26 Wrap-Up
Discussion
At the beginning of this chapter, you placed yourself on a scale similar to the one below.
| She/He doesn’t apologize to everyone. She/He doesn’t apologize for everything. Apologizing might cause conflicts in relationships. If her/his status or relationship is delicate or important, she/he might not apologize. She/He doesn’t expect people who have higher status to apologize to her/him. She/He doesn’t have to apologize because of her/his high status. |
She/He apologizes to many people. She/He apologizes for many reasons. Apologizing helps avoid conflicts in relationships. If her/his status or relationship is delicate or important, she/he will apologize. Apologizing shows equality. |
Decide which descriptions fit Claire, Ivan, Roshan and Nick. Do they match all or some of the words on the left or the right?
Place (Claire), (Ivan), (Roshan), and (Nick) on the scale.
Discuss how Dev’s way of mending fences with Roshan compared to other characters’ apologies.
Are there any similarities? Are there any differences?
Add (Dev) to the scale.
Reflection on Extension Activities
In this chapter, we
- recognized when and/or why people feel an apology is appropriate
- compared how people apologize
- identified personal and cultural expectations around apologies
- found patterns of formality and directness as people apologize and respond to familiar and unfamiliar people apologizing to them
- adjusted verbal and non-verbal communication in giving and responding to apologies.
The writing and speaking activities gave us ways to adjust our use of English. Observing how people in our community talk and write and trying to use new words from this chapter has reinforced, or strengthened, our vocabulary outside of class.
1. Review any Language Log pages you completed during this chapter.
2. Retell the stories you recorded in the “Sorry” Tracker when you heard people apologizing or making excuses when things went wrong.
- How did you know if the person receiving the apology accepted it or not?
- Did the words and body language give the same message?
3. Think about people in your community whom you have heard saying “sorry.” Think about what Dev said to Roshan: “You Canadian kids. So many sorrys. For what?”
- Do you ever wonder about all the “sorrys” you hear?
- When “sorry” is said very often, does it sound sincere?
- Is “sorry” most meaningful when it expresses real regret about a big offence?
4. Reflect on which of our story’s main characters has a communication style most similar to your own when it comes to saying “sorry” or responding to an apology:
- Claire speaking and writing to Gilles and hearing Ivan
- Roshan speaking with his dad and Nick
- Gilles, careful not to offend, but so far silent in response to Claire