Уэльс

     8-ая районная научно - практическая конференция-фестиваль

«Наука. Творчество.Развитие.»

                                                                                                         Работа ученицы 8 класса

                                                                      МБОУ «Алманчиковская СОШ»

                                                                      Батыревского района

                                                                      Вахитовой Дианы

                                                                      Руководитель: учитель английского языка

                                                                      Еремеева Розалия Вячеславовна

Алманчиково – 2012 г

         1. Introduction.

Nowadays it is very important to know English because it is a language of international communication. So we must study the history  of  English – speaking countries. And I want to  study Wales at first. The main object of the project is the further development of the foreign language competence, the use of all possible sources of information, and also video materials for the deeper study of one of the countries of the UK- Wales.

2.Content.

Welcome to Wales - to a land of stunning and ever varied landscapes, marvellous castles alive with history and breath-taking scenery - and to its kind and hospitable people.

             Wales [weilz] (Уэльс ) is  one of the four countries that makes up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, occupying the western part of the island of Great Britain.

History: Wales is an ancient country.

Wales really begins with the Anglo-Saxon victories in the 6th and 7th centuries. Until the 11th century the Vikings made frequent raids on the coast. Then came the Normans. However, the subjection of the people was completed by Edward I who made his son, afterwards Edward II, the first Prince of Wales. From that time the eldest son of the ruling king or queen has usually been made Prince of Wales.

Geography:

Wales is bounded on the north by the Irish Sea, on the east by the English counties, on the south by the Bristol Channel, and on the west by St George's Channel. Its surface is largely mountainous, 6 per cent of Wales is covered by forest. The main rivers are Severn, Wye, Usk and Dee.

Economy:

Although some parts of Wales are good for farming, the mountainous area has very poor land, which is only good for sheep farming or growing pine forests. The sheep provide wool for local weaving industries, and the wood is used for beautiful handmade furniture.

Wales is noted for mineral wealth, producing iron, coal, copper, lead, zinc, slate, and limestone.

South Wales is highly industrialized, with "large iron- and steelworks, chemical plants, and other heavy industries. Wales is traditionally divided into North Wales and South Wales.

A county is the chief regional administrative unit, and according to this official division Wales consists of 8 counties.

Government: returns 38 members to the UK Parliament. Wales is often referred to as "the principality", since the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, has the title of Prince of Wales. Wales and England are administered together for most purposes. They share the same legal and educational systems. In this respect, Wales is unlike Scotland, which has its own system of local government, law and education.

Population (1994): 2,913,000. The western pocket of Britain is almost a separate nation, with its own language, music, and Celtic culture. The Welsh people are originally Celts, and many of their traditions date back to the pre-Christian times of the Celts and the Druid religion. Like the Celtic peoples they were short, strong and dark-haired. They had a reputation for being good fighters, whose national pride and love of the arts were fed by their mystic Druid beliefs. Many Welsh are patriotic, and resent the presence or influence of the English in their land.

Cardiff is the largest city of Wales. It is administered as a unitary authority. It is in the historic county of Glamorgan. Today, it is the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom and part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. Cardiff Urban Area covers a slightly larger area, including Dinas Powys and Penarth.

It is also the country's main economic, industrial and cultural centre. It is situated on the southeast coast of Wales, and three rivers, the Taff, the Ely and the Rhymney flow through it into the Bristol Channel.

Cardiff is a major UK city and it is home to the Welsh government in Cardiff Bay and Welsh media. Doctor Who and Torchwood along with other series are filmed mostly within the City and County of Cardiff. Cardiff is has the biggest media sector outside London.

Languages: English, Welsh. In some ways, Wales is the most foreign of the four lands that make up the United Kingdom. The word "Welsh" itself is derived from English "wealth", the term used by the Anglo-Saxon invaders for the original Britons or Celts. The Welsh language is spoken by about two out of ten people in Wales. English people find it very difficult to spell and pronounce Welsh words, esp. place names such as Llwchwr or Pwllheli.   Unforgettable Places.

In an attempt to redress the balance, here are five of the principality's most spectacular and interesting attractions. These five places will definitely convert the doubters and make you square up to your friends and say: "Yeah, we're going to Wales. Have you got a problem with that boy?»  Many people go to Wales on holiday.

Whatever attracts you to Wales you can be sure of a friendly welcome, and wherever you go the traditional greeting will be the same - Croeso i Gymru ('Welcome to Wales').

            There are many places in Wales which once visited will always be remembered. From Roman times, deep in the hills at Dolaucothi, there is the fascinating site of the only Roman gold mine in Britain. Don't miss the 12th-century cathedral at St. David's.

Visit some of Wales' unforgettable gardens — the 18th-century formal garden at Erdigg, the waterfalls and woodland walks at Bryn Bras Castle in the foothills of Snowdonia, and the wonderful blend of both the formal and wild at Bodnant Garden, Gwynedd, overlooking the Vale of Conwy.

The Snowdonia National Park has to be Wales's undisputed crowning glory. The park is crowded with dramatic and often snow-covered mountains, steep cliff faces, waterfalls and peaks. All this makes for some of the most spectacular and unspoiled walking in the British Isles. In fact, looking at the grandeur of it all, it's very hard to believe that the tallest of these mountains are little more than 3,000 feet high.

Tourism ranks second to manufacturing industry, the growth being encouraged by Wales' rich heritage, culture and language. Many visitors to Wales are attracted by the sporting facilities, in particular yachting centres, both round the coast and on inland rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

You can go canal boating on the beautiful Langollen Canal in the North; pony-trekking in the Snowdonia National Park; canoeing in the fast-flowing rivers and hiking in the hills. Most of the coastline is protected and has not been spoilt by tourism or industry.

A Land of Mountains, Lakes and Coastline

W

ales is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom (along with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Wales may be a small country (occupying only a little more than 8% of the UK's total area), but it has a variety of scenery and lots of beautiful places to visit. Here you can find high mountains (which were shaped during the last ice age), long sandy beaches, picturesque lakes, rivers, bays and waterfalls, high sand dunes and the deepest cave in Britain.

Although Wales is seven times smaller than England, it has three national parks and four areas of outstanding natural beauty!( Приложение 1-5).

A Land of the Celts

W

ales first appeared in recorded history when the Romans attacked it in the 1st century AD. The people living there were the Celts, an ancient European people. They were warriors, farmers and traders. Celtic warriors were very skilful and fierce. To scare their enemies in battle they combed their hair to make it stand on end, often tattooed and decorated their bodies, and ran shouting into battle.

Celtic people were also known for their art. Many bronze swords, daggers and shields have been found in the graves of Celtic chiefs and warriors. Necklaces, brooches, pins and mirrors were also buried with the dead.

The Welsh are very proud of their Celtic origin. They keep alive their traditions and still speak Welsh, their ancient Celtic language.(Приложение 6-8).

A Land of Castles and Princes

T

here are over 400 castles in Wales! Some of them are in ruins, but many are still standing and are some of the most famous and well-preserved castles in Britain.

The largest castles were built by King Edward I of England. When he conquered Wales in the 13* century, he built massive castles to keep the Welsh under  control.

After defeating the native princes of Wales, Edward I named his son 'Prince of Wales'. Since then the eldest son of the king or queen of England has tra ditionally been given this title.

The first official Prince of Wales, the future King Edward II, was born in Caernarvon Castle in 1284. The present Prince of Wales is Prince Charles who is expected to become the next British king. He became Prince of Wales at a colourful ceremony held in Caernarvon Castle in 1969.(Приложение 9-15).

The Welsh Language

E

verybod in Wales can speak English, but it is not everybody's first language. For about 20% of the population, the mother tongue is Welsh.

All children in Wales learn it at school, there are many local newspapers in Welsh and nearly all signs are written in both Welsh and English.

To   understand   how  different  Welsh   is  from English, compare the lines from the Welsh national anthem with their English translation:

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,

Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion о fri;

Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad,

Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.

Cytgan:

Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf I'm gwlad.

Tra mor yn fur I'r bur hoff bau,

О bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.

                                            Land Of My Fathers

The land of my fathers is dear to me,

Old land where the minstrels are honoured and free:

Its warring defenders, so gallant and brave,

For freedom their life's blood they gave

Chorus:

Land! Land! True 1 am to my land!

While seas secure.

This land so pure,

О may our old language endure

Wales's Patron Saint and National Holiday

Wales's patron saint is  St David. He  was a Celtic monk who lived on bread, water and leeks and died on the 1st of March, 589. He was buried in a place now called St David's.

March 1st, St David's Day, is now Wales's nation al day. It's celebrated by Welsh people all over the world. On this day they wear leeks or daffodils, tra ditional Welsh emblems.

On St David's Day, some children in Wales dress in their national costume, which consists of a tall black hat, a white frilled cap and a long dress.(Приложение 16-18).

Dragons,  Leeks  and Daffodils

The national flag of Wales is the Red Dragon. No one knows for sure how the red dragon came to become a symbol of Wales, its origin is now lost in history and myth. Some people say it's the oldest national flag still in  use, and that it was  used by King Arthur  and other ancient  Celtic leaders.

The leek and the daffodil are also  famous emblems of I Wales. According to one legend, St David advised Welsh sol diers to wear a leek in their caps so that they could recognize each  other in battle. The daffodil became a Welsh  national emblem because its Welsh name is translated as a kind of leek. Nowadays, the leek and the daffodil are worn on St David's Day and at  international      rugby matches.(Приложение 19-21).

A Land of Poetry and Миsic.

W

ales has always been known as a country of poetry and music. Since the 12th century spe cial competitions have been held to find the best poets, writers and musicians in the country. The Welsh word for such a competition is eisteddfod. It means 'chairing', from the custom of putting the winning bard in a special chair.

The most important eisteddfod is the National Eisteddfod of Wales. It's the largest cultural festival of its kind in Europe, and a very important event in the Welsh calendar.

It takes place every August at some place in South Wales (even years)  and North Wales (uneven years), and lasts for 8 days. All the events are in Welsh, but everyone is welcome and a translation service is available.    The big event is so popular that there's not a hotel   room free  for  miles around! (Приложение 22-23).

Cardiff

C

ardiff has been the capital of Wales since 1955. in fact, it's the youngest capital in Europe. It's an important industrial and cultural centre of the country.

The Welsh name of the city is Caerdydd, which means "a fort on the River Taff’. The Romans set tled in Cardiff in 55AD and built a military fort there. Later, the famous Cardiff Castle was built on its site.

Cardiff is one of the flattest cities in Britain and has more hours of sunlight than any other city in Britain. (Приложение 24-25).

Combining history with modernity, Cardiff has become one of Britain's top tourist places. It attracts more than 12 million visitors a year. (Приложение 26-27).

Welsh     Lоve  Spoons

A

 favourite souvenir for the tourists is a Welsh love spoon. They are made of wood and are very beautifully carved. In the old days in Wales, a young man would carve a spoon to give to his sweetheart as a sign of his love. Traditionally, the spoons were carved from one piece of wood and had a number of symbols such as hearts (for love), bells (for the hoped-for wedding), a horseshoe (for luck), a dragon (for protection), etc.  Today, love spoons are often1 given as wedding, birthday and Christmas gift.                              ( Приложение28-32).

A Taste of Wales
The people of Wales have kept many of their ancient traditions, and this is also true of their national food. Some traditional dishes include Welsh rarebit, Welsh lamb, laverbread, leek stew, bara brith (speckled bread), Teisen lap (fruit cake) and the famous Welsh cakes.

If you ever go to Wales, don't forget to try some of the delicious traditional dishes of Wales!

 (Приложение33-39).

3. Conclusion.

A laborious and purposeful work has permitted to broaden the volume of materials about  

history and culture, state structure and symbols of the country, sights and national pecularities

of the inhabitants of Wales.

The project has broadened  my knowledge about Wales. Now Wales is my favourite  English-

speaking country. I have made a presentation about my favourite country and I will tell my

classmates about Wales at the English lesson.

Использованная литература:

1. Журнал для изучающих английский язык « Speak out» 5 ( 75) 2009

2. Нестандартные уроки и внеклассные мероприятия на английском языке.

3. Английский язык: Учебник для 5 класса. Автор- В. П. Кузовлев и др.                                      

4.Т. С. Пущина, О.В. Евдокимова- Английский язык. Устные темы.

5. www// abc- english- grammar. ru

6. Г.Г.Кулинич- Предметные недели и открытые уроки английского языка.