Author: Summer Camp

English people are known for their traditions and customs. They like to talk about the weather and are nowhere as polite as in England. The English also love to hoist themselves up in shorts as soon as the sun shows itself. Curious as to what else you can recognize the average Briton by? Here are the top 10 typical English customs!

Tea time!

An obvious one, but definitely a habit that belongs in this list: the English and their cup of tea, because tea belongs to England like cheese belongs to the Netherlands. Did you know that the inhabitants of Great Britain together drink 165 million cups of tea per day? Of course milk goes with it. No less than 98% of the English drink tea with milk. And, of course, there are also cookies to dip into their favorite drink.

English breakfast

Fried eggs, bacon, white beans in tomato sauce and sausages, or the fry-up. In addition, you'll often find baked potatoes, toast and mushrooms in a full English breakfast. This characteristic English breakfast is not to be missed when visiting the United Kingdom.

Fish & chips

The famous fish & chips should of course also be mentioned: thick, limp French fries with white fish, which the English serve with some vinegar and salt. An absolute must if you're in England and want to immerse yourself in the English way of eating! And to top it all off, prefer to order this classic on the coast and have it served in a newspaper.

Driving on the left

One of the things that absolutely typifies the British is the fact that they drive on the left side of the road. It takes some getting used to if you've never done this before, but after two car rides you won't know any better.

Red-Red-Red

In England and especially in London, the streetscape is typified by the red double-decker buses. Take a seat in a beautiful, high bus and admire Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge from a nice spot on the second floor! You'll also find red telephone boxes and red mailboxes everywhere. By the way, did you know that the mailboxes used to be green? However, because of this they did not stand out enough in the landscape, so the British chose to make them red.

Courtesy

The English accent can be well described as chic and charming. There is no nation in the world that is as polite as the British. The word "sorry" will therefore be heard regularly when talking to them. Furthermore, they do not like to be pushed around and wait for their turn when they are in line. The Englishman loves good manners and is very proud of this.

Just kidding!

Sarcasm and self-mockery are typical of British humor. The motto of the Englishman: don't take yourself too seriously and use embarrassing moments or your awkwardness and turn it into a funny joke. By the way, who does not know the famous comedy series, which are steeped in this typical English humor?

Playing a quiz in the pub

And then the English pub: the Brit doesn't just go there to drink a beer, but also lunch in a pub is very common in Britain. And after lunch, of course, it's time for a quiz. That way you can learn something new while you're out and about!

Cricket

Cricket is in the top three most popular sports in the world. This eleven-player sport is somewhat similar to baseball and is inextricably linked to the English. The average Briton is a huge sports fan and will always cheer on the underdog. Furthermore, rugby, tennis and soccer are also very popular with the British.

Christmas in England

Has the clock changed to winter time? Then the Christmas advertisements in Great Britain are flying around your ears. The British people love Christmas and make a big spectacle of it every year. Everywhere you see cozy lights. Every year the British send a Christmas card to everyone they love. The tradition of the Christmas card originated in the United Kingdom. The Christmas cracker also plays a big role. This is a tube with foil around it, which the two of you open by pulling on it. Do you get your hands on the largest piece of the cracker? Then it may have your present or read the spell inside.

Drinking tea at Summercamp?

All of Summercamp's camps offer an immersion in quintessentially English experiences and traditions. From afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream to playing cricket on the green grass, children get the chance to discover the charm of England. This cultural immersion goes beyond language alone and gives children a deeper understanding of English lifestyle and heritage, making their experience at our children's camp is not only fun, but also educational and enriching.

Speaking fluent English, what parent doesn't want this for his or her child? English is the undisputed world language: in international schools for expat families, in science and higher education, at consulates, for international networking. With English you can go anywhere in the world.

Not just in England

English is spoken in many places, in many shades. People often know the difference between "American English" and "British English" - also referred to as the Cambridge variety. But there are other major currents within the world's English-speaking population. Consider the inhabitants of Australia or Canada - they speak English with their own tongues and their own specific expressions. In addition, there are smaller nations where English is spoken as a "first language": well-known examples are Ireland, Malta and Jamaica.

English as a second language

There are also many areas where English has official status, even though it is not the native language of most inhabitants. This is the case in South Africa, the Philippines and in Rwanda, among others. Often this is related to the former colonial status of the country in question. Also in India, after Hindi, English is the second most widely spoken language - especially among the elite. Indian students often fan out around the world with a very good command of English.

Eye-catching differences

Anyone who looks at the use of English around the world cannot ignore the differences. Specific words, spelling and pronunciation often give away unerringly whether someone comes from America or England. Interestingly enough, Dutch children often know mainly the American sayings, because they also hear them the most on television and social media.

An idiom of its own

An important difference in English language use is evident in words that are used in the United Kingdom but sound strange in the United States because the Americans use a synonym. A familiar example is 'elevator' versus 'elevator' or 'chips' versus '(French) fries'. Australian does not really add its own words to the language, but it does add abbreviations: 'arvo' for 'afternoon' and 'bikie' for a motorcyclist, for example.

Other differences

Even when the same word is used there are striking differences: namely in pronunciation and in spelling. A native speaker can unerringly hear whether someone is from America, and we are all familiar with the snappy tone in which Australians speak English. For spelling there are a number of mnemonics and rules. Your favorite color is your 'favorite color' in the UK and in the US it suddenly becomes 'favorite color'. The most important thing for someone learning the language is to know that these differences exist, so you can deal with them consciously.

Starting early

The best stage for learning a language is in childhood. It is a shame if, when it comes to English, children draw their own conclusions based only on the mainstream offerings in the media, combined with a smattering of school English. Moreover, little attention is paid to these differences within the language at school. Therefore, it may be important to look for other places where a child can learn English. During a summer camp, for example, young people actively come into contact with the language and learn in a playful manner how important and versatile the English language is in the world.

Keep it flowing

When the children's language level has been boosted, there is really nothing more fun than letting them put this into practice. This can of course be done during a trip to a country where English is the official language. For example, let your child do the talking in a store or a restaurant. But there are also other ways to stay actively involved with the language. It can be very stimulating to meet up with the other participants of the camp week or with classmates and catch up on all the adventures in English.

Is your son or daughter next?

Our youth camp is the place where, as a parent, you want to see your child grow up to be fluent English speakers. With engaging and interactive teaching methods, we provide a stimulating environment where children not only learn the language, but also understand and embrace it. Through fun activities, creative projects and cultural exchanges, they gain not only language skills, but also self-confidence and global perspectives.

The British national anthem is heard before the British play soccer. Snatches of it can be heard in various movies and series. Everyone has heard part of the British national anthem - God Save the Queen - at one time or another. Interestingly, however, the origin of this song is very unclear. It is even quite possible that the song did not originate from Britain, but came from France!

The origins of the British national anthem

Although there are many ambiguities about the national anthem, a few things are certain. What is clear is that the British national anthem dates from the eighteenth century. However, parts of other songs may well have been used to create the national anthem, songs that are much older. The music of the national anthem came about before the lyrics. Who composed the music is also not entirely clear. However, it is usually attributed to one of these gentlemen: John Bull, Thomas Ravenscroft, Henry Purcell and Henry Carey. Of these, Henry Carey is the best known and usually gets the credit for creating the music. Yet it is also very likely that the melody is a combination of several tunes composed together by these gentlemen.

 

The song is based on a French song that dates back to 1686: "Grand Dieu Sauve Le Roi. This freely translated means 'God, save the King'. The title of the British national anthem therefore has more or less the same meaning: 'God, save the Queen.'

 

It is quite possible that there was an earlier version of the song written as early as the 17th century for King James II: "God Save Great James Our King. A later version was written for King George. Since there was a king on the throne at the time the British song was written, the original title was not "God, Save the Queen," but "God, Save the King. The text was first published in the journal Thesaurus Musicus in 1744. In 1745, it was published in The Gentleman's Magazine. The text had been slightly modified by then. The song was also first performed in London in 1745.

Officially no national anthem

Although the song is known worldwide as the British national anthem, officially it is not. In fact, it has never been so designated as such by the British Parliament. Nor is there a version of the song that has been generally approved. Although it is not officially an anthem, this is still the song you hear when the British play soccer, for example.

 

It is a tradition that is not bound by rules, and if there is one thing Britons generally appreciate, it is traditions. Think of going to the pub on weekends and patiently standing in line for anything and everything. By the way, the national anthem is only used by England itself. Scotland and Wales have their own national anthems.

Other similar melodies

'God Save the Queen' has a melody that may seem familiar. In fact, parts of the tune have been incorporated into other melodies. For example, Beethoven incorporated the tune into his music in no fewer than seven variations. Haydn and Brahms also used the tune for inspiration. Moreover, the music of the British unofficial anthem has also been used by other countries as the basis for their national anthems. 'Oben am jungen Rhein,' the national anthem of Liechtenstein, uses the same melody. The American "My country 'Tis of Thee" also has the same tune.

British history

Although The British National Anthem is not officially an anthem, it has played a major role in the development of other anthems and melodies composed by famous composers. It is therefore inseparable from the history of Britain.

Do you already know the British national anthem?

At our youth camps we encourage not only fun and learning, but also cultural enrichment. We teach children and youth about England's rich past and the importance of symbols such as the English national anthem, "God Save the Queen." Through music, history and meaning, children learn to appreciate the cultural aspects of the English language and develop their own identity within a global context.

 

Learning English can sometimes be exhausting and difficult because it is not your native language. Learning sometimes becomes easier when you focus on humor. But is learning English actually funny? In other words, does English possess many funny words? Let's take a closer look at the funny side of this world language.

English vernacular

A language is alive and constantly changing. For example, the influence of English on the Dutch language has increased tremendously recently. It is funny to see how we have started to "Dutchize" English words with the greatest of ease. Everyone nowadays talks about logging in and out, checking in and out, downloading, deleting, browsing, kicking off, timing, babysitting, funshopping or fitness.

It's also funny that a few centuries ago we did this mostly with French words, and English in the past actually borrowed many words from Latin. This happened during the period when the Romans were in the British Isles. Language (language), for example, comes from Lingua. School from schola, antigue (antique or old) from antigua, fame (fame) from fama and the verb to have from habere.

Researching the funniest words

How funny and humorous are English words really? At the University of Warwick, they did research on it. They had a representative group of 800 people rate a long list of words. The study found that the word "booty" was seen as the most funny. Although this word officially means booty or a prize, it is mainly used in American English to refer to someone's behind.

Other funny words on the list focus on persons, such as nitwit and booby. Both indicate a stupid or foolish person. A nincompoop is also not too smart. An egghead, on the other hand, is used for someone who is highly educated.

Strange-sounding words

Strange-sounding words whose meanings are not immediately obvious are usually funny, too. For example, how about bumbershoot instead of umbrella, an umbrella? You better not be called a lollygag either, because then you're a nothing. A meldrop on your nose is no fun either. Some mucus or snot drips out of your nostrils. Do you suffer from collywobbles? Then you have pain in your belly or stomach.

Blubber and Earth Apple

Did you know that the English word blubber is used to refer to a layer of fat on your belly? Now we ourselves use the term blubber belly. But many other Dutch words are not known in English. They become very funny when you start translating them literally.

A mother-in-law is then suddenly a clean mother instead of a mother-in-law and a glove is a hand shoe. While the English word is really glove. Also an earth apple (potato) is not the best description of a potato. And if you are blowing out by the sea, you are wrong when you call it 'blowing out'. It means to blow out. And there are many more words like that!

Speaking Dutchlish

So speaking English is a bit different from giving your own language an English sound or translating words literally. Yet Dutch has not gone completely unnoticed either, and you can speak a nice word of dutchlish in English.

After all, a cookie comes from koekie, candy from kandy and brandy from brandy. Dollar comes from daalder, Santa Claus from Sinterklaas, polder from polder, sleigh from sleigh, skipper from schipper, yacht from yacht and Yankee from Jan-Kees. That Dutch vocabulary will come in handy when you start learning English!

Learning English in a fun and playful way 

Our day camp is not only a place to learn, but also to laugh! We encourage you to get creative with funny English words and expressions. From "gobbledygook" to "kerfuffle," they will discover how fun language can be. Our instructors make learning laugh with fun and comical activities. It's not only a chance to master English, but also to enjoy the playfulness of the language.