Warming-up.

     Stereotypes are ideas we have about a group of people. They can be based on true facts, but can also be only crude assumptions. While stereotypes are often seen as something negative, they are also a part of the process of us making sense of the world. What character traits do you associate with British people?

     Read the following text. Does the information it includes ruin your stereotypes about British people?

     Make sure you understand the meaning of the following words and word-combinations:

high regard for tradition
a huge amount of reserve
the encouragement
the quintessential British character
to laugh with tight teeth
to treat smb with cold detachment
a reluctance to express emotion
being a little snooty
to have no clue
to have a more devout faith
to be deemed tolerant and multicultural

A typical Briton: uptight but witty 

Would like to meet: someone with a clever wit, a "bulldog" spirit, and high regard for tradition. A sense of style, and clean teeth not essential. Well, it shouldn't be hard.

As far as many foreigners are concerned, the list contains most of the "qualities" possessed by the typical Briton. Throw in a huge amount of reserve and this apparently encompasses the quintessential British character. In an attempt to understand the perception abroad of Brits, The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA) published research yesterday containing a list of British characteristics.

The research, undertaken by poll company Mori, included in-depth interviews with groups in Italy, America and India, as well as local discussions in Norfolk.

The opinions of a number of foreign correspondents working in London were also included in the analysis.

Across the board, wit and cleverness were considered a very British trait.

"Cleverness makes me think of British humour," one American said. "Clever is a word and concept that I think is particular to Britain."

However, the Italians thought slightly differently, with some describing the British humour as cold: "Their sense of humour ... it's like laughing with tight teeth," said one.

During discussion groups, the report says, the same words came up again and again. Reserved. Uptight. Snobbishness. "They treat you with cold detachment," one Italian offered up, "but they are not impolite."

An American correspondent said: "It is especially noticeable among [British] men, both physical - no hugging, but also a reluctance to express emotion in normal discourse ... they are more formal and slower to make friends."

Although some respondents found a contradiction between the British "lager lout" and the high level of reserve, one interviewee from Chicago explained it away with: "They need relief from all that formalness."

As far as divisions within the UK, some broad generalisations were offered. Scotland and Ireland were seen as more rural with sheep and rolling hills whereas England was deemed more industrial.

The Irish were seen to drink more and have a more devout faith, and the Scots were seen as more down-to-earth.

As for Wales, there was some mention made of it being left off the EU map, but otherwise, some knew it was green, and there was the odd mention made of Catherine Zeta Jones growing up there.

Paul Crake, of the RSA, was surprised at how kind the other nations were. "I would have expected more dirt being dished by foreign groups. But we had to really push them to say anything at all negative," he said. "The one perception the Americans have about us, is of really bad teeth, which I think is due to The Simpsons, and they also think that the level of reserve really does touch on the British being a little snooty, but that's as bad as it got. "We beat ourselves up over what we've offered to the rest of the world, but it seems they are quite nice to us in return."

Perhaps. But the Italians certainly didn't hold back on their views in matters of style. They said the English have no clue.

"Elegance is not typically English. Apart from the Lords, they're a bit slovenly. They don't dress with care," said an Italian interviewee.

Britons were not viewed as weak or devious, but rather as individualistic and traditional.

"Britons...have learned how to make their traditions comfortable to live in ... the weight of manners here is very great, the weight of social conformity at times here strikes me as very severe," one American said.

Britons are deemed tolerant and multicultural, but a Norfolk discussion group based in King's Lynn differed in their attitudes to minority groups.

Chinese immigrants were seen as hard-working, but Portuguese, Russian and eastern European groups were deemed "spongers", exploiting Britain's welfare state.

When groups were asked about the number of British achievers throughout history, the obligatory references were made to Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and the Industrial Revolution.

Questions to discuss:

1. Do the British differ greatly from Belarusian people in character? Why?
2. “The English are well disciplined people and it is probably no exaggeration to say that they have the best manners in the world.” Do you agree or disagree with the statement?
3. What British habits of politeness do you know?
4. What facts prove that British people are very conservative?
5. Why is British humour very special?
6. What are some examples of bad manners on the bus?
7. What are some examples of good manners on the subway?
8. What are some examples of bad manners that you HATE?
9. Do you think people are more polite or less polite now than in the past?
10. Do you know someone who is often rude?
11. Can you think of some examples of how manners have changed in your country?
12. How are manners different in other countries?
13. How important is it to be polite to older people even though they are often rude?
14. What is something that isn’t considered rude but should be?
15. When someone is rude in a public place, do you say something or try to ignore the person?