威尔士的文化和教育

WalesCulture&Education

威尔士旳文化和教育PresentedbyVirginiaWestDirectorWalesInternationalConsortiumTheUKWalesMaps

WalesStudyDestinationWalesWalesforCulture

ThePeopleTheWelsharedescendedfrommanyethnicgroupsincludingtheoriginalBritons,Celts,RomansandScandinavians.Thepopulationof2.94millionhasundergonemuchchangeoverthecenturies,withmanyinwardandoutwardmigrationsofpopulation.WelshLanguageWelshisspokenbyabout20%ofthepopulation.ItisoneofEurope’soldestandmostmusicallanguages,oftenreferredtoasthe“languageofheaven”.JustasCantoneseorShanghaidialectisspokenbyalargenumberofpeopleinChina;WelshisspokenbymanypeopleinWales.Nevertheless,EnglishisthemaindailylanguageinWaleslikeScotlandandIreland.Boreda GoodmorningNosda GoodnightDiolch ThankyouDragonsInWelshmythology,KingVortigernorderedtwosleepingdragons–onewhite,onered,tobeawoken.Aferociousbattlelastingmanyyearsbeganbutfinallythereddragonwastriumphant.ItisnowthesymbolofWales.MythsandlegendsareattheheartofWelshculture.TheMabinogionAgroupofmedievalstoriesknownthatdatesfromthe11thcentury.ItincludesArthurianromances,thestoryofAfancthemonsterinthelakeandalsoAnnwn,KingoftheFairies.ArthurandMerlinTheGododdinisoneoftheearliestsurvivingpoemswritteninWelshbythebard(poet)Aneirinaroundtheyear594,andcontainstheearliestknownreferencetoArthur.ThereputedburialsiteofMerlintheWizardisnearCarmarthenandhisRoundTableisstillthereintheRomanremainsatCaerleonnearNewport.DevilsBridgeThetownofDevil’sbridgeneartheUniversityofWalesAberystwythtakesitsnamefromalegendofacleveroldladywhooutwittedSatan!MythsandLegendsLeeksandDaffodilsThedaffodilandtheleekarenationalflowersofWales.TheleekwasadoptedafterStDavidadvisedhismentowearleeksintheirhelmetsastheywentintobattlesothattheycouldidentifyfriendorfoe.ThefloweringofDaffodilscoincideswithStDavidsDay.TwovarietiesofdaffodilareuniquetoWales,theTenbyDaffodilandtheWelshDaffodil.WelshLovespoonsThetraditionofgivingalovespoonasaromanticgesturedatesbackcenturies.Theearliestknownexampledatesbackto1677andiskeptinTheMuseumofWelshLifeinCardiffthoughthetraditionprobablydatesbackfarbeforethat.Eachdifferentspoonhasadifferentromanticmeaning-adiamondmeanswealthandgoodfortune,adragonmeansprotection,adaffodilmeansaffection,andadoublespoonmeanstogetherness.Walesiswellknownforitsuniquecheesesandwines,famousWelshbeefandlamb,andfreshfishandseafood.SwanseahasUK’soldestandlargestindoormarketwhichisstilllocatedinthecitycentre.TraditionalWelshrecipesincludeLaverbread-Atraditionalwelshdelicacymadefromseaweed.WelshCakes-Atraditionalwelshsnack,similartoscones,madefromflour,butter,eggs,sugar,currantsand/orraisins.Cawl-Stew-likedishconsistingofmeatandvegetablesBaraBrith-Sometimesknownasspeckledbread.Therearealmost40foodfestivalsayearinWalescelebratingtheculinarytraditionsofWalesalongsidethoseofChina,Indiaandothercountries.WalesforFoodandDrinkNationalEisteddfodfirstheldatLordRhys’scastleinCardiganin1176.Agrandgatheringofpoetsandmusiciansfromalloverthecountry.AchairattheLord'stablewasawardedtothebestpoetandmusician,atraditionthatprevailsinthemoderndayNationalEisteddfod.In1880,theNationalEisteddfodassociationwasformedandchargedwiththeresponsibilityofstaginganannualfestivaltobeheldinNorthandSouthWalesalternately,andwiththeexceptionof1914and1940,thistargethasbeenmet.

Walesjustlydeservestobecalledthe"LandofSong".Itisarichsourceofmusicaltalentwithitsownworld-classoperacompany,theWelshNationalOpera(WNO),andaNationalOrchestraforWales.AnothercelebratedformofmusicalactivityistheMaleVoiceChoirandWelshpopbandssuchasStereophonics,SuperFurryAnimalsandCatatoniahavegoneglobal.MusicCities,MountainsandSeaTheeducationsysteminWalesisthesameasEnglandPre-school(creche,nursery,kindergarten)Primaryschool(aged4or5to11)Secondaryschool(aged11to16or18)Theminimumschoolleavingageis16PupilssitGCSEOrdinarylevelexamsataged18andGCSEAdvancedlevelsataged18GCSEAlevelsarerequiredforentrytouniversityEducationinWalesThereare2typesofschools–state(alsocalledcomprehensive)andprivate(alsocalledindependent).Therearefeesatprivateschools,stateschoolsarefree.Someprivateschoolsareboardingschools,stateschoolsaredayschools.About90%ofchildreninWalesgotostateschoolsPupilssitvariousteststhroughouttheirschoollifeAlmostallschoolshaveauniformPupilscanhaveschoolmealsorbringmealsfromhomePrimaryandSecondarySchoolsTherearecurrently68IndependentSchoolslocatedthroughoutWales.Agerangesfrom3to18+arecoveredbythemajorityoftheschools,whilsttheothersconcentrateoneitheron3to11or11to18+Pupilnumbersattheschoolsrangefrom3pupilsinsmallschoolsto838pupilsinlargerschools.Thesmallerschoolsspecializeinpupilswithspecialeducationalneedswhorequiremoreindividualattention.Mostareofmixedgenderwiththeoddoneortwosinglesexschools.Independent

Schools.Educationforpeopleovercompulsoryschoolage(sixteenyears),includingacademicandvocationalcourses.generaleducationforpeopleofallageswhowanttostudyacademicsubjectsorrecreationalactivitiesaswellastodevelopandupgradeworkskills.full-timeandpart-timecoursesqualificationswhichareacceptedforentryintoUKuniversitiesFurtherEducationThereare24Welshfurthereducationinstitutions(usuallycalled‘FEcolleges’),coveringallpartsofWalesandallsortsofvocationalandacademicspecialisms.Forexample,DeesideCollegeworkscloselywithAirbusIndustries(whichhasafactorynearby)toprovidetrainingforaircraftandwideraerospacetechnicians,aswellastheotherskillsneededbyamajormultinationalcompany.MoreaboutFurtherEducationstudentsrangefromschoolleaverstoolderpeople-inmostcollegesmorethanhalfareovertheageof21.coursesfrombasicliteracyandnumeracyuptotechnicianlevelcoursesyoungfull-timestudentstopart-timeadultlearnersworkinginindustry,andthosetakingclassesforleisure.work-basedlearninge.g.simulatedworkenvironmentssuchasrestaurants,hairsalons,travelagenciesrunbystudents.customerfocusandlinkswiththelocalcommunity.StillmoreaboutFurther

Education..

HigherEducation

卡地夫大学 CardiffUniversity威尔士东北学院 NorthEastWalesInstitute皇家威尔士音乐戏剧学院 RoyalWelshCollegeofMusic&Drama斯旺西高等教育学院 SwanseaInstituteofHigherEducation卡玛森三一学院 TrinityCollegeCarmarthen格拉摩根大学 UniversityofGlamorgan威尔士阿伯里斯威斯大学 UniversityofWalesAberystwyth威尔士班戈大学 UniversityofWalesBangor威尔士兰彼得大学 UniversityofWalesLampeter威尔士大学卡地夫学院 UniversityofWalesInstitute,Cardiff威尔士新港大学 UniversityofWalesNewport威尔士斯旺西大学 SwanseaUniversityThereare12highereducationinstitutionsinWalesWalesalsohasEnglishlanguagecoursesforinternationalstudents.Theseareofferedinanumberofschools,collegesanduniversitiesacrossWales,incitiesandthecountryside.SummerSchoolsandotherintensivecoursesarealsorun.AllprovidersoffergeneralEnglishcourses,andspecialismsincludeacademicandbusinessEnglishcoursesaccreditedbyanumberofdifferentexaminationandassessmentbodies.EnglishLanguageSchoolsCities,MountainsandSeaHisRoyalHighnessthePrinceofWalesisChancelloroftheUniversityofWalesTypicalSubjectsBusinessandManagementArtsandHumanitiesScienceandEngineeringMedicineLawandPoliticsInformationStudiesComputerStudiesMediaStudiesEducationNaturalScienceandEnvironmentSocialSciencesSportsStudiesMusicandPerformingArtsTravelandTourism

35governmentCentresofExpertise13RAE5*Departments41RAE5DepartmentsTQAExcellenceinTeachinginover90%

subjectareas

UniversitiesinWalesareevaluatedbytheUKgovernmentResearchAssessment