Hibiscus Teach · Movies
Patch Adams
See the Person Behind the Problem
Ask about the affected person’s priorities and combine a practical response with respectful explanation.
Adults. Psychiatric and medical settings, illness and mortality. Treat the film as a communication text, not clinical evidence or a source of treatment advice.
Created by Denis M., British English teacher.
Patch Earns His Nickname
Arthur challenges the visitor to change how he looks at a simple problem.
Watch for: What does looking beyond the obvious change in their conversation?
Clip A quiz: 6 questions
Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.
Useful English
Could we look at this from another angle?
You say: Ask a group to consider a different explanation.
One possible response
Could we look at this from another angle?
What are we overlooking?
You say: Ask what detail a team may have missed.
One possible response
What useful detail are we overlooking?
Keep talking: 3 questions
Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.
What can a new perspective add to a familiar problem?
Help me start
It can reveal…
Show an example
It can reveal a detail we ignored because we expected one answer.
When is a small practical action more helpful than a long explanation?
Help me start
When someone…
Show an example
When someone has a simple immediate need, such as a missing label or a broken handle.
Ask a team to check one overlooked detail.
Help me start
Before we decide…
Show an example
Before we decide, what are we overlooking about the time available?
You Treat a Person
Patch explains to a review panel why he believes care should attend to the person as well as the problem.
Watch for: What distinction is he asking the panel to consider?
Clip B quiz: 6 questions
Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.
Useful English
What matters most to the person affected?
You say: Ask what matters to someone using a service.
One possible response
What matters most to the person using the service?
We should not lose sight of the person behind the problem.
You say: Remind a support team to consider the user.
One possible response
We should not lose sight of the person behind the support request.
Keep talking: 3 questions
Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.
How can a service solve a technical problem yet leave someone dissatisfied?
Help me start
It may…
Show an example
It may fix the error without explaining what happened or listening to the inconvenience.
What question could reveal the user’s priority?
Help me start
Ask…
Show an example
Ask which part of the problem is causing the most difficulty today.
Respond to a frustrated customer with a question before a solution.
Help me start
What would…?
Show an example
What would make the biggest difference for you right now?
Mastery: use your English
Apply language and ideas from both clips in new situations.
Mastery: 6 questions
Use the English in a new situation. Choose one answer for each question.
Put it all together: speaking
Use English from both clips. Start with the two short questions, then take a private role each. On your own, practise both roles.
What connects changing visual perspective and considering a person’s needs?
Help me start
Both ask…
Show an example
Both ask the listener to look beyond an initial narrow focus.
What could respectful help look like in a non-medical setting?
Help me start
Ask, explain…
Show an example
Ask what matters, explain what can be done and check that the proposed option helps.
Can you reach a workable outcome together using the two private role cards?
Private Role A
You work at a print desk. A customer’s file will not open on your computer. You can print a PDF or a screenshot, but need to know whether formatting or speed matters most.
Private Role B
You need a readable one-page schedule in ten minutes. Perfect formatting is not important. You can send a screenshot from your phone but have not explained that yet.
Open only your own role card. Share its information by speaking, without showing the card.
Help me start
Discover the missing information; explain your constraint; respond to your partner; agree on a practical next step. Use language from both clips.
Check your conversation
- Complete the practical goal on both role cards.
- Use at least three target items naturally, including language from each clip.
- Ask a relevant follow-up and respond to information you did not know.
- End with a clear agreement, next step or summary.
Show an example
A: What do you need the document for today? B: I need a readable schedule in ten minutes. A: Formatting does not have to be exact? B: No. I can send a screenshot. A: That may work; let me check it before confirming.
Try again: The printer is unavailable for five minutes. Offer an honest option that still addresses the customer’s immediate need.