英美文化差异

英国是本土文化,美国是移民文化

Education in Britain and The US

In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. In the US children must go to school from the age of 6 to between the ages of 14 and 16, depending on the state they live in.

Subject

In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Curriculum(课程), which was introduced in 1988 and sets out(制定) in detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16, when they are tested. The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.

In the US the subjects taught are decided by national and local governments. Whereas British schools usually have prayers(祈祷) and religious(宗教的) instruction, American schools are not allowed to include prayers or to teach particular religious beliefs(信仰).

Examinations

At 16 students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations. These examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects and may involve a final examination, an assessment(评价) of work done during the two year course, or both of these things. At 18 some students taken A-level examinations, usually in not more than 3 subjects. It is necessary to have A-levels in order to go to a university or polytechnic(综合技术大学).

In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called HIGHS, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate(证书) of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last four years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of their degree.

In the US school examinations are not as important as they are in Britain. Students in High Schools do have exams at the end of their last two years, but these final exams are considered along with the work that the students have done during the school years.

Social Events and Ceremonies(仪式)vss中国英语学习网
In American high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation (=completion of high school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma(文凭) from the head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to ear, and a yearbook, containing pictures of their friends and teachers. There are also special social events at American schools. Sports events are popular, and cheer leaders lead the school in supporting the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at age 17 or 18, students held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and the boys wear TUXEDOS.

In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasions(场合) associated(和...有关) with school life. Some schools have SPEECH DAY at the end of the school year when prizes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and sometimes an invited guest. However, in many British schools students and teachers organize(组织) informal dances for the older students.vss中国英语学习网

、英美文化的同源性
英美文化的同源性是不可否认的，更确切地说，应该是美国文化秉承了英国文化的很多东西。英国文化是美国文化的根，源头。这是因为美国历史受英国的影响。首先，在美国的早期移民中，英国人占非常大的比例。顺其自然，他们就将英国的文化、英国人的性格特征、英国人的思维方式都带到了这一片新大陆来了。
其次，17世纪，英国在所有国家中率先进行资产阶级革命，率先迈入到资本主义国家的行列。英国的经济获得长足的发展。不久，又在全球领先进行工业革命。英国势力突飞猛进，称霸全球。而美国是是它进行武力和文化侵略的一个重要地区。这样的历史致使英美文化的同源性。
2、相同之处
同源性使得这两个国家的文化具有很多相同的地方。
语言——都是英语
宗教——以基督教新教为主
社会交往的一些细节——女士优先，文明有礼，保护隐私，忌讳星期五，数字十三等
节日——万圣节、复活节等。
3、不同之处
英美文化有非常多的相同之处。但是也有随着历史的演变，文化的传承，独立发展200多年的美国文化由于有不同的生态环境已经产生了诸多变异。今天我们再来英美文化，已经有很多区别了。
前几天在网上看了一个帖子，谈到了英美海归人员的不同。对留英海归的普遍评价是衣着体面、说话非常客气、行为礼貌，按部就班、不急不躁，就是做事情比较酸，喜欢弯弯绕，经常为说一句不好听的话，先绕上几百个圈子。而对留美海归的评价则可以用三句话概括就是“穿着土气，说话牛气，花钱小气”。既是说留美的海归一般穿着随意，不大讲究，即使有的场合他们也西装革履，文质彬彬，很有些“绅士”的派头。但如果一看到没有旁人，这些“绅士”就原形毕露，鞋也脱了，领带也松了，扣子也解了，脚也搭起来了。
这些海归举止言行的区别其实折射出了英美文化的差异。其实，英美文化的差异表现在很多方面：
一、 英美语言差异。
尽管英美两个国家都是讲英语的，但是美国英语和英国英语是不相同的