Communicative behavior of the British

Communicative behavior of the British

Since World War II, Britain has become increasingly diverse as it has accommodated large immigrant populations, particularly from its former colonies such as India, Pakistan and the West Indies. The mixture of ethnic groups and cultures make it difficult to define “Britishness” nowadays.

The terms 'English' and 'British' do not mean the same thing. 'British' denotes someone who is from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 'English' refers to people from England. People from Scotland are 'Scots', from Wales ‘Welsh’ and from Northern Ireland ‘Irish’. Be sure not to call someone Welsh, Scots, or Northern Irish ‘English’.

At a score of 89 the UK is amongst the highest of the individualistic scores, after Australia and the USA. The British nation can be described as moderately individualist. This is evident in the more frequent use of the "I" form, in contrast to the communitarian use of the "we" form. They feel comfortable taking decisions on their own and do not hesitate to assume personal responsibility. Since consulting superiors and reaching consensus is not deemed necessary, the decision-making process is short.

In spite of the fact that Britain is still well known for its class society, relationships in the workplace and in an educational setting are very informal. Most people call their boss and other colleagues by their first names and tutors usually expect students to address them by their first names as well.

The British are trained from an early age to be self-contained and reserved. Effusive displays of emotion are seen as false, self-promotion is seen as bumptious and boastful, sentimentality is plain embarrassing.

The British have been historically known for their stiff upper lip and “blitz spirit” as demonstrated during the German bombings of World War II. This ‘grin and bear’ attitude in the face of adversity or embarrassment lives on today. The stereotype of the British stiff upper lip has traditionally paralyzed the English attitude towards expressing visible emotion. Empire was built on the deadpan, the clenched jaw, the occasional polite smile.

British people are not very likely to complain. They will swallow bad service or bad food at a restaurant, because they don't want to make a scene. They might therefore become very nervous if you try to voice your dissatisfaction. Criticism should also preferably be voiced in an indirect way. The Brits are usually very patient and will queue for everything.

The British have a reputation for discretion - the 'quiet word in your ear', the whispered aside, the mask of disinterest. But discretion, once considered a great British virtue, is under threat. The barriers between public and private worlds are breaking down.British are very polite. In a restaurant, you will have to say thank you when you get the menu, thank you when you place the order, thank you when get your dishes, thank you when the waiter takes away the plates and even thank you when you pay! They are also very "quiet" and keep to themselves. Rudeness is not tolerated in the UK and great importance is placed on being polite and friendly at all times, even under stress.

Every culture has its own sense of humor, jokes and rules for establishing friendly communications. It is not possible to learn these quickly or easily. Humor is the cornerstone of the British society. It is used in numerous ways: to establish a positive atmosphere, to create a sense of togetherness, to bridge differences, to introduce risky ideas, to criticize, to show appreciation or contempt of a person. British people joke about everything including the queen, politicians, religion, themselves and you! You'd better get used to that. Humor is often combined with understatement.

As soon as British culture according to Hofstede’s model is considered as an individualistic one, so according to Edward T. Hall it is a low-context culture and has low-context language. It means that communication is more verbal than non-verbal.     

Low context language relies on the literal and precise meaning of the words. People prefer explicit conversations where words convey the bulk of the entire message. Low-context cultures are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. Decisions are based on fact rather than intuition. British people have a quite indirect communication style. They will not usually "tell you just the way it is to get things in the open." You will have to read between the lines to understand what they really mean.

The British culture is a high context culture. Words are not enough, you have to know the background and context to understand the message and interpret tone, expression and non-verbal behavior. The British have an interesting mix of communication styles encompassing both understatement and direct communication. Most British are masters of understatement and do not use effusive language. They have a marked tendency to use ‘qualifiers’ such as 'perhaps', ‘possibly’ or 'it could be'.

When communicating with people they see as equal to themselves in rank or class, the British are direct, but modest. If communicating with someone they know well, their style may be more informal, although they will still be reserved. Small talk is the fuel that makes social encounters run smoothly. It is always advisable to try to initiate conversation with open questions rather than an assertion of a personal point of view. Welcome topics of conversation include the weather, sports, current affairs, British history, culture and popular music. Although the British communication style seems relatively straightforward, privacy is very important.

Non-verbal communicative behavior:

     First, in British culture the language of gestures is not frequently used and only the most basic gestures are performed. Overdoing a gesture can sometimes come across as aggressive behavior. Second, with regard to eye contact, Britons show a tendency to keep it relatively short, as it can provoke misunderstandings between people. Direct eye contact may be misinterpreted as hostility and aggressiveness. Personal space is important in England. It is highly valued by them and keeping an acceptable distance is advised. Standing too close to someone can really put the British off. Keep your distance to about 2 feet or more. During conversation they prefer to stand next to each other rather than opposite. Hugging, kissing and touching are usually reserved for family members and very close friends.  As far as paralanguage is concerned, the British speak in low, measured tones, without raising the voice.