English with Jo

This is the preparation material for an English conversation lesson about stereotypes.  A stereotype is an over generalized belief about a particular group of people.  There are many kinds of stereotypes but the most common ones are those to do with nationality, religion, age and gender.  Using stereotypes is a way to simplify our social world and they can help us to respond quickly to situations because we may have had a similar experience before. But one disadvantage is that it makes us ignore differences between individuals and we may judge a person without even knowing anything about them.

Vocabulary 

Nationality Stereotypes

How accurate do you think these stereotypes are?

• Italian people eat pasta ever day
• The best machines come from Germany
• British people are very serious
• The French are the most romantic people
• Americans like eating hamburgers
• Australians see kangaroos every day

Conversation Questions

• What do people think of when they think of your country?
• Do you think the stereotypes about your country are true or false?
• What comes to mind when you think about America?
• Do you know of any stereotypes about British people?
• What are some stereotypes you know of about women?
• What are some stereotypes about men?
• Where do we learn these gender stereotypes?
• What stereotypes exist about people who are blonde?
• Do you think some stereotypes are true?
• What are the advantages of making a stereotype?
• What are the disadvantages of making stereotypes?
• What are stereotypes and how do they affect people’s lives?
• What stereotypes exist about religion?
• Can you think of any events in history that were influenced by stereotypes and biases?
• How do people learn to make stereotypes? How might they unlearn them?
• How can the media (newspapers, television, movies) help to reduce stereotyping?
• What do you think an individual can do to help reduce bias and stereotyping?