I was also surprised that people in the UK are much friendlier than I expected. When I arrived at Manchester Airport, the trains had stopped, so I had to find a bus instead. Because it was my first time in the UK and I was tired after a long flight, I felt nervous, and my brain wasn’t working well.

As I stood at the station, several people came to talk to me, helped me carry my luggage, and even guided me to the right bus. One person asked the station staff about the bus schedule and waited with me until I got on. On the bus, an elderly couple started talking to me and kindly gave me some bread for brunch. I felt such a warm and kind atmosphere, which made me happy. During my first week in the UK, I was homesick and missed my family, friends, and Japanese food. However, thanks to the kindness of British people, I was able to stay positive and do my best.

On the other hand, I noticed that people in Japan rarely talk to strangers in public places such as trains or buses. Especially in big cities, everyone seems to be in a hurry and doesn’t pay attention to others. In contrast, people in the UK are more open and talkative.

At the same time, I also experienced the British indirect communication style. When I went to a café with my friends, a couple sitting next to us received the wrong order. They said, “Thank you” and smiled at the waitress, but later they quietly complained to each other. I realized that British people sometimes avoid direct confrontation, which reminded me of Japanese communication culture too.

Overall, this experience helped me understand that both Japan and the UK value politeness but express it in different ways. Living here has taught me how communication reflects culture, and I feel grateful to learn from both.

When I went to a birthday party of my friend, we talked about the date of our birthdays. My birthday is 6th December, so I talked about that to friends. Then, one of the participants from Hungary said, 'Then your birthday is the day when Santa Claus comes!'. When I heard about that, it didn't make any sense at all to me. For me, Santa Claus only comes on the night of 24th December. So at first, I thought that my listening ability in English was terrible and heard it wrong.

Then, when I asked her about it again, I could understand what was going on. She told me that St. Nicholas brings small gifts to children on 6th December in Hungary. In European countries such as Hungary and Germany, this day is called St. Nicholas Day, when Santa Claus comes. Also, on 25th December, people celebrate Christmas in a different way, often focusing on family, food, and religion. It was the biggest surprise because Santa Claus always comes on the night of 24th December in Japan.

This misunderstanding made me notice the importance of cultures in the context of communication. At first, I thought that the misunderstanding had happened due to my lack of listening ability, but the reason was the difference in culture, in fact. Since then, I have recognized that communication can be made not only by the ability of languages, but also by the curiosity and the understanding of cultures. So, when I talk with friends who are not from Japan, I make it a rule to ask about their cultures.

As a Polish student studying and living in Belgium for half of my life, I already had to adapt to a different culture. But moving abroad to the UK opened a gate I didn’t know existed. The culture here is so different compared to what I am used to. It made me realize how similar Belgium and Poland are to each other. People there are far more direct with their needs and wants, unlike here where people will try their hardest to NOT say what they need. Instead, they often expect you to guess. This can be frustrating, especially when you just want to hang out with a new friend, but instead of simply saying “I can’t”, they’ll find all sorts of polite excuses, you know, the weather, the time, or something else entirely.

However, I’ve noticed that people love to overshare here. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing. In my first week abroad, I went to a store to buy an umbrella. It was a rainy day and the lady at the checkout desk started to ramble to me about the rain and the umbrellas and how her shoes were all wet from that morning. I found it very sweet and I had a nice conversation with her. In Belgium, all I would get would be a ‘good morning’ and ‘goodbye’. It was really nice to complain together about the rain and find something in common even with a stranger I won’t see again. 

What baffles me the most though, is how nice everyone is to each other. The greetings heard on the street, the greetings to the bus driver, a ‘thank you’ when you get out. And it truly doesn’t sound fake. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a word from a bus driver in Belgium. They are always silent there. Brits also love to joke around. I find their jokes hilarious and love hearing a few jokes thrown around in the grocery store. The British are incredibly talkative compared to what I’m used to, but honestly, I like it. Talking to strangers makes me happy, and I feel genuinely good being around the British.

My first communication problem happened in a small café in Sheffield. I ordered a coffee, and the barista asked, “You all right”? I replied, yes, I’m fine, thank you. Are you okay?” She smiled but looked a little confused. Later, I discovered that “You all right?” in British English is not really a question about how you feel, it’s just another way of saying “Hello”. I had taken it too literally!

This small misunderstanding made me think about cultural differences in communication. According to Hall’s theory of high-context and low-context cultures, people in the UK often use indirect language to sound polite, while in my country Spain, we tend to be more direct and expressive. What sounds polite in Britain might seem distant to Spaniard.

Another challenge was understanding British humour. People often use understatement or irony, which can be confusing. When someone says, “Not bad”, it often means “very good”! I used to think they were unimpressed.

Over time, I’ve learned that communicating well means more than speaking correctly it’s about interpreting meaning and adapting to cultural norms. Now, I pay attention to tone, body language, and context, and I feel much more confident speaking English.

The first café moment taught me an important lesson: learning a language is not only about words, but about connecting with people in their own way.

Another big difference I noticed is in the classroom. In lectures at the University of Sheffield, students ask questions without hesitation, even during the teacher’s explanation. The distance between teachers and students feels closer than in Japan. Many students call their teachers by their first names and speak with confidence. In Japan, students often stay silent because they worry about taking up other people’s time or feel embarrassed to speak in front of others. I realised that students in the UK seem to value active participation more than waiting quietly.

My English speaking ability also affects how I communicate. Even when I have an opinion, I sometimes cannot express it quickly enough. While I am still thinking of the right words, the topic moves on. I feel a bit frustrated, not only because of my language skills but also because I am not yet used to the cultural expectation of responding immediately. I hope that as I get more familiar with this communication style, I will be able to join discussions more confidently.

I also noticed differences in communication on social media. On platforms like WhatsApp or Instagram, many British people use shortened expressions such as “IMAO” or “idk,” and some of them are not common in Japan. I often have to search online to understand these words. It made me realise that understanding digital slang is necessary for me to communicate in the UK.

On the other hand, there are also differences in online communication. One of the first things that surprised me was the difference in social media apps people use. In Japan, most people use LINE and Instagram, while in the UK, WhatsApp and Instagram are more common. Although Instagram is popular in both countries, the fact that the main messaging app is completely different was unexpected. I didn’t even have WhatsApp at first, so I had to download it right away to keep in touch with my new friends.

There are also differences in the way people write messages. My British friends often use abbreviations like “rly” for “really” and “u” for “you.” Besides. they use emoticons such as “:)” or “;;.” In Japan, we use kaomoji like “(> <)” or “(^^),” which are more expressive and look quite different. At first, I thought British-style emoticons were some kind of code.

Through these experiences, I’ve realized that communication truly reflects culture. Even small things, such as the apps people use, the way they type, or how they socialize, shows how people are connected in different ways. By adapting to these differences, I hope to understand British culture more deeply and become more open-minded. I’m looking forward to having more communication with people here in the UK.

In Korea, foundation of this whole ‘politeness culture’ is based on age and hierarchy from it. There are different words and expression to call an older person to be respectful. That is why one of the very first questions Korean ask when meeting someone new is “How old are you?” Knowing someone’s age helps you choose the appropriate speech, title, and was to interact. So this question isn’t just curiosity - it is a polite way to approach to a new person and a friendly gesture.

In Uk, however, politeness comes from respecting personal space - not only physical space, but also the space of thoughts. For example, in class, even when someone disagrees, they’ll say “I see it a bit differently” rather than “it’s wrong”. People also say “sorry” on a daily basis, in so many situations. At first, I found it surprising because in Korea, “sorry” is for situations that you did something wrong. But now, I’ve become that person who says “sorry” twice while trying to pass someone in the aisle of Lidl.

The cultural difference on politeness was definitely a part of UK that I needed to adapt to. But as someone who never liked excessive curiosity from strangers, I’ve come to appreciate this culture where a certain level of distance can itself be a form of being polite. The ways are different but I guess the heart behind is same - to be polite to each other.

The most outstanding difference of communication is even though someone is talking , they start to speak once they get something they wanna say. In Japan, people tend to  feel uncomfortable when their speaking is interrupted by others. So, that was quite an interesting experience to see people talking at the same time, which is actually very difficult to catch everything. Also, as we learned in the lecture, they, even young people, really like humor. In Japan, I feel like older people tend to be humorous. But, here, I hear humorous conversation every single day from every British person. For example, my flatmates said “the food called British food usually comes from different countries, well basically we are really good at taking something from someone”　Looking back, that was quite a dark humor. Because I haven’t gotten used to it, I often missed them, which makes me again feel disappointed and sorry for them that I couldn’t respond to them. I hope I can respond to it very smoothly with humor someday(*˘︶˘人).  Some readers may notice the Emoji I use in this blog. In Japan, we tend to use Emoji. But, I have never seen these Emoji here. Sometimes, they use ×× or :), but there seems to be less variety, which makes me realize how much Japan has Emoji culture. 

Well, these are just a few of what I have found here so far– but isn't it fascinating?(^^)!

Another surprise was the closure time of the supermarkets and shops in general. Everything here close earlier than in France which surprises me at first. You have to get used to. I have discovered some British food as well and I have to admit, overall it's not good looking but the taste is pretty good. As they say, never judge a book by its cover !

Right now, another slight difference between France and England that I have noticed is the importance of Halloween. It's a famous event, even in France we used to celebrate it properly but I'm wondering if the older I get the less people are celebrating it in my home country. So i'm pretty much excited to buy my costume to celebrate it with my friends here as I shouldn't be able to do so in France unfortunately.

Overall, I'm so happy to be living here, even if it is only for a semester I have already learned a lot from the British culture. I will keep exploring new areas around, as I have planned to visit the city of York, Peak District and to go to Scotland.

After that, my British friend told me that “How are you?” is just a greeting and not a real question. It was surprising for me because in Japan, we don’t ask “How are you?” to people we don’t know well. We usually just say “Hello” or “Good morning.”

This small event made me think about cultural communication differences. In our class, we studied about high-context and low-context culture. At first, I thought Japan is high-context and UK is low-context. But in class, the teacher said British people also can be high-context because they use many indirect words or polite phrases, and we need to understand the meaning behind them. I realized it’s not always simple.

For example, when British people say “Maybe you could do this,” it sometimes means “Please do this.” But when Japanese say “Maybe,” it really means “I’m not sure.” These indirect expressions made me sometimes confused.

Also, I feel difference in using silence. In Japan, silence is normal and comfortable. It can show respect or thinking. But in the UK, silence sometimes feels awkward. When I stay quiet, people may think I’m shy or not interested. So now I try to speak more small talk, even I’m not so confident in English.

Through these experiences, I started to understand that communication is not only language. It’s also about culture, habit, and how people show kindness. Even when I make mistake, people are friendly and try to understand me, so I feel less scared to talk now.

I still answer “How are you?” too seriously sometimes, but I can laugh about it. These misunderstandings help me to learn not only English, but also how to connect with people in a different culture.

The first big difference that I've noticed is how indirect British people are when they speak. In Korea, when we ask for help, we usually ask direct like 'Can you do this for me?'. But, in the UK, I have heard a lot of people say like 'Would you mind doing this?' or 'Is it okay if you do this for me?'. I think they try to respect the other person's opinion and give them a choice. This way of speaking can make the conversation more softer.

But interestingly, sometimes British people seem more direct than Koreans. Especially, when they call everyone by their names. It seems completely normal. However, in Korea, calling senior people by their names (without titles such as teacher) can be disrespectful and rude. We usually use titles instead, like 'teacher', 'uncle', 'aunt', depending on the relationship. I have always called my teachers 'seonsaengnim' which means teacher, so saying their names is quite guilty for me. I'm slowly getting used to it, but it still feels strange.

Last one is how people communicate online. The way British people text is much more simple than the one of Korean do. In Korea, we often use expression like 'ㅋㅋ' to show laughter, 'ㅠㅠ' to show sadness, ';;' when we feel awkward. We also use a lot of emojis and stickers when chatting with friends. But in The UK, people usually send plain text without emojis. At first, I felt strange because their messages looks so serious. Later, I realized that this is just the normal British way.

I've only been living here for about three weeks, so it's not easy to fully understand culture yet. But as I spend more time here, I think I'll be able to understand their way of communicating better. I'm looking forward to learning more about the culture.

Another major challenge was adapting to a different style of education. In Japan, I was used to memorizing information and preparing for exams. However, in the UK, students are encouraged to express their opinions, ask questions, and think critically. At first, I was afraid of speaking up because I didn’t want to say something wrong. But now, I realized that teachers valued effort and independent thinking more than perfection. This change in mindset helped me grow both academically and personally