(1) COURSE OUTLINE for british studies summer 2015

COURSE OUTLINE
Course: An Introduction to British Studies
Credit: 2 (30 periods x 50 minutes; 4 periods per week)
LECTURER
Nguyen Dieu Hong, MA
Email:
Cell phone: 0912 370 696

1. RATIONALE
It has been widely accepted in the field of language teaching and learning that language
competence should always go along with cultural knowledge. It is impossible to master a
language without sufficient understanding of the people who use it and of the country
where it is used. Thus in order to effectively learn English at the university and
successfully use it in communication as well as in their future careers it is essential that
the English language majors gain an insight into one of the most influential cultures that
give birth to the English language and that provide the environment for its development the British culture.

Moreover, in the globalization in general and the international standardization of higher
education in particular, the inclusion of British Studies in the curriculum will truly
improve the quality of teaching and research of the university so as to assure the
University of Languages and International Studies, VNUH not only to be a teaching
establishment but also a prestigious research center.

2. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:
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Have general knowledge of the British people and culture with focus on the
national identity, cultural life, beliefs and values as well as their expressions in the
British society.

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Build up their own panorama of the British political, economic and educational
systems that may serve as the fundamental steps in their lifelong in-depth studies
into related fields of their needs and interests.

-

Enrich their vocabulary, sharpen their pronunciation and their grammatical
knowledge as well as to improve their language and research skills in order to meet
all the demand of their current study and their future careers.

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Improve their team-work and presentation skills.

3. ASSESSMENT
-

Oral Presentation: 20%

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Quiz & Participation: 20%

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Sitting Exam: 60%

4. CLASS PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS:
-

Students are ultimately responsible for participating in the course through the
following academic activities: reading required texts before class, responding to
instructor inquiries, doing oral presentations, and taking quizzes and exams.

- Students are expected to attend the entire course. Those students who miss more
than one class are not allowed to sit for the final exam. Absence without notice and
valid reasons on Quiz/Presentation day will result in mark Zero for that
Quiz/Presentation.
5. PRESCRIBED READING
- An Introduction to British Studies (2008), adopted mainly from O’Driscoll. J.
(2002). Britain – The Country and Its People: An Introduction for Learners of
English. OUP. For Internal Use only
-

McDowall, D. (1990s). Britain in Close-up. Longman.

6. REFFERENCES
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Storry, M. & Childs, P. (Ed.). (2002). British Cultural Identities. Routledge.

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Bloomfield, P. et al. (2003) Britain. Lonely Planet Publications.

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Sheerin, S et al. (2002). Spotlight on Britain. OUP.

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Garwood, C. et al. (2000). Aspects of Britain and the U.S.A. Oxford, OUP.

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7. WORKING SCHEDULE
Course: An Introduction to British Studies

WEEK

THEME

1 (12/6)

HISTORY

Chapter 1: History

2 (19/6)

IDENTITY

Chapter 2: Identity &
Attitudes

3 (26/6)

POLITICS

4 (3/7)

ECONOMY

Chapter 3-6: Political life,
the Government,
Parliament & Election
Chapter 7: Economy

5 (10/7)

EDUCATION

6 (17/7)

7 (24/7)

CONTENT

Chapter 8: Education

Sessions 1&2: Groups
POSTER
PRESENTATIONS 1,3,5,7,9
Sessions 3&4: Groups

2,4,6,8,10
REVISION
Preparation for final exam

ACTIVITIES
Course introduction
Lecture and discussion
Documentary watching
Lecture and discussion
Quiz 1 (History & Identity)
Movie screening
Lecture & Discussion
Mini-presentations
Debate on 2014 Scottish Referendum
Quiz 2 (Politics)
Lecture & Discussion
Mini-presentations
Outline submission
Tutorial on poster presentations
Quiz 3 (Economy)
Lecture & Discussion
Tutorial on poster presentations
Presentations & Discussions
Reflection writing

Quiz 4 (Education)
Q&A
Discussion
Reflection submission

8. INSTRUCTIONS ON POSTER PRESENTATIONS
A. Requirements
1. The class is divided into 10 groups; each is assigned one among 5 themes in the
syllabus to present about.
2. Topics for presentation must be part of the lecture’s
3. The list of team members should be sent to the teacher in charge by Week 2
4. Students have to hand in the outline of their talk at least TWO WEEK before their oral
presentation. Failure to do so will result in a 25% deduction of their final grade for
presentation.
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5. On the day of presentation, each team must hand in a firmly-secured file which
contains:
•

Final detailed outline

•

Team collaboration report

•

Team performance evaluation sheet (for teacher's use)

•

Individual in-class performance evaluation sheet ( for teacher's use)

Failure to submit the presentation package by due date will result in a 25% deduction of
the group’ final grade for presentation.
B. Procedure
- A workshop on British Studies is organized in week 6 for all groups to present
about their chosen topics.
- Each group uses an A0-sized paper to make their poster.
-

One the day of workshop:
•

Each group spends 10 minutes introducing their topic and their findings.

•

The rest of time will be for Q&A.

All team members must contribute to the presentation. Their work will be evaluated by
other members and reported to the teacher in charge.
C. Assessment
Assessment will be based on the overall effectiveness of the team performance and
individual student’s performance, which is the combination of content, language, visual
aids, physical message (postures, gestures, eye contact, voice inflection, etc.) and
cooperation among team members.
See Presentation Guidelines for further instructions and all related forms.

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An Introduction to British Studies

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS
HISTORY
The critical period(s) in the UK history that shaped the country’s history.
British imperialism
The fall of the British Empire: causes & effects
The role of Britain in international relations after WWII (in comparison with the US)
IDENTITY
Cultural differences and similarities between the UK and the US
- Family values
- Openness vs. conservatism
- Ethnic identities
Multiculturalism in the UK: Advantages and disadvantages
Immigrant history and issues
Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014: causes & effects
ECONOMY
The roles of the UK governments in managing the country’s economic system.
The theoretical foundations of the UK economy
Consumerism in Britain
Current challenges of the UK economy
POLITICS
The future of British royal family.
The political and economic role of Britain in the EU
Similarities and differences in general elections in the UK and the US
British and American democracies in comparison
How are the traditional beliefs and values reflected in British political system?
EDUCATION
Learning styles in the UK and the US
The academic life in British and American universities
The marketization of higher education in Britain
Achievements and challenges of British education

Students can choose topics of their own interest with the approval of their teacher.
Comparison and contrast of the UK & the US features are encouraged.

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