UNIT 1 - AGAINST STEREOTYPES AND COMMONPLACES

DEFINITION

What is a stereotype? A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified

image or idea of a particular type of person related to their age, race, gender,
nationality and sexual orientation.

AGREEING AND DISAGREEING

(source: English Vocabulary in Use Third Edition, CUP)

SPEAKING

ACTIVITY 1. What do you think of when you hear the word British? Do you know of any
stereotypes about British people?

Watch the video and write down the stereotypes which the people interviewed
mention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHicVuA43iQ

Posh accent. FALSE

Number 1: ____________________________________________________________
Tea. They love tea. TRUE
Number 2: ____________________________________________________________
They are snobby. FALSE
Number 3: ____________________________________________________________
Bad hygiene. FALSE
Number 4: ____________________________________________________________

Bad weather. TRUE

Number 5: ____________________________________________________________
All of us are butlers. TRUE
Number 6: ____________________________________________________________

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 ACTIVITY 2. Do you agree or disagree with the following national stereotypes? Explain:

1. The British are violent mad football freaks I partly agree, because they are football fanatics, but I don't think all of them are violent
2. The Italians are good lovers but bad workers I don't agree because is posible that there are many good Italian workers.
3. The Chinese eat everything that moves Chines don't everithing that moves, they eat some food different that ours.
4. The Germans are very punctual I agree with this, it isn't dificult to be more punctual that spanish.
5. The Swiss love clocks I disagree with this because I am sure that there are many Swiss that hates clocks.

VOCABULARY. ADJECTIVES

Choose two adjectives from the bulleted list that you think describe the nationalities
mentioned below. Choose two countries of your own to describe.
 punctual  outgoing  sensitive  aggressive
 tolerant  nationalistic  talkative  polite
 romantic  well-dressed  sociable  rude
 respectful  humorous  serious  arrogant
 hard-  lazy  quiet  ignorant
working  sophisticated  formal  casual
 emotional  sympathetic  hospitable  mean
(source: https://www.thoughtco.com/national-sterotypes-1210269)

ACTIVITY 1. Write down three false friends:

______________________
sympathetic (empático no simpático) ______________________
sensitive (sensible no sensitivo) ______________________
casual (informal no casual)

ACTIVITY 2. Write down three adjectives whose opposites are in the list:
___________________________
formal /__________________________
casual

___________________________
lazy /__________________________
hard-working

___________________________
polite rude
/__________________________
ACTIVITY 3. Write down the opposite of:
Punctual ______________________
unpunctual

Tolerant Intolerant
______________________
Respectful _______________________
disrespectful

NEGATIVE PRFEFIXES

Negative prefixes Meaning Examples

a-/an- lack of amoral
dis- the converse of dishonest
in-/im-/il-/ir- not Inaccurate, impossible,
irrelevant, illegal
non- not non-conformist
un- not unable

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ACTIVITY 4. Negative prefixes
SOURCE: https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/negative_prefixes_exercises/prefixes-
describing-people/75672

Unfrendly Irregular Impossible Insincere Ilegal Dishonest

Unhappy Irresponsible Impacient Incapable Ilogical Disobedient
Unsensitive Impolite Informal Disloyal
Unconfortable
Immodest Incorrect
Inpractical
Inexpensive

dishonest
irresponsible
ilegal
Uncapable
Inpractical

Impossible

Unhappy

ilogical
disobedient

irregular
unfrendly
disloyal
impacient
Inexpensive
insincere
impolite
informal
Unconfortable
insensitive

ACTIVITY 5. Define the following words:

Punctual ______________________________________________________________
Someone who is never late

Talkative _____________________________________________________________
Someone that talk too much

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COUNTRIES AND NATIONALITIES. Write down the nationality:
(adapted from: https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/words/countries_eu.htm)

Flag Country Capital Languages People

Denmark Copenhagen Danish Danish-Dane

Finland Helsinki Finnish Finnish-Finn

France Paris French French-Frenchmen-

Frenchwomen

Germany Berlin German German

Greek
Greece Athens Greek

Iceland Reykjavik Icelandic Icelander, icelandic

Ireland Dublin Gaelic/English Irish

Italy Rome Italian Italian

The Netherlands/ Netherlands- Dutchman-The duch-

Amsterdam Netherlander
Holland Dutch

Norwegian
Norway Oslo Norwegian

Poland Warsaw Polish Polish/Pole

Portugal Lisbon Portuguese Portuguese

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Flag Country Capital Languages People

Romania Bucarest Romanian Romanian

Russia Moscow Russian Russian

Spain Madrid Spanish Spanish/Spaniard

Sweden Stockholm Swedish Swedish-Swede

German/
Switzerland Bern French/ Swiss
Italian

Turkey Ankara Turkish Turkish-Turk

The United Kingdom

London English British-Welsh-Sco
or Great Britain
ttish-
Irish

READING

ACTIVITY 1. Read the following text and answer the questions:

Spanish stereotypes by Priyanka Blogger

After spending a semester in Cádiz and eight months in Ciudad Real, I have been trying
to work out which Spanish stereotypes have some truth in them and which don’t.

Stereotype: Spain is always warm and sunny.

This is not true. The city I stayed in, which was in central Spain, became colder than
London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets
unbearably hot in summer. Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain. In
Andalusia (southern Spain), for example, temperatures can be cool but pleasant in the
winter, but become very high in summer. Northern Spain is colder in the summer and
also colder in winter.

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Stereotype: The Spanish eat a lot of tapas.
In the places I have lived this is true, but in restaurants they are normally only served
when you order a drink. Tapas are not a meal. For main meals, people might order a
few raciones, which come as big portions to be shared between a group of friends.

Stereotype: Spanish women use fans.

This is in fact true. I myself thought it was just an image, but where I have been is very
common to see Spanish women fanning themselves in the summertime, because the
temperatures in some parts of Spain reach up to 45 degrees.

Stereotype: The Spanish love to have fun.

I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true. The Spanish people I met tended to be
very warm and open. Spaniards love to celebrate life through different festivals
throughout the year. As well as religious festivals, they celebrate others such as ‘La
Tomatina’, a festival in Valencia where people throw tomatoes at each other. There
are trucks of tomatoes driving through the streets.

Stereotype: Spain is famous for its flamenco.

This is true. Flamenco originated in Andalusia, southern Spain. Both locals and tourists
enjoy watching flamenco shows just as much, especially in Andalusia. It is also possible
to see them in Madrid and Barcelona, but they tend to be more for tourists. For the
most authentic experience, I recommend seeing a flamenco show in Cádiz or Jerez de
la Frontera, put on by people who live there for a mostly local audience.

(adapted from: https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/magazine/life-around-world/spanish-stereotypes)

ACTIVITY 2. Answer the questions:

What does the writer think of the Spanish weather?

The writer thinks that the weather depends on the part of Spain where you are.
Correction: She thinks that not all of Spain is warm and sunny.
Does the writer consider Spanish ‘tapas’ a real meal?
The writer considers that tapas aren't real meal, to eat you have to ask for portions.
Correction: No, she doesn't. Because for real meal they ask for for raciones.
Who does the writer say use fans in Spain?
In Spain use fans the spanish women.
Correction: The writer says that only Spanish women use fans.
The writer uses two adjectives of the Spaniards character. Which ones?
The writer use the adjetives warm and open.
Correction: The writer thinks that Spanish people are warm and open.
According to the writer, is Spain famous for flamenco? Do you agree?
Yes, the writer thinks that Sapin famous for flamenco. I'm agree to the writer, the flamenco is the most
popular music in Spain, "it's a spanish icon".

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 WRITING. AN INFORMAL E-MAIL

To write a good informal e-mail, the first thing we need to know is the different parts
of it:

 Greetings: we greet the other person (i.e. say “hi” or “hello”).

 Opening paragraph: we react to the other person’s news and ask them how they
are feeling and whatever else you feel is appropriate.
 Main paragraph 1: in this paragraph we deal with the first important point, which
we can identify in the instructions.
 Main paragraph 2: if there is a different point to deal with, this paragraph will do so.
 Closing paragraph: in this paragraph we “start” to say goodbye by wishing the other
person well and asking them to reply to your letter.
 Goodbye: we use a short expression to say goodbye.
 Signature: we sign the letter with our name.

ACTIVITY 1. This is part of an e-mail you have received from an English penfriend.

I’m doing a project about stereotypes. Can

you write and tell me about true and false
stereotypes in Spain?
Thanks

Now write your e-mail (100 words)

Hi Mary!

I am happy that you write to me. I haven't heard from you in a long time! How's everything going? For your message I
believe you're still in the sociology department at Cambridge.

Well, there are the typical stereotypes about Spain: bullfights, sun and beach and of course we all eat paella. It's true
that three are traditions, but not everyone likes bullfighting, paella and the beach. The beach is only on the coast and
the authentic paella is the Valencian paella. Bullfighting is a topic of debate in Spain, as there are very bullfighting
people and anti-bullfighting people. Therefore, they are "false" stereotypes, and depend on where you are and who
you talk to.The true stereotype is that Spanish people loves party.

I hope to see you soon, a kiss.

Elena