If you could only use five words, what would they be? Would you choose polite words, rude words, question words, or words to express your feelings? How about words connected to your work, interests, or family? Maybe words that you can use to get what you want?
It’s a good way to start thinking about how you use language and what is important to you. It can also lead to what words can be replaced by body language or which words can be used in several different ways.
Now, some body language can be used universally, the first ones I think of are for; yes, no, good, bad, okay, maybe, I don’t know. I don’t need to explain these gestures for these as I am sure you already know them. Being in Japan, bowing can convey even more words such as, sorry, thank you, or please be nice to me.
Choosing my five words
Having covered a handful of words that can be expressed through gestures, I’ll consider words that I feel would be useful and reflect my personality. Depending on the situation and/or the intonation of my voice, I can make one word mean different things.
I guess it’s my Britishness that I would want at least one polite word. I would use the word, “Please”, depending on how you say this one word it can suggest; “Please (may I have).”, “Please (go ahead).”, “Please (start).”, “Please (stop).”, “(Yes,) please.” “Please (I beg you).”, “(I’m) please(d).”, “Please (help yourself).”, “Please (take this).”, “Please. (You’re talking nonsense)!”, and many, many more.
“Okay”, is one of my overused words which I’m okay with. I think this word is incredibly versatile even though it is casual. “Okay”, can be used to approve or confirm, to ask for permission, or to express if something is satisfactory including health or emotions.
An emergency word would help. “Help.”, would be my emergency word. Variations on how I would use it would be to ask for or offer help and this can scale from, “Help me set the table.” to “Help, I think I’m going to die!”. And, “Would you like some help?” to “I’m helping you whether you like it or not!”. Again, context would determine what level of help it is.
“Little” and “Big”, would be my quantifiers to explain the scale of something, used when the subject or object is clearly understood.
The sum of five words
What can I do now I’ve got: please, okay, help, little and big?
I am able to ask for nearly anything with, “please!” and “okay?”. I can offer and ask for assistance at any scale with, “help”. It’s possible for me to stop and start something with, “okay!”. “Little” and “big” explain how many and to what degree relating to the subject. I can even make sentences to communicate a bit more, such as, “Okay, little help please!”
It’s not just a word that matters, it’s the context, intonation, and body language that gives it a purpose and value.
Help little? Help big? Okay, please!
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