English as a Foreign Language

In this page, I collect some of the British English that foreign speakers should pay attention to.

Basics

• When someone asks you whether you want something, you either say "yes please" or "no thank you".
• It would sound very rude if you miss out the "please" or "thank you" part.
• "Yes, thank you" would sound confusing, though it may sound perfect in Chinese.

Words that may not mean what your dictionary suggests

• "Interesting" sometimes means "weird", "abnormal"
• "funny" sometimes means "weird", "abnormal"
• "There is course for concern" means "this is a warning: you have done badly"
• "You have done very good work, such as …, but …": don't be too pleased with the compliment part, because the speaker's real message is in the "but" part
• "Would you like another cup of coffee?" often means exactly what it says, but sometimes it could mean "Its getting late now", which is a reminder that you should consider leaving.

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