Academic Culture And Culture Shock

Academic Culture Shock

                                    Universities News (2012)
My exchange experience at the University of Glamorgan proved to be academically challenging. While my friends and I worked hard in all of our classes, we found that Glamorgan teachers valued completely different things from our teachers at home. For example, my teachers at home rewarded students for originality in their work, while my Glamorgan teachers wanted me to show that I had the most thorough understanding of the course material without necessarily presenting anything new. Plucinska (2012) suggest 'Sometimes though, a new educational institute can work to a student’s advantage'.

Plucinska (2012) held 'Academic culture shock is just one part of going away on exchange, along with the shock of being away from your family and friends and the culture you’re familiar with'. Just as one can learn from the other trials that living and studying in a new country and culture ultimately introduce, a change in academic criteria can help a student learn how to be more flexible and skilled in a variety of academic settings. Not every new institution poses the same challenges, and you will either fit in better or worse depending on a variety of factors. Every educational institute is different, just as every cultural setting is different. One of the biggest benefits of travel is learning how to adapt to these settings while overcoming the challenges that they present.

Plucinska, J. (2012). Academic Culture Shock. Available at: http://blogatquic.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/academic-culture-shock-2/
(Accessed : 28 February 2013).


Plucinska, J. (2012). Academic Culture Shock. Available at: http://blogatquic.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/academic-culture-shock-2/
(Accessed : 28 February 2013).

Universities News (2012). Glamorgan University.Available at: http://www.universitiesnews.com/2012/07/04/glamorgan-and-newport-agree-to-form-new-university-for-south-wales/
(Accessed : 28 February 2013).

British Culture

British Culture

                                                        Insight-Dev (2012) Big Ben

Abbott (2013) held 'in a speech on Tuesday that fast-developing technology and an "increasingly pornified British culture" has led to a secret garden, strip-tease culture in British schools and society, which has been put beyond the control of British families'.It is by no means an easy task to define what British Culture is. Some people tend to see British culture mainly in terms of traditions and symbols : they might, for instance, use ‘Big Ben’ and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to define ‘Britishness’; others may simply describe British culture in terms of its component institutions, such as the ‘British education system’, the parliamentary system, food and drink, etc.

McGovern (2013) states 'that landmark historical events such as the location of Stonehenge, or who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar will give those new to the UK a starting point to learn about important periods of history'. In recent decades, the Royal Family has served as a strong focal point for the nation, able to bring together a diverse group of people from different faiths, religions and traditions. In many ways, the British monarchy has been very successful in galvanising a diverse population within Britain and providing a common focus at special times. Yet there are signs that while the monarchy continues to be much admired across Britain, regardless of age, class and even ethnicity, its function is a changing one, and it cannot be used straightforwardly to connote British culture either.


The recent Olympic games in London, especially the opening and closing ceremonies, provided an opportunity to look again at what defines 'Britishness' and 'British culture'. Both ceremonies provdided a delicate balance between tradition and modernity, and took account of a diverse history, with multiple definitions of what it means to be 'British.'



Bibliography:

Abbott, D. (2013) British Culture Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21127073  (Accessed : 21 February 2013).


Insight-Dev (2012) Big Ben Available at: http://insight-dev.glos.ac.uk/departments/international/current/living_in_the_uk/PublishingImages/Big%20Ben.jpg
(Accessed : 21 February 2013).


McGovern, A. (2013) British Culture Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21234254
(Accessed : 21 February 2013).

Famous Sports In The UK

                                                     Famous Sports In The UK

The most popular sports in modern-day England are:

• Rugby
• Cricket
• Football


Significantly, football and cricket both have their roots in England and are now two of the most popular, successful and lucrative sports in the entire world. Sports that are played on an individual basis and feature highly in England include:

• Tennis
• Golf
• Athletics
• Motor sport
• Horse racing

                        Sports Direct - the UK's Number One Sports Retailer (Sports Direct 2013)


• Rugby

 Stocker M.(2010) suggest: Rugby is so popular in the UK because it was invented here so weve had a long time to build good facilities for everyone to use, it is also a sport that everyone can play nomatter how fast or strong you are.
6million people tune in to watch this every year in UK alone rugby is a diffrent sport to all the others. becauses its fun.

• Cricket Bradman D. (2013) said: Cricket was invented in the vast fields of England, supposedly by shepherds who herded their flock. Later on this game was shown benevolence by aristocrats, and now has the stature of being England's national game. After a century now, cricket stands in the international arena, with a place of its own.

• FootballCharlton B. (2013) said: Football dates back hundreds of years. Nowadays it is England's premier sport. There are a total of 92 professional clubs in the English Football League. Most players are semi-professional, and have full time jobs as well. The highlight of the English football year is the FA Cup Final, held each year in May.

The English love football so much that they have turned most of their main players into elebrities; who are always at the centre of the media's attention. The likes of David Beckham, Bobby Charlton and George Best have become heroes for the hundreds of thousands of kids who are out having fun, playing football in parks, playgrounds and on the streets.


Bradman, D. (2013) Cricket. Available at: http://www.topendsports.com/sport/cricket/basics.htm (Accessed : 07 February 2013).




Charlton, B. (2013) Football. Available at: http://england.costasur.com/en/sports.html (Accessed : 07 February 2013).




Stocker, M. (2010) Rugby. Available at: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_rugby_so_popular_in_the_UK
(Accessed : 07 February 2013).



Sports Direct (2013) Famous Sports In The UK. Available at: http://www.cwjobs.co.uk/CompanyBrowse/Sports-Direct_ProfileFrameset_c598762.html  (Accessed : 07 February 2013).

Welsh Language

Welsh Language

                                       Martin Johnes, Swansea University  14 April 2011


1- How many people speak this language in the world today ?

Welsh Government (2012) There are 575,730 individuals who speak or use Welsh.


2- Where are the main areas in the UK where this language is spoken ?

1	Gwynedd
2	Anglesey
3	Carmarthenshire
4	Ceredigion
5	Conwy
6	Denbighshire
7	Powys
8	Pembrokeshire
9	Neath Port Talbot
10	Wrexham
11	Swansea
12	Flintshire
13	Rhondda Cynon Taf
14	Bridgend
15	Merthyr Tydfil
16	Vale of Glamorgan
17	Caerphilly
18	Cardiff
19	Torfaen
20	Newport
21	Blaenau Gwent
22	Monmouthshire

3- What is the history of this language in the UK ? When was it first spoken ? Who by ? What is the story behind its arrival in the UK ?

Welsh Government (2012) In the sixth century Welsh was spoken in most of Britain, including Strathclyde in Scotland, which is derived from its former Welsh name. Some shepherds in Cumbria were still counting their sheep in Welsh in the twentieth century.

Although it may be old, the Welsh language is most certainly not old-fashioned. Arsenal footballer Aaron Ramsay, and singers Connie Fisher, Rhydian Roberts, Cerys Mathews and  Duffy all speak Welsh, as does BBC anchorman Huw Edwards and Guto Harri, Boris Johnson’s director of communications.

Hollywood also has fluent Welsh speakers in its midst with Fantastic Five actor Ioan Gruffudd and Brothers and Sisters actor Matthew Rhys both being proud Welsh speakers.

4- Any other  information about this language that you think may be interesting for other members of the class ?Welsh language is very difficult for me. It is very difficult to understand and talking I think.



Bibliography

Johnes M. (2011) Welsh Logo Available at: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-history/articles/2011/04/14/the-heroes-of-recent-welsh-political-history-91466-28520682/
(Accessed : 07 February 2013)




Welsh Government (2012) Welsh language Available at:  http://wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/publications/historyfactsfigures/?lang=en
(Accessed : 07 February 2013)