Values and assumptions of English speaking countries

Most Americans believe that every individual is unique, completely and marvellously unique totally different from all other individuals and therefore, particularly precious and wonderful. Americans think they are more individualistic in their thoughts and actions than they really are. They take pride in claiming more individualism than in fact, they actually have.

An American can take credit only for what he accomplished by himself without any outside assistance. It expresses initiative, another typical feature of the nation.

Americans rely on themselves only. They know that they have to work hard to climb the difficult ladder of success. And they do work hard to gain the aim. The fact leads to Americans being known as workaholics. But it does not mean they like to work – they just have to work. They are participants of a great race for success.

American ways of life lead them to be considered as a rather materialistic people. It means that they value and collect more material objects that most of the world’s people would ever dream possible to own. It also means that they give a higher priority to obtaining, protecting and maintaining their material objects than they do in developing and enjoying personal relationships with people.

Their personal relationships are rather particular. They are considered to be direct and their directness does not observe the rule of subtle and highly ritualistic way of informing people of unpleasant news. Such kind of relationships is closely connected with another typical American feature as informality. They express it in their communication and dress. Besides American like change and believe the equality is one of their most cherished value. Americans see the values to be positive, though they are not aware of other people do so too.

There are certain stereotypes of national character which are known as British traits.

People in modern Britain are very conscious about class differences, though many people say they don’t approve f class divisions. The main criteria for class division are money and accent.

The British are cling to intellectualism. Teachers and academic staff although respected, don’t have as high status as they do most other countries. Even the word “clever” has negative connotation.

Britain is usually claimed as “the land of tradition”, but in their private lives the British are less inclined to follow traditions. They just like old things, old houses, pubs looking old, regarding them as symbols of stability and safer times.

The British are individualists: they are proud of being different. Tourists usually describe the British as a very unfriendly nation, but that is not true. One should differentiate between unfriendliness and informality. When people aren’t playing a public role – there seem to be no rules at all. The key is this: being friendly in Britain often evolves showing that you are not bothering with the formalities. The British also tend to have essensual attitudes to animals.

The values and assumptions listed above are not complete. We can enumerate them endlessly but still the best way to know the country is to visit country.

17. What from your point of view makes a good school?

It’s not so easy to give a direct answer to this question. First of all it should be mentioned that schools have for many years set out their purposes, often in clear and helpful statements of aims and objectives.

Certainly, it’ll be quite a subjective view point if we judge schools only by its poor exam results. It’s important to take into account the IQs and background of the pupils.

In my opinion those indicators that making a school good enough are:

-the proportion of leavers that go to university or college after this school

-the efficiency the school communicate with the parents

-the usage of the child-centered approach in teaching

-the way the school prevents bullying, vandalism

-the high level of the quality of knowledge it gives pupils to prepare them for their future life and profession (children must be prepared for all aspects of their adult life-work, leisure, personal relationships, creative activities, coping with money matters, independence, parenthood)

--it’s very good if school also provides an opportunity for teachers to have experience outside the world of college and school. They should work for a while at some other kind of job to see how the world of business and commerce differs from their own.

The quality of the school while accessing it:

-problem of discipline (truancy, bullying, graffiti)

-communication teachers-parents

-choice of the school (whether pupils change schools often)

-a good teaching stuff (devotion to the profession, professional qualities, teachers must be knowledgeable, demanding, caring)

-a good atmosphere at school

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