“How to talk like a Samaritan”

I’m planning to listen to every last back episode of Word of Mouth, a podcast from BBC Radio 4. One exceptionally good episode that I heard this week: “How to talk like a Samaritan.”

The episode focuses on how talking and listening can help people in crisis. The discussion references the Samaritans’ campaign Small Talk Saves Lives, which encourages people to strike up a conversation with anyone who seems to be in need of help (or, if a conversation doesn’t seem possible, to alert someone else). Sample starters from the Samaritans website: It’s a warm evening, isn’t it? What train are you going to get? What’s your name? Do you need any help? Are you okay?

So many times, talking with a student after class or in my office, I found myself asking, “Are you okay?” It’s never the wrong question to ask.