An etiquette school, also known as a finishing school, offers an opportunity for people to learn the fine points of etiquette. Learning about the specific social rules which govern a wide variety of interactions and situations can be highly beneficial for everyone from businesspeople to debutantes. Etiquette schools can be found in many regions of the world, and they often offer several programs for people to choose from.
Some etiquette schools offer specific training in particular types of etiquette, such as restaurant service or business etiquette. Others provide more general etiquette training which is designed to help people navigate social situations successfully. It is also possible to attend schools which offer training in international etiquette for travelers, so that people can prepare for trips to foreign countries by picking up etiquette skills which will make it easier to get along with people.
The length of a program at an etiquette school can vary considerably. Some schools offer crash courses in a few days or even hours, providing the rudiments of knowledge and trusting students to study their notes and provided texts to internalize the information. Other programs may offer a few hours of training every day of the week for several weeks or months, allowing people to attend etiquette school while working or going to school.
At its most basic, an etiquette school will offer an overview of the etiquette issues it thinks will be relevant to its students. In a business etiquette class, for example, students would learn about proper forms of address, how to establish connections in the business world, how to host business-related entertainment, and so forth. In a restaurant school, people would learn service etiquette in addition to more general forms of etiquette such as how to behave around royalty.
Many etiquette schools also offer on the ground training. Rather than just sitting in the classroom, students will get a chance to serve a meal to each other, host a party for other students, participate in a dance, or engage in other activities to reinforce etiquette lessons. Students typically take turns as guests and hosts so that they get a chance to experience different aspects of social situations, and they provide feedback to each other which will be used in interactions in real world situations.
People who do not need to learn etiquette for a specific situation can still benefit from going to etiquette school. Learning about the rules of social behavior will stand someone in good stead in a variety of situations, and add an air of polish and sophistication to someone which will make him or her stand out in a crowd.
