To put things in perspective, I believe many countries round the world demand that would-be citizens learn their national anthem, so this doesn’t seem too unreasonable (whatever we may feel about the content of ours).

Let’s focus on what is really worth arguing about, like replacing knowledge of everyday procedures with Byron.

Mary

From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Gresswell
Sent: 02 July 2012 11:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re-uploaded national anthem video to blog for use as resource by ESOL learners

Dear Colleagues

I've re-submitted my video blog post for use as a possible 'future resource for ESOL learners and would be UK citizens'. I've taken comment facilities off this post, and I won't be publishing any comments regarding the post if made elsewhere. Apologies to those of you who have already commented. At least if there will be any hoop jumping required in the future then here is a resource you and your learners can use.

http://inglishteacher.com/god-save-the-queen/

Best wishes

Richard

From: Liam Sewell <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, 2 July 2012, 10:43
Subject: Re: news headlines

As far as studying Byron for a life in the UK test goes, I would agree with you it seems a little irrelevant as a stand alone item. There is in the Citizenship materials from a few years back a chapter which discusses a trip to various places connected with Shakespeare. I don't think anyone should be forced to study anything like this, but I would suggest it can be interesting if you have students who appreciate poetry/the arts. It might be even more interesting if it were linked to the local area, so Byron would be great for where I teach as his ancestral home was Newstead Abbey which is in Nottinghamshire.

In terms of what Byron has to offer about Britishness, I haven't checked this out fully but as his name was George Gordon I think there is some Scottish ancestry in there, and his grandfather or great grandfather used to send the servants out onto the lake at the Abbey so he could launch cannonballs at them which would appear to have parallels with the attitude of stockbrokers and bankers today. He was an Etonian but did also go over to Greece to fight in the Greek war of Independence ( Greece in the news again ) although he died of malaria before getting involved in any fighting. He was notoriously bisexual ( Rupert Everett's TV documentary on him maintained he was really a gay man who had romances with women from time to time ) and there was also a story involving a bear whilst either at Eton or university ( not involving any bestiality though as far as I am aware ). His poetry has an energy and vitality often lacking in modern day poets, and ranges from short verses - She walks in Beauty, to epic tales - Don Juan. All great stuff, but a lot to take on board if you an Entry One/Two or even Entry Three learner trying to get to grips with the English language.

Liam Sewell

From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Isabel Arnold
Sent: 01 July 2012 16:16
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: news headlines

I have a Huge Gap in my education - I only knew that Byron was a poet - so I have read about him on Wikipedia.

A young aristocratic poet who did a Grand Tour of the Mediterranean countries customary for a young nobleman, prior to spending a lot of time there to escape censure in UK. How much will learners be expected to know? His personal life, his poetry, his politics? He did speak up for the Luddites in the Lords. Why is this considered so essential to Life in the UK in the 21st century? Why is it considered part of Britishness in 21st century when most British citizens like me know so little about him and his poetry?

What with Shakespeare and other historical and cultural figures as well as key battles and and British inventions and discoveries, and developing English to E3, and IT skills - how will anyone find the time to learn it all? Full time education?

I despair of this government.

Isabel Arnold

> Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 14:07:57 +0100
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: news headlines
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Hi all.
> On my daily visit to Tesco, I usually glance at the newspaper
> headlines in case there's anything interesting. In the Sunday Times,
> the headline was about replacing the Life in the UK test. Through the
> plastic wrapping! I could make out that to achieve British citizenship,
> one criterion would be to know the words to the first verse of the
> National Anthem. If this is a sign of a true British citizen, maybe
> schools should be teaching it, and all footballers should sing before a
> match. I wonder how many will be singing this evening....
>
> Best Wishes,
>
> Karina
>
> ***********************************
> ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
> To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
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*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask] This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender. This message has been scanned for viruses and spam.