Language of Feelings

Expressions associated with particular feelings

Without looking at the list below, listen to your teacher slowly reading out a list of English words, expressions and sounds. When you are sure which feeling they are all associated with, put up your hand and shout out the word, e.g. “Impressed”. You only get one guess and must say exactly the feeling word that your teacher is thinking of (even if another word is possible for the things that they have read out so far), so don’t guess until you are sure.

Look at the list below and try to write a different feeling word for each list of words. Use the list on the next page to help you if you need to.

• Blue lips, shiver, brrr, frost bite, hypothermia, wrap up, hug yourself, rub your hands together
• Clench your fists, go red in the face, narrowed eyes, stare, swear, curse, growl, frown, roar
• Frown, shrug your shoulders, erm, map, maze
• Gulp, swallow, parched
• Hair standing on end, wide eyes, scream, knees knocking, gulp
• Heart pumping, whee, yippee
• Hic, hiccups/ hiccoughs, sway, can’t walk in a straight line, slurred speech, hangover, giggle, red in the face
• Laugh, giggle, ha ha, hee hee, tee hee, titter, chuckle, guffaw, snicker, snort
• Phew, thank goodness,
• Polish your finger nails on your lapel, smile, raise one hand, bow
• Red cheeks, avoiding eye contact, try to hide
• Slumped shoulders, sigh, ho hum, chin up, groan, pout
• Smile, purr, hooray, yippee
• Sniff, cough, sneeze, atishoo, groan, wheeze, moan, ouch, ow, gargle
• Stick out your tongue, yuck, retch, turn your nose up, eww, wrinkle your nose, pinch your nose, cover your nose and mouth
• Sweat, go red in the face, pant, fan yourself (with your hand), strip off
• Tear, cry, weep, sigh, corners of your mouth turned down, blue, mope around, down in the dumps, sniff, howl, whine, grumble, bawl, weep, boo hoo
• Uh oh, chewing your fingernails, sweaty palms, gulp
• Well I never did, a start, jump, boo, oh, bang, boom, gasp
• Yawn, bags under your eyes, eyes drooping, head drooping

 

• Amused
• Confused
• Cold
• Disappointed
• Disgusted
• Drunk
• Embarrassed
• Excited
• Happy
• Hot
• Ill/ Sick/ Unwell
• Proud Relieved
• Sad/ depressed/ upset/ unhappy
• Scared
• Surprised
• Thirsty
• Tired/ sleepy
• Worried/ nervous

Check your answers as a class or with the answer key.

Test each other in pairs, starting with the most difficult expressions from each list each time.

Brainstorm words, expressions and sounds for each feelings word, either from memory or your own ideas.

Which sounds above are similar or very different in your own language? Do you think the real sound is closer to the English representation or to the one in your own language (or other languages that you know)?

Do you know any other sounds that are represented differently in English and other languages, e.g. animal sounds?

Work together to make a story from as many words, expressions and sound in the list as you can.

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Answer key

Amused – Laugh, giggle, ha ha, hee hee, tee hee, titter, chuckle, guffaw, snicker, snort

Angry/ annoyed/ irritated/ furious – Clench your fists, go red in the face, narrowed eyes, stare, swear, curse, growl, frown, roar

Confused – Frown, shrug your shoulders, erm, map, maze

Cold – Blue lips, shiver, brrr, frost bite, hypothermia, wrap up, hug yourself, rub your hands together

Disappointed – Slumped shoulders, sigh, ho hum, chin up, groan, pout

Disgusted – Stick out your tongue, yuck, retch, turn your nose up, eww, wrinkle your nose, pinch your nose, cover your nose and mouth

Drunk – Hic, hiccups/ hiccoughs, sway, can’t walk in a straight line, slurred speech, hangover, giggle, red in the face

Embarrassed – Red cheeks, avoiding eye contact, try to hide

Excited – Heart pumping, whee, yippee 

Happy – Smile, purr, hooray, yippee

Hot – Sweat, go red in the face, pant, fan yourself (with your hand), strip off

Ill/ Sick/ Unwell – Sniff, cough, sneeze, atishoo, groan, wheeze, moan, ouch, ow, gargle

Proud – Polish your finger nails on your lapel, smile, raise one hand, bow

Relieved – Phew, thank goodness,

Sad/ depressed/ upset/ unhappy – Tear, cry, weep, sigh, corners of your mouth turned down, blue, mope around, down in the dumps, sniff, howl, whine, grumble, bawl, weep, boo hoo 

Scared – Hair standing on end, wide eyes, scream, knees knocking, gulp

Surprised – Well I never did, a start, jump, boo, oh, bang, boom, gasp

Thirsty – Gulp, swallow, parched

Tired/ sleepy – Yawn, bags under your eyes, eyes drooping, head drooping

Worried/ nervous –Uh oh, chewing your fingernails, sweaty palms, gulp