Significant Cultural Differences between the US and British Residents

Thanks to technology, the world has become a global village. But despite the connectivity provided by social media and online platforms, nothing compares to the joy and excitement that comes when you visit a country by yourself.

The thrill of exploring new places, meeting new people and making new friends is surely an adventure you wouldn’t want to miss.

But if you are moving overseas or planning to relocate internationally in the future, it’s best to research about the lifestyle in the destination country as this will help you adjust better in the new place.

And if you are moving to England from the USA, then you have come to the right page.

Here are some significant cultural differences between the US and British residents that you ought to know.

Language

It goes without saying that no two cultures are the same. But when it comes to the American and British cultures, the differences between them are on a whole other level.

If someone argues that the language in both countries is the same, they ought to think again.

Although English is the national language in the USA as well as the UK, several aspects like the vocabulary, spellings, accent and the context in which words are used make it poles apart.

Writing ‘colour’ instead of ‘color’ may not seem so significant but do not be confused when the British say they live in ‘flats’ instead of apartments or that you have to ‘join the queue’ instead of stand in a line and wait. If they ask for a ‘torch’, then do not be alarmed because they are only looking for a flashlight like the one on your mobile phone.

Work routine

If you are not a workaholic, then you will love moving to England from the USA.

Not only do the British have fewer work hours and a more relaxed work environment, but they also have more off days, including longer maternity leaves.

Eating habits

While most Americans love the convenience of grabbing fast food in a hurry, it is not so common in the UK.

The British love to eat healthy food and mostly prefer tea over coffee.

Sports

Baseball, American Football, basketball and car racing are adored in the USA, but British are more inclined to play cricket, rugby, and tennis.

Driving

You might face trouble driving the right-handed manual transmission cars in the UK as opposed to the left-handed cars in the USA, which are mostly automatic.

Measurements

Keep a conversion table or calculator handy if you want to avoid the confusion of following the metric system (meters, grams, liters, Celsius) that is used in the UK instead of the Imperial system (yards, miles, pounds, Fahrenheit) that is used in America.

Music and literature

While many of the famous contemporary artists are American, British history is rich with some of the world’s most celebrated and iconic authors and artists.

When it comes to music, the British are proud of The Beatles, while Americans claim to have Elvis.

However, as far as literary scholars are concerned, Shakespeare ranks above all.

The Americans are quite straight-forward when it comes to humor, whereas the British are often subtle in their sarcasm. However, despite these differences, you can rest assured that if you are moving to England, you will definitely be greeted warmly.