2009年12月15日火曜日

Introduction of a Minority Languages: Welsh



In Britain, there are some minority languages. In the past, many of them were spoken widely, but now, there are only few people can speak these languages. Then why these minority languages have declined? It is related to invasion of Angro-saxon. In the 5 century, Angro-saxon attacked to Britain Island, and killed or captured the former inhabitants as prisoner. Thus Minority language of Britain was born. So Angro-saxon attacked the island from Europe side, minority language of Britain are all in edge of the land. They prohibited to using Welsh,but there only place that allowed to use Welish, it was church because they wanted to spread the new religion quickly.
There are some kinds in minority languages, and spoken in Britain is calls Celtic language. Manx spoken in Isle of Man, Scots Gaelic spoken in north of Scotland, and Welsh spoken in Wales are kind of Celtic language. In these languages, Gaelic and Welish are still using in everyday conversation but there are only less than 1% of all area of Ireland speaks Gaelic as first language. And Manx are almost dead language, and in Britain, government is trying to revive them. And Welsh is one of dying minority language, government also trying to survive them. So I will explain some information about Welsh.

Welsh
Welsh is one of minority language spoken in Wales. Welsh is one of minority language, but it is still official language of Wales with English. According to Storry,M & Childs,P (2007), the survey in 1870, about 90% of Welsh could speak Wales, but the survey in 2001 says, there 20.8 percent of people who live in Wales can speak Welsh. People in northern part can speak Welsh than Southern parts. The number of people who can speak Welsh is decreasing rapidly, and government start to education system of Welsh in elementary school and junior high school in 1907, and started the radio programs in Welsh since 1930, and TV program in Welsh also started by S4C to revive Welsh since 1960s. In 1960, a lot of immigrant came to Wales because of war was over. Immigrants from other country proud their mother tongue, and keep using their language even they are in Wales. So then Welsh change their attitude toward languages to rivive and save their mother tongue, Welsh.
If you search more information, click here. This is a link list of site which is write in English, Welish, and sometimes Japanese.
references:
Books
"British Cultural Identities" Storry, M & Childs, P (2007, P220)
Web pages
Data about change the number of the minority language speaker
History about Minority Languages in Britain(How the minority language became "minority")

2009年12月2日水曜日

Winchester College

Winchester College is the oldest independent school for boys which established in 1382. It located in the city of Winchester in Hampshire. The school building has worked for over six hundred years in its present site, and has the longest history than any of schools in Britain. Winchester is founded by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester.

All scholars known as ‘College Man’ in the Winchester live in the original building and pupils, apart from the scholars are living in the Boarding House. Each house have official name used mainly as a postal address, and an informal name, usually based on the name or nickname of an early housemaster. There are about 6000 student aged 13-18 in this college.

In this college, boys can study a lot of things. Of course, scholars can study not only foreign language(French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Latin, Greek, Russian, Italy), but also study Music, Art, Science, Classic, Mathematics, and so on. When they are freshman and 2nd year student, carriculum is almost decided, but the other 2 years, they can choose class.


In the school, there are a big chapel, and every Sunday , all boys come to pray here. Winchester is one of the Christian school, so there is a weeklymeeting for study bible of the chiriastian.

After graduate this college, a lot of student go to university in America or Europe. And about a third of the student go to Oxbridge every year.

2009年11月18日水曜日

British Class Division

Upper Class
The Upper Class is basically consist of rich people e.g. Royal family, aristocrats like Duke, Lord, Lady and Politicians. They belong to the top in their job and also have power. For example, director, president, and if they are in war they will be captain, commander or commander officer.
They use different pronunciation from working class, it called Queen’s English or King’s English.
The popolation of Upper class is only 1 percent of all population of Britain, but they own the 1/3 of wealth of Britain

Upper Middle Class

People belong this class is little bit lower class than upper class, but they are still rich and they appearing rich list. Their job is high salary jobs, for example, doctor, and politician.

Middle Class
Middle class is consist of a person who needs to work for their life. Their life is not so rich, but has any problems to live. Their job is teacher, president of small company. So Their job needs to not only bodies but also use their brain

Skilled Working Class
They are work at plant, as carpenter, or the place which making something. So they have skills to make something. They can do the job which needs to a lot of experiences. They are not so rich, and never appear the rich list.

Unskilled Working Class
Unskilled working class is people who don’t have any special skills. They also work at same place as skilled working class, but they do a job which anyone can do, For example carry or lift something or serve the foods. Student sometimes work as part-time unskilled worker to earn money.

Under Class
The word under class means homeless. They have no job, no house, and no money. In their free time some of them are selling The Big Issue. The Big Issue is a kind of magazine its sold by homeless person.

2009年10月7日水曜日

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


The title is correct name of UK. In UK, still now, there are strong class deviding. For example, between upper clas and working class, they read the different news paper. basically, upper class have wealth and most of them are royal family or Duke. People belonging the working class is born working class, and of course, rich people is born rich.

The size of Britain is 244.820 square km. Japan is 377,914 square km. But The population of Japan is almost twice than that of UK, so Japan feel closer than UK.

2009年7月24日金曜日

NZ Report: Present Life of Maori



I’ll explain about present life of Maori. In the past, Maori’s life was inconvenient, but then, how about now? I will introduce present Maori life with three points, compare with past life, problem of life, and crimes.

First, Let us compare with past and present life. Before, Maori wore traditional costume made by fur or something from animal. Now, they are wearing clothes like european for example jeans, T-shirts, and jackets. So in NZ, if you see the Maori, you cannot notice them because they have any differences to other New Zealanders; for example, European, Asian and all people living in New Zealand. But some Maori still have great tattoos, it represent their fore father, family, sometimes appeals to their forth. If a person has great tattoos, perhaps you may notice that they are Maori.
In the past, Maori lived the house made by wood but now living normal house made by concrete. All their buildings include the hall which Maori’s meeting is hold is also all made by concrete now. Even during the meeting of elder, they wear normal clothes and the meeting is hold at the hall made by concrete. Elders use forks and knives when they eat traditional food, in spite of during the meeting, and almost elders come to the hall by plane or their own car. Now they use gas, electricity, and use money as same as us.
But Maori are not still run out of their greeting manner and culture in their mind. It is impossible for other races like Hawaiian to remain traditional culture. Even now when Maori meet, there are no relationships that person is man or woman, young or old, wearing costume or not. They always greet with touch their noses each other, and it’s called Hongi.

Next, I’ll tell you some problems of Maori. In the past, Maori lived as self-sufficient life, but recently the rate of self-sufficiency is decreasing. It means Maori have to depend on using money. So they earn money to live by farming, agriculture, and fishing, called primary industry, but they cannot do it because Maori have contracted with white people as Treaty of Waitangi. So Maori have no places to work as farmer. Fortunately, if they have wide place, but milk is so cheap in NZ and sheep is trade as almost prime cost. So young Maori go to city to earn money, but they cannot take a good job, because Maori could not take enough education. They can only work for the places which belong to the working class or part time job for example, cheap salary plant or convenience store. They cannot earn much money if they go to city.

At last I will talk about Maori’s crime. In the city, young Maori who couldn’t earn much money or fried their job become delinquent and commit a crime, for example theft or robber. Now in New Zealand, half of all prisoners are Maori people and 45% of crimes are caused by Maori. Maori is only 15% of all population, this is a too much number.

In my conclusion, Maori culture and people are very important part of New Zealand but now they have a lot of problems. I think these problems are decline traditional culture. I think New Zealand solve the problems, and also should reduce crimes of Maori to save their important culture and life.

2009年7月22日水曜日

presentation

Hi, I’m Keito. I’ll show you some information about present life of Maori with three points, compare with past lirfe, problem of life and crimes.

First, let us compare with past and present life. Before, Maori wearing costume. Now, they are wearing normal clothes. So in NZ, if you see the Maori, you cannot notice them because they have any differences to other New Zealanders. But some Maori still have great tattoos like this picture.
In the past, Maori lived the house made by wood, but now living normal house made by concrete. Look at this picture. This is the picture of hall which Maori’s meeting is hold. This meeting house is all made by concrete without carving like Tiki. Even during the meeting of elder, they wear clothes and the meeting is hold at the hall made by concrete.
Even Elders use folks and knives when they eat traditional food, in spite of during the meeting, and almost elders come to the hall by plane or their own car. Now they use gas, electricity, and use money as same as us.

But Maori are not still run out of their greeting manner and culture in their mind. It is impossible for other races like Hawaiian to remain traditional culture. Even now when Maori meet, there are no relationships that person is man or woman, young or old, wearing costume or not. They always greet with touch their noses each other, and it’s called Hongi.

Next, I’ll show you some problems of Maori.
In the past, Maori lived as self-sufficient life, but recently the rate of self-sufficiency is decreasing. It means Maori have to depend on using money. So they earn money to live by farming, agriculture, and fishing, called primary industry, but they cannot do it

Because Maori have contracted with white people as Treaty of Waitangi. So Maori have no places to work as farmer. Fortunately, they have wide place, but milk is so cheap in NZ and sheep is trade as almost prime cost.
So young Maori go to city to earn money, but they cannot take the job, because Maori could not take enough education.


So young Maori become delinquent and commit a crime, for example theft or robber. Please look at this left graph. This graph shows all prisoners in NZ. Half of all prisoners are Maori people. And right graph shows all offenders of crime in NZ. 45% of crimes are caused by Maori. Maori is only 15% of all population in NZ, this is a too much number.

Maori have unique culture, and affect to NZ people, but Maori cause a lot of crimes. I think New Zealand government should save Maori culture, and also should reduce crimes of Maori to save their culture and life.

Thank you for listening to our presentation.
Do you have any questions?

settlers


I will tell you some information about Maori lifestyle.

Maori is the oldest settler in New Zealand. They wear traditional costume, but not looks like costume of other tribes, because New Zealand is not so hot. Maori sometimes wore thick clothes made by birds feather or sheep. They have great tatoos in their body, and it represent their family or tribes and so on. Some are appeals to their force.

They lived house made by wood, and some houses have carving called Tiki in front of their house. They have two houses, in summer they live normal house but in winter, they live which half of house is under ground because it is hotter than normal house. And they sometimes held the meeting at meeting hall, that is also made by wood.

They eat fishes, beans, fruits, and so on. They also eat meat for example lamb, but some are became cannibal. Cannibal means "people who eats human flesh". But they did not eat families or their friend. They ate people from Europe or member of other tribes or groups after the fight or war. They are basically lived by self-sufficiency, but recently Maori use money and buy foods or goods which they need.

2009年7月21日火曜日

Introduction


I'll write about Auckland. Auckland has the biggest population in New Zealand, and called "city of sail".So in habor of Auck land, there are often so many yachts and Auckland is for famous for sports and activities related to the sea. Yacht race is one of famous sport. In the past, big race called Louis Vuitton Cup is held at Auckland. This race decide a the world champion of the yacht race, a lot of visitors came to watch the race. In the race, NZ team won twice and became world champion twice.

For visitor sea sea is become one of the best activities, for example, boat cruise. If you cruise to the sea you can enjoy the great view like islands, fiord and also sky. If you cruise at night, you can sea beautiful lights of cities. You can cruise not only sea, but also cruise to river in the city. If you ruise to city, there is another fun differ from sea cruise.

In Auckland, there are another famous sports. If want to watch it, you should go to Eden Park to watch Rugby or Cricket games. Rugby is famous sports in NZ, and rugby national team, All Blacks is strong team in the world. All Black is famous for dance Maori's traditional dance, Haka before the game.