As usual a private letter of apology differs from a business one mainly in style. Naturally, the subject will be different, but that goes without saying. Here is an example of a private letter of apology.
| Dear Emily!
Thank you for your letter from Spain. I'm so sorry not to have answered it for such о long time. Do forgive me!
I was away on holiday, when if arrived. I came back home only a couple of days ago, and if was so nice to find your letter in my mailbox.
Phil and I had a wonderful time in the West of Ireland. I spent hours and hours sitting on a cliff above the sea enjoying the view. We walked a lot and hired mountain bicycles. The hills there are quite steep! You can see it in the pictures I'm sending. Phil apologizes for the poor quality of some photos. If's really not his fault - it was foggy most of the time. But we did like it there.
I hope you are all doing well. Give my love to David and the little ones.
Keep in touch.
Yours, Jenny.
P.S. I'll be sending some more photos as soon as Phil develops them.
| |
|
Our talk about language problems reminded me of another story by George Mikes - ‘On Not Knowing English’
|
| | | |
.
ON NOT KNOWING ENGLISH § § § §
I think it is vital that I give some instructions concerning the English language. I cannot do better than to repeat - with slight alterations - what I have said on this subject before.
When I was sent to England in 1938 I thought I knew English fairly well. In Budapest my English proved quite fluent. I could get along with it. On arrival in this country, I found that Budapest English was quite different from London English. I should not like to seem biased, but I found Budapest English much better in many ways.
In England I found two difficulties. First: I did not understand people, and secondly: they did not understand me. It was easier with written texts. Whenever I read a leading article in The Times, I understood everything perfectly well, except that I could never make out whether The Times was for or against something. In those days I put this down to my poor knowledge of English.
The first step in my progress was when people started understanding me while I still could not understand them. This was the most talkative period of my life. Trying to hide my problems I went on talking, keeping the conversation as unilateral as possible. I reached the stage of intelligibility fairly quickly, thanks to a friend of mine who discovered an important linguistic secret, namely that the English mutter and mumble. Once we noticed a sausage-like thing in a shop window marked PORK BRAWN. We decided to buy some for our supper. We entered the shop and I said: ‘A quarter of pork brawn, please.’ ‘What was that?’ asked the shopkeeper. ‘A quarter of pork brawn, please,’ I repeated. I repeated it again. I repeated it a dozen times with no success. I talked slowly and softly; I shouted; I talked as one talks to the deaf and finally I tried babytalk. The shopkeeper still had no idea whether we wanted to buy or sell something. Then my friend had a brain-wave ‘Leave it to me’, he said in Hungarian and started mumbling under his nose in a hardly audible and quite unintelligible manner. The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up: ‘I see,’ he said happily, ‘you want a quarter of pork brawn. Why didn’t you say so?’
The next stage was that I began to understand foreigners but not the English or the Americans. The more terrible a foreign accent someone had, the clearer he sounded to me.
But time passed and my knowledge and understanding of English grew slowly. Until the time came when I began to be very proud of my knowledge of English. Luckily, every now and then one goes through a sobering experience which teaches one to be more humble. Some years ago my mother came here from Hungary on a visit. She expressed her wish to take English lessons, which some of her friends attended. I accompanied her to the school and we were received by a clerk. I asked about the various classes and said that we were interested in the class for beginners. I received all the necessary information and conducted a lengthy conversation with the man, in the belief that my English sounded vigorous and idiomatic. Finally, I paid the fees for my mother. He looked at me with astonishment and asked: ‘Only for one? And what about you?’
ENGLISH AS A WORLD LANGUAGE § § § §
Geographically English is the most widespread language on Earth. Approximately 400 million people speak English as their first language. About the same number of people use it as a second language. It is the language of business, technology, aviation, sport and pop music. 75% of the world’s mail and 60% of the world’s telephone calls are in English. 60% of the world’s radio stations broadcast in English and more than half of the world’s periodicals are in English. It is an official language in 44 countries.
Today, when English is one of the major languages in the world, it is difficult to realise that in Shakespeare’s time, for example, only a few million people spoke English. The other nations of Europe didn’t think it was important, and it was unknown to the rest of the world.
English has become a world language because it was used as a mother tongue language outside England, in all the continents of the world. This export of English began in the 17th century, with the first settlement in North America. Above all it is the massive immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries and the great growth of population in the United States that has given the English language its present position in the world.
There are three groups of people who speak English: those who speak it as their native language; those who have learned it as a second language; and those who are forced to use it for a practical purpose - administrative, professional or educational. One person in seven of the world’s population belongs to one of these three groups.
|
| Which group of people do you belong to? Are you a beginner? I will help you to learn English. It’s a wonderful language. It sounds beautiful, it is very flexible, creative and rich. English has the largest vocabulary, with approximately 500,000 words and 300,000 technical terms. And its grammar is very logical. You shouldn’t be afraid of it. Remember the English proverb:
|
“All things are difficult, before they are easy.”
Recently there appeared a new notion of political correctness (‘p.c.’) which immediately influenced the English language usage. Political correctness in the language first of all concerns the use of gender. For example, when generalising something one shouldn’t use only the pronouns ‘he’, ‘his’, ‘himself’, etc. thus ignoring the feminine gender, but use he/she, his/her, etc.. ‘Politically correct’ English presupposes more care and respect when referring to race and ethnicity. For instance, in the United States it is politically correct to refer to Black people as 'Afro-Americans', while in England 'Black' is still acceptable and the word does not give offence.
As the notion of political correctness first appeared in the USA, it most of all influenced American English, but British English is catching up.
Would you like to read another extract from the book ‘Customs & Etiquette in England’ by Peter Hobday, which will you give a better idea of p.c. English?
‘POLITICALLY CORRECT’ ENGLISH § § § § §
English is catching up with the notion of political correctness so new, non-gender-specific forms like ‘chair’ instead of ‘chairman’ or ‘chairwoman’ are preferred. ‘Person’ is another word that is widely used, instead of man or woman. The etiquette for formal written forms of addresses now requires the use of Mr, Mrs or Ms. The older terms Miss (for an unmarried woman) and Esq. for men have largely disappeared. ‘Girl’ is a word to be avoided unless referring to a very young female. ‘Woman’ is more acceptable than ‘lady’, but some women prefer ‘lady’; on the other hand, for most men are entirely related about being addressed in the traditional way as ‘gentlemen’. The general rule would seem to be, when in doubt, leave the gender out.
For the moment, there are not too many traps in the language when the race or ethnicity are the subject-matter. Some words are still acceptable in England, which are less acceptable in the United States. For example, we still refer to 'Black people' and the word doesn't give offence. Though many in the Black community prefer ‘Afro-caribbean’. There are race laws in Britain and any language that creates racial tension is a punishable offence.
I would like to continue our talk about manners, this time in connection with apologies.
As social rules vary from country to country, it often happens that something which seems rude in one community is perfectly alright in another. Thus if we don’t know the social rules of the country we are visiting, we might apologise for something which is accepted as normal and do not offer our apologies when we are expected to do it. So what’s the way out? What can be done?
I, for one, think we should communicate more and learn more about each other’s culture.
Why don’t we make another step forward and read an article from the textbook ‘Focus on Britain Today’?
… § § § §
Visitors to Britain are often surprised by the strange behaviour of the inhabitants. One of the worst mistakes is to get on a bus without waiting your turn in the queue. The other people in the queue will probably complain loudly! Drivers in cars can become quite aggressive if they think you are jumping the queue in a traffic jam. People respond to queue-jumping in an emotional way. Newspaper headlines describe anger at people who pay to bypass a hospital waiting list to get an operation more quickly. Queuing is a national habit and it is considered polite or good manners to way your turn.
In recent years smoking has received a lot of bad publicity, and fewer British people now smoke. Many companies have banned smoking from their offices and canteens. It is becoming less and less acceptable to smoke in a public place. Smoking is now banned on the London Underground, in cinemas and theatres and most buses, and there are special carriages on trains. It is considered rude - or bad manners - to smoke in someone’s house without asking ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ Public attitudes are reflected in ‘Lonely Hearts’’ columns, where people advertise for non-smoking partners, and in advertisements for flats or houses to rent.
On the other hand, in some countries it is considered bad manners to eat in the street, whereas in Britain it is common to see people having a snack walking down the road, especially at lunchtime. Britons may be surprised to see young children in restaurants in the evenings because children are not usually taken out to restaurants late at night and, if they make noise in public or in a restaurant, it is considered very rude. In Victorian times it used to be said that ‘children should be seen and not heard’, since children did not participate at all in public life. In recent years children are playing a more active role and they are now accepted in many pubs and restaurants.
Good and bad manners make up the social rules of a country and are not always easy to learn because they are often not written down in books! These rules may also change as the society develops; for example, women did not go into pubs at the beginning of this century because it was not considered respectable behaviour for a woman. Now both women and men drink freely in pubs and women are fully integrated into public life.
We may think that someone from a different country is being rude when their behaviour would be perfectly innocent in their own country. Social rules are an important part of our culture as they are passed down through history.
One of the difficulties most people have when they meet is what to speak about? It becomes even a greater problem to choose a topic for small talk when we meet for the first time or don’t know each other very well. A lot has been written on how to start a conversation, how to better attract people’s attention and establish good relations with them right from the beginning.
One of the best books I’ve read on the subject is Dr. Leonard Zunin’s ‘Contact: First Four Minutes’. I’d like to share my impression of the book with you, perhaps, you'll pick up some useful ideas from Dr. Zunin's book.
THE FIRST FOUR MINUTES § § § §
When do people decide to become or not to become friends? During their first four minutes together, according to a book by Dr. Leonard Zunin. In his book ‘Contact: First Four Minutes’ he offers this advice to anyone interested in starting a new friendship: “Every time you meet someone in a social situation, give him/her all your attention for four minutes. A lot of people’s lives would change if they did just that.”
When we are introduced to new people we should try to appear friendly and self-confident.
The author says: “People like people who like themselves.”
But we should not make the other person think we are too sure of ourselves. It is important to appear interested and sympathetic remembering that the other person has his own needs, hopes and problems.
But isn’t it dishonest to give the appearance of friendly self-confidence when we don’t feel that way? Perhaps, but according to Dr. Zunin, ‘total honesty’ is not always good for social relationships, especially during the first few minutes of contact. There is a time for everything, some play-acting may be best for the first minutes of contact with a stranger. That is not the time to complain about one’s health. It is not the time to tell the whole truth about one’s opinions and impressions.
Much of what has been said about strangers is also true of relationships with family members, friends and colleagues. A husband and wife or a parent and child, often have the same problem during their first four minutes together after they haven’t seen each other for some time. Dr. Zunin writes that people should be careful with these first moments of contact. If you have to discuss something unpleasant, do it later.
Be friendly, interested, sympathetic and self-confident.
Remember: at the beginning of your conversation, during the conversation, at the end of the conversation the most important thing to do is to smile.
Lighten up!
Keep smiling!
Cheer up!
The British people, are often criticised for the food they eat, but their table manners enjoy the best of reputations in the world. Time though brings quite a lot of change.
If you want to know more about English table manners, I would recommend you to read an extract from ‘Customs & Etiquette in England’ by Peter Hobday
§ § § §
There is a French saying which could be translated as: “While the English have good table manners, the French know how to eat”. And it is true that while the English diner attempts to push peas onto the fork, the French diner will turn the fork and use it more as a spoon, thus enjoying the food while not bothering too much with the etiquette involved.
Too many English people, for comfort, still try to eat everything with a knife and fork and dislike the American and Continental habit of first cutting food held in place with a fork in the left hand while the knife in the right hand does the business. When the knife is put down, and the fork moves to the right hand to carry the food from the plate to the mouth. More and more young people, however adopted this sensible habit, but in some of the more conservative corners of England such habits are considered common or foreign, or both.
But if you lunch or dine in some of the London Clubs you will see members eating in the time-honoured fashion. And eating the traditional dishes of meat and two vegetables.
The younger generation are much more relaxed and no longer dress for dinner. But again, in some parts of England a dinner jacket is essential. Usually, when an invitation is printed, they will tell you; and a printed invitation usually means a formal evening. ‘Black tie’ is the phrase. Do not expect to eat well. The food tends to be monotonous and in tiny portions.
The English never stop wondering at the amounts of food served in America; equally, American visitors are amazed by small amounts of food served in England. In England there is an unwritten rule that you clear your plate, and that it is wasteful to leave anything uneaten.
Now you’ve got an idea of how to behave when you eat. But do you know what to eat in Britain? The Health Education Authority asked a number of people in Britain what sort of meals and snacks they eat regularly. Here are the most common replies to the survey.
ENGLISH MEALS § § §
Breakfast
The most popular choices are:
– a bowl of cornflakes and a cup of tea,
– a bowl of muesli and fresh orange juice,
– a piece of toast with marmalade,
– a yoghurt and fresh fruit with black coffee or tea.
The traditional British breakfast is a cooked meal of bacon, eggs and sausages, preceded be cereal or fruit and followed by toast. Nowadays, this large meal is served mainly in hotels and is very popular with foreign visitors. Britons eat this big breakfast at weekends or on special occasions but prefer a smaller, healthier meal to start a normal day.
Snacks and Lunches
Lunch is a light afternoon meal and is eaten at school or work. Lunch takes 30-40 minutes. Some offices have installed a microwave oven for employees to use. Popular lunches are: a salad or a sandwich, a baked potato, beans on toast
Sometimes when the English get up later and have their first meal at about 10 or 11 o’clock, they call it ‘brunch’ (breakfast + lunch).
Snacks are very popular in Britain and many people frequently eat snacks between meals. There are lots of snack bars and cafes selling bread and meat and fish and all kinds of salads (called ‘fillings’) to go in the sandwich. Schools and workplaces may also sell snacks such as crisps, chocolate, sweets and biscuits. Instant snacks are the fastest-growing sector of the food market; 5.5 million packets of crisps are sold every year. British kids eat more sweets than any other nationality. Biscuits, chocolates and sweets worth more than $5 billion were sold in Britain in 1990.
Dinner and Take-Aways
Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and consists of two courses - meat or fish and vegetables followed by a dessert or pudding. Pre-packed or pre-cooked convenience foods are especially popular. 3,000 million of frozen foods are sold in an average year. Sixty per cent of British homes use a microwave oven for cooking.
In recent years, foreign foods have become a regular part of the British diet. Indian, Italian and Chinese dishes are particularly popular for evening meals. Most supermarkets sell a range of meals to be heated in the microwave.
Take-aways became extremely popular in the 1980s. The traditional British take-aways is fish and chips eaten with salt and vinegar and served in an old newspaper. Most towns and cities now offer a wide range of take-away meals, from American style hamburgers to Turkish kebabs. Many families prefer to eat take-away food for dinner instead of cooking, and it is not unknown for people to buy a take-away after a visit to the pub or after a night out - in addition to dinner!
The British are famous for their love of sweet things, and afternoon tea with sandwiches, jam and several different kinds of cake was once a traditional custom. Like the English cooked breakfast, it is now more often found in teashops and hotels than in private homes, and you can buy special guidebooks to tell you where the best afternoon teas are served. Most working people do not have tea as an afternoon ‘meal’, but they do have a short break in the middle of the afternoon for a cup of tea. Tea is often also drunk with lunch and dinner.
|
|
Now that you know what to say when greeting people on Christmas and New Year, it seems like a good idea to speak about these and other public holidays.
|
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS § § §
The word holiday literally means ‘holy day’: many British holidays have religious origin but in fact are not religious today. These are days when people do not work, relax and have fun.
Public holidays in Britain are also called ‘Bank Holidays’ because according to the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 banks are closed on these days.
In Great Britain there are not so many public holidays as in other European countries or, say, in the USA. The British public holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, the Spring Bank Holiday, the Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Apart from public holidays the Britons have some other popular festivals and celebrations. Let me tell you a little more about the most interesting of them and for a great many Britons the most favourite is Christmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
You can hear this greeting in many parts of the world at the end of December. In Britain it makes us think of fireworks, decorations in shops and houses; traditional turkey, mince-pies and Christmas pudding, Christmas trees and presents on Christmas Day - December 25th.
The word ‘Christmas’ comes from the words ‘Christ’s Mass’ - the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
On Christmas Eve everything is rush and panic. Offices and public buildings close early and everybody does the last minute shopping.
Streets, buses, trains are overcrowded with people hurrying home to be in time for Christmas. Most big cities, especially London, are decorated with coloured lights and Christmas trees.
In Trafalgar Square in London in front of the National Gallery, stands an enormous Christmas tree. It is a gift from the people of Oslo. Every winter they cut down a tree for London. Then horses take it to the docks. When the tree arrives in Britain the police escort it to Trafalgar Square.
The brightly decorated tree looks magnificent. It is a traditional custom in Britain for children to put stockings at the foot of their beds on Christmas for Santa Claus to fill them with presents. Every year almost a quarter of a million children post letters addressed to Santa Claus, telling him what presents they would like to get! The Post Office delivers the letters to a special office in Scotland and children get a reply on a card postmarked in Reindeerland. Of course, not only children send Christmas cards. The number of Christmas greetings sent by grown-ups is sometimes incredible. Now Christmas is overcommercialised. Christmas cards, gifts and decoration mean big money for the shops and big problems for the customers. But also great fun for both.
BOXING DAY
In spite of its name this holiday has nothing to do with the sport of ‘boxing’! Boxing Day takes its name from the old custom of giving presents or ‘Christmas boxes’ on this day. In the Middle Ages the priests opened boxes with gifts to give to the poor. Later it became a tradition to exchange gifts with friends and relatives on this day.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
New Year became a public holiday only when the UK joined the EEC (European Economic Community). But it has always been a great holiday in Scotland. It has a special name - ‘Hogmanay’. It is not clear where the word comes from but it is associated with giving food and drinks to all visitors to your home on New Year.
According to the Scottish beliefs the first person who visits your home on New Year’s Day can bring good or bad luck. If the first visitor is a dark-haired man and he has a little gift for you the coming year will be lucky and happy for you and your family.
The first visitors who are called ‘First Footers’ go from house to house after midnight bringing a piece of coal to wish warmth, a piece of bread to wish food, and a silver coin to wish wealth. The First Footers expect a glass of whiskey in every house they visit.
In London, Scottish people gather on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral and at midnight sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, a famous song the words of which were written by Robert Burns.
Mr. Goodmanners: ‘For auld lang syne’ means ‘in memory of past times’
| Should auld acquintance be forgot, And never brought to mind! Should auld acquintance be forgot, And auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!..
(by Robert Burns)
| |
|
|
It’s very polite to send your friends and relatives a card congratulating them on a public holiday or some special occasion. Some people think that card sending has become an obsession in Britain
|
| | | |
CARDS, HUNDREDS OF CARDS! § § §
The Card Industry
Sending a card is a widespread custom in Britain today. The British have been sending cards since Victorian times when wealthy families started to send Christmas greetings. In the 1980s the card industry rapidly expanded as celebrations became more and more commercialised. There are cards for every occasion from buying a house to having a baby and, more recently, cards for getting a new job, getting a divorce or just saying ‘Sorry’. More than 100 million Christmas cards are sold in Britain every year. However, cards are no longer confined to special celebrations such as birthdays, because there are many less important occasions when people send cards to each other.
Cards at School and at Work
In some schools the giving of Christmas cards can be very organised, with a school post-box for pupils to post their cards to friends and teachers. In primary schools the teacher may display pupils’ birthday cards in the classroom on their special day. When a teacher leaves the school or gets married the whole class will buy a card and everyone signs it. It is also customary at work to receive cards from the whole office on a special occasion. When people retire, they usually receive a big card from all their colleagues to wish them a happy retirement.
Keeping in Touch
Card-giving is also widespread amongst people who do not know each other well or who do not see each other often. Cards are sent at Christmas as a way of ‘keeping in touch’ with past friends as well as relatives who live in other parts of the country. Companies produce company cards to send them to all their important customers and some hotels send cards to previous guests.
Cards Last for Ever
People like to decorate their homes at Christmas by hanging the cards on the wall. Birthday cards are often displayed on a table or shelf for everyone to see and read them. Special cards are kept for future years, to look at and remember, like looking through an album of old photographs. Cards, in many ways, have taken over from the letter. Even if you do not have time to write a letter, you can send a little card!
|
| It’s common knowledg that in the British culture it is inappropriate to give one’s opinion in a categorical manner. I believe the above examples of expressing disagreement are a good illustration of it. The British way of putting things indirectly is often commented on in a joking manner. George Mikes whose stories you already know has written a lot about it. Below you’ll find extracts from two of his stories, which, I hope, you’ll enjoy reading.
|
HOW NOT TO BE CLEVER § § §
(abridged)
‘You foreigners are so clever,’ said a lady to me some years ago. First, thinking of the great number of foreign idiots I had had the honour of meeting, I considered this remark exaggerated but complimentary.
Since then I have learnt that it was far from it. These few words expressed the lady’s contempt and slight disgust for foreigners.
In England it is bad manners to be clever, to say something confidently. It may be your own personal view that two and two make four, but you must not state it in a self-assured way, because this is a democratic country and others may be of a different opinion.
A continental gentleman seeing a nice panorama may remark:
‘This view rather reminds me of Utrecht, where the peace treaty was signed on the 11th April, 1713. The river there, however, recalls the Guadalquivir, which, rises in the Sierra de Cazorla and flows south-west to the Atlantic Ocean and is 650 kilometres long. Oh, rivers... What did Pascal say about them? “Les rivieres sont les chemins qui marchent...”’
This pompous way of speaking is not permissible in England. The Englishman is modest and simple. He uses but few words and expresses so much - but so much - with them. An Englishman looking at the same view would remain silent for two or three hours and think about how to put his feeling into words. Then he would remark:
'It's pretty, isn't it?'
An English professor of mathematics would say to his maid checking up the shopping list:
'I'm no good at arithmetic, I'm afraid. Please correct me, Jane, if I am wrong, but I believe that the square root of 97344 is 312.'
And about knowledge. An English girl, of couse, would be able to learn just a little more about, let us say, geography. But it is not 'chic' to know whether Budapest is the capital of Roumania, Hungary or Bulgaria. And if she happens to know that Budapest is the capital of Roumania, she would at least be perplexed if Buharest is mentioned suddenly.
HOW TO BE RUDE § § § §
It is easy to be rude on the Continent. You just shout and call people names of a zoological character.
On a slightly higher level you may invent a few stories against your opponents. In Budapest, for instance, when a rather unpleasant-looking actress joined a nudist club, her younger and prettier colleagues spread the story that she had been accepted only under the condition that she should wear a fig-leaf on her face. Or in the same city there was a painter of limited abilities who was a most successful card-player. A colleague of his remarked once: 'What a spend-thrift! All the money he usually makes on gambling at night, he spends on his painting during the day.'
In England rudeness has quite a different technique. If somebody tells you an obviously untrue story, on the Continent you would remark 'You are a liar, Sir, and a rather dirty one at that.' In England you just say 'Oh, is that so?' Or 'That's rather an unusual story, isn't it?'
When some years ago, knowing ten words of English and using them all wrong, I applied for a translator's job, my would-be employer (or would-be-not-employer) softly remarked: 'I'm afraid your English is somewhat unorthodox.' This translated into any continental language would mean: EMPLOYER (to the porter): 'Jean, kick this gentleman down the steps!'
In the last century, when somebody annoyed the Sultan of Turkey or the Tsar of Russia, he had his head cut off without much ceremony; but when the same happened in England, the monarch declared: ‘We are not amused’; and the whole British nation even now, a century later, is very proud of how rude their Queen was.
Terribly rude expressions (if pronounced grimly) are: 'I am afraid that...' 'unless...' 'nevertheless...’ and 'I am sorry, but...'
It is true that quite often you can hear remarks like: ‘You'd better see that you get out of here!'
Or 'Shut your big mouth!' Or 'Dirty pig!' etc. These remarks are very un-English and are the results of foreign influence. (Dating back, however, to the era of the Danish invasion.)
|
| I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that not only words can sound aggressive or categorical, but gestures too. Quite a lot of what we communicate is done non-verbally. For example, we can often tell a lot by looking at a person’s face. Below you’ll find an extract from the book ‘How to Use Body Language for Success in Business’. Do you agree with everything the author writes or may be your observations are different from his? Read and give your point of view, please.
|
GESTURES AND BODY LANGUAGE § § § §
Good manners are manifested not only in the way we speak but also in the way we move. Mind your mimics and your body language, don’t gesticulate too much. These are the general rules, but much depends on national traditions. Say, handshaking in Great Britain is not so widely used as in Europe. When Americans meet and speak, there is about a 2-4 feet distance between them. However, if you watch a Japanese speaking to an American you will see him moving forward towards the American, trying to shorten the distance between them, which makes the American move backwards. Video recordings of this phenomenon give an impression that both men are dancing around the conference room. It partly explains why, when negotiating business, Asians and Americans sometimes misunderstand each other, the Americans thinking of the Asians as ‘too familiar’ and the Asians regarding the Americans as ‘too cold’ and ‘too official’.
Many gestures are done unconsciously. For example, recent research suggests that our gestures change significantly when we are lying. In research
in the United States it was found that when someone was lying she/he:
– increased the number of hand and face gestures;
– shrugged their shoulders more often;
– increased the number of body movements while speaking.
Of course, many communication gestures are the same all over the world. When people are happy they smile, when they are angry they frown, etc. But there are quite a lot of gestures which mean different things in different cultures. It seems important to know what’s what in order not to have any misunderstanding.
|
| Now I suggest we change the subject and do something else. Like... er... go back to the British public holidays. First I’m going to tell you about spring holidays. Spring is usually associated with joy and smiles, that’s why spring feasts are cheerful and full of humour. First comes April Fool’s Day. I hope you have nothing against this funny day and enjoy its jokes. But what do you know about its origin? Before reading about the holiday do a quiz, please.
|
APRIL FOOL'S DAY § § §
Many people think April Fool's Day is the funniest day in a year.
This holiday originated in France. When the French first adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582, some people continued to use the old calendar and celebrated the New Year's Day on April 1. These people were called April fools. The custom of playing tricks on this day became popular in France and then spread to many other countries. Whatever the trick, if you fall for the joke the prankster cries: ‘April Fool!'
Most April Fool jokes are in good fun are not meant to offend anyone. Here are some typical jokes:
– Calling the zoo and asking to speak to Mr Lion.
– Putting salt in the sugar-bowl.
– Setting the clocks back an hour.
– Saying to a friend, ‘Oh my. You have four big holes in your coat... Buttonholes’.
– Fixing a string to a wallet and leaving a wallet in the middle of the street. When someone tries to pick it up, the prankster pulls it out of the reach.
Some people though prefer more cruel jokes, which are called ‘practical jokes’. April Fool's jokes as any other jokes are as humorous or cruel as the people who perform them.
On this day of national good humour, television and newspapers join in the fun. British television once told the story of a building that had been built upside-down by mistake. They showed an example of modern architecture which actually looked better when it was turned the other way. Many people must have been fooled, and, perhaps, the architect himself was puzzled.
In all countries, in all times the best joke has always been the one which makes everyone laugh, especially the person on whom the joke is played.
The famous American writer Mark Twain said:
‘The first of April is the day when we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.'
|
|
The next feast the calendar brings us is Easter, one of the most wonderful religious holy days. There is a lot of history and tradition behind it. If you do the quiz below, you’ll find out how much you know about Easter.
|
EASTER § § § §
Today Easter is one of the most beautiful religious holidays. People celebrate it according to their beliefs and their religious denominations.
Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day when Jesus Christ died and Easter Sunday as the day when he was resurrected.
The celebration takes its name and many of its customs and symbols from a pagan festival called Eostre. Eostre was the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring who got her name from the word ‘east’, where the sun rises. Every spring northern European peoples celebrated the festival of Eostre to greet the coming of new life in nature. Later Christians related the rising of the sun to the resurrection of Jesus and their own spiritual rebirth.
It might surprise you to learn how many modern Easter symbols come from pagan times. The egg, for example, was a fertility symbol long before the Christian era. The ancient Persians, Greeks and Chinese exchanged eggs at their spring festivals. In Christian times the egg took on a new meaning, symbolising the tomb from which Christ rose. Why the ancient people decorated eggs is not quite clear. But this custom is still very popular at Easter time.
The Easter bunny is also a pre-Christian fertility symbol. The rabbit was the most fertile animal our ancestors knew, so they selected it as a symbol of new life. Today on Easter Sunday, children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of sweets. He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children look for the eggs all around the house.
In many towns there are funfairs and other amusements. The fair on Hampstead Heath, in the north of London, is particularly famous. Earlier Easter Monday was the day on which the ladies used to parade in the parks, wearing new dresses and hats. Although this custom is dying out, the tradition still gives the ladies a pretext for buying new spring clothes.
Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in the UK and everybody enjoys them a lot.
|
| As to summer and autumn holidays, there’s not much to be told as we have only one - Summer Bank Holiday (the last Monday in August). It is probably the most popular bank holiday of the year, partly because it comes at a time when children are not at school. Very many people try to make this a long weekend, and go away to the seaside or to the country. Although this is an enjoyable feast, there’s nothing special about it. I’d rather tell you about two autumn holidays which are not public but have a lot of history and tradition behind them. I mean Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night. As usual, you are asked to do a ‘holiday quiz’ before reading each of the stories. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
|
HALLOWEEN § § § § §
Halloween is one of the children’s favourites. On October 31st, dozens of kids dressed in costumes knock at their neighbours’ doors and yell ‘Trick or treat’ when the door opens.
If they are given some sweets or another treat, the kids go away. If they don’t receive anything, the kids will play a trick, such as making a lot of noise or spilling flour on the neighbours front doorstep. Most people prefer giving treats. While giving something to each child they try to guess who is under the masks of pirates, princesses, ghosts and popular heroes.
The word ‘Halloween’ comes from the words ‘holy evening’. The day before the holy evening is known as All Hallows’ Eve. Like so many other celebrations, Halloween originates from pre-Christian and Christian customs.
October 31st was the eve of the Celtic new year. The Celts were the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh and Scottish people.
The Celts believed that on this day ghosts came and mixed with people. The townspeople cooked all that day and when night fell, they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. Hoping that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the new year, the people carried the food to the edge of town and left it for them.
Much later, when Christianity spread throughout Britain and October 31st was no longer the last day of the year, Halloween became a celebration mostly for children. Today it is more popular in the USA than in Britain. Millions of Irish immigrants brought it to the States in the 1840s.
As Halloween used to be a celebration connected with evil spirits its symbols are witches flying on broomsticks with black cats, ghosts, goblins and skeletons. They are popular trick-or-treat costumes.
Black is one of the traditional Halloween’s colours, probably because Halloween festivals took place at night. Another popular Halloween colour is orange because it’s the colour of a pumpkin. Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. People make lanterns out of pumpkins, carving horrible faces on pumpkins, put candles inside which shine through their ‘eyes’. This tradition dates back to ancient Ireland. The Irish have an old tale about a man by the name of Jack who was not allowed to enter heaven because he was too stingy and because he had played practical jokes on the devil. So, he walks around holding his lantern to light his way. That’s why the Halloween pumpkin lanterns are called ‘Jack of the Lantern’ or ‘jack-o’lantern’.
Halloween was once the time when young girls thought about their future husbands. On Halloween a girl might find out if she was going to marry. She hoped to see the reflection of her future husband looking over her shoulder as she brushed her hair in front of a mirror. If she wanted to know who he was, she would carefully peel an apple and throw the complete peel over her left shoulder. The peel formed some letter which would be the initial of her future husband’s first name. If a girl wanted to see her future husband in her dream on Halloween, she would place her shoes beside her bed in the form of the letter ‘T’.
There are lots of tales and legends connected with Halloween. No Halloween party is complete without at least one scary story. Usually one person talks in a low voice while everyone else crowds together on the floor or around a fire listening to the story.
(Abridged from ‘Current’ and ‘Celebrate Holidays in the USA’)
BONFIRE NIGHT CELEBRATIONS § § § § §
Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night as it is usually called, is a very popular festival in Britain.
It dates back to 1605 when King James I was on the throne. As a Protestant, he was very unpopular with Roman Catholics. Some of them planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November of that year, when the King was going to open Parliament. Under the House of Lords they stored a lot of gunpowder, which was to be blown up by a man called Guy Fawkes. However, one of the plotters spoke about these plans and Fawkes was discovered, arrested and later he was hanged. Since that day the British traditionally celebrate 5th November by burning a dummy made of straw and old clothes on a bonfire.
This dummy is called a ‘guy’ (like Guy Fawkes) and children can often be seen on the pavements before 5th November saying ‘Penny for the guy’. If they collect enough money, they can buy some fireworks.
Early Guy Fawkes celebrations used to be wild indeed, with home-made fireworks and huge bonfires in the streets. There used to be a lot of accidents. Fortunately, lots of limitations and fire regulations have been introduced, but fire brigades and police
are still on alert this night. In some places in Britain there have appeared the so-called ‘bonfire organisations’ which do their best to make the day a real feast and on the other hand help observe measures of precautions against fire.
Now one of the most popular places in England for the Bonfire Night is Lewes, a cosy old town in East Sussex. The impressive ceremony in Lewes has been famous for many years and it attracts thousands of visitors. The Bonfire Societies in the town are responsible for the arrangements. There are beautiful torchlight processions, bands, ‘Bonfire Boys’ in fancy dresses, songs and prayers round the fires.
There is an extremely well-organised celebration in Winchester, Hampshire. College students, and many other organisations in the city, prepare bonfires for which prizes are awarded. The guy awarded the first prize is the first to be thrown into the huge bonfire.
Even in small villages there is usually a kind of the best bonfires competition on the day. The fireworks construction begins early in the morning and continues through the day to impress the local people who come with their kids to the bonfire place at night. Drinks and snacks are sold all around. One can hear bursts of applause and laughter as every new firework starts sparkling against the dark November sky.
|
|
I hope you’ve got an idea of the British holidays. And when in Britain you won't miss your chance and take part in the most interesting events.
|
There are quite a lot of things to learn, aren’t there? But you shouldn’t worry if you can’t remember all of them. Let me remind you of one universal rule: watch your hosts and follow the pattern. Your host family is a valuable source of information about Britain. You can learn a lot from them. The British people like speaking about their home, children, family, pets, hobbies, leisure time, holidays, sports, the English language and the differences in accent between different parts of the country and many other things. Of course, there are people and people, and each person has his/her likes and dislikes and preferences in conversation, but the topics above could please most Britons.
There are some topics that should be avoided. For example, t it is not considered good manners to talk about money, except to complain about the lack of it. You never tell anyone how much you earn or will earn. In fact, it is good manners for the host to explain how much he saved buying at the local supermarket the marvellous wine you are drinking.
If this is very different from your country’s cultural tradition, try to understand. The more understanding you are, the more you will enjoy your stay.
WHAT TO SPEAK ABOUT TO PLEASE YOUR HOST FAMILY § § §
In terms of etiquette, always try to praise your hosts’ pet, if there is any. Even if the pet jumps on your lap and tries to lick you.
For many English people, animals seem to be more important than human beings. Indeed, some believe that there is more support for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) among the public at large, than there is for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (SPCC).
There are many stories of cats and dogs being left large sums of money when their owners die. There are cemeteries for household pets, and the sale of pet food is enormous.
This is what a friend of mine who is a young man of 27 told me about his attitude to pets: ‘When I come home after a long day in the office tired and exhausted, no person, no medicine can help me better than my pets. I’ve got a dog and a cat. Amazingly, they are great friends. I adore them. There’s something about their character that attracts me. They are always loving, faithful and a wonderful company. They are not dishonest or two-faced. Although I’ve never been a member of any animal protection society I think I can call myself an animal lover. I’m, certainly, against any animal abuse.’
With so much care given to animals, be sure to pay compliments to your hosts’ pets - there’s hardly anything to please them more.
|
|
I quite agree with this point of view, and I’d like to add that apart from pets your hosts might care for gardening, DIY (do-it-yourself), cricket, mountaineering, crosswords and what not. To get a better idea of how the Britons spend their spare time read the article ‘A Leisure Society’!
|
A LEISURE SOCIETY § § §
Britain has in recent years been described as a ‘leisure society’. This is because there is a greater variety of leisure activities and people have more spare time and money to spend on relaxation. Most spare time after work or at weekends is spent at home.
Young people generally go out on Friday or Saturday nights to a disco, to a concert of to the pub. Older people may go to the pub or to the theatre, or visit friends. In recent years going out for a meal or bringing a take-away meal home become popular with all ages.
Sunday is traditionally a day of rest, and town and city centres can be very quiet or even deserted. People read the Sunday newspapers, go for a walk in the park or countryside or work at home in the garden. A lot of people wash their cars on Sundays or do jobs around the house (DIY).
In the past, local authorities provided libraries, museums and parks for everyone. In the 1980s people became more interested in keeping fit and relaxing, so leisure services were expanded to include leisure centres, sport centres, health clubs and theme parks. Indoor pools, with their wave-making machines, water slides and tropical vegetation, have become very popular. Cinemas have been redesigned with four or more screens, each showing a different film at the same time. Naturally the leisure industry persuades people to spend a lot of money, especially on new and more expensive interests such as computer games and sports equipment.
|
|
As I have already said, one of the most enjoyable topics you can suggest when talking to your hosts, is ‘English Home’. The English can talk about their homes hours on end. You will often hear them mention such words as ‘terraced’, ‘detached’, ‘semi-detached’, etc.. Do you know what these words refer to?
|
THERE ARE HOUSES AND HOUSES § § § §
Terraced houses are usually found in inner cities. They can be anything up to 150 years old and were often built by industries to house their workers near the factories. They are built in long rows where each house is attached to the one on either side. The back of this type of house faces the back of another identical row of houses, so they are often known as ‘back to backs’. In recent years many terraced houses have been renovated: central heating has been added and other improvements made to what was originally a simple and sometimes primitive home with an outside toilet and no bathroom.
Semi-detached houses have been built in large numbers since the 1930s. When Britain’s towns and cities expanded into suburbs. Each house is part of a pair and is joined on one side to its partner. The semi usually has a small back and front garden, three bedrooms and a small bathroom. It is the most 
popular type of house in Britain and could be called the home of ‘Mr and Mrs Average’. Towns in Britain have areas which contain streets and streets of semis often with well-kept gardens.
The detached house stands by itself, usually with a garden all around it. These houses are much more expensive than semis and are often owned by professional people. Most detached houses are to be found in affluent suburbs or in the ‘green belt’ - a strip of protected open countryside around a city, where no industrial development or major building schemes are allowed. Some large cities (particularly London) also have a ‘commuter belt’ - so called because the professionals who live there travel (commute) every day to work into the city by train or car. London is surrounded by miles and miles of ‘commuter belt’. Some commuters travel up to three or four hours from their homes to their work.
Britain is famous for its country cottages which are often built on the country estates of wealthy landowners. The workers on the estate rented the cottages from the landowner and worked on the land. Cottages were also frequently built around a village green. Cottages have low ceilings, wooden beams and sometimes a thatched roof. In recent years some cottages have become second homes, bought by professionals during the economic boom of the 1980s.
In the 1950s and 1960s local councils cleared a lot of the slums in the inner city areas and knocked down terraced houses in very poor areas. The people were re-housed in tower-blocks on the outskirts of the city or in the centre of the city. Tower blocks can vary from 3-5 storeys high up to 10-20 storeys high. Each storey contains 5 of 6 flats for families. In recent years local councils have tried to improve the areas around tower blocks by creating ‘green space’, children’s playgrounds and facilities for the community to use. Some tower blocks in large cities like London can be very dangerous at night and they have been criticised for their long dark corridors, which encourage crime and vandalism.
|
|
Most people in Britain feel responsible not only for their homes, but for the place and town they live in, and they do a lot to protect their surroundings. The British know that to have a happy home one should live in a happy country.
|
This is the key of the kingdom: In that kingdom is city, In that city is a town, In that town there is a street, In that street there winds a lane, In that lane there is a yard, In that yard there is a house, In that house there  waits a room, In that room there is a bed, On that bed there is a basket, A basket of flowers.
| |
|
|
There’s so much to be seen in London and tourist companies offer such a variety of tours that it’s very difficult to make the right choice. It seems to be a good idea to study the programme first and then book the excursion you like better.
|
| | | |
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF LONDON § § § §
This best selling tour of London begins with a unique look around the Royal Albert Hall. As you approach the centre of London, you see the busy streets and many buildings of different styles and ages.
Everywhere, there are bright red buses and black taxis, busy restaurants and, in contrast, quiet open spaces and parks.
Soon you arrive at the very centre to see the best known sights: Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.
Piccadilly Circus is the heart of London’s entertainment world. Within a few hundred yards of it we find most of London’s best known theatres and cinemas, the most famous restaurants and the most luxurious night-clubs.
In the middle of Piccadilly Circus there is a statue said to be of Eros, the god of love. Few people know that it really represents the Angel of Christian Charity.
The buildings around the Circus are large and quite imposing. Many of them are decorated with bright neon signs advertising goods and entertainments; Piccadilly Circus at night is a colourful sight.
The atmosphere of Piccadilly is very cosmopolitan. You can hear around a great variety of languages. They say if you listen carefully, you may even hear English.
Trafalgar Square was built early in the last century to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Lord Nelson’s statue stands on top of a column in the middle of Trafalgar Square. The square makes a good place for people to meet - coaches pick up parties of visitors, marchers unite for protest meetings, and at Christmas time there is a Christmas tree which is sent to Britain from Norway every year. Behind Nelson’s Column is the National Gallery, an art gallery in which you can find many old masters.
We continue our way and stop at the Houses of Parliament.
Houses of Parliament
Close by Westminster Abbey on the riverside stands the magnificent Palace of Westminster, generally known as the Houses of Parliament.
Although these buildings are in gothic style, they are not truly historic for they were built in 1840 on the site of the old Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1834.
The flag on the building shows the House is sitting. On such days both the Houses of Commons and the House of Lords are open to visitors. You are invited to see the unique interior of the palace, watch MPs (members of Parliament) make speeches, argue and sometimes even fight.
Covent Garden
For centuries this has been the centre of entertainment. Today little has changed! The street musicians, noisy pubs and great restaurants, all go to help us remember the past. This is also the heart of the theatre district. You will see The Royal Opera House and the Church of My Fair Lady. Naturally, there will be time to buy souvenirs.
This tour finishes at 2 p.m.
WEST END - WESTMINSTER ABBEY - CHANGING OF THE GUARD § § § §
An unforgettable tour that includes the best of London.
West End. Today you can see some of our major shopping and entertainment centres, along with some of our famous Royal Parks. In elegant Mayfair and then Kensington, we shall see the world famous department store ‘Harrods’ and some of our remarkable museums, also St. James’s Palace and the Royal Albert Hall.
Westminster Abbey – a chance to walk through England’s history. As a Royal Church, it has been the scene of coronation and funerals of England’s kings, queens, famous leaders, poets and heroes. You will see the Coronation chair, the Royal Tombs and Poets’ Corner.
Changing of the Guard – at Buckingham Palace. We leave the bus at the Mall and walk our way to the Queen’s residence. (She’s in if the flag is flying.) We will watch the magic of the famous Changing of the Guard and have time for photographs. When the Guard change does not operate at Buckingham Palace, we will visit Horseguard Parade.
Our tour ends about 12.15 p.m.
SEE ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL VISIT THE TOWER OF LONDON,
VISIT THE CROWN JEWELS § § § §
This afternoon our drive takes us along Fleet Street past our Inns of Court and the Royal Courts of Justice to visit the City of London.
Ancient City and St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is the oldest part of London and houses most of our financial and legal institutions. You will see buildings like the Stock Exchange and the Bank of England, to name but a few, before we arrive at St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren between 1675 and 1710 and is not only the final resting place of famous soldiers, statesmen, painters and poets, but also the scene of many famous weddings - most remarkable that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
Tower of London - has for over 900 years guarded London from the Thames and has served as a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, a museum and a place of execution. The atmosphere in this incredible, historic monument is filled with tragic memories of the past. During our visit you will be impressed by unique Crown Jewels, and also see our traditional Beefeaters.
This tour finishes at 6 p.m.
|
| Don’t hurry to make your final choice of the tour, please. There’s still so much to be seen in London. My next story is going to be about London’s best museums and art galleries. I’ve selected some information about the most famous of them and tried to give brief characteristics of the museums. Can you match each brief characteristic and the corresponding detailed description?
|
THE BEST LONDON MUSEUMS § § § §
A. Victoria and Albert Museum.
It’s an outstanding museum, displaying applied arts of all disciplines, all periods, all nationalities, and all tastes. This is always referred to as V & A. Prince Albert, was responsible for the foundation of this permanent version of the 1851 Great Exhibition. See it and you will never forget it.
* Cromwell Rd., Tel. 0171/928-8500; Tube: South Kensington.
B. The Tate Gallery.
It was given to the nation by a rich sugar merchant, Sir Henry Tate, who had a taste for the fine arts. It overlooks the Thames, not far from the Houses or Parliament. English artists are naturally well represented here, and the gallery also has a lot of modern works, including some sculptures by foreign artists.
* Millbank., Tel. 0171/821-1313; Fre
