Fish n' Chips is a guide to English culture and behaviour. It sets out to provide readers with the tools and information they need to understand ‘Englishness’ and successfully navigate the complex social landscape.

For many people who are not of English origin, trying to understand or fit in to the English way of life can be tedious, if not downright frustrating. This is because many behavioural rules, despite being strictly adhered to, are unwritten and rarely documented. In fact, most English people follow these rules their entire lives without ever being consciously aware of them! Whether we’re conscious of them or not, these unofficial codes of conduct are what define English national identity and character.

This audio book provides clear insights into how to identify which social group you are dealing with, which behavioural codes are likely to govern a particular situation and what you can do to feel more at home. Each chapter refers to a particular aspect of English behaviour, exposing the unwritten and unspoken rules that underpin it.

Just as grammar rules allow people to create new sentences, a clear-cut guide to social rules allows people to interact comfortably and without confusion. Fish n’ Chips is the first step towards students of English abandoning doubts and hesitations about what can at first appear a cold and confusing society, and starting using these rules creatively and to their own advantage, just as the English themselves do.

A ‘grammar’ of English behaviour becomes an invaluable resource for newcomers to England who want to do simple things like get a drink, meet new people and get ahead with colleagues and friends. Equally it is a fascinating source of insight for English people who want to know why they behave as they do.

Adam Ward