England

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another and usually throw in a "How do you do." Handshakes are usually on the lighter side and don't linger that much

Woman greeting Woman- At a first meeting, women generally shake hands.

Man greeting Woman- At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. Women tend to extend their hand first.

Communication Style

• Being polite is highly valued. Expect a lot of "please" and "thank you" and "sorry".
• The English tend to be more indirect than overly direct. Being too blunt may be considered impolite in many situations.
• Pay attention to tone of voice and facial expression as it may be an indication of what is really being conveyed.

Personal Space & Touch

• The English tend to keep about an 2-3 feet between them while speaking.
• Touching is usually kept to a minimum.
• Family members are more relaxed and familiar with each other, so touching of the arms, elbows, or hands is acceptable. However in a business environment, touching is very minimal and personal space is respected much more than in a family setting.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is generally maintained during conversations, but not to the point of staring.
• Looking away when an elder is speaking is usually viewed as disrespectful.

Gestures

• An inverted two-finger "peace sign" or "V for victory sign is an obscenity.
• People tend to walk on the left and pass on the right.
• Tapping the side of the forehead in the UK means you are stupid, not smart.

Views of Time

• Being prompt is the way to go.

Gender Roles

• Work opportunities for women are varied and available yet earnings maybe lower.
• It’s usually acceptable for women to dine alone and to go to local pubs and clubs.
• Women usually cross their legs at the knee or ankle.

Taboos

• Cutting in line or breaking the "queue" is not accepted.
• Loud talking and shouting in public is considered bad form.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age to purchase alcohol at a bar or liquor store is 18. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds may consume beer, wine, porter, cider, or sherry with a meal in an eating area on licensed premises if they are in the company of an adult and the adult purchases the alcohol.
• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are severe and include mandatory lengthy imprisonment in local jails.
• It is illegal to be drunk and disorderly or drunk and incapable, both can be dealt with by a fine or court appearance.

Dress

• The English value being well dressed and nicely groomed.
• For men: conservative, dark or medium colored suits with shirts and conservative ties. Avoid striped ties.
• For women: stylish yet classic business suits or dresses and blouses. Accessories are usually worn.
• Jeans and business casual attire is usually not appropriate but this may vary depending on the industry.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note that these are spelled without the. throughout the country.
• One should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
• Business cards are essential and usually exchanged.

Meetings

• When doing business direct questions often receive evasive responses.
• Arriving on time for a meeting is important.
• Business meetings tend to be structured but not too formal, beginning and ending with a bit of small talk.

Negotiations

• Decisions tend to be made from the top down and can take sometime.
• Humor is often used in negotiations, sometimes as a defense mechanism or in the form of self-deprecation and/or irony.
• Avoid hard selling and any sort of conflict or confrontation.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not usually exchanged at a first meeting.
• If invited to an English household, it is appropriate to bring flowers (avoid white lilies as they are reserved for funerals), good wine, liquor, or chocolates.
• Make sure that gifts are nicely wrapped.

In the Classroom

• The school year usually begins in September and ends in July. However private schools sometimes develop their own schedules.
• University dress codes are casual, personal, individual to all, men & women. Certain schools like Oxford, require students to wear formal garments (suit, robe) when meeting certain staff members, taking examinations etc.
• Grades are usually given on an A-F scale. A is the highest and F is a failure.
• Most universities have lecture rooms to accommodate the hundreds of students enrolled. A combination of learning forms are also applied depending on the subject such as group work and discussions.
• Most universities use a percentage mark grading system, which can be interpreted as a 'class': 1st Class, Upper Second Class, normally called 2:1 (two-one), Lower Second Class (2:2), Third Class or fail
• The A-F grading system is less common. Schools as GCSEs are A*-G and A-Levels are A*-E.
• British students have fewer contact hours than in most countries, especially on arts courses.