The English Manner Online Etiquette Course Review
Are you interested in learning about etiquette in an easy and effortless way? Are you a fan of Ms. Myka Meier and Mr. William Hanson? Then read on, as I tell you about my experience with The English Manner online learning program!
The English Manner & Beaumont Etiquette
The English Manner is a prestigious London etiquette school founded in 2001 by Alexandra Messervy, FRSA, formerly of the Royal Household of Her Majesty The Queen. The English Manner have trained Myka Meier and Emma Dupont (Emma Dupont School of Etiquette) among many others.
Myka Meier then went on to found Beaumont Etiquette now based in New York City, and has partnered with The English Manner in the making of their online learning tutorials.
Online Courses Offered:
There are a number of options available from their online library (accessible from either The English Manner or Beaumont Etiquette website).
The Complete Tutorial: This includes their entire collection except the children's etiquette series.
Interpersonal Skills Collection: This covers handshakes, introducing yourself and others, understanding the cultural differences with social kissing, moving in and out of a group, and conversation starters.
Dining Etiquette Collection: British & American place settings, where to set your napkin, how to make and receive toasts, pass the port, etc.
How to Eat Tricky Foods: Eating asparagus, burgers, globe artichokes, bread rolls, toast, muffins, scones, peas, soups, cheese, salads, spaghetti, shared food, shrimp, mussels, oysters, and sushi.
Posture and Appearance Collection: Deportment, walking elegantly, entering and exiting a car, how to sit, stand and read body language signals. Greeting The Queen or a member of the royal family.
Children's Etiquette: How to meet new friends, make eye contact, help set the table, eat correctly with a knife and fork, dress appropriately and know the difference between indoor and outdoor voices.
Content
These tutorial videos are professionally made and of high quality. The information contained in them is accurate and the experts featured are very well-spoken and charismatic.
I personally rented the Complete Tutorial which does not include the children's etiquette videos.
I enjoyed learning from Diana Mather, William Hanson, Emma Dupont, and of course Myka Meier. As you can imagine, the course is focused on British etiquette but also includes how to navigate the American place setting.
What struck me as excellent, was the video on body language. I have since discovered that Diana Mather is an expert on this topic and has written several books on the subject.
I also found the "How to Eat Tricky Foods" video very thorough and educational. It is one thing to read about how one should eat something in a certain way, and quite another to actually see a demonstration. This video is definitely a must-watch.
Cost
When it comes to most online learning courses, once one has experienced the whole course, one rarely re-watches it. Therefore, I recommend renting the series rather than buying it.
Another option is to purchase or rent the separate tutorials such as the interpersonal skills set of videos, or even individual videos. However, this does not seem to be very cost effective. The only exception to this is the "How to Eat Tricky Foods video" (19 minutes long). This video is really outstanding!
The English Manner Review Conclusion
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this course yet still find the pricing rather high.
The videos are of course not exhaustive. However, they do include most of the standard do's and don'ts. (They don't mention, for example, that if one drops a fork or a napkin during a meal in a restaurant, one should never pick them up. Instead, you ought to ask a waiter for another. )
Another drawback is that there is no feedback, Q&A, or any type of interaction included. It would've been nice to have comments underneath each video where at least course participants could engage in conversation.
The silver lining?
The English Manner is offering a series of free webinars as a lovely gesture during the current COVID-19 pandemic. You can register for the webinars here. I participated in the "Introduction to Dining Etiquette" today which was taught by William Hanson himself. It was very thorough and enjoyable. Looking forward to the next one!
In the meantime, stay safe and healthy!
xoxo,
Mrs. Hannover
P.S. While you're here why not check out my review of Myka Meier's Duchess Effect ?
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