Vicky (American style): “I love your glasses, sir!” Jay (British style): “So glad you like them, thank you “. Vicky: “My husband too should have a pair of glasses like yours. His glasses are out of fashion... you look so young!” Jay: “Ehm... thank you, ma’am... very kind of you, but...ehm...I’m young!”
Aww this was a lovely video - not restricted to teaching the language only but also helping people integrate in the cultures of the two countries. This makes your channel stand out before the other English language channels on TH-cam, though I like all of them. Huge compliments Vickie and Jay!✌️
Vesislava, that's such a lovely compliment. We really appreciate it. The cultural aspects of language are really important to us as you've noted. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching.
I'm a native English speaker but these videos are gold. I'm sure English language leaners are having a great time with you two as hosts! Saying that, I'm from Glasgow so I've been brushing up on my more standard English ;)
Hello Atom. We're finding there are lots of native English speakers who have subscribed to the channel and watch our videos. Welcome and thank you for your kind comments.
I'm British and the first few times I heard the compliment on my accent I kinda blushed and said thanks. But now I say thanks and tell them where I'm from in the U.K. I love the openness and warmth of the American people. I'm looking to be moving over there eventually.
Nice to meet you Autumn. Good luck with your travel plans. There are lots of vocabulary and some grammar differences between British and American English but I never found them a challenge. They were a lot of fun, in fact. The politeness difference took me longer to master. I appreciate the openness and warmth too and the rest was just a small headache. :-)
You both are so cute and interesting. Persian politeness is like Americans. Here in Iran we're so friendly and warm, so we tell our whole story life in first 5 minutes :)) However i think that Sometimes everyone neeeeeeeeed to be alone and thinking about himself in his time. I really enjoy your videos Viki and Jay . Thanks
That example you used was an interesting one. From an American perspective, I think the thought process of that conversation might be helpful for people who aren't used to it, because it's going to happen a lot. When you're waiting somewhere, there isn't always a good way to occupy yourself. The American is standing there thinking, 'I'm bored, and if I'm bored, surely this person next me is about to be bored. We can entertain each other!' Then, because we're naturally gregarious, the American attempts to politely start a conversation by giving a complement. In my experience, the complement IS genuine. If we don't have a complement, we'll think of something else. A train station full of Americans looking around silently is just a bunch of people trying to think of a good way to break the ice. If you feel a need to repay the complement, it doesn't have to be something meaningful, as long as it sounds like you might mean it. The easiest way to do that is to smile. In this example, "I like your tie," would be just fine. If you stay engaged, he'll tell you about the tie, and now you have a conversation! Don't worry, you can really talk about anything you like, Americans make segues and nonsequiters all the time during small talk. If you DON'T want a conversation, you don't have to have one. Whether you return a complement or simply say thank you, simply break eye contact and turn away slightly. This is a great time to pull out your phone and answer a text. If the person keeps talking to you (most won't), or made you physically nervous for some reason, excuse yourself and walk away. In VERY rare circumstances, that still may not work. If that happens, walk up to a group of people and tell them that this person won't leave you alone. American's are friendly, they'll help you. And don't wait for a good moment, interrupt them ("I'm sorry, but..."). There is nothing impolite about getting help when you need it. Also, I want to stress that it's VERY unlikely that this person is dangerous, just failing to notice a social cue. American's are infatuated with accents. We laugh and ask you to repeat things because we find it delightful. On the off chance that someone is being mean (which I have personally never seen), you WILL know; Americans aren't subtle. You still shouldn't feel any kind of obligation to the conversation. We may not be able to stop giggling, but we can certainly pick a new topic. That was far longer than I intended, but I hope it helps!
Thanks so much for this wonderful contribution Add E. I love this description: "A train station full of Americans looking around silently is just a bunch of people trying to think of a good way to break the ice." Ha! Indeed. And you've reminded me of an experience I had teaching some students who were about to go to an American network event. I was briefing them with cues about when and how they might start a conversation - and from my British perspective it was about fleeting eye contact, commenting on things that were happening in the environment, avoiding saying anything intrusive. Luckily my American colleagues put me right. 'It's easy', they said. 'People will just walk up to them, smile and shake hands and ask who they are.'
I loved this exploration of politeness between the two cultures. I love how open and friendly Americans tend to be. Speaking as someone who is British, I find that we are sometimes a little too reserved but yes, it's certainly a part of our ways and part of our culture. Great video!
Thanks so much Studio of English. It's funny. I learnt about linguistic politeness theory when I was doing my MA, but it was only after living here a couple of years that it dawned on me I was seeing positive and negative politeness in action. :-)
I'm American and I even remember in elementary school we were encouraged to give out a compliment at least once a day. We love giving compliments, but that doesn't mean that we aren't modest when we receive them though.
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing this. You make a great point. There's been a lot of research into how Americans handle compliments and they've found that 70% of the time they get deflected or rejected somehow. The modesty rule is strong in the US.
Great video again! :) It's nice learning with both of you. I'm French and I think in France politeness is not much about being intrusive or not but the way you speak and the words you choose. For example, you should use "tu" with close relatives and "vous" with strangers. Anyway that was interesting.
Oh thank for introducing this idea Les petits mots de Lancelot. Yes there are several languages with different 'you' pronouns that relate to politeness.
Sorry, this comment will be full of compliments! I love your videos! And I love Vicki's accent too! And I love how Jay has such a big heart. Oh Jeez... Can I compliment you guys forever? I know Vicki would hate it and Jay would say "Enough!" LOL. Alright. Now, for real, thank you once again because you guys share so much knowledge and everytime I watch you, I learn something new. I could hear you two talking for days non-stop. Best of all, guys!
Oh my Renata. What a lovely compliment. Thank you so much. We are so pleased our videos have such a positive effect on people around the world. It means a great deal to us. Thanks again for the very kind words.
Oswaldo, thank you so much for the kind words. We agree, culture and politeness are also a part of language training. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
It’s much more comfortable to learn English in the US, they are so friendly, ( most of them)! They will try to make it easier for you to feel at home. It’s another story in the UK...their way of being polite, ok one just wonder if they are just rather cold than polite! Oh so many bad memories in England!!!
In Brazil the politeness is more like in USA. We love to talk with everybody, the most of us say what they're thinking even if they don't know the person. And this is good and bad at the same time because we feel free to be open and talk about anything with anyone and when it comes to a compliment is very nice, but the most of Brazilians feel free to say bad things to others too and it's really embarrassing. Love your videos! ❤
Hi, I'm Italian and we're very friendly, so we're like US people. (Sorry if I wrote in a wrong way, but I'm Italian and I'm trying to learn English in the best way, anyway I love you guys so much💕🌈🇮🇹
Hello Teen wolf Lover. Thanks for sharing this. It's great to hear about other cultures and customs and well done on your English. You're doing great and keep up the good work. :-)
Oh my gosh! Brazilians are exactly like Americans. Actually we are more exaggerating about it. I've been saying I love British accent all the time. 😂literally there is a ocean between us. Most of us can tell you everything just using an elevator.😂
Oh guys! You both are amazing! 😍 Thank you so much for teaching not only rules how to speak English correct but also showing us particularities of your national cultures (American and English) as well. Sometimes it's really more important than grammar skills. Language is a reall treasure that keeps the cultural heritage of each nation.
Thank you so much for the kind words Love and Honor. And we agree about this stuff being important. Language and culture are often inextricably intertwined.
Thank you for your video:) I’m from Japan!! We have mostly same thoughts about politeness of UK, and sometimes we have to be modest more in daily life. I could easily understand how she wanted to explain about politeness :) And also I love friendliness like US . I’m looking forward to seeing your videos more.
Here in Brazil, we use to be warm and sweet with the people at the very first moment we met. We give them hugs and, depending on how nice the coversations were, we even kiss their cheeks when saying goodbye.
Only just recently discovered this channel and I love it! I’m English (British English) and I’m in LOVE with the American accent and culture. Very true on the politeness here in the UK. I’m absolutely awful at taking compliments. 😂😂 It’s always awkward.
We're delighted you've discovered us Lara. Welcome to our channel. Jay thinks that the polite way to answer compliments is to simply say 'thank you' - I think that might be what American mothers say to their children. But they've done a lot of research on compliment responses and 70% of the time, Americans don't. They feel similar modesty constraints to us (though maybe not quite as strongly?) and find ways to deflect too. I plan to make a video about that soon.
Appropriate response: " I just love your accent!" 😊 "Thank you!!!" ❤ In America that is being modest without showing low self esteem or bragging. It's ACCEPTING someone's OPINIONS GRACIOUSLY without the need to add or take away from it.
I'm from Vietnam and yes, I've just found something we Vietnamsese share in common with British :) Vietnamese is taught that being modest is a highly-appreciated characteristic and it's preferable to act that way. Vietnam is known as a friendly country, but I'm not that friendly: I appeciate others' privacy and expect them to do so to me. I thought I was strange and it seemed to be bad, but now I know it's just another part of politeness :) So happy :) Now I'm living in the UK. Feel like this place's where I belong with, thank God.
Hi Minh. Thank you so much for sharing that interesting cultural insight. We're so glad you're comfortable in the UK. Thanks for writing to us and thank you so much for watching our videos.
Wow! This is a very rich video! Rich because we need this knowledge to deliver to our learners alongside the language itself... Thanks Vicki and Jay :) I loved the video!
Sure Ahmed. Rather than us sharing our email address here, could you go to our website and email us via the contact form? Thanks a lot. We'll look forward to hearing from you.
I've been totally fascinated by this video, not only because of what it deals with, but also because of the vaste new land it opens for me. I am a french teacher for french people in high school, and I was trained to some level of linguistics, from phonetics to pragramatics, I can conjugate verbs in Old French, and, even if I am afraid of sounding big-headed (an adjective I've just learned thanks to you), I am just saying that to explain how I am stunned (and in a certain way, surprised of being surprised), despite all these beautiful and useless knowledges, to discover such an ignored and fascinating way to study language from that social perspective you showed me. It seems that orality is too ignored in trainings such as mine.
Hi zwieglupglup, Vicki here. Nice to meet you and thank you very much for this thoughtful comment. It's interesting that you mention pragmatics because, as I think you'd know, I'd place the topic matter of this video firmly in our pragmatics category. I've found it one of the most interesting topics to study in linguistics but also one of the hardest! Here are a couple of our other (older) pragmaticky videos that you might enjoy: th-cam.com/video/HeDyRUkQA5Q/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/4jJ5zvfxRgc/w-d-xo.html
I as a person from Dagestan, do not think that we are polite, more like friendly respect. We even get up from our seats if the elder person enters the room and speak with him respectfully, but this is different from the politeness you are talking about. (Watching your videos makes it easier for me to think in English) A very interesting video. Thank you very much! (I think everyone polite in they own way)
Hi Sardina. Thank you so much for the kind words. And we're certainly you get a laugh out of these videos. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching.
In Romania, politeness means if you go to someone's home and they serve you with pălincă or cozonac, you have to accept it otherwise you disrespect the host.
Love it, love it , LOVE IT!! What a great lesson in mentality! Thanks! And yes, self-deprecation is very common in Europe. I grew up with the notion of modesty being the utmost virtue - you don't brag, don't emphasize your achievements, downplay your success, don't toot your own horn, etc. Had a very hard time in the States at the beginning. And my kids' friends' parents probably think I am a bad mother as I don't shower my children with compliments over every little thing. :)
Hi Shoshana. Thank you so much. It's interesting that you mention how we speak to our kids because it was one of the things that struck me as different in the US too. I've learnt to say 'Good job' a lot more when I'm talking to kids in the US.
I tend to be very self deprecating..and it can be understood here in the U.S. as 'false modesty'..( as in the video..'fishing for compliments).which is considered to be as negative as being boastful!..culture is such a fine line..even for a native of 55 years...
I'm from Greece and in my country people are very friendly and social. So we are more near to American people and culture but personally I would love to visit the UK and learn more for the UK's culture. Love from 🇬🇷🇬🇷
I am from Greece too and my opinion is different. We are not very polite as Americans are. We are very rude and aggressive when behind the wheel. We hardly say please and thank you especially to the people closer to us. I was positively surprised by the friendliness and politeness of the American people when I went to L.A. especially how they treat the customers.
That's an awesome lesson , not only in English language ,but also about how to behave regarding all accents one's encounter . In Egypt we are generally a friendly type but not me , also when we go in higher class we don't interfere . Love you both .
I don't speak engilsh. I know some words and that's it. But seeing you teaching English, and see how great your videos are ... make me want to learn English so bad, and why not, meet good and nicely people like you. Greetings from Lima, Peru.
jorge alvarado I'm from Spain and know some people from latin america and I'd say you are too polite hahaha, we are not really that used to talk to someone right off the bat, but you do hahaha, you're always smiling, saying gracias, de nada, hola and adiós, I use them as well but a lot of people from Spain never use those words and I feel bad like written off, I like latin america politeness more than Spain politeness, what do you think about us?
@@AbrakazamxD they really are topical. We are not all that rude, there are people who are and people who are not. I think it depends on the site. For example, those in the North of Spain (as in Catalonia), people are usually more reserved and educated (this is not always the case).
Definitely more similar to the UK. I have a reserved personality and I remember times where I got in trouble for "not properly responding" to my classmates comments with round of applause compliments and pat on the back congratulations. I just smiled and gave a single thumbs up.
I have a British accent! And I visited America during the Summer! It made me laugh how many people complimented my family and my accent 😂! I really enjoy your videos, keep up the good work!
I just loved your new glasses, Jay. I’m from Poland. Theoretically, we follow British way of being polite. In reality we act like Americans. Best regards x
I love how in Newcastle getting on the bus the drivers call you flower or pet. Loads of people in my town call other petel or flower as a term of endearment for strangers
Oh thanks so much for bringing this up David. I loved that too in my short stint in Newcastle. I grew up in Bedfordshire where strangers were affectionately addressed as 'duck'. You reminded me of a French student I had, a big burly guy, who was astonished that the bus drivers called him love. :-)
I am from Argentina. In my country, politeness is, in a way, very similar to american. But if someone is very flattering (i'm sorry if some of my words aren't right, i am still studying the language), if someone is telling you many things before even knowing you, then you may not trust in them. It is also a question of security, we do not usually speak with strangers. Also, it is seen as polite bringing gifts (generally, food) when going to some friend or mate's house.
You are really beyond amazing. Very fruitful videos, as you also try to include funny situations which enhance memorizing these new information easily.
Hi Roro. Thank you so much for the kind words. We really appreciate you letting us know our videos are useful for you. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our videos.
Hi i just saw this video and i found it pretty interesting. you know catalan people are polite straightforward and outspoken. but nice people. thanks so much once more for your helpful videos:
Yes, Matheus. This is Jay writing. Vicki and I have been to Brazil a number of times and we've always found Brazilians friendly and inclusive. Thanks for watching.
Dear Jay and Vick! You're gorgeous! I do love your channel. It's help me to increase my vocabulary and practice my English! Congratulations!!! Greetings from Brazil! Rodrigo.
Rodrigo. We're so glad you love our channel. And we're so happy we've been able to help you with your English. Brazil is one of our favorite places to visit. Greetings from Philadelphia.
That what I love this lesson... We learn english, culture, habit, and other, all at once. It's great. And.... I think american tend to democratic, n brits tend individual ... thank you
Hi. In my country (vietnam), we usually say what we think. Like the American way. It’s friendly, feel close. P/s: I like your videos so much, please do more. It help me a lots ❤️
Here is fun fact. My name is Sang not Hoai. It go like: middle name - name - last name. In real life Vietnamese people have their names backward to American or British. It’s so nice when youtube has videos like this. Really appreciate.
In Italy it's 100% like in Britain. We always like to downplay if someone makes a compliment. if you do the opposite, you would likely be considered as cocky and end up being criticised.
Just another really great and entertaining video! I think, your definition of British politeness and American friendliness is quite accurate. Well, in the end, politeness and friendliness of course both are very individual characteristics and therefore you cannot assign one or the other to a person based on his or her origin. I guess, the thing about "keeping your distance" from others is pretty common in Europe, we just do not like to interfere with strangers too much. It seems kind of rude to ask them too many questions. My experience with Americans is quite different, they often seem to be more open, almost inquisitive. But never rude. It's just a different approach of getting into contact with strangers. I prefer the reserved European way, but in the end, who am I to judge? I'm German and we are notorious for our rather direct and seemingly impolite way of communication, aren't we? ;) Anyways, thank you for a very entertaining video!
So glad you liked it Michaela and thank you for this thoughtful response. On a personal note, on my trips to Germany I have always been treated very nicely and found folks friendly and polite. The 'directness' question is another one I'd like to make a video about one day.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos I'm glad you enjoyed your trips to Germany. Of course, Germans can be polite and friendly, I was just kidding and alluding to our rather very direct way of phrasing our thoughts and demands. Which is, by the way, not considered to be rude amongst us Germans, but it can sometimes be bewildering to those who are not native speakers of German. I certainly would be looking forward to a video about "directness"! This made me think about "A Fish Called Wanda" immediately, when Archie Leach tries to explain to Wanda what it is like to be British. Hilarious scene! :D
Hi Michaela. The thing about German directness, I think, is it's actually a way to advance a relationships and show closeness. I'm trying to write this quickly, because time is short, but sometimes being critical can show you care.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos Indeed. However, concerning interpersonal relationships, directness can also be a quite damaging quality. Sometimes sugarcoding things can be helpful although I personally prefer (direct) honesty over "white lies." I was just thinking of an old acquaintance. He was French and working for a major French automobile company in a leading position. He said, he prefered negotiating with German partners over having to deal with British partners because Germans always made their point very clear whereas the British rarely stated their opinion clearly. He claimed, he often left meetings with British associates in high spirits, believing business plans would work out well, only to find out later (from his boss) that the British actually were quite dissatisfied with his ideas. I remember him saying once "I just can't "read" them! I don't understand the British!" So I guess directness increases the efficency of communication. But I'm getting carried away again. Sorry. I just love discussing languages and intercultural differences. The part of my sould devoted to teaching is taking over yet again. You do not have to feel obliged to answer to that. Remember, I'm German, I mean what I say. ;) Keep up the great work!
I'm brit and American at the same time, but now a days I'm more brit, i don't know whats going what's wrong with me, why i dont like to talk to strangers, well in the past, if I'm at bus station or travelling at metro or in park i just love to have conversation but now not at all. Love you from Pakistan vicki such a wonderful and amazing lady but Jay is also charming
Hello Asad. It sounds like you've adopted the British cultural custom of 'negative politeness.' There's nothing wrong at all with that. It's just different :-) Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
I'm from Japan and felt so familiar with British politeness. But I think it's better to have both aspects like being confident in your mind and behave politely.
Hello Yusuke. It's interesting you say that and I agree with you. When I lived in Japan, I found our languages very different of course, but in lots of ways I felt very comfortable there because the politeness styles were very similar.
Even in the same country there are differences . Modesty is far more appreciated in Galicia , the part of Spain where I come from , than in Andalucía , where my husbans hailes . I felt he was a bit big headed when I knew him , and he thought I had low self steem . Fortynatelly we got to understand each other in the middle. We just spoke different social lenguages .
here in Indonesia the style of politeness is more in the friendly style. we even might be talk to stranger in public, smile to a stranger and help strangers without they have to ask for help. please forgive my grammar, i'm still learning. by the way, i love your videos. it help me learns. love from Indonesia :)
British accent sounds sooooo elegant !!!! But at the same time it is a little bit harder to understand i always try to speak with their accent how eva i think i'm going to sound like a pretender, like an imitator, i mean not natural at all... But it doesn't make any difference, i'll keep on trying...
@@arthurhistder1156 Where ever you are from just keep trying the British accent I'm from Britain myself your always welcome to try the British accent if you think of it it's not that hard. :)
Wow! Thank you so much, Tibor. I love this topic and find it very interesting. I think the different style of politeness was one of the hardest things for me to master when I came to the US.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos These videos are my daily practices because my plan is to move to England or Ireland, so I need to brush up my spoken english. I watch the video and I repeat what you say... There are a lot of channel for learning the english language but in my opinion your channel is the most clear and usefull. Thank you!
Also, if someone says t’ me “I love your accent,” I’d just say like “I appreciate the complement,” for example. Also when I lived in Huddersfield in the UK, I was 85% friendly, and 15% not intrusive, but now that I live in New York, I changed t’ being 65% friendly, and 35% not intrusive, so over the years, I learned t’ leave people alone more
Yes John, we do adapt to our surroundings the culture around us. This is Jay writing back to you. You know how busy and bustling New York City can be and it lends a certain tension to everyone's personality. I say that as someone who grew up in New York. But here in Philadelphia, life is a bit more relaxed, and you can feel it, especially when interacting with other people. Be well and be safe and thanks for watching our video.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos agreed, on Long Island where I live now, people vary, some people have a similar personality t’ me, where I make friends wi, others seem t’ want t’ be left alone. So basically, I learned t’ be less “outgoing.”
I don’t mean to be rude or anything, so please don’t get me wrong because I see your good intention - but you might rather want to say “British accents” instead of “the British accent”. There is plenty of accents in Britain, and this could be offensive to those who don’t speak her accent, for example those from the West Midlands. Similarly, other English speaking countries also tend to have different accents, so using plural in any case in terms of English accents might be safer.
You know that's a really good suggestion Wheatley. Thank you. There's a shorthand we use in linguistics where we lump together varieties of English as British English or American English, and we all know it's imperfect because there's so much variation, but it's just a generalization that helps us talk about different features more easily. I suspect adding an s might sometimes interfere with making sense when I am making (often uncomfortably sweeping) generalizations, but at other times it will help a lot and thank you for suggesting this.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos I haven’t thought about that. Just for the sake of sounding more accurate, though, I will use plural. :) Thank you for your reply.
Thank you for your great video. It's impossible not to love you. (I know I made a mistake there but I've no idea how to better express myself.) You're awesome.
I'd say you should believe in yourself a bit more and stop worrying so much about how to perfectly express yourself. You'll eventually get better and better in English but most importantly what really helped me was listening and reading in English everyday. That way speaking in English will be more natural for you and soon you won't even need to think about whether what you said had any mistakes in it... Good luck, we've all been at that stage where we were not confident enough in our ability to speak in a foreign language but I promise it will get better with time. Hope that helped.
I just thought that there was double negation when I wrote 'impossible not to love you', which is a mistake. But apparently it wasn't the case. Thank you for your support.
I get where you're coming from, Nikita. There are languages where negative sentences operate differently. (And more logically in some cases) You might like: th-cam.com/video/EX3ao-dfUNA/w-d-xo.html
Hi Vicky and Jay! I'm from China :) In my opinion, traditional Chinese culture is definitely more on the modesty side, similar to UK. However, we are trying to adopt the American style of politeness, especially among the younger generation :)
From my travel experiences, it seems to me that there's a common thread regarding politeness among the Americas that's different from politeness in Europe and much of Asia. That said, I do see differences among European countries as well with a more reserved politeness being more dominant the further north one goes in the continent.
This is really interesting, John. Thank you. In the research into linguistic politeness styles and your perceptions seem to be born out by the evidence too.
I'm from Russia and personally for me it doesn't matter where do a person come from, but I think it's important how honest and frank he or she is. In Russia I know some people that are super open, talkative, they can say "Amazing!!!" for something they think is usual. I think it's not good when people say what they don't really think, however sometimes it's nice to have some positive emotions from them. And I also know people that speak quite few, but you really know: if they say something - it will never be rubbish, you really want to listen closely. Yeah, you're not getting the energy from such people all the time, but you can be really sure you may rely on such people. P.S. In Russia we use word "trash" ("трэш") to say if something is super crazy in a bad way. P.P.S. Like using words "US" or "UK" we could also use "RF" (Federation) in Russia, but it's something we don't do and mb we don't like it because it reminds of the bad political situation in our country.
Robert, your thoughtful comments here are most appreciated. This is Jay writing back to you. I agree that people who speak frankly and honestly are people we can value. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
I love your videos! I am Brazilian and French. So Brazilian are like American people, friendly and French people more like the British, they don' t like to be intrusive. Thanks for this lesson. Jay you are so funny, you could be a great actor.
"I just love your...... dental work." This one was great! :D I think politeness is not just a matter of where you come from. Of course cultural differences concerning politeness are determining. But another important face is the question with what kind of values did a person grow up? Thinking of some friends in Japanese, politeness is a way of living. Many things seem intrusive and rude, which are totally normal in Germany. Even within German society the definiton of politeness differs from person to person. :D I think we are comparable with the American style of politeness. I've also read an interesting article about things, that are "no-goes" in America, but totally ok in Germany. And thinking of myself in the middle of German society - I think I'm the "Brit" under the "Americans" when it comes to politeness :P It's always good to be able to shift perpectives and see some situations with the eyes from the other ♥ It would be so much easier if everyone in the world would be courageous enough to tell their minds openly and without accusation. Being tolerant is the key, isn't it?
Oh good points Stefanie. And of course, as well as our upbringing, personalities are also very important. I know some very friendly Brits and very reserved Americans, for example. And yes, I think you're absolutely right, being open minded is key. We don't have to agree with other points of view, but there's a lot of value to listening to them and understanding their logic.
I've been watching your videos for some days and they really helped me with a lot of doubts I had about the English language, but also the differences between those two accents. As a spanish speaker from Venezuela I'm more used to the American accent, but I know it is important to learn both accents. Sometimes I don't understand the British English but I think the accent is interesting. So, with everything said, of course I'm going to subscribe. P.S: If someone reads this, please tell me how good or bad my english is.
Hello Romulojose and welcome to our channel. We're so glad you've been finidng the videos helpful and we hope to make many more that you'll find useful. (And by the way, your English was excellent!)
@@SimpleEnglishVideos OMG I can't believe you saw my comment!!! You've been doing a great job and I know any video you post will be useful. You both know how to teach, you're so creative
I still learn English language I mean my English is weak and I m interesting to learn British English because I think my English is American English because so many words I never hear in British English so, with this video I have more knowledge about American and British English thank you Vicky and jay love your videos from Indonesia I hope I can improve my English .
I already speak perfect English, but these videos are so fun and interesting to watch.
Well whether you're learning English or not (and it's not in your case ZedReck) we're delighted to have you here.
I m not an English speaker , but curious about how to define perfect English?
This person is not being modest.
ZedReck
Ikr.
He is a big head. 😏
I love Vicki’s smile! It’s so heartening and joyful!
Thank you so much ZedReck.:-)
So do I.
Vicky (American style): “I love your glasses, sir!”
Jay (British style): “So glad you like them, thank you “.
Vicky: “My husband too should have a pair of glasses like yours. His glasses are out of fashion... you look so young!”
Jay: “Ehm... thank you, ma’am... very kind of you, but...ehm...I’m young!”
Ha! Oh, Marymar! You've captured Jay brilliantly! We'll have to start employing you to write the comedy sketches for our videos.
I really appreciate, 🙏
Aww this was a lovely video - not restricted to teaching the language only but also helping people integrate in the cultures of the two countries. This makes your channel stand out before the other English language channels on TH-cam, though I like all of them. Huge compliments Vickie and Jay!✌️
Vesislava, that's such a lovely compliment. We really appreciate it. The cultural aspects of language are really important to us as you've noted. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching.
I’m Fully British and I know how to say something and how to be polite but I still watch you guys cause your so entertaining to watch!💞
I'm a native English speaker but these videos are gold. I'm sure English language leaners are having a great time with you two as hosts! Saying that, I'm from Glasgow so I've been brushing up on my more standard English ;)
Hello Atom. We're finding there are lots of native English speakers who have subscribed to the channel and watch our videos. Welcome and thank you for your kind comments.
I'm British and the first few times I heard the compliment on my accent I kinda blushed and said thanks. But now I say thanks and tell them where I'm from in the U.K. I love the openness and warmth of the American people. I'm looking to be moving over there eventually.
Nice to meet you Autumn. Good luck with your travel plans. There are lots of vocabulary and some grammar differences between British and American English but I never found them a challenge. They were a lot of fun, in fact. The politeness difference took me longer to master. I appreciate the openness and warmth too and the rest was just a small headache. :-)
In Spain, I think that we are like Americans in this way.
Thanks for sharing this Dani.
You both are so cute and interesting.
Persian politeness is like Americans. Here in Iran we're so friendly and warm, so we tell our whole story life in first 5 minutes :))
However i think that Sometimes everyone neeeeeeeeed to be alone and thinking about himself in his time.
I really enjoy your videos Viki and Jay .
Thanks
Thanks so much for sharing this Alireza and so glad you like the videos. :-)
Thanks! I am French and your channel helps me a lot! Merci !
You are very welcome Ma' Di'. We are pleased we're able to help.
What fascinating perspectives to share with someone who does not travel out of the States! Thanks for sharing. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it, Chau! Good to hear from you as always.
That example you used was an interesting one. From an American perspective, I think the thought process of that conversation might be helpful for people who aren't used to it, because it's going to happen a lot. When you're waiting somewhere, there isn't always a good way to occupy yourself. The American is standing there thinking, 'I'm bored, and if I'm bored, surely this person next me is about to be bored. We can entertain each other!' Then, because we're naturally gregarious, the American attempts to politely start a conversation by giving a complement.
In my experience, the complement IS genuine. If we don't have a complement, we'll think of something else. A train station full of Americans looking around silently is just a bunch of people trying to think of a good way to break the ice. If you feel a need to repay the complement, it doesn't have to be something meaningful, as long as it sounds like you might mean it. The easiest way to do that is to smile. In this example, "I like your tie," would be just fine. If you stay engaged, he'll tell you about the tie, and now you have a conversation! Don't worry, you can really talk about anything you like, Americans make segues and nonsequiters all the time during small talk.
If you DON'T want a conversation, you don't have to have one. Whether you return a complement or simply say thank you, simply break eye contact and turn away slightly. This is a great time to pull out your phone and answer a text. If the person keeps talking to you (most won't), or made you physically nervous for some reason, excuse yourself and walk away.
In VERY rare circumstances, that still may not work. If that happens, walk up to a group of people and tell them that this person won't leave you alone. American's are friendly, they'll help you. And don't wait for a good moment, interrupt them ("I'm sorry, but..."). There is nothing impolite about getting help when you need it. Also, I want to stress that it's VERY unlikely that this person is dangerous, just failing to notice a social cue.
American's are infatuated with accents. We laugh and ask you to repeat things because we find it delightful. On the off chance that someone is being mean (which I have personally never seen), you WILL know; Americans aren't subtle. You still shouldn't feel any kind of obligation to the conversation. We may not be able to stop giggling, but we can certainly pick a new topic. That was far longer than I intended, but I hope it helps!
Thanks so much for this wonderful contribution Add E. I love this description: "A train station full of Americans looking around silently is just a bunch of people trying to think of a good way to break the ice." Ha! Indeed.
And you've reminded me of an experience I had teaching some students who were about to go to an American network event. I was briefing them with cues about when and how they might start a conversation - and from my British perspective it was about fleeting eye contact, commenting on things that were happening in the environment, avoiding saying anything intrusive. Luckily my American colleagues put me right. 'It's easy', they said. 'People will just walk up to them, smile and shake hands and ask who they are.'
I loved this exploration of politeness between the two cultures. I love how open and friendly Americans tend to be. Speaking as someone who is British, I find that we are sometimes a little too reserved but yes, it's certainly a part of our ways and part of our culture. Great video!
Thanks so much Studio of English. It's funny. I learnt about linguistic politeness theory when I was doing my MA, but it was only after living here a couple of years that it dawned on me I was seeing positive and negative politeness in action. :-)
I know exactly what you mean! I wish you both a lovely weekend :-)
Was that guy with the big moustache flirting with you, Vicki? If so, you could have given him your number. He looks so cute. 😂
This is Jay writing. Who was that guy anyway?
@@SimpleEnglishVideos
I don't know. It's someone was flirting with her in the elevator. 😂😂😂
(Vicki writing) and I agree Ra'ed. He was very cute. :-)
In Argentina we act more the American way. Far more!
@@leonardovalerio1341 Yeah, that's true. But I don't like it that much, I think I like the UK way to be polite a bit more... I'm from Buenos Aires :D
I'm American and I even remember in elementary school we were encouraged to give out a compliment at least once a day. We love giving compliments, but that doesn't mean that we aren't modest when we receive them though.
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing this. You make a great point. There's been a lot of research into how Americans handle compliments and they've found that 70% of the time they get deflected or rejected somehow. The modesty rule is strong in the US.
Great video again! :) It's nice learning with both of you. I'm French and I think in France politeness is not much about being intrusive or not but the way you speak and the words you choose. For example, you should use "tu" with close relatives and "vous" with strangers. Anyway that was interesting.
Oh thank for introducing this idea Les petits mots de Lancelot. Yes there are several languages with different 'you' pronouns that relate to politeness.
Sorry, this comment will be full of compliments! I love your videos! And I love Vicki's accent too! And I love how Jay has such a big heart. Oh Jeez... Can I compliment you guys forever? I know Vicki would hate it and Jay would say "Enough!" LOL. Alright. Now, for real, thank you once again because you guys share so much knowledge and everytime I watch you, I learn something new. I could hear you two talking for days non-stop. Best of all, guys!
Oh my Renata. What a lovely compliment. Thank you so much. We are so pleased our videos have such a positive effect on people around the world. It means a great deal to us. Thanks again for the very kind words.
Great stuff, guys. Congrats. Teaching English is also teaching culture and politeness is certainly very cultural.
Oswaldo, thank you so much for the kind words. We agree, culture and politeness are also a part of language training. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
It’s much more comfortable to learn English in the US, they are so friendly, ( most of them)! They will try to make it easier for you to feel at home. It’s another story in the UK...their way of being polite, ok one just wonder if they are just rather cold than polite! Oh so many bad memories in England!!!
Oh so sorry to hear you have bad memories of England! Hoping they get better.
In Brazil the politeness is more like in USA. We love to talk with everybody, the most of us say what they're thinking even if they don't know the person. And this is good and bad at the same time because we feel free to be open and talk about anything with anyone and when it comes to a compliment is very nice, but the most of Brazilians feel free to say bad things to others too and it's really embarrassing.
Love your videos! ❤
Hi Luana. Vicki here. Thank you so much for sharing this. Jay and I have both enjoyed the warm friendliness of Brazil.
Hi, I'm Italian and we're very friendly, so we're like US people. (Sorry if I wrote in a wrong way, but I'm Italian and I'm trying to learn English in the best way, anyway I love you guys so much💕🌈🇮🇹
Hello Teen wolf Lover. Thanks for sharing this. It's great to hear about other cultures and customs and well done on your English. You're doing great and keep up the good work. :-)
Simple English Videos Thank you so much!
I am from Britain and I love our accent and politeness really much
Hello Anthony and welcome to our channel. So glad you like our accents. :-)
Oh my gosh!
Brazilians are exactly like Americans. Actually we are more exaggerating about it.
I've been saying I love British accent all the time. 😂literally there is a ocean between us.
Most of us can tell you everything just using an elevator.😂
Ha! We loved this response Fabio. Thank you so much. And incidentally, one of the reasons we like Brazil is the friendliness.
Simple English is famous for its politeness and friendliness. Love you both!
And we love you too Mollie. :-)
Oh guys! You both are amazing! 😍 Thank you so much for teaching not only rules how to speak English correct but also showing us particularities of your national cultures (American and English) as well. Sometimes it's really more important than grammar skills. Language is a reall treasure that keeps the cultural heritage of each nation.
Thank you so much for the kind words Love and Honor. And we agree about this stuff being important. Language and culture are often inextricably intertwined.
Thank you for your video:) I’m from Japan!!
We have mostly same thoughts about politeness of UK, and sometimes we have to be modest more in daily life.
I could easily understand how she wanted to explain about politeness :)
And also I love friendliness like US .
I’m looking forward to seeing your videos more.
Thanks so much for sharing this T.A and greetings to you in Japan. :-)
Here in Brazil, we use to be warm and sweet with the people at the very first moment we met. We give them hugs and, depending on how nice the coversations were, we even kiss their cheeks when saying goodbye.
Only just recently discovered this channel and I love it! I’m English (British English) and I’m in LOVE with the American accent and culture. Very true on the politeness here in the UK. I’m absolutely awful at taking compliments. 😂😂 It’s always awkward.
We're delighted you've discovered us Lara. Welcome to our channel. Jay thinks that the polite way to answer compliments is to simply say 'thank you' - I think that might be what American mothers say to their children. But they've done a lot of research on compliment responses and 70% of the time, Americans don't. They feel similar modesty constraints to us (though maybe not quite as strongly?) and find ways to deflect too. I plan to make a video about that soon.
You both are fascinating as always . I am kissing your hands , that is a turkish politeness to elder ones 😂😂
Oh ömer faruk dilaver. that's so interesting. Thanks so much.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos 😍😍
Same way in Indonesia 😍
@@ciskiwis4702 wow i didnt know it. Thanks for info my indonessian sibling 👏
That's also what I feel ; they are like my parents . I'm from Egypt .
Appropriate response:
" I just love your accent!" 😊
"Thank you!!!" ❤
In America that is being modest without showing low self esteem or bragging. It's ACCEPTING someone's OPINIONS GRACIOUSLY without the need to add or take away from it.
they both are so lovely. I have learned it for quite a time, but I still wanna watch, just because of them.
Thanks so much for the kind words Loi. It's great to have you with us. :-)
I'm from Vietnam and yes, I've just found something we Vietnamsese share in common with British :) Vietnamese is taught that being modest is a highly-appreciated characteristic and it's preferable to act that way.
Vietnam is known as a friendly country, but I'm not that friendly: I appeciate others' privacy and expect them to do so to me. I thought I was strange and it seemed to be bad, but now I know it's just another part of politeness :) So happy :)
Now I'm living in the UK. Feel like this place's where I belong with, thank God.
Hi Minh. Thank you so much for sharing that interesting cultural insight. We're so glad you're comfortable in the UK. Thanks for writing to us and thank you so much for watching our videos.
THE CHARMING SMILE ON THEIR FACES MADE THE LEARNING MORE FUN!! ☺️
World Currency Collection, that's such a nice thing to say. Thank you and thanks for watching.
Wow! This is a very rich video! Rich because we need this knowledge to deliver to our learners alongside the language itself... Thanks Vicki and Jay :) I loved the video!
And by the way, it's inspired me to think of a new idea for another video... Can I email you?
Sure Ahmed. Rather than us sharing our email address here, could you go to our website and email us via the contact form? Thanks a lot. We'll look forward to hearing from you.
In brazil its similar to the usa style. You have excelent videos! Congrats.
Thanks so much Retinado Games. It's great to have you with us.
I've been totally fascinated by this video, not only because of what it deals with, but also because of the vaste new land it opens for me. I am a french teacher for french people in high school, and I was trained to some level of linguistics, from phonetics to pragramatics, I can conjugate verbs in Old French, and, even if I am afraid of sounding big-headed (an adjective I've just learned thanks to you), I am just saying that to explain how I am stunned (and in a certain way, surprised of being surprised), despite all these beautiful and useless knowledges, to discover such an ignored and fascinating way to study language from that social perspective you showed me. It seems that orality is too ignored in trainings such as mine.
Hi zwieglupglup, Vicki here. Nice to meet you and thank you very much for this thoughtful comment. It's interesting that you mention pragmatics because, as I think you'd know, I'd place the topic matter of this video firmly in our pragmatics category. I've found it one of the most interesting topics to study in linguistics but also one of the hardest! Here are a couple of our other (older) pragmaticky videos that you might enjoy: th-cam.com/video/HeDyRUkQA5Q/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/4jJ5zvfxRgc/w-d-xo.html
I as a person from Dagestan, do not think that we are polite, more like friendly respect. We even get up from our seats if the elder person enters the room and speak with him respectfully, but this is different from the politeness you are talking about. (Watching your videos makes it easier for me to think in English) A very interesting video. Thank you very much! (I think everyone polite in they own way)
So glad you like it and thank you for telling us about Dagestan, Marina. So glad to have you with us.
Another useful video from great teachers thanks a lot have a nice weekend .
And you have a great weekend as well. And thank you for the kind words.
I love your wise approach to many topics, I always have a good laugh while learning. Thank you for your work.
Hi Sardina. Thank you so much for the kind words. And we're certainly you get a laugh out of these videos. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching.
In Romania, politeness means if you go to someone's home and they serve you with pălincă or cozonac, you have to accept it otherwise you disrespect the host.
Oh that's really interesting SkiDropz. Thanks so much for sharing that.
Me too...they seem like a married couple who know each other well and a long time.
We've known each other for 24 years :-)
Love it, love it , LOVE IT!! What a great lesson in mentality! Thanks! And yes, self-deprecation is very common in Europe. I grew up with the notion of modesty being the utmost virtue - you don't brag, don't emphasize your achievements, downplay your success, don't toot your own horn, etc. Had a very hard time in the States at the beginning. And my kids' friends' parents probably think I am a bad mother as I don't shower my children with compliments over every little thing. :)
Hi Shoshana. Thank you so much. It's interesting that you mention how we speak to our kids because it was one of the things that struck me as different in the US too. I've learnt to say 'Good job' a lot more when I'm talking to kids in the US.
I tend to be very self deprecating..and it can be understood here in the U.S. as 'false modesty'..( as in the video..'fishing for compliments).which is considered to be as negative as being boastful!..culture is such a fine line..even for a native of 55 years...
I just came across your channel by googling “ British and American manners “
What a great program ( if I am not fishing for compliments 🤣)
I'm from Greece and in my country people are very friendly and social. So we are more near to American people and culture but personally I would love to visit the UK and learn more for the UK's culture.
Love from 🇬🇷🇬🇷
Thanks so much for chipping in, Stelios. It's great to hear about other parts of the world and greetings to you in Greece.
I am from Greece too and my opinion is different. We are not very polite as Americans are. We are very rude and aggressive when behind the wheel. We hardly say please and thank you especially to the people closer to us. I was positively surprised by the friendliness and politeness of the American people when I went to L.A. especially how they treat the customers.
That's an awesome lesson , not only in English language ,but also about how to behave regarding all accents one's encounter .
In Egypt we are generally a friendly type but not me , also when we go in higher class we don't interfere .
Love you both .
So glad you liked it and thank you for telling us about Egypt, Youssef. And yes, individual personalities are another important factor here.
I don't speak engilsh. I know some words and that's it. But seeing you teaching English, and see how great your videos are ... make me want to learn English so bad, and why not, meet good and nicely people like you. Greetings from Lima, Peru.
In latin american countries, politeness is more similar to U .S. according this video.
Thanks for sharing this Jorge. Great to have you with us.
jorge alvarado I'm from Spain and know some people from latin america and I'd say you are too polite hahaha, we are not really that used to talk to someone right off the bat, but you do hahaha, you're always smiling, saying gracias, de nada, hola and adiós, I use them as well but a lot of people from Spain never use those words and I feel bad like written off, I like latin america politeness more than Spain politeness, what do you think about us?
Hi Spindafan oh yeah. Thanks for these thoughts. Very interesting.
@@AbrakazamxD they really are topical. We are not all that rude, there are people who are and people who are not. I think it depends on the site. For example, those in the North of Spain (as in Catalonia), people are usually more reserved and educated (this is not always the case).
Definitely more similar to the UK. I have a reserved personality and I remember times where I got in trouble for "not properly responding" to my classmates comments with round of applause compliments and pat on the back congratulations. I just smiled and gave a single thumbs up.
Thanks for sharing that Ti C. But where do you live? What are the cultural influences that make you more reserved? Let us know when you get a chance.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos the US. My family are Chinese immigrants.
I really like the way Vikie shy . How cute .
Thanks Baixzqm. (I'm blushing) :-)
We use Both in , Jordan and palestine . THANX for your amazing lessons .It's useful and fun to watch ! Keep going.
That's really interesting to know Ayat. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching our videos.
Great video about the concept of politeness!
So glad you liked it Loreno. Thanks for watching. :-)
I have a British accent! And I visited America during the Summer! It made me laugh how many people complimented my family and my accent 😂! I really enjoy your videos, keep up the good work!
Yes, it's delightfully easy to get compliments for a British accent in the US. :-) Hope you enjoyed your trip Noah and thanks for sharing this.
Thank you! Informative and entertaining.
Lin, we are so glad you found our video worthwhile. Thanks for watching.
You are teaching in a very interesting way. Thank you. I like both the accents.
So glad you like it Shylaja. Thanks for writing.
I just loved your new glasses, Jay.
I’m from Poland. Theoretically, we follow British way of being polite. In reality we act like Americans. Best regards x
Justyna, this is Jay writing. Vicki says my new glasses make me look like Clark Kent. :-)
Hey polish brother. You go to UK a lot so...
I love how in Newcastle getting on the bus the drivers call you flower or pet. Loads of people in my town call other petel or flower as a term of endearment for strangers
Oh thanks so much for bringing this up David. I loved that too in my short stint in Newcastle. I grew up in Bedfordshire where strangers were affectionately addressed as 'duck'. You reminded me of a French student I had, a big burly guy, who was astonished that the bus drivers called him love. :-)
I love how wholesome this video is!
Thank you Ganesh and thanks for watching.
I am from Argentina. In my country, politeness is, in a way, very similar to american. But if someone is very flattering (i'm sorry if some of my words aren't right, i am still studying the language), if someone is telling you many things before even knowing you, then you may not trust in them. It is also a question of security, we do not usually speak with strangers. Also, it is seen as polite bringing gifts (generally, food) when going to some friend or mate's house.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Santi. It';s great to learn about other cultures and customs. :-)
Thanks so much !
I love watching your videos, and I’ve told my sister and relatives and my friends about you.
Jasmina, that's so kind of you to tell friends and family about us. Be well and be safe!!!
You are really beyond amazing.
Very fruitful videos, as you also try to include funny situations which enhance memorizing these new information easily.
Glad you like them, Dark Music. Thanks for letting us know and thanks for watching.
Love this channel, I can learn both cultures in one video, and you explained them clearly
Hi Roro. Thank you so much for the kind words. We really appreciate you letting us know our videos are useful for you. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our videos.
Hi i just saw this video and i found it pretty interesting. you know catalan people are polite straightforward and outspoken. but nice people. thanks so much once more for your helpful videos:
Thanks so much for chipping in and telling us about Catalan Dolors.
I think in Blazil we are very friendly. We talk about everything in the first met! Love your videos, bye :)
Yes, Matheus. This is Jay writing. Vicki and I have been to Brazil a number of times and we've always found Brazilians friendly and inclusive. Thanks for watching.
In the other hand in Portugal we tend to be less intrusive. We can see its more an Europe/America views on politeness.
Dear Jay and Vick!
You're gorgeous! I do love your channel. It's help me to increase my vocabulary and practice my English! Congratulations!!! Greetings from Brazil! Rodrigo.
Rodrigo. We're so glad you love our channel. And we're so happy we've been able to help you with your English. Brazil is one of our favorite places to visit. Greetings from Philadelphia.
That what I love this lesson...
We learn english, culture, habit, and other, all at once. It's great.
And.... I think american tend to democratic, n brits tend individual
... thank you
So glad you like the video Wijang, and great to get a fresh angle on this with democratic and individual. Thank you!
@@SimpleEnglishVideos just in my opinion 😁
Hi. In my country (vietnam), we usually say what we think. Like the American way. It’s friendly, feel close.
P/s: I like your videos so much, please do more. It help me a lots ❤️
Thanks so much for joining in this conversation Hoai and telling us about Vietnam. We're so glad you like the videos.
Here is fun fact. My name is Sang not Hoai. It go like: middle name - name - last name. In real life Vietnamese people have their names backward to American or British.
It’s so nice when youtube has videos like this. Really appreciate.
Thanks so much for telling me Sang. Delighted to have you with us.
In Italy it's 100% like in Britain. We always like to downplay if someone makes a compliment. if you do the opposite, you would likely be considered as cocky and end up being criticised.
Thanks so much for sharing this Ivanuzzo and greetings to you in Italy. :-)
As a person from Texas I have to say I like your southern accent you put on :-)
Hi Blind Bookworm. This is Vicki. I shall make sure Jay reads this comment too because it'll make his day. Thank you. :-)
Just another really great and entertaining video! I think, your definition of British politeness and American friendliness is quite accurate. Well, in the end, politeness and friendliness of course both are very individual characteristics and therefore you cannot assign one or the other to a person based on his or her origin. I guess, the thing about "keeping your distance" from others is pretty common in Europe, we just do not like to interfere with strangers too much. It seems kind of rude to ask them too many questions. My experience with Americans is quite different, they often seem to be more open, almost inquisitive. But never rude. It's just a different approach of getting into contact with strangers. I prefer the reserved European way, but in the end, who am I to judge? I'm German and we are notorious for our rather direct and seemingly impolite way of communication, aren't we? ;) Anyways, thank you for a very entertaining video!
So glad you liked it Michaela and thank you for this thoughtful response. On a personal note, on my trips to Germany I have always been treated very nicely and found folks friendly and polite. The 'directness' question is another one I'd like to make a video about one day.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos I'm glad you enjoyed your trips to Germany. Of course, Germans can be polite and friendly, I was just kidding and alluding to our rather very direct way of phrasing our thoughts and demands. Which is, by the way, not considered to be rude amongst us Germans, but it can sometimes be bewildering to those who are not native speakers of German. I certainly would be looking forward to a video about "directness"! This made me think about "A Fish Called Wanda" immediately, when Archie Leach tries to explain to Wanda what it is like to be British. Hilarious scene! :D
Hi Michaela. The thing about German directness, I think, is it's actually a way to advance a relationships and show closeness. I'm trying to write this quickly, because time is short, but sometimes being critical can show you care.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos Indeed. However, concerning interpersonal relationships, directness can also be a quite damaging quality. Sometimes sugarcoding things can be helpful although I personally prefer (direct) honesty over "white lies." I was just thinking of an old acquaintance. He was French and working for a major French automobile company in a leading position. He said, he prefered negotiating with German partners over having to deal with British partners because Germans always made their point very clear whereas the British rarely stated their opinion clearly. He claimed, he often left meetings with British associates in high spirits, believing business plans would work out well, only to find out later (from his boss) that the British actually were quite dissatisfied with his ideas. I remember him saying once "I just can't "read" them! I don't understand the British!" So I guess directness increases the efficency of communication. But I'm getting carried away again. Sorry. I just love discussing languages and intercultural differences. The part of my sould devoted to teaching is taking over yet again. You do not have to feel obliged to answer to that. Remember, I'm German, I mean what I say. ;) Keep up the great work!
I'm brit and American at the same time, but now a days I'm more brit, i don't know whats going what's wrong with me, why i dont like to talk to strangers, well in the past, if I'm at bus station or travelling at metro or in park i just love to have conversation but now not at all. Love you from Pakistan vicki such a wonderful and amazing lady but Jay is also charming
Hello Asad. It sounds like you've adopted the British cultural custom of 'negative politeness.' There's nothing wrong at all with that. It's just different :-) Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
I love this video! You are amazing! Greetings from Poland:)
Thank you so much Ann x. Greetings to you in Poland. :-)
OMG i cannot stop listening to the girl of the video. It's very relaxing to hear her talking.
Such kind words! Thank you, Jane!
wow, that was grandiose! (in the positive sense). Thanks, I learned a lot from this video.
So glad you liked it Altre Frontiere. :-)
Americans also call people sir and madam in England we don’t usually say that unless your working in a restaurant
Great point Gary!
Simple English Videos don’t you use “at” with the verb “to work”? “You are working at a restaurant “ or “You are working in a restaurant “?
Love both of you, can't wait for more videos of you , greetings from Egypt 😍😍
Hi Hassan, there are more to come! Thanks for your support for Egypt! :-)
I'm from Japan and felt so familiar with British politeness. But I think it's better to have both aspects like being confident in your mind and behave politely.
Hello Yusuke. It's interesting you say that and I agree with you. When I lived in Japan, I found our languages very different of course, but in lots of ways I felt very comfortable there because the politeness styles were very similar.
Even in the same country there are differences . Modesty is far more appreciated in Galicia , the part of Spain where I come from , than in Andalucía , where my husbans hailes . I felt he was a bit big headed when I knew him , and he thought I had low self steem . Fortynatelly we got to understand each other in the middle. We just spoke different social lenguages .
Oh, what a great description. it sounds like you have been through the same experience as us, Maruxa!
here in Indonesia the style of politeness is more in the friendly style. we even might be talk to stranger in public, smile to a stranger and help strangers without they have to ask for help. please forgive my grammar, i'm still learning. by the way, i love your videos. it help me learns. love from Indonesia :)
Thanks for sharing this Garunda.. It's great to learn about other cultures. (And your grammar was great!)
British accent sounds sooooo elegant !!!! But at the same time it is a little bit harder to understand i always try to speak with their accent how eva i think i'm going to sound like a pretender, like an imitator, i mean not natural at all... But it doesn't make any difference, i'll keep on trying...
I'm sure I'd enjoy your accent Arthur. :-)
@@SimpleEnglishVideos thank you
@@arthurhistder1156 Where ever you are from just keep trying the British accent I'm from Britain myself your always welcome to try the British accent if you think of it it's not that hard. :)
This video is one of the best on this channel... I love the Simple English Videos! :)
Wow! Thank you so much, Tibor. I love this topic and find it very interesting. I think the different style of politeness was one of the hardest things for me to master when I came to the US.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos These videos are my daily practices because my plan is to move to England or Ireland, so I need to brush up my spoken english. I watch the video and I repeat what you say... There are a lot of channel for learning the english language but in my opinion your channel is the most clear and usefull. Thank you!
Oh good luck with your studies and with your move as well Tibor. Listening and repeating sounds a great way to go to me.
Also, if someone says t’ me “I love your accent,” I’d just say like “I appreciate the complement,” for example. Also when I lived in Huddersfield in the UK, I was 85% friendly, and 15% not intrusive, but now that I live in New York, I changed t’ being 65% friendly, and 35% not intrusive, so over the years, I learned t’ leave people alone more
Yes John, we do adapt to our surroundings the culture around us. This is Jay writing back to you. You know how busy and bustling New York City can be and it lends a certain tension to everyone's personality. I say that as someone who grew up in New York. But here in Philadelphia, life is a bit more relaxed, and you can feel it, especially when interacting with other people. Be well and be safe and thanks for watching our video.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos agreed, on Long Island where I live now, people vary, some people have a similar personality t’ me, where I make friends wi, others seem t’ want t’ be left alone. So basically, I learned t’ be less “outgoing.”
I love the British accent! But don’t be sad Jay, I love USA too! Hahhaha 💙 kisses from Brazil!
Hi Suzana. This is Jay writing. I appreciate your support :-)
I don’t mean to be rude or anything, so please don’t get me wrong because I see your good intention - but you might rather want to say “British accents” instead of “the British accent”. There is plenty of accents in Britain, and this could be offensive to those who don’t speak her accent, for example those from the West Midlands. Similarly, other English speaking countries also tend to have different accents, so using plural in any case in terms of English accents might be safer.
You know that's a really good suggestion Wheatley. Thank you. There's a shorthand we use in linguistics where we lump together varieties of English as British English or American English, and we all know it's imperfect because there's so much variation, but it's just a generalization that helps us talk about different features more easily. I suspect adding an s might sometimes interfere with making sense when I am making (often uncomfortably sweeping) generalizations, but at other times it will help a lot and thank you for suggesting this.
@@SimpleEnglishVideos I haven’t thought about that. Just for the sake of sounding more accurate, though, I will use plural. :)
Thank you for your reply.
I found your channel today and I just love your videos. 😊
Hello hapgull and welcome to our channel! We're delighted you've found us and thank you so much for writing! :-)
Thank you for your great video. It's impossible not to love you. (I know I made a mistake there but I've no idea how to better express myself.) You're awesome.
Nikita Bielokon , This is Jay writing. I didn't see any grammar errors in your comments. And thank you so much for the kind words.
I'd say you should believe in yourself a bit more and stop worrying so much about how to perfectly express yourself. You'll eventually get better and better in English but most importantly what really helped me was listening and reading in English everyday. That way speaking in English will be more natural for you and soon you won't even need to think about whether what you said had any mistakes in it... Good luck, we've all been at that stage where we were not confident enough in our ability to speak in a foreign language but I promise it will get better with time. Hope that helped.
I just thought that there was double negation when I wrote 'impossible not to love you', which is a mistake. But apparently it wasn't the case. Thank you for your support.
I get where you're coming from, Nikita. There are languages where negative sentences operate differently. (And more logically in some cases) You might like: th-cam.com/video/EX3ao-dfUNA/w-d-xo.html
Hi Vicky and Jay! I'm from China :)
In my opinion, traditional Chinese culture is definitely more on the modesty side, similar to UK. However, we are trying to adopt the American style of politeness, especially among the younger generation :)
This is really interesting James. Thanks so much for sharing.
From my travel experiences, it seems to me that there's a common thread regarding politeness among the Americas that's different from politeness in Europe and much of Asia. That said, I do see differences among European countries as well with a more reserved politeness being more dominant the further north one goes in the continent.
This is really interesting, John. Thank you. In the research into linguistic politeness styles and your perceptions seem to be born out by the evidence too.
It was great! Thank you!
We''re so glad you liked it, Юлия Юлия. Thanks for watching.
I'm from Russia and personally for me it doesn't matter where do a person come from, but I think it's important how honest and frank he or she is.
In Russia I know some people that are super open, talkative, they can say "Amazing!!!" for something they think is usual. I think it's not good when people say what they don't really think, however sometimes it's nice to have some positive emotions from them.
And I also know people that speak quite few, but you really know: if they say something - it will never be rubbish, you really want to listen closely. Yeah, you're not getting the energy from such people all the time, but you can be really sure you may rely on such people.
P.S. In Russia we use word "trash" ("трэш") to say if something is super crazy in a bad way.
P.P.S. Like using words "US" or "UK" we could also use "RF" (Federation) in Russia, but it's something we don't do and mb we don't like it because it reminds of the bad political situation in our country.
Robert, your thoughtful comments here are most appreciated. This is Jay writing back to you. I agree that people who speak frankly and honestly are people we can value. Thanks for writing to us and thanks for watching our video.
Please make a video on American common and informal phrases
Thanks for this suggestion. Do you have any particular situations or conversation topics in mind Arindam?
Yeah ..I'm from India and I've many friends who are American..so sometimes its difficult to understand the phrases they use.
4:21 This sentence to too funny, I can't stop laughing 😂😂
Ha! We were giggling when we recorded that one Aidan. :-)
" I just love your accent"
" Well, everyone speaks like this where I come from 😎" kkkkkkkkkkkkk
Hello from Brazil 🇧🇷
Greetings to you in Brazil Yuri. Glad you liked it.
I love your videos! I am Brazilian and French. So Brazilian are like American people, friendly and French people more like the British, they don' t like to be intrusive. Thanks for this lesson. Jay you are so funny, you could be a great actor.
Oh, what a wonderful mixture Elizabeth! :-) Thanks for this!
In Poland our politness is similar to uk but i think it is changing
Thanks for this Mariusz and it's great that you bring up the issue of change. Just as language changes, so can styles of politeness.
Great video as always. These short stereotype-stagings were hilarious 😄
So glad you liked it Nel. Thanks for writing. :-)
Have you ever come across the phrasal verb hack off ?
Yes, Jobs Job. It can mean angry and displeased. Or it can mean cut off or chop off, but in a rough way.
That was very fun to watch!
So glad you liked it kendog. :-)
"I just love your...... dental work."
This one was great! :D
I think politeness is not just a matter of where you come from. Of course cultural differences concerning politeness are determining. But another important face is the question with what kind of values did a person grow up?
Thinking of some friends in Japanese, politeness is a way of living. Many things seem intrusive and rude, which are totally normal in Germany.
Even within German society the definiton of politeness differs from person to person. :D I think we are comparable with the American style of politeness. I've also read an interesting article about things, that are "no-goes" in America, but totally ok in Germany.
And thinking of myself in the middle of German society - I think I'm the "Brit" under the "Americans" when it comes to politeness :P
It's always good to be able to shift perpectives and see some situations with the eyes from the other ♥
It would be so much easier if everyone in the world would be courageous enough to tell their minds openly and without accusation. Being tolerant is the key, isn't it?
Oh good points Stefanie. And of course, as well as our upbringing, personalities are also very important. I know some very friendly Brits and very reserved Americans, for example.
And yes, I think you're absolutely right, being open minded is key. We don't have to agree with other points of view, but there's a lot of value to listening to them and understanding their logic.
I've been watching your videos for some days and they really helped me with a lot of doubts I had about the English language, but also the differences between those two accents. As a spanish speaker from Venezuela I'm more used to the American accent, but I know it is important to learn both accents. Sometimes I don't understand the British English but I think the accent is interesting. So, with everything said, of course I'm going to subscribe. P.S: If someone reads this, please tell me how good or bad my english is.
Hello Romulojose and welcome to our channel. We're so glad you've been finidng the videos helpful and we hope to make many more that you'll find useful. (And by the way, your English was excellent!)
@@SimpleEnglishVideos OMG I can't believe you saw my comment!!! You've been doing a great job and I know any video you post will be useful. You both know how to teach, you're so creative
Thanks so much. :-)
I still learn English language I mean my English is weak and I m interesting to learn British English because I think my English is American English because so many words I never hear in British English so, with this video I have more knowledge about American and British English thank you Vicky and jay love your videos from Indonesia I hope I can improve my English .
Hi Inu and greetings to you in Indonesia. So glad you like the videos.
Really love your videos!
They're really useful for me, keep making good videos 🙋🏻♂️
That's great to hear. Thanks so much Anwar and we will keep making them.