Expressions
Quizzes are provided for each section. Feel free to take them as many times as needed.
Aspects of Expressions
Emotion - Matching your voice to the feeling (happy, sad, angry, excited, etc.).
Tone - The attitude or feeling behind the words (friendly, sarcastic, annoyed, kind).
Volume & Pace - How loud or fast/slow you speak, depending on the situation.
Facial & Body Language - Using your face and gestures to match your words naturally.
Stress + Pitch - Combining stress and pitch changes to sound more natural and expressive.
Examples with Meaningful Expression
Sentence: “I can’t believe you did that.”
Say this one sentence with different expressions to change the meaning:
1. Happy Surprise
😲 Feeling: Excited, amazed
Voice: Light tone, higher pitch, smiling sound
Example: You just won a prize — “I can’t believe you did that!”
2. Angry Shock
😠 Feeling: Upset, disappointed
Voice: Lower pitch, sharp tone, louder
Example: Someone lied — “I can’t believe you did that.”
3. Sad or Disappointed
😔 Feeling: Hurt, let down
Voice: Soft tone, slower, falling pitch
Example: A friend broke a promise — “I can’t believe you did that…”
4. Sarcastic or Teasing
🙃 Feeling: Not sincere, joking or mocking
Voice: Flat tone, drawn out words, raised eyebrow energy
Example: A friend made a silly mistake — “Oh wow, I can’t believe you did that.”
How to Teach Expression
1. Echo Practice
You say a sentence with emotion.
Students repeat with the same tone, pitch, and speed.
Great for beginners and shy learners.
Example:
You: "That’s amazing!" (excited)
Student: "That’s amazing!" (match tone)
2. One Sentence, Many Emotions
Give one sentence.
Students say it with 3–4 different feelings (happy, sad, angry, bored).
Helps them hear how tone changes meaning.
Example:
“I didn’t know that.”
– happy
– confused
– hurt
– annoyed
3. Emoji Prompts
Show an emoji (😊 😠 😢 😲).
Student chooses a sentence and says it with matching expression.
Helps visual learners and makes practice fun.
4. Expression Match Game
Play audio of one sentence in different tones.
Students choose the matching emotion (happy, sarcastic, bored, etc.).
Great listening + speaking combo.
5. Volume Control Practice
Teach students to say lines using:
– Whisper voice
– Soft voice
– Normal voice
– Loud voiceThen match each to a situation (library, classroom, stage, emergency).
6. Use Children’s Stories
Read aloud with dramatic expression (voices, rhythm, pitch).
Let students pick a character or line to perform.
Practice stories with lots of feelings and repetition (e.g., The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, No David!, The Gruffalo)
Practice Sentences
Try these sentences using different expressions.
1. “I didn’t know that.”
– Try it happy.
– Try it annoyed.
– Try it confused.
– Try it sad.
2. “Let’s go.”
– Say it excited.
– Say it bored.
– Say it nervous.
– Say it bossy.
3. “Are you okay?”
– Say it caring.
– Say it panicked.
– Say it angry.
– Say it tired.
4. “Wow.”
– Try it surprised.
– Try it sarcastic.
– Try it bored.
– Try it impressed.
5. “That’s fine.”
– Say it relaxed.
– Say it frustrated.
– Say it disappointed.
– Say it impatient.