The English are a nation of tea-drinkers. Everything stops for a cup tea. The English couldn't cope without their afternoon cup and all the social rituals and formalities that come with it... Or could they? Perhaps these are all just nonsense stereotypes and, in fact, the English don't drink tea at all.

In this programme, Jackie Dalton looks at some of the myths and realities of the English and tea. You'll also be provided with some tea-related language.


Here are some questions for you to think about as you listen:

1. How many cups of tea are drunk in the UK every day?

2. How are teabags affecting teapot sales?

3. Should you put milk in the cup before or after the tea?

You can download a script and an mp3 version of the programme at the bottom of this page.

Listen to the programme
	Tea

Words and expressions from the programme

it sets me up for the day
it gives me energy and makes me feel better
Example sentence
A nice cup of coffee really sets me up for the day.

a staggering amount
an amazingly big number
Example sentence
People in the UK drink a staggering amount of tea.

a teabag
a small paper bag with tea leaves which you put in your cup to make tea

a teapot
a container in which you usually put loose tea leaves to make tea before pouring it into cups

old-fashioned
not modern, associated with the past
Example sentence
She wears really old-fashioned clothes.

quaint
old-fashioned - can be in an attractive, unusual way
Example sentence
The village is very old-fashioned and pretty, with quaint little houses.

stuffy
old-fashioned and too formal and serious
Example sentence
He's a really stuffy old man, I can never relax around him.

Programme script (pdf - 21k)

Audio - Download 'Tea' (mp3 - 1.9mb)