The objectives of the textbook are fourfold. The first priority is to familiarize
university students of English language and literature with British history from the
Ice Age to the twenty first century. The second purpose of the book is to provide information about British geography, holidays, sports, and customs. Also, at the same
time, the textbook aims at helping university students develop their language skills
(speaking, reading, writing and listening) through various interactive exercises on
the aforementioned topics – included in the resource bank.
The textbook is mostly meant for first-year university students of English language and literature, who want to pass their course entitled History and Culture
of Great Britain successfully. The book might also come in handy for secondary
grammar teachers of English, who prepare their students for their school leaving
exam or for English/History teachers teaching at bilingual (English-Slovak, English-Hungarian) high schools. The textbook might be also useful for everyone who
is eager to find out more about the culture and history of Great Britain.
As for the content of the present book, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 deal with the
geography of Great Britain as it is a must to locate the countries whose culture and
history we want to get to know. Chapter 1 clarifies basic terminology in this field
(e.g., the UK, GB and the British Isles), takes a closer look at the characteristic
feature of climate and the geographical division of the island. Chapter 2 introduces
significant places of interest (historical and religious monuments and towns and
cities, e.g., Stonehenge and Canterbury) with a special focus on London, the capital
of the UK and England.