Today, first grade students talked about compliments.
We listened to Bruno Mars' song "Just the Way You Are." In this song, Bruno gives his girlfriend compliments. He thinks she is beautiful, smart, and has a sexy laugh. But she is not confident, and she rejects his compliments. He is disappointed because she does not accept his compliments.
Korean people and American people use compliments differently.
In
Korean culture, it is very common to reject a compliment, like this:
Girl 1: You look pretty with your hair up like that.
Girl 2: No, I don't. I look like an old woman.
But in
American culture, it is less common. Americans use compliments
Instead, Americans often
return a compliment, like this:
Girl 1: You look pretty with your hair up like that.
Girl 2: Thanks. Your hair looks great, too.
Americans also often respond by
adding information to help
continue the conversation, like this:
Girl 1: You look pretty with your hair up like that.
Girl 2: Thanks. I got it cut at a new place near my apartment. They're great - would you like to come with me next time?
Americans often use compliments to
begin conversation or
build friendship.
To learn more about comparing
Korean and
American compliment styles, look at the article outside the English classroom. It reviews scientific studies on
Korean and
American compliments.
To watch Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" video again, click here.
