Main Lesson
1. Warm-up
• Who is someone you’ve been impressed by recently?
• What did they do that made you admire them?
• How did you show your appreciation?
• Do people often praise others in your culture?
Nicole from Taiwan
I was really impressed by one of my students who dreamed of moving to a Western country with her family. She studied English with me for quite a while, and she worked incredibly hard to improve her fluency and confidence — even though she was a full-time military nurse. During that time, she faced many challenges. Her U.S. student visa application was cancelled because of some government issues involving Harvard University, and the next school she applied to took months to reply. Still, she didn’t give up. Finally, she decided to apply to a Canadian school, and after a lot of effort and difficulty, she was accepted. It wasn’t easy, but her determination truly inspired me.
2. Who Deserves Praise?
1. A new employee learns everything quickly and asks a lot of questions.
Question
• Should they be praised, or is that just what’s expected?
2. An employee gives honest feedback to their boss, even when it’s risky.
Question
• Do they deserve praise for honesty, or should they stay quiet?
3. A team member always submits work late — but it’s always excellent.
Question
• Should they be praised for the quality, or criticized for the delay?
3. Language for Praise
A. Simple direct praise:
• That presentation was excellent.
• Your English is getting better!
B. Specific praise:
• I really liked how you simplified complex data in your slides.
• You’ve made great progress with your speaking fluency.
C. Softening Expressions:
• I just wanted to say I was really impressed by how you handled that presentation yesterday.
• You may not notice it, but your confidence has grown a lot.
3. Listening Practice
Manager → Employee
Read and Listen💬
You’ve been doing really solid work lately. The client was really happy with your updates, and honestly, I can see how much more confident you’ve become in meetings. You’ve been reliable, consistent, and easy to work with — that makes a big difference.
Colleague → Colleague
Read and Listen💬
Hey, I just wanted to say nice job today. You jumped in when the team needed help, and your idea changed how we looked at the problem. You’re really good at seeing things from a different angle — I respect that.
Western Directness → Asian Modesty
Read and Listen💬
You did great on that presentation. I know you probably want to say it wasn’t a big deal, but really — it was. You were clear, organized, and confident, and that’s not easy to do in front of everyone. You should give yourself some credit for that.
4. Practice
❗How would you give praise in each case.
1️⃣ A teammate worked late to fix a project bug.
Answers
1. Hey, I saw you stayed late to fix that bug last night — seriously, that saved us. I know it wasn’t easy, but you pulled it off. Appreciate it, man.
2. Hey, great job staying late last night. You really saved the project!
4️⃣ A manager gave helpful feedback.
Answers
1. That was a really solid presentation — super clear and confident. You didn’t rush, and your points landed perfectly. You should feel proud of that.
2. Nice work on your presentation! It was really easy to follow.
2️⃣ A junior gave a clear presentation.
Answers
1. You turned that situation around fast. The customer looked frustrated at first, but you totally changed it. That was smooth.
2. Good job handling that customer. You stayed calm and polite.
3️⃣ A coworker helped solve a customer complaint.
Answers
1. I just wanted to say I really value the feedback you gave me — it actually helped me see what I was missing. It’s nice having a manager who gives it straight.
2. I appreciate your advice. It made things much clearer for me.
6. Discussion
• How do you usually react when someone praises you?
• What’s the best compliment or praise you’ve ever received?
• Is it okay to give fake compliments to make someone feel better?
• If you could praise someone today, who would it be and why?