​ Examples? *

· ​ Getting More Education or Training

· ​ Formal education is not just for young people, it’s for everyone.

· ​ Nonformal educational opportunities in the form of workshops, seminars,

or training programs are widely available.

Examples*

· ​ Rehabilitation

o Not just for the physically infirm but for those who have failed
socially as well

· ​ Belief in Democratic Government

o Assumptions about individualism, freedom, and equality

o Assumptions that people can make life better for themselves

and others through the actions of government they choose.

· ​ Voluntarism

o Life can be improved through the actions of citizen volunteers

as well.

· ​ Educational Campaigns

o To “make the public aware” of the dangers of something and to

induce ppl to take preventive or corrective action, e.g. concerning
tobacco, addictive drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse, handguns…

· ​ Self-help

o Americans assume themselves to be improvable

o Participation in various educational and training programs

o Array of “self-help” and “how-to” books

 o Group activities to make themselves “better”

Racial and Ethnic Diversity

· ​ Movie: My big fat Greek Wedding (2002)

· ​ Movie: Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Immigration

· ​ According to John F. Kennedy (35th US president) in “A nation of

immigrants”, there are 3 reasons that made immigrants come to the US.

o Economic hardship

o Political oppression

o Religious persecution

· ​ In the early 1900s, migration from Europe to USA reached its peak.

· ​ Whites make up the largest population of USA

· ​ “Hispanics” refers to all Spanish-speaking Americans in USA

è Desire for economic advancement a major reason for

immigration to the US

Diversity

· “Melting pol” (18th c.) describes the fusion of various religious sects,
nationalities, and ethnic groups into one distinct people.

ð Assimilation

· “Salad bowl” emphasizes many differences between different racial and

ethnic groups in the US.
 ð Coexistence

· “Cultural mosaic” is the mix of ethnic groups, languages, and cultures that
coexist within society.

ð Multiculturalism

ð Diversity

Note

· Mass media homogenizes tastes, styles, and points of view among different
groups.

· Hollywood movies and popular music play an active role in assimilating

people of different backgrounds into American culture.

Black Lives Matter

· Black Lives Matter (BLM): formed in the US in 2013, dedicated to fighting

racism and anti-Black violence, esp, in the form of police brutality.

· 2020: George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was pronounced dead after a
while police officer knelt on Floyd’s repeated protests that he could not breathe.

· This event triggered massive demonstrations in cities throughout the US

Racial and ethnic relations

· People in the United States are continuing to confront ethnic and racial
tensions resulting from factors such as discrimination and negative
stereotypes.

Lesson 10: US Politics

National enblem/ Great Seal (Đại ấn): con dấu dành cho các tài liệu chính phủ
-​ Hình con đại bàng gắp oliu và cung tên
The making of The New Nation:
1.​ Hình thành từ sự phát triển về dân số và kinh tế trong 13 thuộc địa của
Anh
2.​ Basis of US politics: liberism and democracy
3.​ Sau cuộc chiến tranh của Anh và Pháp những năm 1750, những người định
cư (colonist - new nation) bị yêu cầu phải trả nợ giùm
4.​ Có nhiều điều luật bất công từ Anh dành cho những người định cư, tuy
nhiên giọt nước tràn ly là ở sự kiện Boston Tea Party tháng 12 năm 1773-
khi Anh ra điều luật bán trà từ TQ sang Mỹ nhưng không trả thuế ⇒ sự
vùng lên của những người định cư sau thời gian dài bị đối xử thiếu công
bằng
5.​ Sau đó chiến tranh dành độc lập tự chủ cho 13 thuộc địa diễn ra từ 1775 tới
1783 và họ dành chiến thắng
6.​ In order to build strong states, they need a government for all colonies ⇒
each colonies sent representatives to Federal Convention, Philadelphia ⇒
write Constitution
Presidents:
-​ 1st: George Washington
-​ 2nd: John Adam
-​ 3rd: Thomas Jefferson
-​ 4th: James Madison
Important dates
-​ 1776: Independence
-​ 17/9/1787: Constitution adopted
-​ 1788: Federalist paper
-​ 1789: Constitution created the basic structure of US federal government
-​ 1920: women got to right to vote
The Constitution (1787)
-​ Form of govern: constitutional federal republic
-​ democratic
-​ applied to the modern times
Bill of rights:
-​ Tổng 27 cái về fundamental freedom and rights of citizens
Check and balance:
-​ Phân chia quyền lực để tránh sự thống trị về quyền lực của một phe, các
phe đều có thể kiểm soát nhau
-​ Gồm 3 nhánh:
●​ Legislature: quốc hội (congress) - make laws
●​ Executive: tổng thống (president) - enforce laws
●​ Judiciary: tòa án tối cao (supreme court) - interpret laws
The Legislative - The Congress:
-​ Capitol (trụ sở): Washington
-​ Gồm:
●​ The Senate: 100 người
●​ House of representatives: 435
Legislative function
- make laws
- approve federal judges
- declare wars on other countries
●​ the senate has 100 senators, 2 from every states, 1/3 elected every 2
years for a six years term
●​ first past the voting: winners take all
​ Conditions to be a senator
1.​ 30+ yo
2.​ US citizen for 9 years
3.​ lives at the state tranh cử
House of representatives
●​ 435 ppl
●​ election every 2 years for a 2 year term
●​ first past the post voting
​ conditions to be a representative
1.​ - 25+
2.​ - live in US for 7 years
3.​ - no need to be a US citizen
Executive
●​ President: enforce laws
●​ vice president: listen to congress
●​ cabinet: military
​ conditions to be a president:
 1.​ - US citizen with at least 14 years living there
2.​ - 35+

5 presidents mentioned in Mrs Truc slide:

- George Washington: 1st
- Thomas Jefferson: 3rd
- Abraham Lincoln: 16th
- Theodore Roosevelt: 26th
- Barack Obama: 44th

Mt Rushmore: 4 heads carved

- 4 presidents above except Obama

Presidential Election
- four year term
- occur in the 1st tuesday after first monday in November
- process:
+ voters (indirect) -> representatives (direct) -> electoral college (đại cử tri đoàn)
là tổng senators và representatives của mỗi bang
- tổng số phiếu là 538: 100 senators+ 435 representative + 3 -> để làm president
phải trên 270 phiếu
- kết quả có thể thay đổi vì tới tháng 12 tổ chức 1 lần nữa mới chốt

Judicial
●​ court: interpret laws
●​ supreme court: gồm 1 chánh án (chief justice) và 8 phó chánh án
(associate justices) ==> interpret and test laws
structure of federal judiciary: 3
1.​ - supreme court
2.​ - courts of appeals
3.​ - district courts
state court
- each state has a court sys
- 98% of crime are handled by states

political parties
●​ republican (1854): favors free market and individualism but against
universal healthcare ==> socially conservative but economically liberal
 ●​ democratic (1824): favors laborers and minorities but against unregulated
business ==> socially liberal but economically conservative

L11. US BUSINESS
Overview
-​ 30% world millionaires
-​ 40% world billionaires
-​ largest national economy, 1st in energy, 2nd in PPP & manufacturing, 4rd
in oil & gas
-​ agriculture chiếm 1% GDP
Mixed economy
-​ economic system:
●​ capitalism (government)
●​ socialism (social)
-​ purpose:
●​ protect private property
●​ allow a level of economic freedom
●​ allow governmental intervention
-​ In a mixed economy:
+​ citizen decides what to produce
+​ citizen, price and profit decide how goods are produced
+​ government regulates some industries
Ideologies

Features Democratic Republican

Symbol Donkey Elephant

Tax Rich > poor Rich = poor

Social Based on community Based on individuals

Philosophy Focus on society and Focus on individuals

equality

Stance on governmental Needed to protect Hinder free market, job

regulation consumers growth
⇒ Người dân về phe Democratic, tài phiệt về phe Republican
⇒ Republican đắc cử nhiều hơn (30/46 tổng thống)

Consumerism (Chủ nghĩa tiêu dùng)

-​ US people spend more than needed ⇒ bóot economy
-​ a culture of credit card and bank loan (debt for population)
-​ materialist culture
Features of US business
1.​ private & profit
2.​ directly/ indirectly owned
3.​ business instituition is at the heart of US and it is respected
4.​ competition shows: progress, hard work, properity, quality and freedom
5.​ business is the easiest way to derive wealth for individuals and nation
6.​ Keywords:
●​ individualism
●​ competence
●​ competitiveness
●​ informality
●​ efficiency
●​ openess to change
7.​ first meeting & how to greet:
●​ firm handshake and smile
●​ eye contact
●​ distance
●​ call by first name
●​ exchange business card
●​ introduce the superior first
8.​ Small talk
 ●​ Yes but they prefer getting straight to the point with brief and
precise language
●​ If small talk, be careful with sensitive topics
●​ Be generous with compliments
9.​ Dress code:
●​ Varies among the regions and fields
US business heroes
-​ Successful people in business: from rags to riches
●​ Build something great outta nothing
●​ Without aid or heritance
US in the global marketplace
-​ the largest market
-​ ¼ world export economic output
Changing US workforce
-​ In the past: dominance of white men
-​ Now: Increasing presence of women and minorities
L12. US EDUCATION SYSTEM

History (17 ý)
1.​ Plymouth (Ma sét chu sét) set up in 1620 bởi Puritan ⇒ Tách ra 13
thuộc địa (13 colonies) dọc bờ biển phía đông (East coast).
2.​ 1635, US first grammar latin school in Boston.
3.​ 1636: Havard - US first university.
4.​ Giáo dục thời đó chưa available cho nữ giới, tuy nhiên họ có thể học
từ literate mother.
5.​ First colonial education in early thế kỉ 17: John Lockie’s thought
about how to become a gentleman and rational thinker.
6.​ Benjamin Franklin:
a.​ early thế kỉ 17: early discourse
b.​ beginning thế kỉ 18: English Academy/ Uni of Pennsylvania
 7.​ Thomas Jefferson (người viết tuyên ngôn độc lập/ Declare of
Independence 1776): 2 tracks of education for learning and
labouring.
8.​ 1837: public school promoted by Horace Man.
9.​ First school for girl in Mt Holyoke
10.​1867
a.​ Department of Edu được lập ra để giúp vận hành trường học
hiệu quả.
b.​ All blacks school: Washington City
11.​Association of American Uni: giúp US uni cạnh tranh với các đối
thủ châu Âu. (compete with European counterparts)
12.​Bureau of Edu Experiment: nghiên cứu về sự phát triển và học tập
của trẻ em (children’s learning and development)
13.​The Great Depression những năm 1930: khiến nhiều trường công
lập đóng cửa.
14.​Civil Rights Movements (1950s - 1960s)
15.​1960s - 1970s: chú trọng công bằng trong giáo dục.
16.​2001, George Bush kí “No child left behind”.
17.​2010s, phụ huynh US lo lắng khi con họ có academic performance
kém (đặc biệt là Toán và Khoa học), tuy nhiên mấy đứa nhỏ có điểm
mạnh là sự tự tin.
​ US Edu system: 4 cấp general - 6 cấp in detail
-​ General: Preschool - Primary - High - Tertiary
-​ Detail:
●​ Pre-kindergarten (3-4 tuổi)
●​ Primary (5-12 tuổi)
●​ Secondary (12 - 18 tuổi)
●​ Post secondary (18-22 tuổi)
●​ Post Baccalaureate (22+)
●​ Post doctorate
-​ Ideals:
1.​ Access to edu
-​ equal opportunities for everyone
-​ test result chỉ là 1 trong các yếu tố xét tuyển/ nhập học
-​ một số bài thi nổi tiếng: SAT vad TOEFL (college), GMAT
(graduate)
2.​ Universal literacy
-​ xã hội 100% người dân đều biết chữ
-​ có một luật bắt buộc những người trẻ đi học đến năm 16 tuổi
ở hầu hết các bang , ở 20 tiểu bang khác thì đến 17-18 tuổi
3.​ Equal opportunity
-​ Equality regardless of sex, age, race (công bằng, bất kể giới
tính, độ tuổi, chủng tộc)
4.​ Local control
-​ Không có Bộ giáo dục quốc gia (National Ministry of Edu)
-​ State Deparrtment of Edu có thể tác động lên curriculum
của trường học (public/ private school)
5.​ Parental involvement
-​ School encourages parental involvement (nhà trường khuyến
khích phụ huynh tham gia vào quá trình học tập của con trẻ
qua nhiều cách):
+​ phối hợp với nhà trường để quan sát performance của
con
+​ chia sẻ với con về học tập
6.​ Analysis & synthesis
-​ người mỹ có xu hướng phân tích và bình luận những creative
work
+​ e.g: learning is the process of memorizing, exploring,
experimentation, analyzing and synthesizing
7.​ Well-rounded people
 -​ academic and also useful, practical (giỏi cả lý thuyết, kiến
thức chuyên ngành lẫn thực hành và những kiến thức này là
hữu ích với đời sống)
⇒ The US are suspicious of intellectual things or “anti-intellectualism”
⇒ They expect practical results from fromtime and money.
​ Social forces (lực lượng lao động trong lĩnh vực giáo dục)
1.​ Social status
-​ No high status (không có địa vị cao)
-​ Not well-paid (Lương không cao)
-​ Less comfortable working conditions (Điều kiện làm việc ít
thoải mái hơn các lĩnh vực khác)
2.​ Money donation to edu
-​ No consistent financial support to the highest priority (Có
được hỗ trợ kinh tế nhưng mà không bền vững, giáo dục
chưa được ưu tiên như nó đang lẽ phải được nhận)
-​ Tax payers having children are more willing to pay more
than those who dont (Những người đóng thuế có con sẽ có
xu hướng sẵn sàng đóng góp nhiều hơn cho lĩnh vực giáo
dục)
3.​ Politics
-​ Contemporary political conflicts are reflected in edu (tình
hình chính trị đương thời sẽ được phản ánh trong giáo dục):
ví dụ sex/ drug edu
​ Challenges for schools
1.​ Financial support: economic slowdown (suy thoái kinh tế) và cần
nhiều hỗ trợ kinh tế hơn
2.​ Rating quality of edu instituitions: làm sao để biết giáo viên và cơ
sở giáo dục đang làm tốt trách nhiệm của họ?
3.​ Quality of textbook: có quá nhiều chủ đề nhạy cảm và gây tranh cãi
trong sách giáo khoa
​ Advantages & Disadvantages of US edu

Advantage Disadvantage

Formal edu for a majority of people Quality is not really high

Decentralization gives citizens rights Controversy

to speak up their opinion

Decentralization separates edu from Particular schools may maintain low

politics

Chance to be a good/ well-rounded Well-rounded citizens may not be

citizen well-equipped to work in specific
occupations

Recap
-​ Edu là national concern, state responsiblity, local function
-​ Public school được chính phủ tài trợ
-​ School boards take care of schools in each district and set school policy
-​ Local & state taxes support public schools