KS3 Ask students to match adjectives, such as “calm”, “angry”, “sunny”, to the colours they find most appropriate. Ask them to describe their personality and identify their favourite colour. Is there a link? Highlight the importance of cultural awareness when trading abroad. After Eight Mints only took off in Italy when the packaging was brightened up, and another company failed when it tried to export white wedding dresses to India.
KS4 A little project on idioms can be fun and draws attention to the dangers of literal translation. What does “blaumachen” mean? Or “rire jaune”? What is “un chiste verde”? * KS5 Use the internet to investigate the cultural and psychological significance of colours. Try www.paintcafe.comfrcouleurlangagepsychologieindex.asp in French or www.beta45.defarbcodestheorieheller.html in German.
* Answers to KS4: blaumachen = to skip work; rire jaune = to pretend to laugh, give a forced laugh; un chiste verde = a blue joke
