George Bradford Patterson is a lecturer of English as a Second(ESL)/English as a Foreign Language.  He has a Masters Degree in Language Education with a Concentration in English as a Second Language from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, May, 1982.  He has taught EFL/ESL in universities , colleges, languages institutes, and an international school in Mexico, Colombia, Perun, China, Honduras, Korea, and in the US at Temple University in the Writing Program, Fall Semester, 1983; Beaver College, Pennsylvania, 1984; and as a Substitute ESL Teacher in the Philadelphia Public School System, 1984.  He’s retired and lives in Nueva Ecija Province, Central Luzon, Philippines.

The communicative dimension of dignity is a second language teaching technique/peace linguistics technique, consisting of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, for EFL/ESL students and other second language students, at the intermediate, advanced intermediate, and advanced levels, which demonstrates how DIGNITY, conveyed by actions, particularly INTERactions, in which the following Checklist is focused on the communicative dimension of DIGNITY.  In this age of expanding interest in Phraseological studies, a plea is formed for linguists, communication scholars,  psychologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychiatrists, counselors, therapists, anthropologists, sociologists, social workers, political scientists, economists, including specialists in political economics, diplomats, philosophers, language educators, lexicographers, priests, pastors, and community workers to probe the phraseologies of dignity in as numerous kinds as possible. 

Language users make use of and create phraseologies of numerous kinds, for multi-purposes.  A systematic, computerized treatment of DIGNITY-promoting phraseologies across cultures would greatly improve of world DIGNITY.  Here is a Checklist(for one toad to, reflect on, apply, etc.) of some Key-questions that can be used in pairs, small groups, large groups, and as a whole class activity:

1.  express your opinion/view respectfully?  How?  How do you introduce your ideas?
2. disagree respectfully?  How?  What?
3. refer to your interlocutor’s opinion/view positively?(as a “contribution”, for instance)
4. harmonize apparently conflicting views?  How?
5. tend to overuse “i, “me”, “my” instead of cooperatively/empathically prioritizing “you”, “your”, “our”, “let’s”…
6. apologize when you  unintentionally say something that might hurt listener’s feelings?  How?
7. acknowledge an infelicitous  inappropriate, inaccurate idea  of yours by saying, things like “Sorry, I admit I admit I’m wrong….or I apologize for … or, still, Let me correct what I hastily said about ….”
8. propose alternate interpretations/solutions(to a problem, for instance), rather than to impose them?  How do you do that?
9. Deal with controversial issues constructively, positively, optimistically, rather than negatively, pessimistically?  How convincing do you usually sound?
10.  optimize your communicative dignity?  What strategies do you use which reflect your belief in/acceptance of Human Rights and Peace?
11.  Communicate for the good of all involved in the interaction?  Do you apply communicative peace in your formulation of issues, problems, and solutions, thereof?
12.   observe and learn from communicators effectiveness as DIGNIFIERS?  How?

In conclusion, this peace linguistics technique can be used in small groups, large groups, and the whole class, including individualized instruction.  It can serve a vital vehicle in creating a more just and peaceful world.

References

Gomes de Matos, Francisco.  2013.  “Checklist on the Communicative Dimenion of Dignity””.Brazil American Association:  Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Patterson, George B.  . 20i4.  “Dictionary of Second Language Teaching Techniques;  A Pedagogical Treasure”.  Nuea Ecija, Central Luzon, Philippines.

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