CULTURE CORNER: BUS MANNERS (UK)

Public transport acceptable behaviour differs greatly from country to country as it is an element of culture. British people are well-known for their politeness, reserved manners and self-discipline. 

So, what are the DOs and DON'Ts when you take the bus in the UK? We'll give you the lowdown on Bus Manners!

    DOs 

• Wait patiently for your turn in the (orderly formed) queue. 
• Say hello to the bus driver when you get on the bus. 
• Have your money ready when boarding. (In the UK people pay for their ticket to the bus driver.)
• Have the exact amount of money for the ticket. ONLY COINS. 
• Say "excuse me" if someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move. 
• Offer your seat to an elderly person, POLITELY!
• Use your headphones if you're listening to music or read your newspaper SILENTLY.
• Respect people's privacy. STAY SILENT!
• Say "cheers" or "thank you" to the bus driver when you get off the bus.

    DON'Ts 

• Don't jump the queue!!!Don't take somebody else's turn even by mistake. You'll find yourself being frowned upon.
• Don't be grumpy to the bus driver. They appreciate it if you show that you respect their job.
• Don't look for the ticket money when you're already on the bus. Bus drivers run on a tight schedule and people are in a hurry to go to their jobs.
• Don't give bank notes and do NOT ask for change!!!
• Don't speak loudly!!!
• Don't speak loudly on your mobile phone.
• Don't start chatting with the people sitting next to you.
• Don't sit on the bench at a bus stop to rest. It will make the bus driver stop for no reason.
• Don't eat or drink on the bus.

 

                Try the BBC learning English widget on the right! 

You can find useful, everyday English expressions to help you sound even more natural.

• In the Words in the News section, you can practise vocabulary used in the news.
• In the English at Work section, you familiarise with phrases you might hear in your workplace, if you're employed in the UK.
• In the English We Speak section, you can learn new idioms which are frequently used in the UK.

An idiom a day keeps poor English away!:)
Enjoy!

                      Culture Corner (Great Britain)

Today's topic is CURRENCY

• Even though Great Britain is in the EU, it hasn't joined the eurozone and has retained pound sterling.
• Pound stering is the oldest currency in the world that is still in use.
• Scotland has its own currency, the Scottish pound, but the English pound is in regular circulation in Scotland as well.
• When you get on a bus in some cities in the UK, you buy your ticket from the bus driver, but they don't accept notes. It is also very convenient if you have the exact amount of money.
• Slang for money: One pound may be referred to as a "nicker". 50 pounds as a "bullsye" and 60 pounds as a "pigeon". 

Here's a link from the British Council where you can watch a video about the British currency and practise some related vocabulary.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/uk-culture/currency

Enjoy!

                 Myths about teaching and learning English

1. Only native speakers of English can teach English as a foreign language.

Well, this is a widespread misconception which has become very popular in recent years mostly because of the learners' desperate need to improve their English and become competitive in the global market. 

Incompetent non-native teachers of English who didn't expose their students to the target language enough, but taught in L1 (=their mother tongue) instead was another reason for this trend to emerge. Learners were sick of drilling grammar rules without being able to actually speak the language.

As a result, native speakers of English whose educational background is sometimes irrelevant to teaching, have been travelling the world and teaching English as a means to cover their travelling expenses. Some of them don't know anything about teaching methodologies or how to design a lesson plan and make a student-friendly communicative lesson.

Of course, many of them take teacher training courses, but the majority of them last for just one month. 

Our suggestion for the learners is to have critical thought when they choose where or with whom to study.

Being a native speaker of English doesn't necessarily make someone a good teacher.

On the other hand, a university degree in teaching English doesn't make a non-native speaker a good teacher.

A good teacher is a combination of things. 

• A degree in teaching English as a foreign language is always good, but never enough. It certainly means that the teacher have some (theoretical) knowledge of teaching methodologies.
• Teacher training courses are always good, but never enough. They certainly familiarise  newly qualified teachers with the classroom environment and how to apply teaching methods. However, they usually deal with just one or two methods.
• In our opinion, a combination of the two would be ideal. 
• Make sure that your teachers are passionate about teaching and love what they do. They should enjoy teaching you to say the least!
• What about the teachers' accent? Generally speaking teachers should have a neutral accent and clear voice. Strong non-native accent or strong colloquial (native) accent and mumbling are highly not recommended. 

So, choose your teachers carefully!! 

More myths to follow soon......