Урок на тему: "Можно ли стать Британцем?"
план-конспект урока по английскому языку (11 класс) на тему

Конспект урока

A test to be British

1. Pre-reading exercises.

a) What do you think the text is about?

b) Why do you think so?

c) Is it easy or difficult to become a real British?

2. Match the words and word combinations.

3. Read and translate the received word combinations and their definitions.

4. Read the text and be ready to answer the questions after it?

1. What did those becoming British citizens simply have to do to receive a certificate in the post?

 2. What did Britain introduce in 2004?

 3. What did a compulsory citizenship ceremony require?

 4. What does it mean that the government is going even further?

 5. How many questions does the test contain?

 6. What can applicants do if they don’t pass it the first time?

 7. What can you say about the questions range? What does it include?

 8. What does the government believe the test is?

 9. What do supporters point to?

 10. How much does the test cost?

11. How many centres are there across the country to take the test?

12. Are potential citizens allowed to retake it?

13. How many percents of the questions must they answer to pass correctly?

14. What information does the Life in the UK citizenship guide for prospective new citizens    

       include?

5. Homework

a). You’ll be given the text with some missing words and phrases.

Complete the story with the missing words and word combinations.

to swear an oath of allegiance, compulsory, civic dignitaries, regalia, ease racial tension, applicants, opponents, undue pressure, have long been  common practice, to conform

For years those becoming British citizens simply had … in front of a lawyer and then receive a certificate in the post. But in 2004 Britain introduced a … citizenship ceremony which required new citizens to take a broader oath promising to respect Britain's rights, freedoms and laws and all of this in front of … dressed in full …. Now the government is going even further: it's launching a test designed to establish knowledge of the country and its language.

The test contains twenty-four questions on life in the United Kingdom and will last for 45 minutes. If … don't pass the first time they can try again and again. The questions range from simple tests of knowledge such as - what's the minimum age for buying alcohol? To exploring more complex cultural issues - How interested are young people in politics? The government believes the test is part of a process that will help new citizens to feel they belong and … by removing suspicion of immigrants.

Supporters point to other countries which have similar schemes - particularly the United States where citizenship classes and ceremonies ….  … however say it's all too nationalistic and puts … on newcomers …, working against the efforts to build a multi-cultural society in Britain.

b). Write a small essay covering the question “Is it easy to become a British citizen?”

The text

A test to be British

About ninety thousand adults apply to become British citizens every year. Now each and every one of them will have to take a written test before they can qualify as citizens. This report from Paul Keller.

For years those becoming British citizens simply had to swear an oath of allegiance in front of a lawyer and then receive a certificate in the post. But in 2004 Britain introduced a compulsory citizenship ceremony which required new citizens to take a broader oath promising to respect Britain's rights, freedoms and laws and all of this in front of civic dignitaries dressed in full regalia. Now the government is going even further: it's launching a test designed to establish knowledge of the country and its language.

The test contains twenty-four questions on life in the United Kingdom and will last for 45 minutes. If applicants don't pass the first time they can try again and again. The questions range from simple tests of knowledge such as - what's the minimum age for buying alcohol? To exploring more complex cultural issues - How interested are young people in politics? The government believes the test is part of a process that will help new citizens to feel they belong and ease racial tension by removing suspicion of immigrants.

Supporters point to other countries which have similar schemes - particularly the United States where citizenship classes and ceremonies have long been common practice. Opponents however say it's all too nationalistic and puts undue pressure on newcomers to conform, working against the efforts to build a multi-cultural society in Britain. 

British citizenship tests are being launched across the UK.

The 45-minute test - covering government, society and practical issues and costing £34 - comes into force on Tuesday.

People seeking to become British will take the test at one of 90 centres across the country, before taking part in a formal citizenship ceremony.

The number of people granted citizenship reached a record 141,000 in 2004 - a rise of 12% on 2003.

The "Life in the UK" test is the last of a series of changes to how people become British brought in by the former Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Potential citizens must answer 75% of the questions correctly to pass, but they are allowed to retake it until they pass.

'Not Britishness test'

The Home Office said it wanted to create a new, more meaningful, way of becoming a citizen in an effort to help people integrate and share in British values and traditions. Immigration Minister Tony McNulty said: "This is not a test of someone's ability to be British or a test of their Britishness.

"It is a test of their preparedness to become citizens, in keeping with the language requirement as well.

"It is about looking forward, rather than an assessment of their ability to understand history."

Prospective new citizens already need to demonstrate sufficient working knowledge of English to help them get on.

Citizenship applications

   Among the 24 questions in the test are:

  Where are the Geordie, Cockney, and Scouse dialects spoken?;

  What are MPs?

  What is the Church of England and who is its head?

                                                                                                                                          24 questions

                                                                                                                                          British life and culture

                                                                                                                                          Institutions and governance

                                                                                                                                          History and traditions

The number of people granted British citizenship in 2004 rose by 12% to 140,795 in 2004, the highest annual figure.

Almost 6,000 of these new citizens had taken part in special citizenship ceremonies which had recently come into force.

Applications for citizenship ran at about 40,000 a year during the mid-1990s until, in line with migration trends, they began rising in 1998.

While the number of people granted citizenship grew, the rate of new applications fell slightly during 2004, probably due to the new English language requirements causing some people to wait.

Just under half of all applications were granted on the basis of residence in the UK.

Some 29% of new citizens were accepted on the basis of marriage to a British resident, while about a fifth were children.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Will indigenous Britons take the test? Are immigrants to be regularly retested? 

Todmalthus, Barnstaple

People born in Asian or African countries accounted for 40% and 32% respectively of all applications, the principal nationalities being Pakistani, Indian and Somalian.

Almost 60% of people born abroad living in the UK take British citizenship within six years, according to figures from 2004.

The Life in the UK citizenship guide for prospective new citizens includes information on British history and society, its institutions and political system - but also practical issues key to integration such as employment, healthcare, education and using public services like libraries.

Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, said his organisation welcomed the tests but said they needed "a light touch" as there was a "danger" of their being "seen as a way of excluding people from British citizenship".

Paul Keller, BBC