Third Year Civilization

British Values Coming to us Across the Ages

Etiquette:
The United Kingdom is a crowded country. People cope with
this situation by being reserved and diffident in public, politely
ignoring strangers, quietly minding their own business, and
marking out and defending their private spaces, homes, and
gardens. They expect others to do the same.

Casual Contact:
British people are often shy and do not always make
conversation on a first meeting. This is called being „reserved‟. You
will find that most local people will not talk to strangers while
shopping, on a bus, train or when in a queue. You should not
interpret this as being unfriendly, although it may well seem
strange to you. You should not try to make continuous
conversation at such times unless it becomes obvious that the other
person expects it.

A First Meeting:
On first meeting someone, try to ask general questions and not
personal ones which may be thought impolite. Questions like „What
is your name?‟ „Where do you live?‟ or „What do you do?‟ are
acceptable but questions like „How old are you?‟ How much do you

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earn?‟ „How much did you pay for this?‟ would be considered
impolite.
If in doubt, try to talk about yourself: What you do and
where you come from. Most British people know very little about
other countries and their cultures in detail. Even if they have
travelled abroad, tourist travel is very different from living in a
country.

Time Keeping:
Time keeping is quite rigid in the UK. Life revolves around
our watches and clocks and dominates everyday life. To arrive late
is considered impolite. Your managers, and work colleagues may
disapprove if you arrive late for an appointment or shift, whatever
the reason.

Touch:
The British are known to be reserved in nature and very
reluctant to show their emotions in public. Unlike some cultures,
people usually do not slap each other on the shoulder or otherwise
make physical contact during a conversation. A British person may
misinterpret such behaviour as aggressive or being too emotional.
It may be usual for you to stand close to another person while in
conversation. In the UK people usually maintain a distance of 60 –
110 cm, so do not be surprised if British people move away from
you when talking.

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Greetings:
A British person will often say „Hello, how are you?‟ This is
simply a way of saying „hello‟ or „welcome‟ and they will be
expecting a reply similar to „Quite well thank you‟. „Hello, how are
you?‟ is not a request for lots of details about your health.
In a more formal situation (such as meeting your manager or
meeting a landlord for the first time) it is usual to shake the right
hand of the person you are meeting. Kissing and embraces are not
usual on a first meeting and you should avoid them

Hands and eye contact:

In the UK there is no special significance to the left or right
hands. Both can be used for giving and receiving presents, although
the right hand is always used for shaking hands.
You may be used to avoiding eye contact as a sign of respect
for an older person or authority figure. This is not the case in the
UK avoiding eye contact is considered as a sign of insincerity. Most
British people will smile when they meet you, irrespective of how
they are feeling.

Gender and Equality:

It is important to be aware that in the UK female and male
members of staff are equally respected and accepted.

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How to Address People

Many members of staff expect to be called by their first
names. If you address them as Mr., Mrs., Miss., Dr., or Professor
you may be thought of as being too formal, listen carefully to how
they introduce themselves and to how other members of staff
address them.

Will You Come For Coffee?

People often use the phrase “Will you come for coffee” to
mean „would you like to come round for a short while and chat?”
Normally, several different drinks such as tea, drinking chocolate,
or a soft drink will be served as well as coffee, and you will be asked
what you would like. However, you will not normally be offered
wine at a “coffee” event. You should accept the invitation the first
time it is offered if you would like to go. If you refuse the first
invitation, a British person will think this is your final decision and
may not ask you again.

Queues:
Queuing is the normal method of waiting for your turn in
shops, at bus stops and in similar situations. If in doubt as to
whether someone is actually waiting in the queue, or just standing
around, always ask before rushing in. To rush to the front of a
queue could cause great offence.

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Conversation
If English is your second or third language, you may find some
of the local forms of speech or accents difficult.

Expecting Indirect Answers

Answers that mean yes usually include the word yes. However
answers that mean no may be worded indirectly. For example, if
you asked a friend if you could come for tea, your friend may say
„Well it would be nice to see you today for tea, but we are rather
busy so I will let you know‟. Your friend might well be saying „No,
I would rather you came for tea another day‟

Saying No
Do not be worried about saying no. In the UK „no‟ is not
considered impolite. Honesty is much preferred, so that people
know what you really mean. If you do not wish to do something do
not worry about saying so.

Asking Questions
Never be afraid of asking questions, or putting another point
of view, it is not considered rude in the UK. It is often expected
that nurses should have reasoning and inquiring mind, so you will
be expected to ask.

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Improving your English:

The best way to improve your English is to use it. Try to find
someone with whom to speak regularly. It is best to talk to people
who are not too busy, such as young or retired people. Ask them to
tell you if you use a wrong word or mispronounce a word. You may
also find places that run English classes. If you are having
problems writing English, you may find that a book helps.
What should I do if I cannot understand what someone has said?
First ask the other person to repeat what they said more
slowly by saying „I‟m sorry, would you please say that again more
slowly?‟ If you still cannot understand, ask for it to be written
down. This will help the other person to know that you are having
difficulties and may mean that they will take more care to use
simple English and speak more slowly. Do not be worried about
letting the other person know that you have not understood: it is
not considered rude in the UK to ask a question.
What should I do if someone else does not understand what I have said?
You should repeat the comment using different words if
possible. Try writing down your comment if you wish – it may be
that the other person is not familiar with your pronunciation.

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Some General Remarks

 Do not greet people with a kiss:
 Avoid talking loudly in public
 It is impolite to stare at anyone in public.
 Privacy is highly regarded.
 Do not ask a lady her age
 Do not pick your nose in public
 Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging
 Do not spit.
 Do not burp in public
If you cannot stop a burp from bursting out, then cover your
mouth with your hand and say 'excuse me' afterwards.
 Do not pass wind in public
If you accidentally pass wind in company say 'pardon me'.
It is impolite speak with your mouth full of food
 Do not ask personal or intimate questions
 The English like privacy.
 Do not speak with your mouth full of food.
Women in Britain:
Women in Britain are entitled to equal respect and status as men
(and indeed vice versa) in all areas of life and tend to have more
independence and responsibility than in some other cultures.

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Women are usually independent and accustomed to entering public

places unaccompanied. It is usual for women to go out and about
on their own as well as with friends. Men and women mix freely.
 It is ok for women to eat alone in a restaurant.
 It is ok for women to wander around on their own.
 It is ok for women to drink beer.
 Men should never wear hats inside buildings.

British Politics:
Britain has no written constitution, but the system of
parliamentary government is the result of gradual change over
many centuries. The oldest institution in Britain is the Monarchy –
which dates back to at least the ninth century.
The British Parliament is one of the oldest representative
assemblies in the world. The House of Lords and the House of
Commons both have medieval origins.
The British political party system depends upon the existence
of organised political parties, each of which presents its policies to
the electorate for approval. In practice most candidates in elections
belong to either the Conservative Party (Tories), the Labour Party
or the Liberal Democrats, although there are smaller parties who
also stand for Parliament.
In recent years, there has been a movement to political
decisions being made in the geographical location where they have

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the greatest impact. The UK now has a devolved government for

Scotland and a regional assembly for Wales.

Religious Beliefs:
Since the 1950s, church adherence has fallen dramatically, and
the British are generally uninterested in formal religious practice.
Sixty percent of adults do not believe in God, and one-third have
no religious affiliation ‫اإلنتماء الديني‬. Thirty-six percent of the
population identifies with the official Church of England; 10
percent with the Roman Catholic Church; 4 percent with
Presbyterianism; 4 percent with Baptism and Methodism; 3 percent
with other Protestant denominations, and 3 percent with other
religions. Four percent describe themselves as Christians, and 35
percent say that they have no religion. Geographically, the Church
of England is represented as the Church of England, the Church of
Scotland, the Church of Ireland, and the Church in Wales,
but Anglicanismis the predominant church mainly in England.
Only in Northern Ireland is religion strongly identified with
political aspirations.

Medicine and Health Care

The National Health Service, which was set up by an act of
Parliament in 1947, gave every resident access to free medical care.
A system was created that operated local public hospitals
throughout the country and directly employed doctors, nurses, and
other health workers. Family doctors, specialists, and dentists also
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received payment from the government for treating patients,

although any doctor or patient can practice privately or pay for
private medical care. There have been continuing debates on the
level of care the service should provide and how it should be
funded. The system was intended to provide unlimited medical care
to any patient, and the government undertook to pay the full cost.

Secular Celebrations
The Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen is held on the
second Saturday in June. Other legal holidays include New Year's
Day, Good Friday, Late Summer Holiday (the last Monday in
August or the first in September), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day
(26 December). Scotland and Northern Ireland, celebrate several of
their own holidays.

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