Do you want to study English? What better place to go than the UK. Choose between world famous cities like London or experience traditional British life in places like Oxford or Edinburgh. You can book courses all year round with some of the most respected schools and educational institutions in the world.
About the UK
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom or the UK) is a constitutional monarchy comprising most of the British Isles, and one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
The Union comprises four constituent nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It occupies all of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland and most of the remaining British Isles. It is important to remember that the Republic of Ireland is a completely separate country to the United Kingdom, gaining its independence 1922. It counts Ireland, France, Belgium and Netherlands as its nearest neighbours. The Isle of Man and the various Channel Islands are crown dependencies, possessing their own legislative bodies with the assent of the Crown. They are not part of the United Kingdom, nor of the EU, but are not sovereign nations in their own right either.
The ‘Great’ in Great Britain (Grande-Bretagne in French) is to distinguish it from the other, smaller Britain: Brittany (Bretagne) in northwestern France.
The UK today is a diverse patchwork of native and immigrant cultures, possessing a fascinating history and dynamic modern culture, both of which remain hugely influential in the wider world. Although Britannia no longer rules the waves, the UK is still a popular destination for many foreign students. The capital and largest city of the United Kingdom is London which is one of the most visited cities on the planet.
Where You Can Study
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Popular Cities:
- London
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Bournemouth
- Manchester
- Cardiff
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
Languages Spoken in the UK
English is spoken throughout the country, although there are parts of major cities where immigration has led to a variety of different languages being spoken as well. English spoken in the United Kingdom has several different dialects, some of which may contain words which are unfamiliar to other English speakers. A trained ear can also distinguish the English spoken by someone from Northern Ireland as opposed to someone from the Republic of Ireland, or even pinpoint their origin to a particular town. English in Scotland and Northern Ireland can be spoken quite fast.
Welsh is also widely spoken in Wales, particularly in North and West Wales. The number of Welsh speakers has risen over the last few years, but this bilingual population is still only around 30% of the total population of the Principality. Government bodies whose area of responsibility covers Wales use bilingual documentation (English and Welsh) – for example, see the website of the Swansea-based DVLA (http://www.dvla.gov.uk/). Road signs in Wales are bilingual. Even the non-Welsh-speaking majority in Wales know how to pronounce Welsh place names. Once you hear how to pronounce, a name have a go and try not to offend!
Gaelic (pronounced ‘Gal-ic’ when referring to Scotland) can be heard in the Scottish Highlands and Islands but sadly boasts all too few native speakers. The ancient Cornish language of Cornwall, in the far south west, was revived during the twentieth century, but it is not passed down from parent to child as Welsh and Gaelic still are. Be aware, however, that Cornish place names remain and can be rather challenging to pronounce for non-locals! The Irish form of Gaelic is still spoken in some remote border areas of Northern Ireland.
Scots has much in common with English, and can be heard in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland (where it is known as Ulster-Scots) in various degrees. It can be difficult to understand, so feel free to ask someone to repeat themselves or speak more slowly. Speakers are likely to use standard English with outsiders.
All speakers of these minority languages are fluent to near-fluent in standard English but react well if you show an interest in their native tongue and culture. Inter-migration in the United Kingdom means you are likely to encounter people from all over the UK and beyond no matter where you visit. It is rare to find a place where all adults have the same accent or dialect.
There’s an old joke that the people of the US and the UK are divided by a common language, and travellers from English-speaking countries outside the UK may have difficulty catching specific words where regional accents are strong, but still there should not be any major difficulties in communicating. The British are good at understanding English spoken in a foreign accent, and visitors who speak English as a second language need not fear making mistakes. You may just get a slightly blank look for a few seconds after the end of a sentence while they ‘decode’ it internally. The British will not criticise or correct your language.
A few examples of words that overseas visitors may not be familiar with:
- Wee – small (Scotland, Northern Ireland, some English people)
- Loch – lake (Scotland)
- Lough – lake (Northern Ireland)
- Aye – yes (some parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and North England)
- Poke – ice cream served in a wafer cone (Northern Ireland) or paper bag in Scotland
- Downing Street – used to refer to the Government (similar to White House referring to the President of the United States)
- Cymru (which English-speakers may pronounce as ‘Sim-roo’ but some attempt more accurately as ‘Cum-ree’) – Wales (Wales)
- Cockney rhyming slang is not a language but a collection of terms, some local and temporary, others so long-lasting that they are used by many people who don’t realise that they are rhyming slang. Example of the latter: raspberry for the derisive noise called Bronx cheer in the US – derived from raspberry tart, rhyming with fart.
British people have historically been very tolerant of swearing, when used in context.