Feb 28, 2018

Aftermath: Giving Bad News, Functional Language

This is very good movie, but this scene is very sad. Watch it beforehand and check if it is suitable for the moment and the students. It is an effective task, my students liked it, but they felt really sorry for the main character.

There are different ways to give  bad news. Read the ways you can give bad news.

  • I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you...
  • I'm sorry I've got a bit of bad news to tell you..
  • I really don’t know how to say it, but …
  • I’m sorry to have to say this, but …
  • I really feel bad to have to say this, but … 


Watch the segment and check the way the bad news was given. Finally, talk to a partner, take the roles of the characters and give the bad news and react to it yourselves.

 Group discussion:

 1. How effective was the way he was given the bad news? Is there a better way to give such bad news?

 2. Would you do it differently?  


Role Play - 
Giving and reacting to the bad news:
  • You have to tell your best friend you can’t come to his/her wedding
  • You are the president of a company and you have to announce reduction of costs, so he will have to dismiss employees
  • You have to tell a customer that you cannot fix his computer hard drive and everything will be lost
  • You have to tell your mom and dad that you can't spend Christmas with them
  • You have to tell your friend that you crashed the car he had lent you to go on  a date
  • You are a teacher and you have to tell your student that he failed the course despite of all his effort.