Express Your Emotions

1. 友人・知り合い・同僚から、 良いこと(昇進した、子どもが受験で成功したetc)や 悪いこと(近親者の死、病気etc)の 報告を受けた時、どう返答しますか？ That’s great.やI’m sorry for that./My condolences for you.だけではなく、 表現にバリエーションを持たせてみましょう。 Photo here Express Your Emotions Photo by: newscenter.berkeley.edu

2. INTRODUCTION(レッスン前に読んでみて下さい) Have you ever been caught up in a situation that you feel you have to say something, should have said a word or maybe ending up saying the wrong words? I most cases, we react to news, gossips or even hearsays. Our reactions will depend on what we hear, see or feel. Emotions often if not always have the biggest role to play when we react to any kind of situation may it be positive or negative. Always take extra precaution, this may sound a bit weird but before letting words leave our lips we should consider a few things like age, gender, mental status, emotional stability and most importantly the situation. You can ask yourself this question. Will the person understand what message am I trying to convey and how well? If not, then how will I make him or her understand. Convey Passed away Gossips Rumors Hearsay Condescending Caught up Subtle Precaution Emotional Stability Mental Status Word Bank

3. Thanks to: http://www.cancer.org Some Simple Do’s and Don’ts (レッスン前に読んでみて下さい) • Some Simple Do’s • Acknowledge the situation.  • Example: "I know this must be hard for you." • Express concern. • Example: "I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this." • Offer to listen.  • Example: "If you would like to talk about it, I am here." • Offer assistance. • Example: "Please let me know if I can help." • Be open with your feelings. •  Example: "I'm not sure what to say, but I want you to know I care." • Ask how the person feels. (Rather than assuming you know how the person feels on any given day.) • Example: "How are you doing?“ • Positively Commenting on appearance. • Example: "That shirt certainly looks good on you" • Some Simple Don’ts • Putting pressure on them. It can sometimes overwhelm a person with illnesses to hear statements like "You're so brave,” or “You’re too strong to let this beat you,” or “Keep up a positive attitude.” If they’re afraid of appearing weak or vulnerable to you, they won’t be able to communicate honestly. • Commenting on appearance. Telling someone they look pale or look like they’ve lost weight is a good way to make them self-conscious or fearful – and if it’s true, it’s probably something they already know. • Sharing war stories. You may know someone else who had the same situation but it’s a mistake to think everyone’s experience will be the same. • Offering unsolicited advice. Telling people what to do when they don't ask for help is rarely a good idea, even if your intentions are the best. • Being patronizing or condescending. • Being afraid to touch. A hug or touch on the shoulder will help the person know you care and that you accept him or her. • Being ashamed of your own fears or uneasiness. - SENTENCES

4. Role play (レッスン中に行います) Speaker1(講師) Speaker2(生徒様) Passing an examination. Getting a promotion. Someone passed away. Your friend told you that your new haircut does not look good on you. You heard from a friend that someone was spreading bad rumors about you. Your friend surprised you with her expensive nose job but it did not look good. Your son failed the exams. Your friend is dying of an illness. A couple close to you had a baby Your sister just broke up with her fiancé Try to your best to give your reactions to these certain situations. Photo by: www.colourbox.com

5. BE SENSITIVE. Always be mindful of the feelings of others. Try to put yourself in a person’s shoes before giving out a comment. Don’t pretend to know how others feel especially if they have lost someone close to their hearts. BE HONEST BUT SUBTLE. AVOID INSULTS. Criticism is not always negative. Be genuinely happy for a person TIMING IS EVERYTHING. SOMETIMES ACTIONS SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!!! Photo by: 9to5post.blogspot.com