Love Languages

Summary

Students will understand the role of effective communication in interpersonal relationships specifically focusing on how love is communicated.

Materials

• Vocabulary Teacher Key and Student Worksheet
• Personal Communication Styles PowerPoint
• Personal Communication Assessment Worksheet
• Decoding Personal Communication Styles
• Communication Style Teacher Information
• Decoding Others' Communication Styles
• Decoding Communication Styles for Students
• Gender and Communication Listening Guide
• Teacher Discussion info "The Five Love Languages"- article on LoveSpeak
• Article: "The Five Love Languages"
• Love Language Study Guide
• The Golden Rule with a Twist Information

Instructional Procedures

Introduction/Motivator/Pre-Assessment
Option A -- Have students get in groups. Tell them they have 5 minutes to come up with as many ways to communicate ―Great Job‖ as possible. Do not give any other instruction. After the 5 minutes have the groups demonstrate their ideas of communicating ―Great Job‖.

Process Questions:

1. What was the hardest thing about this activity?
2. What was your favorite idea for communicating "Great Job"?
3. What ways did you come up with that was not verbal? How hard was this type of communication?
4. What did you learn about communication during this activity? (That there are many ways to communicate other than verbally).

Option B --Have the students make a list of ways to communicate ―Great Job‖. Then follow the above instructions and process questions.

Content Outline, Activities and Teaching Strategies
Option 1: Communication Assessment
Discussion, and Case Studies. Have students complete the Personal Communication Assessment, answering how they feel CURRENTLY. ("Love Language Quiz" comes from the book How To Avoid Emotional Divorce by Dr. John H. Lund, used by permission.)

Discuss how to decode this assessment using the case studies included in the teacher information. Have students categorize their families and friends according to their communication styles. You might want to have students complete this test with their parents.

Option 2: Decoding Other's Communication Styles
Part A:
Give the following examples, then let the students respond:

1. A child comes home with good grades. What would a touch-oriented parent do? (Give the child a hug and kiss or other physical reinforcement.)
2. What would a verbal-oriented parent do? (Say things like, ―I am very proud of you.‖ ―You are a wonderful student.‖)
3. What would a task-oriented parent do? (Give the child money, buy something for the child, take the child somewhere special, do something nice for the child.)
4. A co-worker gets a promotion or a raise. What would a touch-oriented co-worker do?
5. What would a verbal-oriented co-worker do?
6. What would a task-oriented co-worker do?

Ask the student to come up with a few other situation for them to figure out the responses would be.

Part B:
METHODS OF DECODING OTHER'S COMMUICATION STYLES:

1. Ask him/her to take the quiz
2. Recognize how he/she reacts and shows love to others.
3. Observe his/her reactions when a compliment, hug, or gift is given. Which do you think means the most?

(Give students extra credit if they go home and have 2-3 people take the test to see what Communication Style they are).

Option 3: Video
Show ―Gender and Communication Video‖ from Learning Seed. Have students complete the video listening guide as they watch. (You may want to add the pretest from the video guide on the back of the listening guide.) Gender and Communication is 22 minutes. Catalog #172. f.o.b. US$ 89 Gender and Communication

Option 4: Video Clip
Show the video clip ―The Five Love Languages. (These websites have downloads for worksheets, instructor guides, and study guide:

• http://www.5lovelanguages.com/
• http://www.afo.net/hftw-lovetest.asp

See teacher discussion information ―The Five Love Languages. For additional information refer to the Article ―The Five Love Languages and the ―Love Language Study Guide.

Option 5: Golden Rule with a Twist
Discuss the relationship advice by Jeff Herring; ―The Golden Rule Does Not Work. He has people remember just remember to speak to your partner in whatever communication style he/she speaks.

Summary/Evaluation
The greatest human emotional need is ACCEPTANCE. This is especially true in a marriage. The question ―Do you love me? translates to ―Do you accept me? In spite of all my fears and faults will you stay with me? If I am totally revealed to you, all my good and bad, can I trust you to love me and care for me? By using the love language you can learn to communicate this complete kind of acceptance to your loved ones.