Just a little Britishness, my dear, please! Just a little!
(Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ***)

Are these aspects of Britishness?
Photo credit: bbc.co.uk

This lesson will be devoted to the notion of...  Britishness. 

But what is Britishness, according to you? How would you define it?

In other words, what do you think are the most important aspects (notions, people…) of Britain? What do you associate the word ‘British’ with?

You can make a list.

When you are finished, you can compare yours with this 2008 list (of course, in a more recent list, Kate Middleton and Prince William would most certainly top it!)

  

Photo credit: meetpeopleinlondon.eu

A recent survey (April 2014) conducted by a charity, The British Social Attitudes, showed that the monarchy, the BBC, the pubs, the weather, Shakespeare ... were among the commonest British associations and you may have found some of them as well.

Britishness can also be partially synonymous with the pride Britons have in their national identity.  

Partially because The BSA survey found that that pride has been declining.

If you want, you can have a look at The BSA site and find out how the surveys are conducted. Click HERE.

However, while still keeping that notion of Britishness in mind, the survey also highlighted that it is getting harder and harder to be seen as a true Brit.

You are now going to watch a Sky News report to find out more about that issue.

Before watching

The following words and notes could be useful:

the cradle: place of origin     berceau       

ancestry: ancestors       ascendance  

to tackle (a problem e.g.):  to deal with      s'attaquer à  

hard-hitting: effective; forceful       efficace; percutant  

(Alexander) Boris (de Pfeffel) Johnson (born 19 June 1964): a British Conservative Party politician and Mayor of London since 2008 (after being re-elected in 2012).  He worked initially as a journalist for The Times and the Daily Telegraph before becoming the editor of the Spectator.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, 10 June 1921): husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was educated in several countries (France, Germany, England, Scotland) and joined the British Royal Navy in 1939 at the age of 18. After the war, he was granted permission by King George VI to marry Princess Elizabeth, which led him to abandon his own royal titles, to convert to Anglicanism and to become a naturalized British citizen. He married Elizabeth in 1947 who became Queen in 1952.

Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946): an English actress, former model and author, who starred in the British television series (Absolutely Fabulous as well as in The New Avengers) in films and plays. She is also an advocate for various causes (charities and animal welfare groups).

Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb, 14 October 1940): a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor and philanthropist. He mainly dominated (with the Shadows) the British pop scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s. But he has released lots of singles, albums and EPs during a career spanning more than 50 years. 

While watching

Answer the following question in French:

What does it imply now to be(come) a true Brit?  Complete the grid.

What are the conditions?	Comments? Show how hard(er) it is now to be regarded as a true Brit.

You can also find the report on the Sky News site by clicking HERE 

When you are finished, you can check your answers

What are the conditions?	Comments? Show how hard(er) it is now to be regarded as a true Brit.
Etre capable de parler l’anglais	95% des personnes interrogées en 2013 estiment que c’est une nécessité. En 2003, ils n’étaient que 86% à abonder dans ce sens.
Avoir vécu en Grande-Bretagne la majeure partie de sa vie.	Argument tenu par 77% des personnes en 2013 ; 69% dix ans plus tôt.
Etre né en Grande-Bretagne.	74% des personnes le pensent (en 2013, contre 70% en 2003) Argument qui suscite un gros problème car des « Britanniques » apparemment de prestige ou de haut niveau nés ailleurs (à l’instar de B. Johnson, Maire de Londres, né à New York ou le mari de la reine né en Grèce, ou une actrice comme J. Lumley née en Inde) seraient exclus.
Avoir la « bonne » ascendance	50% des gens le pensent. Problème pour la journaliste qui a bien son passeport et qui est bien née en Grande-Bretagne mais pas ses ascendants !  (Ou bien: ils n'ont pas la "bonne" couleur!!!  - Plutôt vague)
Attendre un certain délai (en tant qu’immigré) avant de pouvoir prétendre bénéficier d’allocations au même titre qu’un Britannique	60% des personnes interrogées estiment nécessaire que ces personnes ne puissent en bénéficier qu’après trois ans alors que le Premier Ministre veut fixer le délai à trois mois après leur arrivée…

New skyscraper completed in London
(Level: Intermediate + to Upper-Intermediate / B2  to C1/  ***)

City of London skyline
Picture credit: theguardian.com

The Leadenhall Building, nicknamed “The Cheesegrater” was completed in July 2014 and adds up to the City of London skyline, along with The Shard (*), The Pinnacle, The Gherkin, The Quill and many others.

(*) You can also watch the report posted on 20 May 2013 and find out more about The Shard. Click HERE

The Cheesegrater is unique as such. You are now going to watch a BBC programme focusing on this London’s latest building.

Before watching

Look at these pictures of the Cheesegrater. 

What can you say about the building? What makes it unique, according to you? 

The Cheesegrater
Picture credit: building.co.uk

The Cheesegrater
Picture credit: bbc.co.uk

While watching

Answer the following question in French!

What makes the Cheesegrater different from other skyscrapers in the City?

(Five points)

1

2

3

4

5

You can also watch the BBC video by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers.

1 

La forme du gratte-ciel: une râpe à fromage avec une base plus large et un sommet de plus en plus étroit.

A cheese grater
Picture credit: overclock.net

Cette forme spécifique a été voulue par les architectes afin de bien maintenir le bâtiment à l'écart de la silhouette du dôme de la Cathédrale Saint-Paul à partir du West End de Londres.

Remarque: pour être plus précis, pour maintenir une vue dégagée du dôme de la cathédrale quand on se situe dans Fleet Street...

(...) While its name is the product of a planning-meeting quip, the Cheesegrater's form is dictated by a building that has been the most powerful force in shaping London for the last three centuries. The dome of St Paul's Cathedral, almost a mile to the west, is protected by a convoluted array of height limits and viewing corridor rules. All buildings must bow to these. (...) But with the Cheesegrater, Rogers and his team have used this strange doctrine of deference to great effect, crafting a slender tapering form of rare elegance. The fact that the tower tilts back to the north isn't just to add some visual dynamism - it's also, like an awkward relative leaning out of a wedding photograph, making sure it doesn't spoil the backdrop of the hallowed dome when seen from Fleet Street. (...) (Oliver Wainwright, The Guardian, 16 June 2013)

Et voici ce que ça donne:

Saint Paul's dome from Fleet Street
Photo credit: cabbieblog.com

2

Le rez-de-chaussée sera entièrement accessible au public.

3

Les ascenseurs sont les plus rapides de Londres, si pas d'Europe; 45 étages en à peine 30 secondes  (15 miles à l'heure, soit +/- 24 km à l'heure).

4

85% de la structure totale a été fabriquée hors du chantier et acheminée sur place afin de l'assembler à la manière d'un mécano (ou lego) géant.

5

Les entreprises qui veulent y avoir leur siège ou leurs bureaux doivent payer des loyers exorbitants, parmi les plus élevés de la Capitale.

The Shard -
95% owned by Qatar
Picture credit: theguardian.com

The Pinnacle -
an office tower
Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

The Quill -
a student residence
Picture credit: london-se1.co.uk

The Gherkin -
an office building
Picture credit: theguardian.com

The growth of tourism in the world
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)

Image credit: dreamstime.com

You are going to watch a BBC programme focusing on tourism as one of the world's fastest growing industries.





Before watching

The following words could be useful:
to draw in: to attract      attirer  
a good chunk: a substantial amount or number          une bonne partie
a trillion: 1,000,000,000,000  / one thousand billion     1000 milliards / un billion



While watching

Make notes in French!  Complete the grid!

Destination la plus prisée ? Expliquer.
Le nombre de visiteurs par rapport à celui des autochtones ?
La France en 2012 ?
Touristes : raisons de leurs déplacements?
L’industrie du tourisme : quelques chiffres ?
Les touristes chinois ?

When you are finished, you can check your answers.

Destination la plus prisée ? Expliquer.	Sur un milliard de voyages enregistrés, l'Europe est la zone la plus prisée au monde, attirant plus de la moitié du tourisme mondial (563 millions de voyages en Europe).
Le nombre de visiteurs par rapport à celui des autochtones ?	Le nombre de visiteurs dépasse allègrement celui des autochtones...
La France en 2012 ?	Ce pays a accueilli en 2012 83 millions de visiteurs; ce qui lui a valu d'être la première destination touristique au monde...
Touristes : raisons de leurs déplacements?	La plupart (52%): pour les vacances, les loisirs. D'autres (27%): pour rendre visite à des amis ou parents ou pour des raisons de santé ou religieuses... Une large proportion enfin (14%) pour les affaires ou raisons professionnelles...
L’industrie du tourisme : quelques chiffres ?	Industrie mammouth qui a généré, selon les estimations, quelque 1,4 billion de dollars en 2013 dans le monde. Ce qui correspond à 3,8 milliards de dollars chaque jour...
Les touristes chinois ?	Ont été les plus grands dépensiers en 2013 mais ont privilégié en général une destination en Asie (notamment  Bangkok devenue ainsi la destination la plus importante au monde)

Speakers' Corner

(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ** to ***)

Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, London
Picture credit: forum.thefreedictionary.com

Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, London
Picture credit: londontown.com

You are going to watch a short report focusing on Speakers’ Corner, a site in London’s Hyde Park which is still considered to be a real symbol of democracy.

Before watching

The following words and notes could be useful:

to be enshrined in law:  to be officially recorded as a law so that it cannot be ignored     être garanti par la loi

a zealot: a fanatically-committed person or zealous adherent to a cause (political or religious one)...  un fanatique

Spycatcher: book written by Peter Wright, former MI5 (*) counterintelligence officer, which sold over 2 million copies partly because the British government attempted to ban it. 

If you want more details about the Spycatcher, click HERE

(*) If you want more details about MI5, click HERE

Anthony Neil Wedgwood “Tony” Benn (1925 – 2014) was a Labour politician, an MP (Member of Parliament) for more than 50 years and cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. He became Britain’s youngest serving MP at the age of 25. In the 1970s, he became the chairman of the Labour Party and had a position later in the Labour Government of 1974-1979. When his party was in the opposition in the 1980s, he became a radical key figurehead of the left wing (he had started being on the left wing because of his frustrations with the centre-right policies led by his own party). He retired from the Commons in 2001 but continued to spend time on politics and wrote his diaries.

If you want to know more about Tony Benn, click HERE 

Eric Arthur Blair (1903 – 1950), known by his nom de plume George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. His work highlights social injustice and opposition to totalitarianism. He is best known for his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (written in 1949) and the allegorical Animal Farm (1945). In 2008 he was ranked second by The Times on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Orwell continues to influence literary and political culture and the word “Orwellian” – used to refer to totalitarian or authoritarian situations has entered the language together with several of his own neologisms (Big Brother, cold war,  Thought Police…) … 

For more details about George Orwell, click HERE

More about The Times' list of the fifty greatest writers since 1945? Click HERE

 George Bernard Shaw (1856 –1950):  Irish playwright who wrote more than 60 plays; he was also a novelist, essayist and short story writer. Nearly all his writings dealt with social issues (education, marriage, class privilege, exploitation of the working class…). He was also awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938) for his contribution to the film Pygmalion (an adaptation of his play)… 

More details about G.B. Shaw?  Click HERE


Karl Heindrich Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher, historian, revolutionary socialist whose work contributed largely to the current understanding of labour and capital. The most notable books he published were The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.

If you want to know more about K. Marx, click HERE





While watching


Answer the following questions in French:


1 What do you get to know about Speakers' Corner? Make notes.
2 How is Speakers' Corner important, according to Reinhard Wentz?

You can also watch the BBC programme by clicking HERE




When you are finished, you can check your answers.

(Suggestions de réponses)

1

• Endroit à Londres que l’on associe à la liberté de parole depuis près de 1000 ans.

•  A l'origine: lieu d’exécutions publiques où les gens se réunissaient pour entendre les dernières déclarations des condamnés à mort.

•  Lieu de grandes manifestations et de grands discours depuis lors…

•  Le droit d’y exercer ses talents d’orateur et d’y dire ce qu’on veut a été garanti par le législateur en 1872.

•  Toute la zone a été rénovée par la Royal Parks Authority : nouvelle grille d’entrée avec des barreaux en forme de « mégaphones »  pour symboliser la liberté de parole. (Plus de détails concernant la Royal Parks Authority?  Clique ICI )

• Le lieu y a vu défiler des personnages tels que Marx, Orwell, B. Shaw, Tony Benn…

•  Tout le monde peut y prendre la parole, qu’on soit anarchiste, comédien ou fanatique religieux…

2

Il est extrêmement important qu'un lieu tel que Speakers' Corner puisse continuer d'exister puisque les échanges d'opinions y sont directs (et non pas virtuels comme c'est le cas sur la Toile ou Facebook). Ici, il faut assumer les opinions qu'on exprime et les conséquences éventuelles (réactions du public...)... 

More details about Speakers' Corner?  Click HERE

You can also find interesting information HERE

And finally, about R. Wentz: click HERE