English Year 7: The UK, the USA, the EU and comparing our lives
English, Year 7 (Portugal): Know your own world, compare it with others without ranking, and place the UK, the USA and the EU.
Know your world, then compare
First describe your own world: your town, family, home, what you do for fun, the festivals you celebrate. Then compare with another place using facts: “Ana lives in a flat in Porto. Tom lives in a semi-detached house in Leeds. Both have their own room, but Tom's house has a garden.” Popular sports differ too: football in Portugal, cricket in England, baseball in the USA. Say what is the same and what is different.
Different does not mean strange
Comparing works only with respect. In a class where friends celebrate Christmas, Diwali, Eid or Hanukkah, respect means listening, asking politely (“Can you tell me about your festival?”) and not calling anything weird. A different way of living is not a mistake. Tolerance also means accepting that people can disagree with you and still be worth listening to.
A case: Great Britain or the United Kingdom?
Great Britain is the big island with England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom (UK) is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. Test: Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. In Great Britain? No, Northern Ireland is on the island of Ireland. In the UK? Yes. Capitals: London (England and the UK), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Belfast (Northern Ireland). Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland, a separate country.
“English” is not the same as “British”
Not everybody in the UK is English. Someone from London is English; from Edinburgh, Scottish; from Cardiff, Welsh; and Scottish and Welsh people can also say they are British. “English” means from England, “British” covers the UK, and England is not another name for the UK. In Northern Ireland some people feel British, some Irish and some both, so do not assume.
On the map: the USA and the EU
Two more places you meet on maps and in the news. The USA has 50 states, for example California, Texas, Florida and New York, and big cities such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Its capital is Washington, D.C., not New York. The European Union has 27 member countries, including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Ireland. The UK left the EU in 2020.
Test what you learned
You compare festivals in Portugal and the UK for a class talk. What is a good approach?
- a) Decide which festival is better and say why the other is boring
- b) Talk only about the UK, because the talk is in English
- c) Say what is the same and what is different, using facts about both
- d) Copy a text about each festival without adding what you know
Correct answer: c) Say what is the same and what is different, using facts about both — Yes: you start from your own world and compare with facts, without judging.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. Which statement is correct?
- a) It is in the UK but not in Great Britain
- b) It is in Great Britain but not in the UK
- c) It is in both Great Britain and the UK
- d) It is in neither: Belfast is in the Republic of Ireland
Correct answer: a) It is in the UK but not in Great Britain — Right: the UK is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland, and Belfast is in Northern Ireland.
Fiona is from Edinburgh. Which sentence is correct?
- a) She is English.
- b) She is English and British.
- c) She is Irish.
- d) She is Scottish, and she can also say she is British.
Correct answer: d) She is Scottish, and she can also say she is British. — Right: Scottish is her country, and British covers the whole UK.
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