Communication Vocabulary
Know and use the vocabulary of healthy communication and conflict — assertive, passive, aggressive, compromise, conflict, resolution, mediate, bystander, upstander, and peer pressure — and understand the difference between these contrasting approaches
What a learner can do afterwards
- Use 'assertive' correctly and distinguish it from 'aggressive' — e.g. 'Being assertive means saying what I need calmly'
- Explain what 'conflict resolution' means and describe one strategy such as using 'I feel...' statements
- Use words like 'negotiate', 'boundary', and 'respect' accurately in a discussion about friendships
The lesson
A conflict is a disagreement between people. Even good friends have conflicts sometimes. The words you choose can turn a small conflict into a fight, or help you reach a fair resolution.
There are three ways to say what you want. Passive means staying quiet and not sharing how you feel. Aggressive means being pushy or mean to get your way. Assertive is the calm middle path: you say what you need clearly and still respect the other person, like 'I feel left out when I'm not picked for the game.'
At recess, Jake and Sam argue over a ball. Priya does not take sides. She helps them talk and listen to each other, so she is mediating. Kids who just watch a fight are bystanders. A kid who speaks up to help is an upstander.
Sometimes friends push you to do something you don't want to do. That is peer pressure. An assertive answer like 'No thanks, that's not for me' sets a clear boundary and still shows respect.
Use calm, clear words like assertive, compromise, and mediate to turn a conflict into a resolution instead of a fight.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.