About England
While the United
Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland,
England occupies both the largest land area on the island of Great
Britain, and is its dominant political force. Because of this unique
situation, it is easy to think of the British empire that once extended
across two-fifths of the world’s surface, as the English empire.
England, as well as the rest of the UK, continues to exert its
political, economic, and cultural influence far and wide. The English
parliamentary form of government is practiced by many of its former
colonies. It is one of the biggest investors in the U.S. economy and is
its closest military ally. English is a major world language and it
continues to be the predominant language of the business community.
England has a rich and interesting literary and theatrical history. It
has produced some outstanding novelists, poets, and playwrights,
including Shakespeare, Webber, Dickens, Wordsworth, Lawrence, Conrad,
and Orwell. It has also given rise to a number of our most beloved
popular fiction heroes such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes
and Ian Fleming’s Agent 007. England’s contribution to popular music and
musicals is equally impressive—Gilbert and Sullivan, the Beatles,
Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zepplin,
The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, and Elton John
among others. Today, England’s vibrant theater, literature, art, and
music scene make it an endlessly fascinating place to experience
everything from the classical to cutting edge, indie to avant garde,
experimental to minimalist. If the world is a stage, England certainly
occupies the center position. England’s museums are some of the most
renowned in the world and you never have to travel far to sample one of
its many incredible collections of artifacts and curios. It is also a
garden lover’s paradise with numerous flower and topiary gardens,
landscaped parks, and sprawling country estates. London’s Kew Botanical
Garden is considered to have one of the best collections of plants and
seeds in the world. The English love their sports and rugby and cricket
are national pastimes, and for tennis buffs, Wimbledon has the only
Grand Slam event played on grass.
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English
Educational System Education in England
tends to be more specialized, and students usually concentrate on one or
two subject areas. Lancaster University is atypical in that it allows
first year undergraduates to take 3 subjects (one in the major area of
emphasis and two in non-major areas). University education is usually
comprised of lectures and smaller group tutorials that highlight certain
aspects of a subject while students are expected to use independent
reading and research to explore the broader elements. Fieldwork may also
be an integral component to some courses.
There is greater emphasis placed on final exams, presentations, and
papers than in the United States. Reading assignments are often
extensive and professors may assume that, in addition to your assigned
reading, you are reading widely on your own to further learn the subject
matter. You will be expected to present well-argued papers and
presentations. Weekly quizzes, monthly tests, and regularly scheduled
graded assignments may be non-existent. Thus, your final grade may come
down to how well you did on your papers, class presentations, and final
exam.
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