April 23, 2022
By Bikham Academia
OET, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and any other English tests for overseas are one thing. There’s a whole other English which will be focussed on; the language you will actually be using in the real world. Here’s a fun example. Imagine you’re at work in your nice UK hospital and your new friend Sandra says: “Alright love? Look, I’ve gotta go to the loo. I’ll be back in a jiffy. Honestly, it’s been a crazy shift. I’m knackered. Go have a look at Mr.Richards in ICU, will you. He’s driving me bonkers. Honestly, he’s mad, he is. Thanks love.”
‘Hello dear. How are you? I’ve got to go to the washroom. I’ll be back in a minute. It’s been a really difficult shift, believe me. I’m exhausted. Go take care of Mr.Richards in ICU please. He’s driving me crazy. Seriously, he’s a very difficult person to deal with. Thank you dear.’
Is it okay to have your elbows on the table while you are eating? Is it impolite or necessary for a gentleman to open the door for a woman, or is it considered old-fashioned? Did you know that almost everyone thanks the bus driver on the way out in the UK? That’s not the case here in India! And now you’re thankful we told you! In India it’s okay to ask someone what their salary is after they get promoted or get a new job. It’s extremely rude to do so in the UK and most other countries in the world. There are differences in what are considered good manners internationally. You need to know them in order to adapt to your new environment quickly.
There are separate taps for hot and cold water in the UK. In India, standing in a queue (or ‘line’) is a suggestion, not a rule. If we can push into a gap, we will. In the UK, you do not want to make this mistake. You will not get warm, friendly looks. It’s easy to assume that someone will come to you and ask you for your order at a bar. But your food needs to be ordered at the bar. Now that you know, you won’t be waiting for an hour to eat! Full English and High Tea are part of life. What are they? A Full English is a very fulfilling English breakfast. High Tea is almost a compulsory cup of tea with a medium sized meal accompanying it usually enjoyed at about 6pm. There are many more things which you should know before you go to the UK so that you’re not unpleasantly surprised or confused. We’ll make sure you get to understand a lot of them.
There are about 40 dialects in the UK. There are over 700 in India! You don’t need to recognize all 700 dialects in India to communicate. Likewise, you will not need to understand all 40 in the UK; at least not when you reach Heathrow airport. Some of the dialects you should be exposed to before you even get there. Received Pronunciation (RP), also known as the Queen’s English, is the first you should get comfortable with. We will help you get started in noticing and eventually using the different enunciations which are a huge part of any dialect. As a nurse, how do you build an IPR with a patient if you cannot understand the dialect at all
We all have accents and many differ. No one in the entire world should be ashamed of their accents. It is where they were brought up, and was accepted as perfect in that region. On the other hand, if you’re going to work overseas, say in the UK, you will have to modify your accent a little so that communication becomes easier. There are other subtle but important reasons for speech modification. Accent neutralization is also referred to as accent reduction. Simply put, we help you in not changing your accent completely as it is part of your identity, but to push it towards becoming more neutral and internationally understandable around the globe.
It’s good to know a region’s history, especially one as rich as the UK’s. You should know the difference between Great Britain, the United Kingdom and England. ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’. One of the most iconic landmarks in the world, the interesting question is not whether it’s falling down. Is London Bridge in England or the United States? What’s the history behind the Big Ben? It’s more intriguing than you think. These relaxed but important classes included in the course will prepare you to adjust with your new lifestyle in a different part of the world. To adapt and to assimilate into a new culture is not easy, but with a little preparation, your confidence and performance as an employee and as a foreigner residing in the UK will be much smoother. Posted in Education, Nursing
