Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Face reading became a new and exciting study in psychology a couple of years ago. It is where you try to predict someone’s thoughts and feelings with their facial expressions. Paul Ekman is the one who discovered face reading and has made a record of over ten thousand facial expressions and what they mean!
Most importantly, he discovered micro-expressions. Micro-expressions reveal a person’s true emotions. People say that Ekman could actually watch television with no sound and know what their secrets were by reading their micro-expressions. Some people think all of this is complete hocus pocus. Maybe the jury’s still out.
Dominique just watched a show that is about face reading. Listen as Andy and Dominique discuss in today’s English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Dominique: Hey, Andy. I was watching Lie to Me, and I was beginning to wonder if a person could actually study micro-expressions.
Andy_H: No way.
Dominique: Like face reading!
Andy_H: I don’t know about that.
Dominique: I think you could. I think you could actually predict what another person is thinking and feeling by just looking at the expression on their face.
Andy_H: OK, what am I thinking?
Dominique: Um, that you’re bored, and you think this is hocus pocus, but it’s not!
Andy_H: Well, you’re actually pretty good.
Dominique: See? Spot on, right?
Andy_H: OK. All right, I mean… my thing is that, how do you know if someone’s just a really good actor or, you know, somebody who just lies a lot? I mean, they could be constantly tricking you and deceiving you with their micro-expressions. I just feel like the emotional intelligence of some people is… kind of off.
Dominique: Well, if you’re smiling, then you would know they were happy because they’re smiling!
Andy_H: Well, but what if I’m like… smiling because I’m nervous, I really have to go to the bathroom, but I’m talking to my boss, and I don’t want to lose my job?
Dominique: Then you’re still happy.
Andy_H: Mmm… that’s… the jury’s still out on that.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Dominique tells Andy she was watching a show called Lie to Me, which is about face reading. She wonders if you can actually use face reading to read minds. Maybe micro-expressions can reveal someone’s secrets. Andy doesn’t buy it. He asks her what he’s thinking, then. She says he must be bored and think all of this is hocus pocus. Andy is impressed.
But he’s still not fully believing it. What if someone is a really good actor or liar? What if a professional face reader reads their face… wrong? Dominique says it’s not possible. Take a smile, for example. If they’re smiling, they’re happy. Andy tells Dominique that a person could be smiling nervously. Dominique says it doesn’t matter. If you’re smiling, you’re happy!
What do you think of face reading? Can you read someone’s mind by reading their face?