The peoples of Britain

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 521.

Many foreigners who have not visited Britain call all the inhabitants 'English', for they are used to thinking of the British Isles as 'England'. In fact, the British Isles contain a variety of peoples and only the people of England call themselves English. The others refer to themselves as Welsh, Scottish, or Irish; they are often slightly annoyed at being classified as ‘English'.

Even in England there are many differences in regional character and speech. The chief division is between southern England and northern England. South of a line going from Bristol to London, people speak the type of English usually learnt by foreign students, though there are local variations.

Further north (roughly beyond a line going from Manchester to Hull) regional speech is usually 'broader' than that of southern Britain. Northerners are apt to claim that they work harder than the Southerners and are more thorough. They are open-hearted and hospitable; foreigners often find that they make friends with them quickly. Northerners generally have hearty appetites: the visitor to Lancashire or Yorkshire, for instance, may look forward to receiving generous helpings at meal times.

In accent and character the people of the Midlands represent a gradual change from the southern to the northern type of Englishman.

In Scotland the sound denoted by the letter ‘R' is generally a strong sound, and 'R' is often pronounced in words in which it would be silent in southern English. In the Highlands and the Western Isles the ancient Scottish language, Gaelic, is still heard – in 1971 some 88,000 people spoke Gaelic. The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious, thrifty people, rather inventive and somewhat mystical. All the Celtic peoples of Britain (the Welsh, the Irish, and the Scots) are frequently described as being more 'fiery' than the English. They are of a race that is quite distinct from the English.

The Welsh have preserved their language to a remarkable extent. The English generally look upon the Welsh as an emotional people who are, however, somewhat reticent and difficult to get to know easily.

Ireland is divided into two parts. The six counties of Northern which covers the larger part of the island, is a separate state, not part of Great Britain. The population is predominantly Catholic.

Irish, often called Erse, is a form of Gaelic. It was in danger of dying out, but when the territory of the Republic became independent (the Irish 'Free State', 1922), Erse was revived, and is now the official first language of the Republic, English being the second. The Irish are known for their charm and vivacity, as well as for the beauty of the Irish girls.

A. Vocabulary

1. What is the difference between people and a people?

2. What is the adjective corresponding to variety?

3. Explain these expressions:

to be annoyed, predominantly, a region, to revive, apt to,

to look upon, thrifty, a helping

4. Complete the following list:

Country Person Adjective The people as a whole

England an Englishman English the English

Wales

Ireland

Scotland

Britain

5. Is there a difference between farther and further?

B. Questions on ‘The peoples of Britain'

1. Are all people in Britain 'English'?

2. Do all English people speak English of the same type?

3. What sort of English do foreigners generally learn?

4. What qualities are the people of the North of England said to have?