Task 2:

Writing: Do people’s name affect their personality?

This aspect of personality is known as individual difference. Some
researchers have found an unusual association between the name of a person
and his/her personality. They even go so far as to say that people with the same
names seem to have similar personalities.

Reading text:

Shakespeare said that a Rose by any other name would not smell as sweet. But
there’s evidence that suggests that he was wrong in this assertion.

Parents often give a great deal of thought to what name they will give their baby.
Some parents want unique names that will distinguish their child while others
choose names that are particularly feminine or masculine.

A person’s name has been shown to be associated with a number of later

characteristics. In eight studies conducted in two different countries, researchers
found that a person’s name was related to what they later looked like. People
were able to pick the right name for strangers more accurately than what would
result from chance.

These relationships between our own name related expectations and the
messages we receive from others continue to affect us throughout our lifetime.
This results in people with the same name coming to develop a similar physical
appearance and behaviour.
For example, say you are a woman named Jasmine. Since this a floral name,
social coding may lead you to act in a feminine manner, to smile demurely, wear
flowing dresses, grow your hair long, and speak softly. You may behave in a way
that you perceive to be easy going, non-confrontational, kind-hearted and
“sweet.”

If you are a woman who has a name that might be unisex or given more often to
men than women, you might be more outgoing, assertive, and feel freer to push
the boundaries of gender stereotypes. These characteristics may affect what
subjects in school you favour, what hobbies you take up and what career you
pursue.

In addition to appearance, our names are associated with our personality,

character, the way we act and our psychological adjustment. As far back as
1948, studies indicated that the names we are given affect how we perform later
in life. One study looked at 3300 men who had or should have recently
graduated from college to see if their names were associated with their
academic performance.

Those men with unusual names, were found to be more likely to have flunked
out and to have experienced psychological problems than those with common
names. It was concluded that rare names could negatively affect a person’s
psychological and academic adaptation. Common names may serve to help
make the person feel like they fit in better, leading to better overall adjustment.

These commonalities in our expectations affect us based on how we perceive

our name. The way others others treat us based on their expectations regarding
our name also affect us as we will unconsciously try to live up to these
expectations in a type of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Extract from an article by Natalie C. Frank, has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

 Now it’s your turn to write.

Tips

1- Give your opinion on this matter: Say whether you agree or disagree with
the statement. ... For each paragraph give a reason to support your
opinion. Conclusion: Summarize your ideas and repeat your opinion
using different words.
2- Remember to give examples.
3- Work on the vocabulary and grammar you need (verbal tenses,
connectors, expressions…)

Common phrases
Many phrases are suitable in everyday speech and some types of
writing, such as on blogs and personal websites. You have probably
already seen or used some of these phrases:

 I think…
 I believe…
 I feel…
 In my opinion… and
 I would say…
For example, imagine you have your own food website. Today you’re
writing or talking about the world’s best street food. You might say:

In my opinion, Bangkok has the best street food.

Add strength

But suppose you wanted to make the statement stronger. You can do it
by adding an adverb or adjective. For example:

 I really think…
 I strongly believe…
 I truly feel… or
 In my honest opinion…
In addition, giving reasons for your opinion adds strength to the claim.
Let’s hear the street food statement again:
 In my honest opinion, Bangkok has the best street food. I have never
seen more choices of what to eat – and everything I’ve tried has been
delicious!

Formal phrases

Next, let’s look at a few phrases that are more common

in formal situations. You might, for example, hear one of these at a
business meeting or a conference, or in a formal paper:

 From my point of view…

 From my perspective…
 In my view… or
 It seems to me that…
Here’s an example:

In my view, cruise ships should be banned. They produce massive

amounts of waste and use the dirtiest fuel in the world.

Though phrases like “In my view…” are usually more formal than ones
like “I think,” there is no rule for where or when you can use them. It’s
often a matter of personal choice.

Final thoughts

You’ve probably observed that, in real life, many people state opinions
without using an opening phrase. They might just say, “Summer is
better than winter,” for example. Though this is acceptable with friends
or family or for lighter subjects, avoid doing this in professional
situations or for heavier subjects.