Учебное пособие "Досуг" по английскому языку для обучающихся 1 курса СПО.
«Сибирский институт традиционного прикладного искусства»
федерального государственного бюджетного образовательного учреждения
высшего образования
«Российский университет традиционных
художественных промыслов»
Н.Е. Сергеичева
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК
Учебное пособие
«Досуг»
для обучающихся по специальности 54.02.01 Дизайн
(среднее профессиональное образование)
Омск
2026
ВВЕДЕНИЕ
Данное учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для обучающихся первого курса по специальности 54.02.02 Декоративно-прикладное искусство и народные промыслы (по видам). Содержание пособия основано на современном подходе к изучению иностранного языка как средства общения, познания и освоения культурных особенностей стран изучаемого языка.
Тема «Досуг» изучается на первом курсе в рамках общеобразовательной дисциплины «Иностранный язык» и представляет значительный познавательный и коммуникативный интерес, поскольку позволяет рассматривать особенности повседневной жизни, ценностных ориентаций и культурных традиций Великобритании и США. Включенные в пособие аутентичные тексты раскрывают различные аспекты досуга в англоязычных странах, а русскоязычные материалы аналогичной тематики создают основу для сравнительно-сопоставительного анализа явлений родной и иноязычной культуры.
Пособие направлено на развитие у обучающихся иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции в совокупности ее составляющих. Система заданий ориентирована на формирование и совершенствование умений чтения, говорения, письма, понимания и интерпретации текста, а также на расширение словарного запаса и развитие навыков речевого взаимодействия в рамках изучаемой темы.
Структура пособия включает учебные тексты, упражнения и задания рецептивного и продуктивного характера, а также дополнительные материалы, которые преподаватель может использовать в зависимости от целей занятия, уровня подготовки обучающихся и специфики образовательной программы. Тексты-эссе и материалы проблемного характера способствуют углублению содержания обучения, развитию познавательной активности и формированию устойчивого интереса к изучению иностранного языка.
Пособие может быть использовано как в процессе аудиторной работы под руководством преподавателя, так и при организации самостоятельной работы обучающихся.
CONTENTS
I. Warm-up activities…………………...…………………………...……………..4
II. Vocabulary study……………….………………………………………………6
III. Context practice…………….………………………………………...…….....8
IV. Translation practice…………………………………………………….……. 9
V. Writing practice………………………………………………………………. 9
VI. Follow-up activities….……………………………………….……………... 9
VII. Final assignments …………………………………………………………..10
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………12
References………………………………………………………………..………16
I. WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Discuss the following questions with two or three of your group-mates :
- What do you think are the most popular ways of spending free time in: Omsk, American countryside, a German town, London?
- How are people's hobbies connected with their income (personality, culture)?
- Why do you think extreme hobbies like para-gliding and ski-diving are getting more and more popular in the West?
- What is your favourite way of spending free time? What else would you like to do, should you be given a chance?
- What is a pub?
- What is the importance of a pub in the British culture?
- Do pubs differ from bars? In what way?
- What people (age, social position, etc.) commonly visit pubs?
Focus on Britain
Read the text and say what the most popular pastime activities in Britain are.
Leisure in Britain
In Britain, as in other countries, there are hundreds of different ways of spending one's leisure time. A lot of people spend a considerable proportion of their leisure at home watching television, listening to the radio or records, reading books, magazines and newspapers, gardening, pursuing various hobbies or entertaining friends. Many observers of life in contemporary Britain have been struck by the numerous manifestations of the do-it-yourself movement. As a result, a great deal of leisure time is in fact spent working hard in and around the house. Quite apart from gardening, people spend countless hours painting, carrying out repairs, decorating, installing new heating systems. The leisure activities of British people outside the home are many and varied. They watch or participate in various kinds of sport, go to discotheques, concerts. Cinema-going has suffered a decline since the introduction of television. The opportunity to see opera, ballet or serious drama performed by professional theatre companies is limited. Another way of spending leisure time is meeting in the pubs for informal social intercourse, though nowadays many pubs tend to be increasingly dominated by TV sets, amusement machines and semi-professional entertainers.
In summer British people flock to seaside resorts at home and abroad in search of the suntan and the glamour of summer beaches or at least they go on a picnic at weekends. Generally speaking, much depends on the amount of free time that people actually have and social activities, hobbies, pastimes, etc.
2. Read the text and see if your ideas about British pubs were correct.
Pubs
For many British people, the pub is the centre of their social life. People from some countries find this rather shocking, but for most people in Britain a pub is a place with a friendly atmosphere where they can meet their friends and talk over a drink— and often over a meal.
At lunchtime you can often get sandwiches or a 'ploughman's lunch' (bread and cheese). In the evening many pubs serve 'basket meals' (especially chicken and chips served in a basket) at the bar, and some have restaurants where you can get a complete meal.
It is quite normal for women to go into pubs in Britain, but like everybody else they must follow the licensing laws. These are very complicated and control the time pubs are allowed to open. The times vary in different parts of the country, but pubs are usually open from about 11.00 until about 2.00 or 2.30, and in the evening from about 6.00 until 10.30 or 11.00 (except on Sundays when opening times are shorter). Licensing laws also control who is allowed into pubs. You must be 16 before you are allowed to go into a pub, and 18 before you are allowed to buy alcoholic drinks. It is serious offence to buy or to attempt to buy alcohol under the age of 18 or buy it for someone under this age. If the landlord of a pub thinks you are under 18 he will refuse to serve you. Most pubs have two bars, the saloon bar and the public bar. The saloon is better decorated and more comfortable (but the drinks are more expensive!).
When you go into a pub, you go up to the bar and tell the barman what you want. He will give it to you and you pay him immediately and take it to the table where you want to sit. It is not necessary to tip the barman, but you must not expect him to bring your drink to your table.
You can buy many kinds of drinks in pubs. The typical drink is beer. There are many different types of beer, both draught and bottled, which you buy by the pint or the half. You never ask for a pint of beer though, always for a pint of bitter, or a pint of keg or the name of the beer. If you do not like English beer, you can buy lager which is chilled continental beer. You can also buy spirits (e. g. whisky, gin, vodka) and usually wine, by the glass but not by the bottle.
Of course, you don't have to buy alcoholic drinks. Mineral water is not very common in Britain, but you can buy a lot of soft drinks, e. g. coca-cola (coke), fruit juice or lemonade. A very refreshing drink on a hot day is a shandy (lemonade or ginger-beer mixed with beer). If it is not a hot day, you may feel that you need something stronger.
Focus on America
1. Read the text and say in what way American leisure activities differ from those in Britain.
Recreation Time in the USA
In the average American home, there is an enormous amount of activity, of coming and going, seemingly all at once. For the parents there are perhaps courses at the local evening school or college. There are bridge and bowling clubs and golf leagues. There are public service organizations, lodges, temples, and clubs which sponsor a host of activities, many of them related to charitable work. The church or synagogue may have a bake sale, a car wash, or a ‘potluck’ dinner (everyone contributes a dish). The senior class may have an auction to raise money for the class trip. There might be a softball game. The social life is often hectic as well. One child is off to a party, another to the library, another to see a film. Neighbors drop by, and the telephone keeps ringing. In addition there are other activities and clubs, groups, volunteer organizations, courses and hobbies that most Americans are involved in several at the same time, and again, there are always a lot of things that need to be done around the house and in the garden.
Americans also talk about stress. The competition is tense, and working hard, Americans often have schedules that leave little room to just sit and do nothing.
They are usually on the go most of the week, and have full weekends as well. Still everyone believes that leisure sporting activities are a part of daily American life. Most Americans who grow up in the North, for example, also grow up with outdoor winter sports. In all parts of the country fishing and hunting, water sports and activities are extremely popular. And many hundreds and thousands of Americans enjoy small beach parties where there's no one else except a few friends, a fire, and the warm summer night.
2. Read the text and say whether nightlife in the USA is different from that in Russia.
Bars, Clubs and Pubs
At night, particularly in metropolitan areas you will find a wide range of places to visit for enjoyment and socializing. Nightlife in the USA is more of an 'event' rather than routine. In other words, Americans tend to plan to go out to socialize whereas other nationalities such as English, Irish, Germans, and Czechs, may more frequently meet friends after work in their favorite pub, tavern, inn, or bar. Bars are the most common establishments in America. The majority of these have a theme or focus: for example, there are western bars, sports bars, jazz bars, and blues bars. In addition, bars are usually informal places to drink and hang out with friends or new acquaintances.
Clubs, on the other hand, are usually more formal and specific in their focus. In clubs, you may be required to wear a tie to enter. There you would typically find a stage where either bands or professional dancers are in the limelight.
Pubs, although not as common as bars and clubs, do exist and echo their British counterparts in atmosphere, beverages available, and the type of customers who frequent them.
Most pubs, as can be imagined, usually have some theme as well, typically 'Irish' and 'English'. Some of these pubs even hire their bartenders, waiters and waitresses directly from these countries. So, if you happen to be in a Los Angeles Irish pub and your bartender has a charming accent, don't be surprised.
As the USA is extremely service-oriented, you should expect quick, polite, and efficient service. In bars and pubs, there will most likely be a menu for food and drinks. Clubs usually serve only drinks.
II. VOCABULARY STUDY
1. Fill in suitable words from the text ‘Leisure in Britain’:
1. He is a man of many ..., he does skiing, scuba-diving, knitting and what not.
2. Reading books as a pastime is suffering a ... in many Western countries now.
3. We need to ... a new heating system in our house.
4. Television of many European countries is increasingly ... ... American movies.
5. By the Constitution of the USA, every American citizen has a right to ... happiness.
6. If you are not properly trained for a job, you can be called ...-… .
7. The activities of students in the West are many and … .
2. Say what is meant by:
social intercourse; flock to; in search of; a decline; is limited; do-it-yourself movement; a manifestation of smth.
3. What synonyms can you think of to the following words (if you are having difficulty, consult a dictionary):
contemporary, a proportion, considerable, numerous, to dominate, a pastime
4. Try to give an adequate translation of the phrase: Many observers ... have been struck by the numerous manifestations of do-it-yourself movements.
Think of other things or phenomena that can have numerous manifestations. Make up sentences about them.
5. Choose the wrong word in every line below and explain your choice:
ploughman's lunch, fish and chips, lager, basket meal
a pint, a shandy, a half, a glass
lemonade, bitter, ale, ginger-beer, keg
violation, offence, defence, crime
6. Insert the necessary prepositions where necessary:
1. The British regard going to a pub as a chance not to get drunk, but to talk ... a meal or ... a drink.
2. In many pubs you can get some light food ... lunchtime.
3. This pub is open ... 11 a.m. ... 10 p.m.
4. You will not be served in a pub in Britain if you are ... 16.
5. Service in a pub is very simple: you come ... the barman and buy your drink.
6. In a pub men usually ask for a pint ... some kind of beer and women usually get half ... a pint.
7. Spirits like vodka or whisky are served ... a glass, or ... a shot.
8. Shandy is a very refreshing drink ... a hot day, and is a mixture ... ginger-beer ... beer.
7. The following constructions are very widely used in English. Make sentences of your own with them:
- It is quite normal for ... to ...
- I find it rather shocking (interesting, strange, reasonable, etc.) to ...
- It is considered a serious offence (crime) to ...
8. Find the English equivalents in the text ‘Recreation Time in the USA’ and illustrate the use of them by sentences of your own:
огромное количество; все одновременно; вносить вклад, складываться; зайти в гости; вдобавок; быть в движении, на ходу; виды спорта на свежем воздухе
9. Explain your understanding of the terms:
a lodge; a temple; charitable work; a synagogue; a 'potluck' dinner; an auction; to raise money; softball; hectic
10. Define the following words and expressions in English. If necessary, consult a dictionary.
metropolitan areas; tavern; a focus; to hang out with smb; a club; in the limelight; a counterpart; to echo; service-oriented
11. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the text ‘Bars, Clubs and Pubs’:
1. Pubs and bars were basically created for ... and ....
2. Each club existing in our University has its own ... or ...: for example, fashion, or jazz.
3. A good waiter or bartender should be quick, ... and ....
4. Pub is certainly not an American invention, but rather a British borrowing, and so they ... the same establishments in Britain, i.e. they reflect their ... and beverages.
5. Shops, restaurants and hotels in the West are extremely ..., so you will always be served very efficiently.
6. In some restaurants or clubs in the USA people are not allowed in casual clothes and men are ... to wear a suit and a ... .
7. His Russian is very fluent, but I noticed he has a lovely .... What country is he from?
8. The word "barman" is no longer used in the USA as politically incorrect. It is now substituted for "...".
9. Most nightclubs have a ... in the middle where professional singers and dancers are in ... ... .
III. CONTEX PRACTICE
1. For each of the words on the list (mean, by, calling, bend, for, fridge, off) find a suitable context. Describe the situation.
Dialogue
- Exeter 563.
- Tim? This is Mary. I hope I haven't woken you up.
- Actually I got up ten minutes ago, but it's only a quarter to nine. Why are you ... me so early on a Sunday morning?
- Because the sun's shining and I am going for a picnic. Do you want to come?
- It's true we haven't seen the sun lately, but I expect it'll rain again soon.
- No, it won't.
- Well, I've got some work to do, but I suppose I could put it ... till tomorrow. Where are you thinking of going?
-Well, there's a lovely spot ... the river on the road to Tiverton. There's a big ... in the road just before you get to Stoke. You leave your car and walk across a field to the left. There are some tall trees by the river, and that's where we'll be. It's very easy to find the place.
- Yes, I think I know where you ... . I'll come, and I might even go ...a swim. Are you taking any food or drink? It's a pity you didn't mention it yesterday; I don't think there's any beer in the house.
- Don't worry. We've got some bottles of beer and lemonade and there's half a chicken in the ... .
- Right then. See you there in about an hour.
2. For each word or phrase on the list (parties, mess, Easter, blind, insurance, fire engine, actually) find a suitable context. Describe the situation.
Mutual Feelings
—Oh, look! It's snowing, Mrs. Smith!
— So it is! I can't remember when it last snowed.
— It snowed in April two years ago. It was ... week; I remember it well.
—Oh yes! So it did. It must have been the second week in April— my sister from Scotland was here at the time.
—What about the fire at the Williams's house last Saturday! Did you see it?
—Yes. Terrible, wasn't it? The ... woke me up at about three in the morning. They were lucky the whole house didn't burn down. Their living-room was in an awful ... next morning.
— Well, it serves them right. They were throwing another of those wild ..., weren't they? They must have been ... drunk; they should have been more careful. You know, I think they may have set ... to the place on purpose —just to claim new furniture and carpets from the ... company.
— I wouldn't be surprised at anything they did. I've always been suspicious of them, and the longer I know them the more I dislike them. I'm glad I didn't go to their party.
— Why didn't you go, Mrs. Jones?
—Well we weren't invited .... but I had to go to my sister's that evening anyway.
— We weren't invited either. I suspect that the longer they live here the less they like us too, Mrs. Jones.
IV. TRANSLATION PRACTICE
Give English interpretation of the following Russian texts.
Время отдыха
Как проводят свободное время жители российских городов и деревень, не знает никто, так как в какие-либо строго определенные рамки невозможно вместить все многообразие индивидуальных интересов и склонностей. С должной долей объективности можно утверждать следующее: факторы, которые влияют на то, что люди делают в свое свободное время, зависят от возраста, места проживания, семейного положения, здоровья, существующих возможностей, материального положения и т. д. И то небольшое время, которое остается от основной работы и работы по дому, в семье — личное время каждого человека в отдельности — это его богатство, главным потребителем и распорядителем которого является сам человек.
Некоторые любят планировать свое время, другие решают сразу на ходу, что делать или куда идти. Можно испробовать одновременно эти две формы, тогда не будет переживаний, если что-то не получается, и все планы рушатся, ведь легко можно переключиться на другое занятие и получить от него как можно больше удовольствия, так как главная цель отдыха — это сам процесс отдыха.
Кабачки или кафе?
Более привычное в России — это не кабачки, а кафе. Пивные — это достаточно непонятные заведения, до сих пор непонятно кто туда ходит, но ясно одно, что там подают пиво с солеными бубликами или другой закуской, не очень сложной. Поэтому круг завсегдатаев пивных баров ограничен, вероятно, только любителями пива. А так как пиво не все любят, то и пивных баров не так уж много.
Вот в кафе недостатка нет. Они разные: и большие и маленькие, и дешевые и дорогие, и с хорошим обслуживанием и вообще без всякого обслуживания.
Кто регламентирует работу кафе? Раньше были управления, которые осуществляли руководство, требуя строгой подотчетности. В настоящее время нужна лишь лицензия на ведение такого рода деятельности, и только налоговая инспекция вмешивается в финансовую сторону дела; а как же качество питания, а обслуживание? Об этом пока никто не задумывается.
V. WRITING PRACTICE
1. Write down your plan for the coming weekend. Make sure you'll follow your main pursuit.
2. You're writing to your friend because you want him to meet you at your favourite Sam’s place. Give him all necessary information about it.
VI. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
Pair work 1
1. Student A is worried about his coming holiday, because he doesn't know what to do, where to go. He doesn't agree with Student B’s idea. Student В suggests his staying at home and decorating his flat. Student A can't accept it, but Student В insists and gives his own consideration of the problem.
2. Student A invites Student В for a picnic, he suggests going in a car. Student В receives this idea with enthusiasm and together they talk over some necessary arrangements.
Pair work 2
1. Student A: Convince your new acquaintance to go to the local pub with you. He doesn't know anything about English pubs and thinks that a pub is not a very suitable place.
Student В: This is the first time, you've arrived in England. You've just met Student A and he invites you to a pub. You think it must be something awful.
2. There are so many pubs in London. You're at a loss where to go. Choose one of the following: 'The Red Dragon", "Oliver Twist", "The Mermaid", "The Ordinary Fellow", "The Ship and Shovel". Before making your choice, go through this list with your friend and find out merits and demerits of each.
Group discussion 1: discuss it in a group first and then participate in a conference on a topic "Leisure time is hard to spend".
People don't know what to do when they have plenty of spare time. It's always a problem.
How do you spend your free time?
Do you consider work in and around the house to be a kind of a leisure activity? What are the most popular recreation activities in your country? Do people follow the American style of combining "work and play"? Is it always successful?
Speak about your own idea of good leisure pursuits. Is "doing nothing" after office hours a good option for a busy person?
Do you usually plan your working days and your recreation hours beforehand? Do you strictly follow your schedule? Can you skip your items? Why?
Group discussion 2: discuss it in groups and work out a model plan for socializing and meeting friends. Compare it with other students. Do you have any places for socializing in your country? What do they look like? What is served there: food, drinks?
- How often do you go to bars, or clubs, or pubs? When do you usually go? How long do you stay there?
- What kind of pub is ideal to you?
VII. FINAL ASSIGNMENTS
Monologue:
1. Describe typical leisure activities in the UK/the USA.
Talk about how people usually spend their free time: at home, outdoors, with friends, or with family.
2. Compare leisure in the UK/the USA and in your country.
Compare popular forms of entertainment in the UK/the USA and in your own country.
3. Talk about your favorite way to relax.
Explain how you usually spend your free time and why you like it.
4. Speak about a popular British/American hobby or pastime.
For example: football, shopping, going to the cinema, watching TV series, or visiting parks.
Dialogue:
1. Plan a weekend in the UK/the USA.
One student suggests ideas, the other chooses where to go and what to do.
2. Discuss free-time activities with a friend.
Talk about how to spend an evening or the weekend: cinema, café, museum, sports, or staying at home.
3. Compare entertainment preferences.
One person enjoys active leisure, the other prefers quiet activities, and they need to find a common plan.
4. Ask and answer about cultural entertainment.
Discuss theatre, concerts, festivals, TV shows, and sports events.
Writing:
1. Write an email to a friend about your weekend plans in the UK/the USA.
Describe which activities you would like to try and why.
2. Write a short article about leisure and entertainment in the UK/the USA.
This can be used for school or college work, about 120–150 words.
3. Write a letter recommending entertainment places to a foreign guest.
Suggest places to visit in London, New York, or another city.
4. Write a comparison letter.
Compare how people spend their free time in the UK/the USA and in your country.
APPENDIX
Turning Work into Play
Houses in Britain are seen as an investment. Property prices have risen steeply in the last twenty years and continue to rise, so people buy houses in the hope of making money. Home ownership is high, at about 70 per cent. One result of this is that people are happy to work on their houses: the work benefits themselves, not a landlord. DIY (do-it-yourself) has become massively popular, with 60 per cent of all men and 30 per cent of all women “doing it themselves”. There used to be a certain amount of prejudice against it. The comic poet, Hilaire Belloc, wrote 70 years ago:
“Lord Finchley tried to mend the electric light Himself. It struck him dead, and serve him right! It is the business of the wealthy man To give employment to the artisan.”
These days, not so many house owners are wealthy, so they try to avoid calling in the carpenter, plumber or electrician. But the DIY craze is not based entirely on economics. It has become a hobby which gives many people pleasure and a sense of achievement. In government statistics, DIY is listed as a leisure activity. Every TV channel has its own DIY programme, and giant DIY superstores, selling tools and materials, have sprouted up all over the country.
Together with the love of house decoration goes a passion for gardens. They buy gardening books and watch gardening programmes on TV. There are gardening sections in the newspapers.
Of course, not all the British share this enthusiasm. Gardens are slow, long-term things, and even in this country most young people are not interested. However, some time in his or her 30s the average Briton starts learning plant names and buying seeds! About half of the people in Britain do some gardening, and they spend over L3 billion in garden centres every year.
As with DIY, gardening is work which people do in their leisure time. Some ambiguity remains – is it work or is it fun? Gardeners often talk about their hobby in the language of guilt, which would seem more appropriate for work, “Oh, dear, I’m afraid I haven’t had time to mow the lawn or prune those roses”.
There are also conflicting attitudes to another national pastime – shopping. For some it is a boring task only to be done when it is absolutely unavoidable; for others it is an addictive pleasure. It is obviously more fun if you have a lot of money, and the rich have always enjoyed it in places like London’s Bond Street, Knightsbridge or Piccadilly. But recently the habit has caught on among the rest of the population. Big American-style shopping malls have appeared, sometimes in town centres but very often out on a motorway and accessible only by car. The gigantic Bluewater in Kent, for example, looks almost like a theme park. It has branches of superstores, dozens of smaller shops, and, most importantly, parking for 13,000 cars. The idea, clearly, is not that the shopper drops in for a carton of milk and some cat food on the way home: this is designed for families to have a day out, wandering around, looking, dreaming and spending.
Unhealthy Pleasures
It is pointless to pretend that all leisure activities are just good clean fun. The British are no more sensible than other nationalities when it comes to self-destructive activities like drinking and taking drugs. In fact, they have something of a reputation for drunkenness even though statistics show that alcohol consumption is not especially high. There is a possible explanation for this: in many countries, people drink quite a lot of wine with meals, whereas British drinkers often go to the pub and dedicate themselves to getting drunk. At 11 p.m., the pubs shut and drinkers are forced out into the streets, so drunkenness is a very public phenomenon. In spite of the 18-year age limit in pubs, there is more teenage drinking in Britain than in other European countries.
Unlike drunkenness, drug use is (for obvious reasons) a more private phenomenon. There may be a trace of marijuana in the air as you walk past a group of people in a park, and clubbers at raves are quite open about taking Ecstasy. But you would be unlikely to come across syringes lying on the ground, and it is very rare indeed to see someone actually taking hard drugs. Attempts to legalise marijuana have never got anywhere near succeeding, and all recreational drugs except alcohol, tobacco and solvents remain illegal. The police will let someone off with a caution if they have a few grams of cannabis, but otherwise enforcement of the law is quite strict. Since 1998, a national anti-drugs co-ordinator, known as the Drug Czar, has been appointed to take charge of the whole issue.
Accurate statistics are hard to obtain in this field, but it is clear that drug use is widespread in Britain. About a half of all those in their early 20s have tried a drug at some time in their lives, and about 20 per cent of them use drugs regularly. Surprisingly, higher social classes experiment with drugs more than lower classes, but regular use and addiction is more common among the poor. Injected heroin, in particular, is associated with deprived housing estates in big cities like London, Liverpool and Glasgow. Cocaine, on the other hand, is the fashionable drug for rich young business people. Cannabis remains by far the commonest drug across different classes and age groups.
It may be surprising to find gambling in this section on unhealthy pleasures: it is very much a matter of opinion whether it is a serious vice or just harmless fun. Social reformers and the church have usually condemned gambling for two reasons: it is addictive, and men have often wasted their money on it while neglecting their families. An element of guilt certainly remains: betting shops in the high street always have their windows covered so that the customers are out of public sight. Playing cards and similar games for money is illegal in public places, and casinos are few and far between. Most British gambling has traditionally been on horses and football pools (where players send in a form with a list of predictions for the weekend’s matches).
Attitudes changed dramatically, however, with the arrival of the National Lottery in 1994. This seems like guilt-free gambling because 28 per cent of the money goes to good causes. You have to choose a set of six numbers between one and fifty. If all six numbers are correct, you win several million pounds. The lottery is played twice weekly and a ticket costs L1. The chances of winning are millions to one, but it has been fantastically successful, with up to 70 per cent of all households in the country buying tickets. Along with cigarettes, alcohol, junk food and television, it has become another little addiction for millions of people in Britain.
Time Off in the USA
Although many Americans may disagree, a large proportion of the American population "works to live" rather than "live to work." Unlike some other nationalities, the Japanese, for instance, Americans feel more comfortable at home than at work. Loyalties are family-based and not work-related. "Home, sweet home" is the sentiment Americans feel most. Family time and recreational activities play a major role in American life. You may recall that business, work, and education are all extremely competitive. As a result, Americans savor the time they have off from work. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", is the saying that best describes the attitude towards workaholics.
The actual activities Americans undertake in the leisure time vary from person to person. If a family, as a unit, decides to enjoy time off, all the members might go on a weekend road trip. The family may also go for a picnic with another family, usually neighbors. Other activities might include camping, hiking, or biking. Although the nuclear family is important, most family members pursue their own individual interests on their own.
Again, depending on the individual the activities vary greatly. Some enjoy sports. Other people may prefer to go to the movies with friends. On weekends, university students (over the age of 21) may go to a favorite bar and hang out for drinks to blow off some stress and steam. Other activities include volunteer work (i. e. visiting the elderly in retirement homes), participating in a church/synagogue/temple bake sale or car wash, or hosting a bar-b-que.
Keep in mind, too, that the regions of the USA may offer a particular type of activity that other states may not have. For example, those who live in Florida and California may easily go to the beach for a volleyball/beachball game and/or party. Those who live in states like Colorado might easily be able to pull out their skies. Hunting is also a pastime many enjoy, but only those people who live in states with good, legal hunting grounds can do so.
Leisure Time
Despite the persistent complaints Americans make about not having enough free time, the twentieth century ushered in an unprecedented age of leisure. Economic developments, like the decreased work week, increased wages, and increased productivity brought more free time to workers, and the changing attitudes toward leisure are a reflection of the greater role that free time plays in American life. The shift in attitudes are subtle and sweeping, their significance barely noticed by most. The free time that allows for "the newfound delight of young fathers in their babies," wrote Margaret Mead in 1957, represented "another intrinsically rewarding pattern which no large civilization has ever permitted." The observation is at once a measure of the unprecedented role of leisure in everyday life, and how much Americans take their free time for granted.
As more and more Americans participated in leisure time, the very definition of leisure came into question. Instead of encompassing all time away from work, leisure has been defined as "doing something" enjoyable. Leisure has evolved into the time in which one is free, apart from others. The phrase "quality time," so often used in respect to the family, implies that the time spent together isn't as important as the amount of effort put into that time. Its use also indicates the diminished focus of leisure time within the family. In the 1990s fewer Americans were married than in the previous generation, and fewer still were parents, as many put off parenthood for a longer period.
Despite these trends, Americans in the 1990s remained largely home-centered. A March 1999 Gallup Poll reported that watching television was the favorite way to spend an evening for 31 percent of the respondents. Television watching has been the top response on this poll since 1960, though the poll has reported demographic differences in the responses. For example, watching television is much more popular with those 65 and older than with the 18-29 segment. Educational differences also prompt different responses: college or postgraduate degree holders are more involved in reading or dining out, while less educated people prefer television. "As our leisure time has increased since 1965," Geoffrey Godbey told the Christian Science Monitor, "the gain has been plowed into more TV because it can be sequenced, an hour here, an hour and a half there. TV fits so well now, and it is immediately accessible."
But in the face of increased free time, Americans in the 1990s complain that they have less of it. Like the phrase "quality time," Americans have come to act as if the time spent is not as important as how much has been extracted from that time. We read and watch television. We admonish each other to "get to the point" in conversation, as if taking too long is wrong in itself. Technology has made us more accessible to each other than ever before, but it sometimes seems that we spend more time trying to get in touch with each other, leaving endless messages on machines, than we actually spend in direct communication.
The Information Age will likely change much about how leisure is defined. If more workers telecommute from home, will work appear less regimented and therefore feel less like work? Americans' views of recreation may also have to adjust to a new conception of work. The likelihood will be that these shifts will occur seamlessly, as many think about their free time only in the terms of what they will do with it.
Enriching Entertainment
The need for public entertainment has shaped both human development and the built environment, and despite the anti-social tendencies of today's leisure technologies, it is still possible to sustain a connection with space and place.
From the Coliseum to Disneyland, humankind has come to rely on increasingly lavish circuses to supplement its daily bread. Though the notion of mass leisure per se is a relatively modem phenomenon, brought about by liberation (in the Western world at least) from the crushing yoke of labour as the working day was gradually reduced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, historically, entertainment has always figured in public consciousness, from the gladiatorial spectacles of the Romans, through medieval tournaments, fairs and religious festivals, to theatre, concerts, opera and pleasure gardens, and more recently, the celluloid escapism of cinema and tribal passions of sport.
Such forms of entertainment have generally required specialized buildings or sites that have evolved over time and also shaped the wider social, civic and economic development of cities. Theatres, for instance, are one of the oldest types of urban architecture, embodying a human need for the rituals of public performance. Over time, the theatre has assumed many forms, reflecting the successive changes of images and identity that have occurred in the presentation of drama: the strolling player, the great open amphitheatre, the intimate court theatre, the proscenium frame, to contemporary cannibalizations of existing buildings and structures. By the nineteenth century, it had also become a place for staging social rituals, in increasingly lavish promenading spaces.
The idea of the city as a kind of virtual theatre has fascinated generations of urban and social historians. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, theatres, opera houses, concert halls and museums were significant elements in grand urban designs, figuring as monumental object buildings in the Neo-Classical reordering of most European cities.
In the sprawling, centreless, contemporary city, relationships are more complex, messages more confused and notions of public entertainment undergoing profound change The discovery of the possibilities of big business associated with free time has mined a lucrative vein of mass entertainment so that leisure is now polarized between the domestic and urban scales (the sofa or the stadium). Propelled by the rapacious demands of commerce, this polarization is also driven by the media and their need to encapsulate, disseminate and feed off spectacles of all sorts, from sport to war. However, the growth of the media has also transformed perception and our relationship with the environment and society. The real is now overwhelmed by the virtual, packaged, reinterpreted and commodified. Yet the outcome is often irredeemably banal, with the individual reduced to the marginalized status of an extra on a meaningless stage.
In attempting to find some way of rekindling a connection with reality, the experience of Southwark in south London might prove enlightening. Historically, this somewhat disreputable borough was a playground for popular pursuits such as the theatre, bear-baiting, drinking, carousing and general licentiousness. In its newly reformed and spruced-up incarnation, it still forms a setting for public entertainment of various kinds that, as in the past, have had an uplifting social and economic impact on the borough's fortunes.
You could just as easily look at paintings in a book, listen to music on CD or explore a world of increasingly bizarre possibilities on the Internet, but beyond the insularizing tendencies of technology, there is still a fundamental need to make an experiential connection with art, performance, space, place and the wider world. All modern urban architectural complexes in their different ways illustrate the relationship of people to place and how spaces for entertainment can help to civilize and enrich the city.
REFERENCES
An Outline of American History. United States Information Agency, 1994.
Britain Welcomes You. British Tourist Authority, 1998.
Catherine Slessor. EMAP Architecture, Gale Group, 2003.
Daryl Umberger. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Gale Group, 2002.
Portrait of the USA. United States Information Agency, 1995.
INTERNET SOURCES
6. Office for National Statistics. Time Use in the UK: March 2023 [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/timeuseintheuk/march2023 (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
7. UK Government. Taking Part Survey: Free Time Activities Focus Report, 2017/18 [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5dc03143ed915d1d0684fe92/Taking_Part_Survey_Free_Time_Activities_Focus_Report__2017_18.pdf (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
8. YouGov. The most popular activities in the UK 2026 [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://yougov.com/en-gb/ratings/activities (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
9. VisitBritain. Activities and experiences [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/activities-and-experiences (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
10. Britizen. Leisure [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://britizen.uk/study-guide/chapter-4/leisure (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
11. Virtually Fluent. What Do Brits Do In Their Free Time? [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://virtually-fluent.com/what-do-brits-do-in-their-free-time/ (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
12. Encyclopedia.com. How Americans Spend Their Time [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/how-americans-spend-their-time (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
13. Livability. Livability [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://livability.com/ (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
14. Livability. Best Places in America [Электронный ресурс]. – URL: https://livability.com/best-places/ (дата обращения: 23.07.2026).
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