IELTS, ESP, EAP and CALL

(Africa topic 2)

Asking what lies within a name is more of a subjective question than it is objective. Yes, all names have some sort of meaning or origin behind them, but it isn't always relevant. I doubt that my friends really ever wonder why my last name is Hobson; they just use it to refer to and identify me. On the other hand, a genealogist might take great interest. Similarly, it seems as if the dispute of regional names, such as Israel and Palestine, has a similar contradiction: some just want to refer to the region in the easiest, most familiar way possible, while others take it directly to heart. Perhaps more of a distinction should be made between physical and political naming conventions. An example would be classifying Israel and Palestine to both be in the physical region of Palestine, whereas certain areas (which are still being debated) should be referred to as Israel when speaking politically.

While this comic is clearly done in jest it really highlights the importance a name holds to people. Their are some issues which heavily divide people, in this case the tensions between Israel and Palestine and lead to the formation of very strong opinions. With these opinions come the aspect of properly assigning a title to them. In some cases the same thing is known by many names and is highly contested.  

(Europe topic 7)

Perhaps this "short" version would've been a better starting point for those less familiar with the terminology. :-) And at least this doesn;t have to be edited to include an independent Scotland, which might've sparked a debate about the terms "U.K." and "Great Britain."

Nonetheless, this serves as a great example of the often-overlooked contrast between physical and political boundaries. Perhaps a simpler example would be "the Americas" (physical) and "the United States of America" (political).

Perhaps one peculiarity which I can relate to this example is that of "Bristol County", a term used seemingly interchangeably between all towns in east-central Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Though currently these are 2 separate counties in 2 different states which just happen to bear the same name, realizing the history behind all of these types of examples can offer further insight into the geographic contexts (physical, political, personal, etc.)

Its no wonder people often get confused when referencing the UK, Britain Isles and Great Britain. I sometimes struggle with the terms and being able to locate where each of the 5 countries fall under. This diagram does a good job at pinpointing where each of the 5 countries on the eastern border of Europe lies.Great Britain consist of Scotland, England, and Wales. The United Kingdom consist of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, While Ireland consist of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. And finally the British Isles consisting of all the countries within. This raises the question, if Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, is their identity shared also with the Republic of Ireland?

To be honest here, this map clarifies a lot of things for myself. I never understood what the British Isles were compares to the UK, Great Britain and England. People used to confuse me all the time and they would refer to England as the UK or Great Britain. Now, I understand England is it's own country and it is part of the UK which is a combination of countries, where as Great Britain is just Three areas, which also include England in it. Now, I fully understand the concept of the United Kingdom and Great Britain. . 

A meeting of different worlds at a border. I can't imagine the things one would see or hear living or growing up on a border of conflict such as this. Refugees are a common site, and no authority can dominate the others, making the area effectively lawless.

This note talk about the place in the desert where three hostile countries confront each other on the infinite war.

As an outsider looking in the concept of the United Kingdom is a little confusing. We are taught to view Scotland as its own country, but they are countries within a larger structure. This video makes what would confuse many Americans and condenses it into a clear video that is just about 5 mins.

Many people often interchange the UK, Great Britain, and England, but in reality, they all describe different different things. The UK is a country of four countries, each with equal power, including Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, and Wales but they are all considered British citizens.UK is a political term, describing a country. Great Britain is a physical geographical term describing the land mass containing Scotland, Wales, and England.  The British Isles refers to both Great Britain and the Island of Ireland. All of these terms describe different things, being characterized by either political affiliation or geographic characteristics. 

This article is probably one of my favorites I have read so far. It describes perfectly the political instability still present in the world, and that the globe and its boundaries are constantly changing, never staying put for too long. It surprised me at the new borders which most likely are going to happen, such as the unification of parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Also, the fact that South Korea is subtly getting ready for the reunification of North and South Korea. Also, there may be devolution in Mali and splintering devolution in the Congo's.

This shows devolution as the power in these nations in which are breaking up, such as Belgium and the Flemish peoples. It shows the centrifugal forces behind the breakup of nations, such as ethnicities which vary, or the centripetal forces which bring nations together such as the combination of South and North Korea. 

Devolution/Fragmentation

This article is about nations that could become potentially independent in the near Future, whether due to chronic ethnic incoherence, redrawn governemnt policies, or a growing stateless nation group. Some examples given are an independent Khurdistan, a larger Azerbaijan, and the split of Belgium. 

Centrifugal forces are the root of conflict in many countries. These forces include ethnic variety, lack of common language, political instability. These are what may be causing a split in both Belgium (developed country) and Somalia (developing country). There may also be a unification of countries—the map gives an example of the Saudia Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, and other melding into one Arabian Gulf Union, of China absorbing Siberia. This does not necessarily herald the presence of centripetal forces, as these countries may be the result of military conquest.