Have you ever wondered what our learners from overseas make of the British? What adjectives do you think they would use to describe us?

Helpful, polite, smiley, reserved, private, prefer doing their own thing. Just some of the responses canvassed from ESOL[1] learners about their impressions of British people they have met – including probably some of their teachers.[2]

No end of authors[3] and a cursory glance at the internet suggests that the British are a weather-obsessed, tea-drinking, polite, stoic people, endlessly apologising, while forming orderly queues.[4] Some reports suggest, moreover, an Eeyorish,[5] stand-off-ish, gruff sort of populace, superior in their rigid monolingualism, “making do” with bland food, and much prone to binge drinking and hooliganism.[6]

One poll (albeit from short-stay tourists) suggests that the British – particularly the English – are arrogant, unfriendly, and – horror of horrors – have almost no sense of humour.[7]

When I used to teach ESOL in Asia, now and then I got invited to the British Embassy for some event or another. Once assembled, the Brits were a solemn, muted sort of bunch, not much given to small-talk but courteous enough and intent on keeping the glass-in-hand topped up.

The reflex-need for humour, Eeyorishness, and some sort of alcoholic beverage to be consumed for everyday life to function may be connected to what anthropologists suggest is a collective British anxiety of having to cope with other people.[8]

Perhaps this national social angst contributes to a collective British deference to moderation (i.e. you can show off but only a little), and courtesy (e.g. endlessly apologising[9] and thanking everyone for everything). As seen on any public transport network or in any park, this includes apologising for asking a fellow human being if you may borrow their bag’s seat for a short while.[10]

Then there is the social minefield of having to tone down and deflect from taboo subjects (e.g. ‘How much did you pay for this house?’) and veering towards the safe topic: the weather. Could ‘all things in moderation’ be connected to the British devotion towards ‘the plucky underdog’? (a nod to the England football team’s rather stale performances of late).

All of this goes out of the window, however, when it comes to British humour. It didn’t take long for me as a Brit abroad to realise that (mostly) well-intentioned but rather caustic British-style humour was often taken at face-value – causing no end of misunderstandings.[11] On the other hand, I do admire the ability to laugh at oneself and not take life as a Brit too seriously. But could this be mis-read for flippancy and actually lead to the sin of mistaken pride?

There was nothing for it but to be counter-cultural in my default approach to humour because it was producing mixed messages in terms of gospel values. After all, I was in that particular country to assist local people with learning the English language, develop trustworthy and quality relationships, and be a signpost to Jesus.[12] There were already enough obstacles to gospel witness without my misplaced humour getting in the way.[13]

Talk about cultural mis-readings and we need to talk about the English language itself. Even fluent speakers stumble over the pitfalls of word stress, idioms, expressions, dialect, intonation, and accent. Can you see now how difficult it is for a lot of Brits not to sound sarcastic – no matter how many times we say, “That’s great”.[14] Please consider this common-enough phrase:[15]

“That’s interesting.” (What the British say).

“That’s nonsense.” (What the British mean).

They are impressed (What others understand).

Take a moment to imagine having to negotiate such challenges in someone else’s skin. They have arrived in the UK and are keen to integrate with British people and society: linguistically and culturally.

A short while after arriving in the UK after a long time overseas, one of the first things that struck me was a certain disdain among the British towards authority and/or anyone telling them what to do – in contrast to the Asian outlook (outwardly at least) I was so used to.[16] In addition, the prominence of the British sports and drinking cultures was noteworthy. Not only in everyday life but popping up in ESOL curriculum, topics, lesson plans, reading materials, and conversation cues.

Legendary British grumpiness and having a good old moan, I’m told, is down to the incessant cold, damp, and wind. It doesn’t help having a sky that thinks it’s fun to mimic the colour of the pavement, does it?[17]

It’s clear that the cringey, comical, and curious habits of the British are here to stay – alongside ever-shifting global perceptions of Britain and its people.[18] Lovely. But at the same time, we live in a time of major people movements to the UK. Just imagine the unique and exciting opportunities for gospel witness to International people, rippling out from places such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield to the nations (Afghanistan, Ukraine, Hong Kong ++) without the need to hop on a plane.[19]

Navigating impressions of what other people think of us is always going to be fraught with difficulties. A certain humility is needed in being counter-cultural and addressing any mismatch in what-we-think-we-are with what others think. And the British (on the whole) have shown themselves to be quite welcoming and accommodating when it comes to International people in the UK.

We needn’t be reactionary, however. In the classroom, after all, there are going to be infinite outcomes of different personalities intermingling amid the teaching and learning process.

Instead, I suggest an intentionality about ‘gospel flexibility’ – adjusting certain British cultural preferences, postures, attitudes, and behaviour – in order to better align ourselves with gospel values and be a more impactful signpost to Jesus. Perhaps this is what is meant by becoming ‘all things to all people’ – in order to win as many as possible.[20]

For instance, researching what ‘welcome’ might entail in different cultures and how this could fit in with English language provision in the UK could be a useful starting point. A hearty ‘Hello!’, squeeze of the hand, and a cup of tea might not be enough. Those who come to class, for example, may not want the complexities of the English language quite as much as a listening ear, a time of being together, and/or a simple plate of rice and curry.

As ESOL teachers from whatever culture and background, being pliable in terms of gospel-witness should involve preparing  lesson materials thoughtfully so that a particular culturally-informed content and approach (British or otherwise) doesn’t become unnecessarily distracting (e.g. if we don’t need to learn the names of farmyard animals or talk about how animals make us feel, we may want to avoid, say dogs and pigs, with certain learners).[21]

Similarly, we might want to detour from content that could reflect poorly on British people as a whole and by extension the British messenger of the gospel (e.g. substance dependence, entitlement, complaining, and superficial relationships).

As we as ESOL teachers navigate what is largely a post-Christian British culture, may we be reminded not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought.[22] As we embrace Christ-like humility, may we consider what our learners think of us and how that correlates with relationship-building and earning the right to act and speak in with gospel witness. May we have the discernment to be culturally malleable and read the verbal and non-verbal cues that are so important in connecting with people and sharing more of the inner life with one another.[23]

And with all that said, I’d better get the clothes in from the line. It looks like it’s going to rain.

 

Reading

Rob Temple, Very British Problems. (Sphere:2013) is the better of his two accompanying books. ESOL teachers will enjoy ‘Language Barriers’ (chapters 21 & 28’s). Read by extension Temple’s More Very British Problems. (Sphere:2015).

Written by: Daniel Whetham (July 2024). As ‘Regional Developer’ for Manchester, Daniel supports churches in setting up and running English classes. He also researches trends in ESOL, government policy, and movements of International people in the UK in order to consider how best to pray, prepare, and respond with English language provision in the love of Christ.

Footnotes

[1] ESOL=English to Speakers of other Languages. Yes, really, they still haven’t come up with a better acronym!

[2] Gathered from learners in the class of a 2:19 colleague.

[3] Social media and books with titles such as ‘Very British Problems’ throw up such delights as the British conundrum of the unwelcome shock of someone telling you how they are after you’ve asked them how they are. Think about it 😊

[4] Some suspect British stereotypes and more @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_British_people (accessed June 24)

[5] A gloomy, pessimistic, glass-half-full outlook on life characterised by Eeyore, the name of the donkey in A.A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ (1926). See more @ https://en.bab.la/dictionary/english/eeyorish (accessed June 24) For ordering your very own Eeyore apron (as in the pic above) head to https://printerval.com/uk/disney-winnie-the-pooh-sad-eeyore-quote-kitchen-apron-p3547745 (accessed June 24)

[6] A German acquaintance once reminded me that one of Großbritannien’s most notable contributions to the world is the tanked up football hooligan.

[7] These views of the British surely contain some traces of political ill-feeling: Article from The Telegraph (accessed June 24)

[8] Google anthropologist Kate Fox and her ramblings on British responses to their ‘social dis-ease’.

[9] Someone really craves forgiveness here – courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/andjohan/40823555553 (accessed June 24)

[10] Rob Temple, Very British Problems. (Sphere:2013). p151.

[11] No wonder British humour is often not recognised for what it is with its dryness, use of absurdity, awkwardness, dark comedy, self-deprecation, innuendo, irony, sarcasm, satire, and wordplay.

[12] Witness to Jesus across boundaries and barriers involves putting ourselves in someone else’s skin.  Deadpan comments, insults, and poking fun at taboo topics (e.g. authority) could appear as rather unnecessary (aka unkind and insensitive).

[13] My very appearance in that land was an obstacle. I was assumed to be from a certain nation with dangerous political and militaristic motives.

[14] Temple, Very British Problems. p156

[15] For more examples of what Brits say and what others hear, google ‘Anglo-EU Translation guide’ or head to: The Independent – ‘What the British say, what they really mean, and what others understand’ (accessed June 24)

[16] Have you noticed the British tendency to give everything and everyone a nickname? I’ve been called ‘fella’, ‘pal’, ‘love’ and ‘mate’. My local borough of Tameside is widely known as ‘Shameside’.

[17] Temple, Very British Problems. p125.

[18] Consider the impact of foreign policy, military involvement, world mission efforts, and colonial legacy on perceptions of the British.

[19] Read about the centre at that moment in history in Acts 1:8 moving in witness to the rest: Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.

[20] In our witness to Internationals, what could ‘by all possible means’ mean for you in verse 22 of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23?

[21] Thinking through our materials ‘Christianly’ is the challenge and opportunity here. See: https://www.twonineteen.org.uk/2023/thinking-through-esol-materials-christianly/ (accessed June 24)

[22] The metaphor of the body with its many parts reminds us to be self-aware in Christ. Good job we enjoy the renewing and transforming of our minds as we do so – Romans 12:1-5.

[23] In cross-cultural witness, we need to be aware of ‘mixed messaging’. That is, misaligned content and context. Listening and responding with not 5 but 6 senses can be helpful: https://www.unreached.network/the-plates-of-meaning-how-is-an-important-message-served-up-and-delivered-in-your-cultural-community/ (accessed June 24).