Identities and living together

L'anglais est parlé sur les cinq continents. Quelques repères démographiques réels (recensements officiels) :

• United Kingdom — about 67 million people (Office for National Statistics, 2021 census for England and Wales). The UK is made of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• United States of America — about 331 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census), the third most populous country in the world.
• English also has official or widespread status in Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nigeria, South Africa and many other countries.

Aucun de ces pays n'est culturellement homogène : chacun rassemble des populations d'origines, de langues maternelles et de traditions différentes.

Common labels used in the media (approximate birth years):

• Baby Boomers — born roughly 1946--1964, after the Second World War (the post-war « baby boom »).
• Generation X — born roughly 1965--1980.
• Millennials (Generation Y) — born roughly 1981--1996; they became adults around the year 2000.
• Generation Z — born roughly 1997--2012; the first generation to grow up with smartphones and social media.

The expression « generation gap » refers to the differences in values, tastes and habits between younger and older generations.

In England, compulsory education runs from age 5 to 16. The main stages are:

• Primary school — from about age 5 to 11.
• Secondary school — from about age 11 to 16, ending with the GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
• Sixth form or college — ages 16 to 18, ending with the A-levels (Advanced Level), which are used to apply to university.

Most children attend state schools (free, public); a minority attend fee-paying private schools. Confusingly, some famous old private schools (such as Eton or Harrow) are called « public schools » — a historical name.

In the USA, education is organised by each state, but a common pattern is:

• Elementary school — roughly grades 1 to 5 (ages 6--11).
• Middle school (or junior high) — roughly grades 6 to 8.
• High school — grades 9 to 12, from « freshman » (grade 9) to « sophomore », « junior » and « senior » (grade 12), ending with a high school diploma and often a graduation ceremony (prom and graduation).

Students are graded with letters (A, B, C, D, F). To enter university (« college »), many take standardised tests such as the SAT or the ACT.

The United States has long defined itself as « a nation of immigrants ».

• The Statue of Liberty (inaugurated in 1886, a gift from France) stands in New York Harbor. Nearby, Ellis Island was the main immigration station from 1892 to 1954, where millions of newcomers first entered the country.
• Emma Lazarus's poem « The New Colossus » (1883) is engraved on the statue's pedestal. Its most famous lines are: « Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. »
• The USA has no single official language at the federal level; Spanish is the second most spoken language, reflecting large communities of Hispanic origin.

The modern United Kingdom is also strongly multicultural, largely because of its imperial and postcolonial history.

• After the Second World War, the ship HMT Empire Windrush arrived in 1948, bringing workers from the Caribbean (Jamaica and other islands). The « Windrush generation » helped rebuild post-war Britain and is now an important part of British identity.
• London is one of the most diverse cities in the world: according to the 2021 census, less than half of Londoners identified as « White British ».
• Communities of South Asian origin (from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) have shaped British food and culture — for instance, curry dishes are among the most popular meals in Britain.

• The NHS (National Health Service), created in the UK in 1948, provides healthcare free at the point of use — a British institution most people are proud of.
• Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA on the fourth Thursday of November: families gather for a traditional meal (often turkey). It is not celebrated in the UK.
• Guy Fawkes Night (or Bonfire Night), on 5 November, is a British tradition with fireworks and bonfires, remembering the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
• Sport builds community: football (soccer) and cricket are hugely popular in the UK, while American football, baseball and basketball dominate in the USA.
• Afternoon tea in Britain and the mixed cuisine of American cities (from hamburgers to tacos and pizza) both reflect a shared everyday culture.