Course objectives:
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The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the cultural and historical development of Britain and the United States from the 19th century to the present. Attention is paid not only to culture in the narrow sense (visual art, architecture, literature) but also in its wider sense (lifestyle, everyday life, British and American mentalities). Emphasis is placed on the comparison of both countries with respect to their political and socio-cultural specifics. The course is conducted in the English language and is based on a wide range of multi-media resources.
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Requirements on student
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Presentation on a selected topic.
Written assignments.
Written test and oral interview.
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Content
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1. Britain in the Victorian Era
2. USA at the turn of the 20th century; Gilded Age and the Progressive Era
3. British culture and society in the 1920s and 1930s
4. American culture and society in the 1920s and 1930s
5. Post-war Britain; building the Welfare State
6. 1960s in Britain; the British Invasion phenomenon
7. 1950s and 1960s in the USA; the counterculture and the Civil Rights movement
8. Popular culture of the 1970s and 1980s in Britain
9. Popular culture of the 1970s and 1980s in the USA
10. Current British society
11. Current American society
12. Summary
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Activities
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Fields of study
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Guarantors and lecturers
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Literature
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Basic:
Zinn, Howard. A people's history of the United States : 1492 to present. New York : Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-083865-2.
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Basic:
Paxman, Jeremy. Angličané : portrét národa. Praha : Academia, 2006. ISBN 80-200-1383-0.
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Basic:
Marwick, Arthur. British society since 1945. London : Penguin Books, 2003. ISBN 0-14-100527-0.
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Basic:
Watts, Duncan. Dictionary of American government and politics. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-7486-3501-6.
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Recommended:
Wasson, Elis. A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
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Recommended:
Savage, Mike. Social Class in the 21st Century. London: Pelican, 2015.
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Recommended:
SAMPSON, Anthony. Who Runs This Place? The Anatomy of Britain in the 21st Century. London: John Murray, 2004.
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On-line library catalogues
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Time requirements
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All forms of study
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Activities
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Time requirements for activity [h]
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Contact hours
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52
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Preparation for formative assessments (2-20)
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20
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Preparation for an examination (30-60)
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40
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Preparation for comprehensive test (10-40)
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30
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Presentation preparation (report in a foreign language) (10-15)
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14
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Total
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156
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Prerequisites
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Knowledge - students are expected to possess the following knowledge before the course commences to finish it successfully: |
to identify the basic historical events related to Britain and the USA |
to name the main trends of the cultural development of Britain and the USA |
to name the leading representatives of British and American culture |
to explain key facts related to the politics of English-speaking countries |
to name some basic information sources on British and American history |
Skills - students are expected to possess the following skills before the course commences to finish it successfully: |
to produce spoken text on the B1 level according to CEFR |
to respond adequately to audio texts dealing with the culture of English-speaking countries |
to summarize the main points of specialized English text |
to engage in a discussion on a given topic |
to create coherent written texts |
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Learning outcomes
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Knowledge - knowledge resulting from the course: |
to characterize the main trends in the development of modern British and American society |
to describe the culture and subcultures of the second half of the 20th century in Britain and the USA |
to identify significant cultural personalities of Great Britain and USA and specify their contribution |
to explain the development and changes of immigrant culture |
to identify the most important literature and sources on the given period |
Skills - skills resulting from the course: |
to adequately reproduce audio material |
to make active use of specialized vocabulary and grammar |
to collect the required data from original English sources and analyze it adequately |
to present and defend one´s detailed viewpoint on a given issue |
to create a presentation on a topic related to cultural developments/events in English-speaking countries |
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Assessment methods
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Knowledge - knowledge achieved by taking this course are verified by the following means: |
Combined exam |
Individual presentation at a seminar |
Skills - skills achieved by taking this course are verified by the following means: |
Combined exam |
Individual presentation at a seminar |
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Teaching methods
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Knowledge - the following training methods are used to achieve the required knowledge: |
Multimedia supported teaching |
Textual studies |
Self-study of literature |
Individual study |
Students' portfolio |
Skills - the following training methods are used to achieve the required skills: |
Skills demonstration |
Seminar |
Students' portfolio |
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