Web International Advanced Salon 2

Advanced Salon 2
Putting a Good Spin on It

Goals of the Lesson

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This lesson allows students to practice using reasoning language, the language of zeitgeist, intonation
and word substitution.

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Classroom Activities

I. Warm-up

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Activity 1: Say it with emotion. [10‟]
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Use this activity to underline the importance of intonation when your students. Basically, get them to
say the words in quotation marks in the contexts that follow.

“Hello”
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to a friend
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to a friend you haven‟t seen for 3 years

to a neighbor that you don‟t like
to a 6 month old baby
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to someone you have just found doing something they shouldn‟t

to someone on the phone when you‟re not sure if they are still on the other end
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“Goodbye”
to a member of your family as they are going through the boarding gate at the airport
to someone who has been annoying you
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to a child starting his very first day at school

to someone who you will miss but who, you know, is looking forward to going to a new place.

“How are you?”

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to someone you haven‟t seen for 20 years

to someone who has recently lost a member of the family
to someone who didn‟t sleep in their own bed last night
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“I never go to pubs”
by a person that totally disapproves of drinking alcohol to someone who often goes to pubs
as a response to someone who has told you they sometimes go to pubs
said before: “…but I quite like discos.”

“What have you done?”

to someone who claims to have fixed your television only that now it‟s worse than before

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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

to someone who is scolding you for not doing anything when you suspect the same about them.
to someone who has just done something very bad and which has serious consequences

Students often ignore exclamation marks when attempting to show emotions from written English. It
is probably a good idea to mention these and provide some examples to assist their best efforts. Pace,
loudness and of course body language are all VERY important.

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II. Main Activities

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Activity 2: Euphemisms and Collateral Damage [20‟]

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Explain what a euphemism is and why we have them.
Euphemisms are words we use to soften the reality of what we are communicating. Often used when

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talking about an uncomfortable subject
e.g. Instead of saying „Death‟ we say pass away or pass on etc
Give each student a handout. Ask them to look at each of the following sentences as you write them

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up and ask them to change them into clear straightforward English.
Ask students to explain any words and euphemisms that they found that are not on the list.
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His grandfather passed away.
My father is between jobs but has two interviews today.
The peace officer apprehended the sanitation man for speeding. .
Dan's supervisor laid him off because he was unmotivated.
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American football is a physical game, and has disabled many players.
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The individual was accused of misappropriating funds.

The correctional facility has 220 inmates, five of whom are facing capital punishment.
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Activity 3: Beat About the Bush. [20‟]

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Pair the students and give each pair the following scenarios. Ask them to use as many evasive words
as possible. Two Role-plays for each pair. They take turns at being the evasive speaker.
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III. Wind down

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Activity 4: [10’]
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Brainstorm the following Public Relations questions.

What does public relations mean?
Who needs PR? Why? (Companies, stars, politicians)
How does the media use euphemisms?
What is a tarnished image?
What is a re-launch?
What is repackaging?

Governments use spin-doctors to make bad news sound good.

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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

Get the students to spin the following- i.e. make the bad news sound good.

A country‟s unemployment is rising.

The capital‟s traffic is getting worse
Taxes are being increased.
The country‟s football team did very badly in the World Cup
The government has been caught polluting the sea.
7 out of 10 children in the country cannot read or write
The government has decided to make war on a peaceful neighbour

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Teachers are on strike because the government is not paying them enough
Farmers are angry because prices are too low for vegetables and fruit
There are too many immigrants and the people are getting angry

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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

Handouts
Advanced Salon 2: Euphemism Handout.

Word Euphemism
accident, crisis, disaster incident
adulterous extramarital
beggar homeless person

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bombing air support
break-in security breach
cheap frugal, thrifty, economical

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coffin casket
complaint form response form

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confinement detention
criminal (adj.) illegal
criminal (young) juvenile delinquent

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crippled disabled, physically challenged
dead departed, deceased, late, lost, gone, passed
death insurance life insurance

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death penalty capital punishment
death demise, end, destination, better world, afterlife
deaths body count
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die pass away, pass on, expire, go to heaven
drunk (adj.) intoxicated, inebriated, tipsy
exploit (land) develop
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fail fizzle out, fall short, go out of business
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fat overweight, chubby, portly, stout, plump

fire (v) lay off, release, downsize, let go, streamline, rightsize
garbage collector sanitation person
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garbage dump landfill

genocide ethnic cleansing
illegal worker undocumented worker
informer confidential source
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jail secure facility

juvenile delinquent problem child, at-risk child
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kill put down/away/out/to sleep

killing of innocents collateral damage
lazy unmotivated
lie (n) fib, fabrication, cover story, story, untruth, inaccuracy
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make love sleep with

mortuary funeral home/parlor
multi-racial diverse
murder liquidate, do away with
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noisy boisterous
office equipment productivity products
old mature, distinguished, senior, traditional, seasoned
old persons' home convalescent hospital, retirement home, rest home
one-room apartment studio apartment
sweat perspiration
police officer peace officer
poor nation emerging nation, developing nation, third-world nation
poor student underachiever, under performer

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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

poor low-income, working class, modest, underprivileged

power failure service interruption
prison correctional facility
prisoner inmate, convict, detainee
problem issue, challenge, complication
remedial education special education
removed from duty put on administrative leave
repression (social, political) law and order
retarded special, slow, mentally challenged

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rough physical
rude self-centered
sales marketing

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salesman, -woman sales associate
secretary administrative assistant

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selfish self-centered
sexual relations (illicit) liaison
sexual relationship involvement, intimate relationship, affair

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sick indisposed, ill, under the weather
spying surveillance
steal appropriate, salvage, lift, borrow
stupid slow

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suicide (to commit) to end it all, take the easy way out, do oneself in
surprise attack preemptive strike
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sweat (v) perspire
tip (n) gratuity
toilet WC, men's room, restroom, bathroom, washroom, lavatory
tramp homeless person
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ugly unattractive, modest, plain
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unemployed between jobs, taking time off

unreserved seating general admission, festival seating
used previously owned, pre-owned, refurbished, second-hand
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vagrant homeless person

victim casualty
wrong improper, questionable, impropriety (n)
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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

Advanced Salon 2: Role Play Handout Slips.

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A manager firing an employee
A boyfriend splitting up with his girlfriend

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A father telling a child that their favourite kitten has died.
A son telling father that he’s just broken his mother’s favourite vase by accident.

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A husband telling his wife that he’s just lost a lot of money on a horse.
A car dealer explaining why it’s going to take 3 months to fix a customers car.

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A son telling his mother why he and his wife will be going to his wife’s family for New year
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and not his own parents.
A manager turning down an employees demand for more money.
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A manager telling a failed candidate why he didn’t get the promotion after being interviewed
for it.
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A CEO explaining to his major shareholder why the company has gone bust.
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 Web International Advanced Salon 2

Student Salon Preparation Material – Advanced Salon 2

Review this vocabulary (these are words and euphemisms):

Word Euphemism
accident, crisis, disaster incident
adulterous extramarital
beggar homeless person

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bombing air support
break-in security breach
cheap frugal, thrifty, economical

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coffin casket
complaint form response form

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criminal (adj.) illegal
criminal (young) juvenile delinquent
crippled disabled, physically challenged

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cleaner building maintenance staff
dead departed, deceased, late, lost, gone, passed
death insurance life insurance

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death penalty capital punishment
death demise, end, destination, better world, afterlife
deaths body count
on
die pass away, pass on, expire, go to heaven
drunk (adj.) intoxicated, inebriated, tipsy
exploit (land) develop
fail fizzle out, fall short, go out of business
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fat overweight, chubby, portly, stout, plump
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fire (v) lay off, release, downsize, let go, streamline, rightsize
garbage collector sanitation person
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garbage dump landfill

genocide ethnic cleansing
informer confidential source
jail correctional facility, secure facility
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Think about the following;

The above are words and common euphemisms used. Can you think of some more? Make a list of 15
more words and their euphemisms. Bring these to the Salon class for discussion.
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