Luv2singnbling asked:


Isolated from the European continent, rain-drenched and often fogged in but also green and dotted with thatched cottages, quaint stone churches, and mysterious stone ruins, the island of Great Britain seems made of elves, legends, and poets. If this land of mystery, beauty, melancholy weather has produced Stone-henge, Robin Hood, and Shakespeare, it has also produced the theory of gravity, the Industrial Revolution, radar, penicillin, and the Beatles.

The British Legacy
We tend to associate the British with their monarchy and their former empire. We should also remember, however, that while most of the world suffered under various forms of tyranny, the British from the time of the Magna Carta (1215) were gradually creating a political system “by and for the people” that remains today a source of envy and inspiration for many nations. Although Americans rebelled against British rule in 1776, the U.S. wouldn’t be what it is today without the legacy of British common law-with its emphasis on personal rights and freedom. Nor would the U.S. be what it is today without the British parliamentary government, British literature, and the English language.

This relatively small island of Great Britain has been invaded and settled many times: first by ancient people we call the Iberians, then by the Celts (kelts), by the Romans, by the Angles and Saxons, by the Vikings, and by the Normans. Whatever we think of as British today owes something to each of these invaders.

The Spirit Of The Celts

When Greek travelers visited what is now Great Britian in the fourth century B.C., they found an island settled by tall blonde warriors who called themselves the Celts. Among these island Celts was a group called Brythons-Britons-who left their permanent stamp in one of the names eventually adopted for the land they settled (Britain).
The religion of the Celts seems to have been a form of animism, from the Latin word for “spirit.” The Celts saw spirits everywhere- in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunder, These spirits, or gods, controlled all aspects of existence, and they had to be constantly satisfied. Priests, called Druids, acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people. Sometimes ritual dances were called for , sometimes even human sacrifice. Some think that Stone-henge–that array of huge stones on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire–was used by the Druids for religious rites having to do with the lunar and solar cycles.

The Celtic Heroes & Heriones: A Magical World
The mythology of the Celts has influenced British and Irish writers to this day. Sir Thomas Malory, in the fifteenth century, having time on his hands while in jail, gathered together the Celtic legends about a warrior named Author. He mixed these stories generously with chivalric legends from the Continent land produced “Le Morte d’Arthur”, about the king who ultimately became the very embodiment of British values.
Early in the twentieth century, William Butler Yeats used the Celtic myths in his poetry and plays in an attempt to make the Irish aware of their lost heroic past.
The Celtic stories are very different from the Anglo-Saxon tales that came later, although it’s the Anglo-Saxon myths that we tend to study in school. Unlike the male-dominated Anglo-Saxon stories, the Celtic legends are full of strong women, like the tall and fierce and very beautiful Queen Maeve of Connacht in Ireland. Maeve once led her troops in an epic battle over the ownership of a fabulous white bull whose back was so broad the ownership the fifty children could play upon it. Celtic stories, unlike the later, brooding Anglo-Saxon stories, leap into the sunlight (no matter how much blood is spilled). Full of fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and incredible adventures, the Celtic myths take you to enchanted lands where magic and the imagination rule.

The Romans: The Great Administrators
Beginning with an invasion led by Julius Caesar in 55 B.C. and culminating in one organized by Emperor Claudius about a hundred years later, the Celts were finally conqeured by the legions of Rome. Using the administrative genius that enabled them to hold dominion over much of the known world, the Romans providedthe armies and organization that prevented further serious invasions of Britian for several hundred years. They built a network of roads (some still used today) and a great defensive wall seventy-three miles long. During Roman rule, Christianity, which would later become a unifying force, gradually took hold under the leadership of European missionaries. The old Celtic religion began to vanish.
If the Romans had stayed, Londoners today might speak Italian. But the Romans had troubles at home. By A.D. 409, they had evacuated their troops from Britian, leaving roads, walls, villas, and great public baths, but no central government. Without Roman control, Britain was a country of seperate clans. The resulting weakness made the island

Kelly

Miss Batista asked:


I am going to college to get my BA in Hispanic Language and Literature, Latin American and Carribean Studies and Teacher Prep for Secondary Schools. I want to teach Spanish and ESL and eventually Italian, I want to be able to teach anywhere in the world during my vacations and I heard the TEFL Certification would help me do that. If anyone can give me advice or information on the TEFL certification I would appreciate I am looking to do a program in Spain this summer.

Sally

Che Matador asked:


I gradutated with a 2.7 GPA from a University
I had a double major in Political Science and Foreign language literature. I had a 3.9 average in all my foreign language courses

currently I have been working for an association for the past 6 months

i want to recieve a masters in Latin American Studies in George Washington University, what are my chances of being accepted?
I am Hispanic

Danny

Ed asked:


I’m a student of Modern Languages at college here, in Brazil. My option was to study Portuguese and English Languages. I think my course is great.
I don’t know if you know that our second language here is the English (but it’s not an official second language). We study everything about Literature (Brazilian, Portuguese, English and American), Portuguese and English Language, English and Portuguese Phonetic etc…So, we study hard.
The Portuguese is the third Western language more spoke in the Western and the fourth more spoke in the world. But a day I thought: We study so hard the English here, but in the USA are there schools that learn the Portuguese?
I suppose in the USA, you just have the Spanish classes as Latin-American Language (because it’s what a see in tv shows, premieres, movies etc.).
Here in Brazil we have idiomatic schools that usually teach English, Spanish or French.

So these are my asks: are there idiomatic schools that teach Portuguese in the USA? Is it easy to find them? Can a Brazilian, graduated here, teaching in the US? If you were learning the Portuguese, would you prefer the Portuguese or Brazilian way to speak?

Thank you, friends!

Kevin

♥ Just. Me ♥ asked:


Would you consider me academically smart?

I’m in 8th grade (mid-term grades)…
Geometry/Algebra II: 99% (A)
Latin II: 83% (B/B-)
French II Honors: 96% (A)
Spanish II: 93% (A/A-)
English: 80% (B-)
American History: 94% (A)
Pre-Chemistry:89% (B+/A-)

It always seems like I’m the dumbest in my grade. It’s SO sad! Everyone expects me to fail courses because of my “poor” grades.

English this year is extremely hard! I was placed in Advanced and we’re doing our school’s 10th grade literature course and grammar is unbelievably challenging!
All-girls private school.

It’s terrible!! No boys, stupid uniforms, I always get made fun of for being dumb! Even all my friends make fun of me…

My dad makes fun of me too! He says I have no chance to make it into Penn with my current marks… which is where my parents went

So this is a serious question BTW.
I meet with my English teacher like twice a week now!
At most schools if I were in the Upper 10% I would have a spot in an Ivy.

At my school you need to be in the Upper 50%, which I am sadly not in. Class Rank-wise I’m probably in the bottom 30%

June

Azathoth asked:


I was only in school until third grade and have been unschooled until now, so I have virtually no experience with formal education. I took a class that I had to drop because of lack of study skills. Point is, I don’t know what a normal amount of time to spend on schoolwork is, or what’s realistic.

My classes are AP American History, AP English Literature and Composition (both online), Latin -Wheelocks-, chemistry/biology, Saxon math, and piano lessons.

I was thinking a usual breakdown would be about an hour a day for each AP class, 30 minutes or so for Latin -I’m working over the summer and that’s how long it usually take-, 45 minutes a day for science, about 45 minutes for math, and 20-40 minutes of piano. According to my calculations, that would come out to about 4 hours a day. Time spent on AP classes would vary. For example, I like reading and I’m a fast reader, so some days I could finish all my work in half an hour. Other days I might need two hours.
I erred on the liberal side with my calculations and don’t usually count piano in as schoolwork. Also, since I’m taking chemistry and biology in the same year -but not at the same time- I can’t really be sure how long that will take. I’m better at biology than chemistry.

So, is that a normal amount of time?

Sally

John asked:


I’m currently a sophomore in high school. I go to a high school that is within the top 500 schools in the country and it is a public school (suburbs). I’m a bit afraid as I am starting to think I will not be able to get where I want to go with what I have now.

My GPA is generally from 3.5 to 3.8 every semester (thus far). My QPA is from 3.8 to 4.1. Next year I am taking two AP courses (AP Us History, AP Java) and am taking two Honors courses Honors Physics, Honors Advanced Pre-Calc. Then two normal level classes, Latin 3 and American Literature. I am not sure if I want to jump up to Honors American Literature, but it may happen.

I plan on taking AP European History, AP BC Calculus, AP Chemistry next year.

Anyway, the activity I’ve been a part of for 9th grade and 10th is Marching Band. I am dropping it next year due to several reasons I don’t believe I need to disclose. I do Latin Club and will add on Mock Trial next year (and may possibly fill in for a friend this year)
As for community service, I had around 14-15 last year, all qualifying for the National Honors Society. I only have two this year, but will get around 10 or so by the end of the year.

I took the PSAT’s this year and received around 60’s on everything.

What I’m worried about is not being able to get into the colleges I’m interested. I have a couple ideas, Notre Dame, Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, UPenn, and maybe Penn State. Am I good enough to get into these (Maybe not all but generally). I know that the factors range far beyond the information I have given, but I want to know if I am up to par thus far. I am a child of an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Regina

Hello asked:


What about Asian lit, Latin American lit, Russian lit?

Rodney

brs027 asked:


None are supposed to be sentences. I don’t know how tell if it’s a sentence or not lol. Can some1 please help me.

I. Historical Background
A. The Growth of Democracy at Home: 1800-1840
1. 1828 election won by Andrew Jackson
2. Term was given nickname era of the common man
3. Property not needed to vote anymore
4. Indians forced to move west
5. Trail of tears leaves 4,000 dead
B. Young Nation on the World Stage
1. Result of War of 1812 = Europe realizing U.S. is there for good
2. Monroe Doctrine warns Europe to stay away from Latin America
3. Mexico attacks U.S. at The Alamo
4. Every Texan defender dies
5. 1845 Texas admitted to the union ending war with Mexico
6. Victory adds California to U.S. territory
C. The Way West and Economic Growth
1. Transportation improves in early 1800’s
2. 1869 rail lines link east and west
3. Technology advances help social change
4. Morse invents telegraph
5. Factories open and farming is easier on worse land
D. Winds of Change
1. Factories lead to child labor and unfair working conditions
2. 1840 Women can’t vote or file law suit
3. Women rights promoted in 1840s/1850s
4. Conflict of right to have slaves divides country
5. Eventually starts Civil War in 1861
II. Literature of the Period
A. American Literature Comes of Age
1. American writers not widely read before 1800s
2. Writers of this time define American voice
B. Romanticism
1. Romanticism-Artistic movement that dominated Europe and America during
Nineteenth century
2. Romantic writing - elevating the imagination over reason and intuition over fact
3. Also accented the fantastic aspects of human experience
C. New England Renaissance 1840-1855
1. Ralph Emerson’s “The American Scholar” calls for American intellectual
independence from Europe
2. American writers should interpret their culture in new ways according to
Emerson
3. 1840-1855 increase in literature activity in New England
D. Transcendentalism
1. Transcendental movement influences writers throughout America
2. Transcendentalism contains many facets, many sources and encompasses a range
of beliefs whose specific principles depend on the individual writer or thinker
3. The transcendental – understanding a person gains intuitively because it lies
beyond direct experience
4. Transcendentalism produces romantic, intuitive, and mystical writing
E. Walden
1. Henry Thoreau - one of the most influential expressers of transcendental
philosophy
2. Went to live on Walden pond by himself
3. Felt intensely the Transcendentalists reverence for nature
4. Walden is his account on the experience of living in Walden
F. The Possibility of Evil
1. All literature isn’t optimistic
2. The Scarlet Letter- sin, concealed guilt, hypocrisy, and humility
3. Hawthorne and Melville viewed life grimly
G. At Home in Amherst
1. Emily Dickinson- one of greatest American poets
2. Her writings focused on unresolved questions
H. Beyond New England
1. 1855 Walt Whitman publishes Leaves of Grass
2. Tells of his change of life
3. Longest lasting effect on American literature
I. Fireside Poets
1. Writers most followed by the American reading public
2. Fireside poets: Henry Longfellow, John Whittier, James Lowell, and Oliver Holmes
J. After the Flowering
1. Creativity sparked up as result of the Civil War
2. Anti-Slavery writers support the north

Amber

bluexrhapsody281 asked:


I’m sorry, I know you must **** seeing questions like this, but please consider this-I’d like to know my chances of getting into the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

I’m a senior at a private, difficult school, my curriculum has always been moderately rigorous. This is my senior year schedule:
1. World Religions
2. AP American Government
3. AP World Literature/Language
4. German 4
5. Pre-Calculus
6. Anatomy and Physiology
7. Latin 1

I’ve always gotten A’s in my regular classes and B’s in my AP/Honors classes.
My cumulative gpa (not recalculated) is a 4.1 (honors and ap classes get the extra point).
I’m in the top 10-13% of my class of 232.
I scored a 29 ACT.
I’m a Michigan resident
I’m a white female.

ACTIVITIES
Symphonic Band frosh through junior (vice president junior year)
Marching Band frosh and soph
Had a main role in a small play junior year
Forensics starting soph year (rigorous activity, many awards, secretary senior year)
Musical Pit orchestra all years but junior year
coached a rec soccer team senior year
*won the grand prize of my school science fair sophomore year
*won student of the month sophomore year

So what do you think my chances are?

Cindy