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Introducing the topic – British literature

Nicole introduces the topic for this Week
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NICOLE: Hi. This week, we’ll be looking at British literature. What names do you think of when you think of British literature? The list is a long one. William Shakespeare is probably the most famous writer in the English language and his plays have been performed all over the world and translated into many languages. Then there are classic novelists like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy. More recently, contemporary novelists like Martin Amis, Ian MacEwan and Zadie Smith have been read all over the world - and Scottish writer JK Rowling has become one of the richest women in Britain thanks to her series of Harry Potter novels.
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You may not have read any of these writers, you may love them, or you may have had a bad experience of having to study British writers and not enjoying it. This week, we’re going to start with a quiz to see how much you know about British literature and then I’d like you to share your experience with the other learners. What do you love, what do you hate, what do you think about British literature?

This week we’re going to look at British literature.

Listen to Nicole introducing the topic.

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Exploring English: Language and Culture

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