What to say when someone dies, or offering condolences, is not usually taught directly in ESL classes. Unfortunately, from time to time ESL students will find themselves unprepared when confronted with someone who has lost a friend or family member.
Here are some appropriate phrases to say in person or on the phone:
I’m so sorry for your loss.
My thoughts/prayers are with you and your family.
I am so sorry to hear about…(name)
Were you close?
Is there anything I can do?
Let me know if there’s anything I can do.
Remember that it’s more important to say something than to say nothing even if the grammar isn’t perfect.
If you thought this was helpful, please share it with others.
Here is an idea for teachers that takes a spin on BINGO to help students learn geography.
Print out a blank map of the United States (or any country). Have students color five states in randomly. When they are finished, name different states, and have students mark the ones they’ve colored as you name them. When a student hears that you have named the five states colored in, and after the states have been verified, they win!
This activity can be applied to any continent, country, region, counties within a state, bodies of water (you get the point), and will also help with learning state abbreviations!
Please see this link for a blank map of the United States. If you like this lesson, share it!
Yesterday, when we were commenting on the growth of a 10 year old’s vocabulary, she piped in with, “The punctuation of gratitude.” Upon first hearing this, our eyebrows twisted in curiosity of what she meant. When I asked her, she replied, “It’s the end of gratitude.”
Handing me a potato chip while saying it was a little out of context, but her use of the new vocabulary made sense as a creative use of language.
The lesson here is: when you are acquiring new vocabulary, no matter what age you are, go ahead and use new words in any way you can to feel comfortable with them. Eventually the appropriate use of these new words will sink in.
A “Speak English” sign was ruled not discriminatory in a cheesesteak shop in Philadelphia, PA. Anyone who has heard about this story knows how the restaurant owner feels about language use, but we aren’t sure if signs like this could be viewed by newcomers as opportunity or intimidation. Personally, I have not met a single person from outside of the United States who refused to try to speak English or dispute that English skills are helpful in America.
Comprehensibility, however, is mutual.
My concerns are whether an English language learner who hasn’t mastered the language yet or who speaks with a heavy accent can still order if they are trying to speak English (in other words trying to abide by the rules). Does any attempt count under this restaurant’s language use policy? To what degree of accuracy must one’s grammar be to order a cheesesteak? One option might be to point to the menu, but this method doesn’t exactly qualify as English usage as much as it does body language.
Let’s also consider the potential for discrimination in the eyes of Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing or those with communication disorders. To what degree of articulatory accuracy must one use to eat at this restaurant? Would body language, or pointing at the menu be appropriate, or is speaking English to get a cheesesteak still required under these circumstances?
The comparison of only the and the only is a good example of how important word order is. The meaning changes depending on the word order as you will see here.
only the = the minimal, one of the first, the earliest
Using the word interesting is boring. It’s subjective and it doesn’t express any feelings or details. If you use interesting to describe something, what you are really saying is that you have nothing to say, or your vocabulary is too limited.
Look at this example: “I like traveling because it is interesting.” What does interesting mean in this example? No one knows!
One way to solve the problem is to replace interesting with any one of the following words that best fit the feeling you experience:amusing, attractive, captivating, charismatic, compelling, curious, delightful, elegant, enchanting, engaging, entertaining, exotic, impressive, intriguing, pleasing, provocative, refreshing, stimulating, suspicious, thought-provoking
Go to thesaurus.com for more ideas.
Another way to fix the problem is to add more details to your sentence or elaborate on your topic to engage your readers or listeners.I like traveling to new countries and visiting the beach because when I talk to people, they tell me captivating stories about their enchanting country.
You can immediately improve your writing by using these tips. Elaborate on your thoughts, enhance your vocabulary, and explain why…because what you find interesting should also sound interesting.
A while ago, an ESL student asked me why Americans always lie. Stunned by his question, I lied and said, “They don’t.”
Upon reflection, I realized he might have been referring to any one of the following language styles that ESL students (or anyone for that matter) encounter trouble with when first experienced:
a) the use of sarcasm,
b) the use of euphemisms,
c) the exchange of pleasantries, or
d) softening the blow
Paula Abdul is an expert at b) euphemisms for American Idol contestants who do not perform their best. To the annoyance of her fellow judge(s), she rarely used direct speech when she wasn’t thrilled about a performance. She softened the blow by saying something like,
“That was the wrong song choice.”
However, she never told contestants to give up or that they would never have a career in singing. Communicating with someone like this requires a little more inference on the listener’s part. It’s important to dig a little deeper into what is actually being said…indirectly.
Here is an example of how Paula uses euphemisms to explain when it might be a good time to throw in the towel.
The irony is Paula had a song in the late eighties called Straight Up. The expression straight up means straightforward or direct. But Paula was the least likely judge on American Idol to be direct with contestants. Does her use of euphemisms make her a liar?
The only time you hear “boo” on American Idol is when Simon Cowell is speaking. He is direct, straightforward, and downright blunt. Do these attributes make him an unsympathetic and hurtful judge?
Absolutely not! He seems rude because he is so direct. However, Simon is an effective direct speaker because he was hired to give his opinion. The key to his effectiveness is that he knows that his audience is the person standing on stage. It doesn’t matter what the viewers of American Idol think about Simon’s opinion, but it matters tremendously to the contestant being judged.
Watch every contestant nod and smile as Randy and the others speak but hold their breath when it’s Simon’s turn.
Unlike Simon, most of us were not hired to give our opinions, so it is important to be aware of how, when, and to whom you use direct speech. If you use it, you could have two results.
Either
a) you will seem rude and opinionated, or
b) what you say will seem important.
If you use direct speech appropriately, you will achieve b. If you use it incorrectly, your audience might “boo”.
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