Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.

In the 1820’s many people in Europe, suffering from poverty, war and discrimination, began emigrating to the United States. They hoped for better opportunities in the United States. During the first half-century, most immigrants came from the countries of north-western Europe-Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Norway.

During these years the United States was expanding in to what is now the Midwest. The Midwest had a lot of land good for farming. That’s why many new immigrants became farmers in the Midwest. Even today, German and Scandinavian influence is felt in Midwestern foods and festivals.

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Between the 1870’s and the 1930’s many immigrants came to the United States from the countries of southern and eastern Europe-Italy, Greece, Poland and Russia. The United States was now developing into a mainly industrial country. Much of the farmland in the Midwest had been settled, so the new wave of immigrants moved to cities and worked in factories.

Hispanic-Americans.

Hispanics are people whose ancestors were Spanish or Spanish-Americans. Some Hispanics had lived in the areas which were under Spanish control, and found themselves living in the United States when these areas became part of the United States ( for example California and New Mexico). Many other Hispanics immigrated to the United States from many different countries, mostly from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Asian-Americans.

In the 19^th and 20^th centuries many immigrants came to the United States From different Asian countries ( China, Japan, The Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, India and others). They have settled mostly in California, Hawaii, New York and Texas.

Control questions:

1. Where did the first people come to Americans from? When was it?

2. When did the first British settle in America?

3. What does “yankee” mean?

4. How did African appear in America?

5. What is the position of the black population in today’s America?

6. Why did many immigrants become farmers in the Midwest?

7. Who are Hispanic-Americans?

8. What parts of the United States did the Asian immigrants settle in?

14- Lecture. Theme: How they live (culture, leisure, holidays)

Plan: 1. The way of life

2. Culture. Leisure. Entertainment.

3. Holidays

The aim of the lecture: To get acquainted with the way of life of American people, their culture, holidays.

Key words:

The content of the lecture: The way of life

There have been many changes in the way of life of American families in the past 20 or 30 years.

Many young people don’t hurry to get married, and when they do get married, they don’t hurry to have children. Quite often a woman has her first child only when she is past thirty. Also, families don’t have so many children as was traditional before. Today most families have only one or two children.

In a traditional family the husband worked and earned money, and the wife stayed at home with the children. This tradition is now changing. Many married women work, like their husbands. There are two reasons for this new tradition. One reason is that women also want to have careers, like men. The other reason is the necessity of earning a living: prices have risen, and as a result families cannot survive when only one member of the family works.

The divorce rate is very high in the United States. About half of married couples end in divorce. The result of this high divorce rate is that many American children see their fathers (or mothers) only occasionally.

Rather often divorced people get married again. So a new kind of family has appeared- a family in which the children have different fathers or mothers.

In the past it was traditional for three generations – grandparents, parents and children- to live together, now many elderly people prefer living separately from their grown-up children. Both elderly and young people find it convenient, though, living separately, the older and the younger generation usually maintain a friendly contact with each other.

Culture. Leisure. Entertainment.

The United States is a great centre of culture. Its largest cities ( New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles) have many concert halls, exhibition halls and theatres. Smaller cities also regularly hold concerts, exhibitions, lectures, theatrical performances, both professional and amateur. The United States has the world’s greatest museums, theatres, concert halls and orchestras. A lot of people usually attend performances and exhibitions, in spite of the high prices of the tickets.

The most important sources of entertainment in America are television, movies and recorder music. Millions of Americans watch videotaped movies at home.

Many Americans complain of the low intellectual and cultural level of TV programmes. Some people also say that the emphasis on youth, six and money teaches children the wrong values.

Americans enjoy sport. They engage in sports themselves and also watch their favourite sports teams at the stadiums and at home on TV. Among the most popular sports are baseball, football, basketball and hockey, as well as golf and tennis. Many boys and girls play in school sport teams.

Americans like to travel. Many families regularly go on weekend car trips, as well as on longer summer trips. Travelling by air is also very popular. During their holidays many people fly to other cities to visit friends and relatives. In winter many people like to spend their holidays in places with a warm climate, like Florida and the islands of the Caribbean.

NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS

Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Easter, which falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year, celebrates the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. Many Americans follow old traditions of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving children baskets of candy. On the next day, Easter Monday, the president of the United States holds an annual Easter egg hunt on the White House lawn for young children.

Christmas Day, December 25, is another Christian holiday; it marks the birth of the Christ Child. Decorating houses and yards with lights, putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending greeting cards have become traditions even for many non-Christian Americans.

New Year's Day, of course, is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.

UNIQUELY AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some of them have counterparts in other nations). For most Americans, two of these stand out above the others as occasions to cherish national origins: Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.

Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends. The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practice their dissenting religion without interference. After a rough winter, in which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighboring Indians, who taught them how to plant corn and other crops. The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the Pilgrims to give thanks by holding a feast. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition -- not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination. To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie. Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion.

The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, honors the nation's birthday -- the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks. The flying of the American flag (which also occurs on Memorial Day and other holidays) is widespread. On July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was marked by grand festivals across the nation. Besides Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, there are six other uniquely American holidays.

Martin Luther King Day: The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., an African-American clergyman, is considered a great American because of his tireless efforts to win civil rights for all people through nonviolent means. Since his assassination in 1968, memorial services have marked his birthday on January 15. In 1986, that day was replaced by the third Monday of January, which was declared a national holiday.

Presidents' Day: Until the mid-1970s, the February 22 birthday of George Washington, hero of the Revolutionary War and first president of the United States, was a national holiday. In addition, the February 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the president during the Civil War, was a holiday in most states. The two days have been joined, and the holiday has been expanded to embrace all past presidents. It is celebrated on the third Monday in February.

Memorial Day: Celebrated on the fourth Monday of May, this holiday honors the dead. Although it originated in the aftermath of the Civil War, it has become a day on which the dead of all wars, and the dead generally, are remembered in special programs held in cemeteries, churches, and other public meeting places.

Labor Day: The first Monday of September, this holiday honors the nation's working people, typically with parades. For most Americans it marks the end of the summer vacation season, and for many students the opening of the school year.

Columbus Day: On October 12, 1492, Italian navigator Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Although most other nations of the Americas observe this holiday on October 12, in the United States it takes place on the second Monday in October.

Veterans Day: Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday was established to honor Americans who had served in World War I. It falls on November 11, the day when that war ended in 1918, but it now honors veterans of all wars in which the United States has fought. Veterans' organizations hold parades, and the president customarily places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

OTHER CELEBRATIONS

While not holidays, two other days of the year inspire colorful celebrations in the United States. On February 14, Valentine's Day, (named after an early Christian martyr), Americans give presents, usually candy or flowers, to the ones they love. On October 31, Halloween (the evening before All Saints or All Hallows Day), American children dress up in funny or scary costumes and go "trick or treating": knocking on doors in their neighborhood. The neighbors are expected to respond by giving them small gifts of candy or money. Adults may also dress in costume for Halloween parties. Various ethnic groups in America celebrate days with special meaning to them even though these are not national holidays. Jews, for example, observe their high holy days in September, and most employers show consideration by allowing them to take these days off. Irish Americans celebrate the old country's patron saint, St. Patrick, on March 17; this is a high-spirited day on which many Americans wear green clothing in honor of the "Emerald Isle." The celebration of Mardi Gras -- the day before the Christian season of Lent begins in late winter -- is a big occasion in New Orleans, Louisiana, where huge parades and wild revels take place. As its French name implies (Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday," the last day of hearty eating before the penitential season of Lent), the tradition goes back to the city's settlement by French immigrants. There are many other such ethnic celebrations, and New York City is particularly rich in them. It should be noted that, with the many levels of American government, confusion can arise as to what public and private facilities are open on a given holiday. The daily newspaper is a good source of general information, but visitors who are in doubt should call for information ahead of time.

Control questions:

1. What is the effect of the high divorce rate in the US?

2. What facts confirm the statement that the US is a great centre of culture?

3. What do many people in America complain of?

4. Do many Americans enjoy sport? What can you say to prove that it is so?

5. What kind of American holidays do you know?

15- Lecture Course review

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