things that have made you happy today

[magma]

Why would people not know that oklahoma exists?

cos they aren't from america. i couldn't name a single state (or state-equivalent ie county) in europe except for GB.

State equivalent would be country, not county, but even still... WTF?

You've never heard of Ardennes, Tuscany or Bavaria?

How about Transylvania?

[garethom]

Why would people not know that oklahoma exists?

cos they aren't from america. i couldn't name a single state (or state-equivalent ie county) in europe except for GB.

Partially due to college football, I think I could have a good bash at naming the 50 states and knowing their position on the map.

[titchbit]

Why would people not know that oklahoma exists?

cos they aren't from america. i couldn't name a single state (or state-equivalent ie county) in europe except for GB.

i can name states in canada and mexico as well as england/ireland.

ur taught what's geographically/culturally near you. u brits are taught about the states/provinces in france and spain, we are not.

[garethom]

You stop learning at school bro?

[magma]

Why would people not know that oklahoma exists?

cos they aren't from america. i couldn't name a single state (or state-equivalent ie county) in europe except for GB.

i can name states in canada and mexico as well as england/ireland.

ur taught what's geographically/culturally near you. u brits are taught about the states/provinces in france and spain, we are not.

I think there's probably slightly more too it than that, but to be fair, you have the instant disadvantage of having to get to know nearly an entire 'home' continent rather than a little island like Britain, so perhaps there's not enough time to look much beyond the coasts.

Still, I'd be surprised to meet a Briton that hadn't heard of Quebec which by your logic would only be of interest to Americans and the French.

[Laszlo]

Why would people not know that oklahoma exists?

cos they aren't from america. i couldn't name a single state (or state-equivalent ie county) in europe except for GB.

i can name states in canada and mexico as well as england/ireland.

ur taught what's geographically/culturally near you. u brits are taught about the states/provinces in france and spain, we are not.

It isn't anything personal, just an expression of dismay at what doesn't get taught to kids these days. We were taught about most places in the west when I was at school, but i'm sure the curriculum has changed somewhat since then..

[wub]

What he said.

Not being taught US states in school doesn't mean I couldn't have a good go at naming about 40 out of 50 of them right now if I had to.

[titchbit]

Still, I'd be surprised to meet a Briton that hadn't heard of Quebec which by your logic would only be of interest to Americans and the French.

nah, i would imagine you guys are taught about commonwealth countries, like canada, india, australia, etc.


also, to my earlier point, i can't name every county in england, ie ur oklahoma-equivalents.

[Marcus]

Still, I'd be surprised to meet a Briton that hadn't heard of Quebec which by your logic would only be of interest to Americans and the French.

nah, i would imagine you guys are taught about commonwealth countries, like canada, india, australia, etc.


also, to my earlier point, i can't name every county in england, ie ur oklahoma-equivalents.

We aren't taught that much about locations of place/cities mainly the science behind geography and population effects. Knowing about countries location in more general knowledge.

[wub]

I can tell you how an oxbow lake is formed.

[titchbit]

well i mean in grade school obviously lol.

[magma]

also, to my earlier point, i can't name every county in england, ie ur oklahoma-equivalents.

Tbf, I don't think most British people could name every single county confidently. But given that there's a major Hollywood-filmed musical called Oklahoma, I think it's probably more on a par with having never heard of Lancashire than it is Lanarkshire (sorry Hobson).

I don't think many Brits are given formal lessons on the make up of other countries though unless they specifically choose to study geography (mind you, I gave up Geography as quickly as possible because it was about types of clouds and soil rather than actual foreign places)... you get most of this stuff via osmosis from the world around you. Could it be that Americans are just less likely to talk to each other about foreign countries?

[wub]

Lancashire

Lanarkshire

When I was younger I thought these were the same place and that northerners had some messed up pronunciation of it.

[mIrReN]

I can tell you how an oxbow lake is formed.

well you learn this in school no? so you should be able to

[wub]

I can tell you how an oxbow lake is formed.

well you learn this in school no? so you should be able to

But I also know stuff that wasn't necessarily taught in school, like where Oklahoma is on a map and why you shouldn't change your surname to Dutroux.


The idea that learning stops with the classroom is a bit silly, IMO.

[titchbit]

you get most of this stuff via osmosis from the world around you. Could it be that Americans are just less likely to talk to each other about foreign countries?

well sure but look at the obvious fact that you can go visit continental europe via a ferry for the day but that is a pretty large ordeal for americans, requiring weeks of planning and thousands of dollars spent on airfare, hotels, etc. traveling to europe is only for middle/upper classes here. i've been to europe literally once which was london in the summer. most of you have probably been to the continent countless times. i don't think we're less likely to talk about it given that we have something to actually talk about (someone we know has visited), but it's much more removed from daily lives. think about how big america is compared to england just by area. even traveling to canada or mexico is a serious ordeal unless you live within a few hour's drive from the border. everyone in england lives within a few hour's drive from the coast though.

[mIrReN]

yeah I know, couldn't map Oklahoma tbf, nor most of the others, only seen it briefly and we didn't need to memorise place (nor name really)
every day you learn something new idd

well, yeah people are still (very)close minded, who cares about a name

btw u aware that Michelle Martin got out?

[magma]

you get most of this stuff via osmosis from the world around you. Could it be that Americans are just less likely to talk to each other about foreign countries?

well sure but look at the obvious fact that you can go visit continental europe via a ferry for the day but that is a pretty large ordeal for americans, requiring weeks of planning and thousands of dollars spent on airfare, hotels, etc. traveling to europe is only for middle/upper classes here. i've been to europe literally once which was london in the summer. most of you have probably been to the continent countless times. i don't think we're less likely to talk about it given that we have something to actually talk about (someone we know has visited), but it's much more removed from daily lives. think about how big america is compared to england just by area. even traveling to canada or mexico is a serious ordeal unless you live within a few hour's drive from the border. everyone in england lives within a few hour's drive from the coast though.

Yeah, absolutely... I was trying to think of explanations rather than have a go. I'm sure there are perfectly valid reasons... America is a big country to get to grips with and it's probably enough of a job keeping up with the geography and current affairs of home without finding time to learn about the Fall of the Berlin Wall or The French Revolution.

But again, to be absolutely fair, I feel pretty comfortable with the layouts of Africa and Asia and I've never been to either continent... and my girl's American, but knows more about a lot of the world than me - I doubt she learnt it in school in North Carolina, so I think she probably used these crazy things called "books", "the Internet" and her "spare time".

[Laszlo]

traveling to europe is only for middle/upper classes here.

and yet every pikey and his nan has been to America. I'm not sure what that says, or at least i'm not willing to guess.

[wub]

btw u aware that Michelle Martin got out?

Saw that, and Andras Pandy died just before Christmas IIRC.