ENGLISH ACTIVITY

Manners are Important

Britain is the birthplace of Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare and the Beatles; home of the world's largest foreign exchange market, the world's richest football club - Manchester United , the inventor of the hovercraft and the JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books. From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they're all interesting and are all part of the British way of life. There are some interesting stories that have to do with British life.

The word sandwich that we use today was born in London during the very late hours one night in 1762 when an English nobleman, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was hungry for some food. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his gambling while eating his snack; and from that incident, we have inherited that quick-food product that we now know as the sandwich. He apparently had the meat put on slices of bread so he wouldn’t get his fingers greasy while he was playing cards.

The English are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famous for

their politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humour. Basic

politeness (please, thank you, excuse me) is expected.

Do´s and Don´ts in England

Do stand on line: In England we like to form orderly queues ( standing in line) and wait patiently for our turn: boarding a bus.It is usual to queue when required and expected that you will take your correct turn and not push in front( Queue jumping).

Do say “ Excuse me”: If someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move, say excuse me and they will move out of your way.

Do say “Please” and “Thank you”: It is very good manners to say “Please and “Thank you”. It is considered rude if you don´t. You will notice in England that they say “Thank you a lot”.

Do cover your mouth: When yawning or coughing always cover your mouth with your hand..

Do shake hands: When you are first introduced to someone, shake their right hand with your own right hand.

Do say “sorry”: If you accidentally bumo into someone, say “sorry”. They probably will too, even if it was your fault.

Do “smile”: A smile face is a welcoming face.

Do drive on the left side of the road.

Do “ open doors “ for other people: Men and women both hold open the door for each other. It depends on who goes through the door first.

Do not greet people with a kiss: we only kiss people who are close friends or relatives.

Avoid talking loudly in public

It is impolite to stare at anyone in public.

Do not ask a lady her age: It is considered impolite.

Do not pick your nose in public: if your nostrils need de-bugging, use a handkerchief.

Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging: this is only done among close friends.

Do not spit: Spitting in the street is considered to be very bad mannered.

Do not burp in public: you may feel better by burping loudly after eating or drinking, but other people will not. If you cannot stop a burp from bursting out, then cover your mouth with your hand and say “excuse me “ afterwards.

It is Impolite to speak with your mouth full of food.

Do not ask personal or intimate questions such as “How much money do you earn?”, How much do you weigh? Or Why aren´t you married?.

Never eat off a knife when having a meal.

Time

British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can bet that they'll be there just before three. In Britain, people make great effort to arrive on time. It is often considered impolite to arrive even a few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, it is expected that you call the person you are meeting.

How to Greet someone in Britain

The Handshake

A handshake is the most common form of greeting among the English and British

people and is customary when you are introduced to somebody new.

The Kiss

It is only when you meet friends, whom you haven't seen for a long time, that you

would kiss the cheek of the opposite sex. In Britain one kiss is generally enough.

Formal greetings

The usual formal greeting is a 'How do you do?' and a firm handshake, but with a lighter

touch between men and women.

‘How do you do?’ is a greeting not a question and the correct response is to repeat ‘How

do you do?' You say this when shaking hands with someone.

First person "How do you do?"

Second person " How do you do?"

'How are you?' is a question and the most common and polite response is "I am fine

thank you and you?"

First person "How are you?"

Second person "I am fine thank you and you?"

Nice to meet you – Nice to meet you too. (Often said whilst shaking hands)

Delighted to meet you– Delighted to meet you too.

Pleased to meet you – Pleased to meet you too. .

Glad to meet you - Glad to meet you too

Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening

Informal greetings

Hi - Hi or hello

Morning / Afternoon / Evening ( We drop the word 'Good' in informal situations).

How's you? - Fine thanks. You?

Thank you / thanks / cheers

We sometime say 'cheers' instead of thank you. You may hear 'cheers' said instead of 'good by

Meals and Meal Times

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit.

We have three main meals a day:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00, Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.

Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00, Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.

Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire

pudding and two or three kinds of vegetables.

BREAKFAST

What is a typical English Breakfast?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.

Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc.

In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.

What is the traditional English Breakfast?

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.

The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred

to as 'The Full English Fry-up'.

LUNCH

What is a typical British lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.

Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK.

My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and ham and pickle sandwiches.

DINNER

The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.

What is a traditional British Dinner?

A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy, (traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes.

What is a typical British Dinner like today?

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent survey found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.

Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular.

The Sunday Roast Dinner

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.

Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.

Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

STUDENT ACTIVITY

Which of the following social customs are

similar or different to your country?

Make a similar list for visitors to your country.

Write 7 different do’s and don’ts about English and Spanish manners and uses

Do’s

Don´ts

England

Spain England Spain

Make a list of do’s and don´ts for visitors to Spain Do’s Don´ts