Population
The approximate population of the United Kingdom is 59,647,790 (England 48,708,000, Wales 2,913,000, Scotland 5,132,000, Northern Ireland 1,642,000). Population density in England is higher than the rest of Great Britain with 375 per sq km.

Language
English is the main language spoken in Britain and is also one of the most widely used in the world. Approximately 310 million speak English as their first language with a similar number speaking it as a second language.

Modern English derives primarily from one of the dialects of Anglo-Saxon but has also been greatly influenced by other languages, such as French. There are many regional dialects and variations in the English language.

Hotels, bars and clubs
At 14 years old or over students may enter a public bar or public house to purchase and drink soft drinks only. Students are prohibited from buying or drinking beer, wines or spirits unless they are 18 years old or over. Note that students who are over 18 years old may not purchase drinks for a person under 18 years old. The legal age for purchasing and smoking tobacco in Britain is 16 years old.

Electricity
Electrical appliances in Britain are rated for 220-240 volts, and 50 Hz. Electrical adapters may be purchased in Britain if necessary. Video recorders are designed to accept standard PAL format video tapes.

Money
It is best to exchange money or cash travellers cheques at any bank (there is one in each of the large airports and several in the main street of every town), or at a large travel agency with an exchange desk. Your school can advise you of the most convenient. It is better not to change money at a small exchange bureau (usually situated in the tourist areas of the town), because they usually charge a high commission or have a bad rate of exchange.

Long term students can open an account at any bank. The school will be able to advise which is the nearest bank, or which bank students usually use.

VAT (value added tax) of 17.5% is payable on most items bought in shops (with the exception of non-luxury items such as basic foodstuffs, children's clothes, books and so on) as well as things you receive bills for, such as telephone charges.

Please advise students that US dollars are NOT an acceptable form of payment in the UK. The dollar is considered a foreign currency, and visitors carrying dollars should exchange them for sterling at a bank or travel agent. This, of course, incurs commission charges, and it is therefore advisable to try to obtain sterling before coming to the UK.

Business hours and holidays
Banks and offices are open Monday to Friday, usually from 09.00 to 17.00. Very large branches of banks and offices may also open on Saturday mornings.

Shops are usually open from 09.00 to 17.30, Monday to Saturday, and many shops now also open on Sundays. Supermarkets tend to open 7 days a week, some days until 19.00 or 20.00.

There are no regular lessons at our centres on these dates although some centres may organise special activities.

Christmas and Easter are the main (religious) celebrations in the UK

Christmas
Preparation for Christmas, both religious and commercial, begins weeks before. Christmas is a time for giving presents, particularly to children, who hang stockings up on Christmas Eve and find them filled with small presents (from Father Christmas) on Christmas morning. There is the custom of having a fir tree decorated with coloured lights in the home and outside in town squares.

On Christmas day itself there is usually a celebration with friends and family, which generally includes a special Christmas meal.

All our centres are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day), although some may run special courses during the Christmas period.

Easter
Easter is no longer a fixed date, but occurs on a Sunday in March or April. Traditionally people give each other (especially children) Easter eggs, which are eggs made of chocolate. There are no lessons on Good Friday and Easter Monday (which fall either side of Easter Sunday) at our centres, as these are Bank Holidays, but excursions or other activities are usually arranged for these days.

Post offices and mail
Most post offices are open between 09.00 and 17.30 from Monday to Friday and until 12.00 (midday) on Saturdays.

Most letters and parcels to overseas destinations are sent airmail. This may take 5 to 10 days outside Europe, depending on the postal services overseas.

There are two postal deliveries per day during the week and one on Saturdays. First class letters within the UK should take one working day to be delivered.

Most centres are happy to receive students' mail. Students must, however, ensure that correspondents know the full, correct postal address of the school, and write the student's name in English, in full.

Media
There are five television channels. Satellite systems and cable TV are also widely used. Students thinking of renting private accommodation should note that a TV licence (cost around £109, available from any post office) must be held.

In the UK, a wide variety of newspapers are available. A distinction is made between the broadsheet (large, serious newspapers such as The Times, The Guardian and The Independent) and the tabloid (smaller papers, often sensationalist, which concentrate on national gossip in a more informal way). Any serious student of English would be advised to regularly read a newspaper in order to help improve their language skills. News magazines such as Time or Newsweek, which are widely available overseas, are also very useful to students.

There are many foreign language newspapers and magazines available in the UK, particularly in large cities. Some of these are published in London, and some imported from abroad.