If you're starting a new job and want to make a good impression on your new colleagues, try these cultural tips!
June 10th 2008 |
Socialising
How can you politely say that you find something unacceptable if other people in your office are happy with it?
If you've just come back to work after a public holiday, or if your colleague has had a day off, it's considered friendly to talk about the holiday.
If someone offers to do something for you, how can you refuse? Just saying "No" is likely to offend the person making the offer. Here are some ways to politely refuse an offer.
In the UK, this Friday ("Good Friday") is a public holiday. The following Monday ("Easter Monday") is also a public holiday, which gives workers four days off in a row. Unlike at Christmas, people tend not to send Easter cards (except perhaps to family members), and many people use the four-day break to go away somewhere on holiday.
On a recent Sunday morning walk in the English countryside, everyone I passed said "Morning!" Children on their bikes, dog owners, elderly people going for a quiet stroll; everyone smiled and greeted each other. I didn't know anyone personally, but this made no difference.
Good table manners are essential when you eat in public. However, different cultures have different ideas about what are good manners. For example, it's considered extremely bad in China or Japan to leave your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. Here are ten tips for making sure you don't look out of place when you eat in public in the UK
February 15th 2008 |
Socialising
Friday is the day when many English colleagues go to the pub after work to celebrate the end of the working week. Even if you only go for a couple of drinks, it's a great opportunity to socialise with your colleagues in an informal atmosphere.
Imagine you're meeting someone for the first time, and you want to get to know them better. The type of questions you ask are important, as English speakers tend to be indirect, rather than direct. The following questions, although grammatically accurate, would sound too direct for a first conversation:
December 13th 2007 |
Socialising
What do you say when someone introduces you? Here are some phrases you can use in informal, neutral and formal situations.
