|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Message board > Flags
Flags
|
frenchfrog
|
Flags
|
|
I always teach the history of the Union Jack and the Star-Spangled Banner to my students (and I think most of you do it too!). But I have never learnt and/or never had time to know about the flags of other countries. Why is the German flag black, red, and yellow? Why is the Italian flag green, white, red? etc (and we are supposed to be Europeans!!!!) Last year, I even learnt that, for a short period of time, the French flag was actually red, white, blue!!!! Here is one common explanation for the French flag: Blue and red were the colours of Paris, white was the colour of the monarchy. The flag was officially adopted in 1794. What about your flag? What do the colours and/or symbols represent? How old is it? (I know I could find all the information on the net but I don �t want to read long articles!  ) And maybe our native speakers here on the site have unusual anecdotes about their flags. I know for instance that the Union Jack is not symmetrical and that it is a crime in the UK and in the Commonwealth if you fly it upside down!! |
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
silvia.patti
|
The Italian flag was born in 1794, when two students from Bologna changed the blue stripe of the French flag with a green one; they adopted this new flag to revolt against the absolute power of those who ruled Bologna.
In 1796 it was officially adopted as the Italian flag.
The flag is the symbol of Justice, Equality and Fraternity (= Democracy)
The three stripes are of the same size.
|
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
Olindalima ( F )
|
Hi Laurence
Nice to see you around. Here �s my contribution.
Kisses
Linda
The five blue shields
represent the five Moorish kings defeated by D. Afonso Henriques in the Battle of Ourique.
The five white points
in the shields represent the
five wounds of Christ. The legend says that
during the Battle of Ourique,
Jesus Christ crucified appeared to
the king D. Afonso Henriques, and said: "With this sign you will win."
If you count all the wounds , horizontal and vertically, you
will count twice the shield in the middle
- you get the number 30, representing the 30
silver pieces Judas received for
betraying Christ.
The seven
castles symbolize the fortified cities that
Don Afonso Henriques conquered
from the Moors.
The yellow sphere represents the world that Portuguese
navigators discovered in the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries and the people with whom they exchanged ideas and commerce.
The green
symbolizes hope.
Red symbolizes the
courage and blood of the
Portuguese killed in combat.
|
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
moravc
|
The kids learn at school about our flag that white symbolises purity and cleanness,
red
symbolises the blood our soldiers had to pay for the liberation of our
country (the red blood soaked into the Czech soil, therefore the red field is in the lower part of the flag)
and the blue symbolises the clear blue sky.
Actually, the history of our flag is more simple. We used to have red and white flag (14th-19th century).
Our heraldic animal was a silver lion with two tails on a red field.
The white was taken from the whitish-silverish lion.
The red was taken from the red "background" behind the Czech lion in the heraldic symbols.
But Poland had the same colours, so blue was added in 1920.
The tricolore was considered Slavic (because Russians had those colours).
Our allies were France, Britain and USA and they had the tricolore too, so it was also a symbol of belonging and friendship with those countries.
After Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 (after the fall of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire) the three-coloured flag was used (since 1920 oficially).
The blue triangle part symbolised the Slovaks (beautiful blue mountains of Slovakia).
When the Slovaks claimed their independence in 1992, the Czech Republic was formed.
Since 1993, the flag therefore symbolises the three main regions and people living there - the Bohemians (red), the Moravians (blue) and the Silesians (white).
Our country is very small so the languages of those three regions are very close and the difference is very small - pronunciation of word endings, intonation, regional songs, regional traditions, festivities...
|
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
gloriawpai
|
green: symbolizes the Brazilian rain forests
yellow: : represents the mineral resources
blue: the sky
white: peace
white stars: represents each Brazilian state and the Federal District
The sentence �Ordem e Progresso� means: order and progress.
It was adopted on November 19, 1889 and it�s the flag day.
|
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
|
|
ueslteacher
|
|
The Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width. The top is blue, the bottom - yellow. Blue and yellow, the colors of the sky, mountains, streams, and golden fields symbolized Kyivan Rus long ago.
Ukrainian state flag was adopted on January 28, 1992
Sophia
|
27 Jan 2012
|
|
|
maggiejeria
|
Chilean Flag What do the colors?
It�s cute and flies in the wind, but do you ever wonder why you have those colors?
BLUE: the pure Chilean sky and Pacific Ocean
WHITE: the snowy peaks of the Andes
RED: Blood and value Chilean Independence
What STAR? It symbolizes the three branches of the Chilean government (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) that ensure the integrity of the country.
|
28 Jan 2012
|
|
|
Rainbow_02
|
|
ARGENTINIAN FLAG  
The national flag of Argentina consists of three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white (centre) and light blue (bottom). The emblem featured on the white band is a yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May. The flag was created by Manuel Belgrano, and was first raised in the city of Rosario on February 27, 1812, during the Argentine War of Independence, but it was finally designated as the national flag in 1816, and in 1818, the yellow Sun of May was added to the center. The full flag featuring the sun is called the Official Ceremonial Flag, and the flag without the sun is considered the Ornamental Flag. While both versions are equally considered the national flag, the ornamental version must always be hoisted below the Official Ceremony Flag. According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colors. The colors on the Argentina flag represent the following: White - peace and honesty. Blue - represents many elements including vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice. On the Argentinian flag the sky blue color compliments the sun emblem.
|
28 Jan 2012
|
|
|
frenchfrog
|
It was nice reading all your explanations!  |
28 Jan 2012
|
|
|
and its coat of arms
2. 
