stereotype

Academic English

ACADEMIC WORD OF THE DAY

A stereotype is an inaccurate, exaggerated (and usually negative) image of people or places. So, for example, a stereotypical English person is supposed to be punctual and to enjoy queuing and talking about the weather. Of course, there is sometimes ‘a grain of truth’ in a stereotype! But stereotypes can be dangerous when they stop people from appreciating diversity and individuality or when they are used as an excuse to look down on people from a particular culture because of unfair and exaggerated prejudices.

TEST

Here are four sentences with the word of the day. Three of them are correct – which is the odd one out?

Our research project aims to develop an evidence-based stereotype of kiwi culture.

She was red-haired and quick-tempered and seemed to fit the stereotype of a celtic woman, though she was, in fact, Italian.

Children need to hear stories of strong, successful women that challenge the stereotypes that they may have picked up from popular culture.

A liking for gossip has long been seen as a stereotypical female trait.

PRACTICE

What national stereotypes do you know? Where do you think these stereotypes come from? Is there ‘a grain of truth’ in any of them? Have you met people who do not fit the stereotype at all?

KIWI QUIZ QUESTION

Brown’s Bay on the North Shore of Auckland is as especially popular place to live for migrants from which country? China / Korea / South Africa

ONLINE VIDEO

(Copy and paste this url into your web browser to see the video on the TED site. There you can click on 'view interactive transcript' to read at the same time as listening)

https://www.ted.com/talks/rosie_king_how_autism_freed_me_to_be_myself?language=en

This is a short presentation by a 16-year old girl called Rosie King from England. She challenges the stereotype about what people with autism are like. Pause the podcast and try to answer the questions below while you watch and listen. Afterwards, you can play the end of the podcast to check your answers.

1) Rosie argues that autism is more __________ than most people think.

SERIOUS / VARIED / DIFFICULT

2) Which character from a Hollywood film do most people think of in relation to autism?

BIRDMAN / SPIDERMAN / RAINMAN

3) At school, Rosie found it difficult to ____________

PAY ATTENTION TO THE LESSON / USE HER IMAGINATION / REMEMBER FACTS AND FIGURES

4) Rosie finds it hard to understand why a lot of people work hard to be _____

NORMAL / SUCCESSFUL / DIFFERENT

5) In what way are Rosie’s younger brother and sister different from her?

THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTISM / THEY DO NOT SPEAK / THEY DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL