CultureShock
Comparing customs · more / less / as … as · generalisations without stereotyping
Your level · You are here
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation
What was the first thing that surprised you about another country (or city)?
What's one thing visitors to YOUR country are often surprised by?
Name one thing that's polite in one culture but rude in another.
Grammar · Section 2
8–10 minComparing customs without stereotyping
- Cultural comparison needs two tools: COMPARATIVE structures and SOFT GENERALISERS.
- Comparatives: 'more + adjective + than' ('Meetings here are MORE formal THAN at home'), 'less + adjective + than' ('Lunch breaks are LESS rushed in Spain'), and 'as + adjective + as' ('Public transport isn't AS punctual AS in Japan').
- But comparisons easily become stereotypes ('All Italians are loud').
- Soften them with GENERALISERS — TEND TO + base verb ('People in the UK TEND TO queue'), IN GENERAL ('In general, dinner is later in Spain'), MOST + plural ('Most Brits apologise too much'), and IT'S MORE COMMON TO + base ('It's more common to greet strangers in small towns').
- These let you describe a pattern without claiming every individual fits it.
Meetings here tend to start later than I'm used to.
In general, people are less direct in Japan than in the Netherlands.
Most Spaniards I've met eat dinner around ten — much later than in the UK.
It's more common to take your shoes off indoors in many Asian countries.
Small talk isn't as common in Germany as it is in the US.
Question 1.Choose: 'Meetings here are ____ formal ____ at home.'
Question 2.Choose: 'Public transport isn't ____ punctual ____ in Japan.'
Question 3.Which softens a generalisation best?
Question 4.Choose: 'In ____, people are friendlier in small towns.'
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Which is the most respectful generalisation?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to learn
tend to
usually do, as a pattern (not always)
In context
"People here tend to eat dinner around six."
Now try it yourself
Finish: 'In my country, people tend to…'
in general
as a broad pattern, not in every case
In context
"In general, the weather is milder in the south."
Now try it yourself
Use 'in general' to describe something about your hometown.
a culture shock
the disorientation of a very different way of life
In context
"The first week in Tokyo was a real culture shock."
Now try it yourself
What gave you the biggest culture shock — at home or abroad?
it's the norm
it's the standard, expected behaviour
In context
"In Spain, eating at ten is just the norm."
Now try it yourself
Name one thing that's 'the norm' in your country that surprises visitors.
to take some getting used to
to need time to adjust to
In context
"The afternoon siesta took some getting used to."
Now try it yourself
What's one habit abroad that 'took some getting used to'?
across the board
in all cases / everywhere within a group
In context
"Politeness is taken seriously across the board in Japan."
Now try it yourself
Name one value that's strong 'across the board' in your culture.
to fit in
to adjust and feel part of a place
In context
"It took me about three months to really fit in."
Now try it yourself
What helped you fit in somewhere new?
an eye-opener
an experience that changed how you see things
In context
"Working in Brazil was a real eye-opener."
Now try it yourself
Describe one travel experience that was 'an eye-opener'.
Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.
Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.
Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.
Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.
Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minLinking in 'tend to' and weak forms in comparisons
'Tend to' links smoothly — the /d/ disappears into the /t/ and you hear 'TENto'. Same with 'used to' → 'YOOsto'. In comparatives, 'than' weakens to /ðən/: 'more formal-ðən at home'. 'As ... as' has weak forms on both sides: 'ǝz POlite ǝz they say'. Hitting these weak forms is the difference between sounding fluent and sounding like a textbook.
- • People TENto queue here.
- • Meetings are more FORmal-ðən at home.
- • Trains aren't ǝz PUNCtual ǝz in Japan.
- • It TOOK some getting USED to.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minMy first month in Seoul
Honestly, my first month in Seoul was a series of small culture shocks. People tend to be much more reserved on the metro than I was used to — no phone calls, almost no conversation, no eye contact. At first I assumed everyone was in a bad mood. In general, that turned out to be totally wrong; it's just the norm to keep public spaces calm.
Mealtimes were another adjustment. Sharing dishes is standard across the board, and refusing seconds the first time is expected — you accept on the second or third offer, not the first. That took some getting used to. The real eye-opener, though, was how warm people were once you stepped off the street into a tiny restaurant or a colleague's home. People who'd seemed reserved on the train were suddenly funny, generous, curious about everything. By the end of the month I'd stopped comparing it to home — I'd just started to fit in.
Question 1.What behaviour on the Seoul metro surprised the writer at first?
Question 2.According to the passage, when should a guest accept a second helping in Korean dining custom?
Question 3.The writer says she 'stopped comparing it to home' by the end of the month. What does this imply?
Question 4.What contrast does the passage draw between Koreans on the metro and Koreans in private settings?
Q1.The writer concluded that people in Seoul are genuinely unfriendly.
Q2.She found people much warmer in private settings than in public.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo expats compare their first cultural surprises
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Olivia:So — what was your biggest culture shock when you moved to Berlin?
Harry:Honestly? How direct people were. Back home, in general, we soften everything. Here, your colleague will just say, 'That's a bad idea.' No padding.
Olivia:That took some getting used to?
Harry:Months. I thought everyone was annoyed with me. Then I realised it's just the norm — it's actually respectful, like, they trust you to handle the truth.
Olivia:Mine was the opposite, weirdly. I moved from Berlin to Bangkok and suddenly nobody would say no to anything. People tend to use softer language — 'maybe', 'perhaps later' — even when the answer is clearly no.
Harry:And you have to learn to read it.
Olivia:Exactly. It was a real eye-opener. Across the board, the same words mean different things depending on the situation. I had to stop taking 'maybe' as 'yes'.
Harry:Did you find it easy to fit in eventually?
Olivia:Yeah, but the trick was the same as yours — stop comparing it to home, and assume there's a reason behind every habit, even if I don't see it yet.
Harry:That's it, isn't it. Curiosity over judgement.
Question 1.How did Harry initially feel about his Berlin colleagues' directness?
Question 2.What specific words did people in Bangkok use instead of saying 'no' directly?
Question 3.Harry says Berlin directness is 'actually respectful — they trust you to handle the truth.' What does this reveal?
Question 4.Both Harry and Olivia arrive at similar advice at the end of the conversation. What is their shared conclusion?
Exam tip · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — discussing cultural difference (FCE Part 4 style)
Task
Compare one custom from your country with a custom from somewhere you've travelled (or read about). Use at least one comparative and TWO softening generalisers. Avoid any sentence beginning 'All ____ are…'
Strategy
OPEN with the soft generaliser ('In general' / 'People in ____ tend to…'). USE comparatives precisely ('more formal than', 'less direct than', 'not as punctual as'). NEVER make absolute claims ('All Brits…'). CLOSE with a personal reaction ('It took some getting used to' / 'It was a real eye-opener'). Examiners reward students who compare without stereotyping.
Example
In general, in my country people tend to start meetings 10–15 minutes late, whereas in Germany meetings start exactly on time. It's not that we're disorganised — it's just the norm to allow a soft start for small talk. The first time I attended a German meeting that started at 9:00 sharp, it was a real eye-opener. It took me a few weeks to fit in, but now I actually prefer it: meetings are shorter and more focused. Across the board, I'd say neither approach is better — they just reflect what each culture values.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.People here ____ to eat dinner quite late.
Question 2.____ general, the weather is milder in spring.
Question 3.It took some getting ____ to.
Question 4.Meetings are more formal ____ they are at home.
Question 5.Public transport isn't ____ punctual as in Japan.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Use 'tend to' to describe a habit in your country.
Q2.Compare two cultures using 'more … than'.
Q3.Soften a generalisation with 'in general'.
Q4.Describe an adjustment with 'took some getting used to'.
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 100–130 word blog post titled 'One custom that surprised me'. Use ONE comparative structure, TWO softening generalisers ('tend to', 'in general', 'most', 'it's the norm'), and ONE phrase from the vocabulary set. Avoid any sentence starting 'All ____ are…'.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
One custom that genuinely surprised me when I moved to Spain was the lunch break. In my country, people tend to grab a sandwich at their desk and keep working. In Spain, in general, lunch is a proper sit-down meal — often two courses, often with colleagues — and it's the norm to take a full hour, sometimes more. It's much less rushed than what I was used to, and at first I felt guilty stepping away from my laptop. It took some getting used to, but it turned out to be a real eye-opener: I came back to my afternoon work calmer, less hungry, and weirdly more focused. Across the board, it's the change I miss most when I'm back home.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Role-play with your teacher (or a partner): the 'cultural-curiosity interview'. Take turns interviewing each other about ONE custom from each of your cultures. The interviewer must ask: (1) when it happens, (2) how it's different from elsewhere, (3) how a visitor should handle it. The speaker must use one comparative + two soft generalisers and avoid stereotypes.
Useful phrases
- • In general, people here tend to…
- • It's more / less ____ than I was used to.
- • It's the norm to…
- • It took some getting used to.
- • It was a real eye-opener.
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Record a 90-second voice note describing ONE custom from your country. Use 'tend to' and one comparative.
Write a 120-word blog post 'One thing that surprised me abroad' — avoid stereotypes, use 2 softeners.
Watch a 5-minute expat vlog and note 5 phrases the speaker uses to soften generalisations.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Compare with more / less + adj + than and as + adj + as.
- Soften with TEND TO + base, IN GENERAL, MOST, IT'S THE NORM.
- Never start with 'All ____ are…' — that's a stereotype, not a comparison.
- Useful set phrases: a culture shock · took some getting used to · an eye-opener · across the board.
- Close with personal reaction, not judgement: curiosity over criticism.