When words fail: reading about feelings and solutions
In a story-like text, the writer tells events in order and shows how the character feels at each step. To follow the story, make a short list: beginning (where, who, the problem), middle (what the character tries), end (what changes). Feelings often change during the story, so note the feeling word at each step. A change of mind is a moment when the character decides to think or act differently. Look for words such as but, then, finally and at last. To answer a question about a word, check that the part of speech fits the gap: after an is an adjective such as an enriching experience, and after feel is an adjective such as anxious. Some words have a noun form (struggle) and a verb form (struggle). Your book has a story-like text on pages 77 and 78 about a visitor in a foreign city. Read it after this lesson and follow the events and feelings in the same way.
| Step | What to note |
|---|---|
| Beginning | Who? Where? What is the problem? |
| Middle | What does the character try? |
| Change of mind | But … / Then … / At last … |
| End | How does the character feel now? |
Nour was fifteen when she joined a school exchange and stayed with a family in a small town far from home. On the second day her host mother asked her to buy bread, and Nour walked to the shop feeling anxious. She knew the word for bread, but when the baker asked a question, she could not understand it. People behind her in the queue looked impatient, and Nour felt embarrassed. She wanted to leave. Then she remembered her teacher’s advice: speak slowly and use your hands. She pointed to the bread, held up two fingers and smiled. The baker laughed kindly and wrote the price on a paper. Nour walked home with two loaves and a big smile. Later she said, “It was a struggle, but it was an enriching experience.”
Feelings line. Think of a time when you could not find the right words (in any language). Draw a line with four points: beginning, problem, change of mind, end. Write a feeling word at each point and one sentence about what you did. Tell the story to a grown-up in five sentences.