Guide to english culture

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A GUIDE TO 
ENGLISH CULTURE 
AND CUSTOMS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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This document has been prepared for you to read 
before you leave for England, and to refer to during 
your time there. It gives you information about 
English customs and describes some points that 
may be different from your own culture. Part of the 
fun of coming to live or study in another country is 
observing and learning about the culture and 
customs of its people. We don’t want to spoil the 
surprise for you but we do understand that it can be 
useful to know how other people will expect you to 
behave, and will behave towards you whilst you’re 
away from home. This can avoid awkward 
misunderstandings for both you and the people you 
meet and make friends with! We hope that your 
stay in England will be thoroughly enjoyable and we 
very much look forward to welcoming you at St 
Giles College.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Queues –
The English are famous for being very polite. Always join the back 
of the queue and wait your turn when buying tickets, waiting in a 
bank, post office or for a bus or train. If you ‘jump the queue’ in 
England you are known as a ‘queue jumper’ and although people 
may not say anything to you, they will make very unhappy noises!
If there is any confusion about whether there is one queue or more 
for several different cashiers, 
you should still wait your turn 
and stay behind everyone who 
arrived before you. English 
people do not try to get to the 
front first; they are very fair.
You will often hear people 
saying ‘Who’s next?’ The 
general rule is that you are next 
if you were the first person to 
have arrived in that queue!