Stereotypes
A teaching module

Objectives:

• develop cross-cultural awareness and understanding
• practice language skills
• practice collaborative skills
• show students how stereotypes are formed and what they can lead to if not acknowledged and rebutted.
• learn how to challenge bias, unfairness and stereotypical views.

Level: intermediate and above

A- Warm -up (Pre-teaching vocabulary)

1. Group the following adjectives under categories (taste, attitude, feelings, organization, etc) and indicate which are positive or negative traits. Ask them to check the meaning or translation in the dictionary if they are not sure (teachers may substitute these adjectives for easier synonyms according to students' level of English)

appetizing, aloof, mean, polite, honest, solid, ardent, bland, pleasant, organized, friendly, tedious, sloppy, methodical, chaotic, systematic, tidy, unpleasant, nasty, passionate, tender, uninterested, cruel, organized, cold, negligent, horrifying, untidy, refined, insipid, flavourless, tasty, reliable, careless, unstable, romantic, uninteresting, sophisticated, dull ,disciplined, unresponsive, messy,

B - Introduce concept/practice vocabulary in situation

Fill in the following handout completing the sentences with the adjectives listed above.

B - Develop ideas/discuss

One or two students should take notes of the ideas that come up so as to be able to report them back at the end of the class.

1) Working with two or three people, compare your answers and see if you have come to the same conclusion. Share with the class.

2 )Choose two or three other nationalities that are participating in the twinning and brainstorm common stereotypes that you have heard people use about them.

2) Working on your own, write down five or six stereotypes for your own nationality.

3) Was it easy to complete the sentences? Did your answers come naturally? Why? Why not?

4) Did the completed statements make you feel uncomfortable? Why? Why not?

5) In general, were your responses positive or negative?

6) List the stereotypes under positive, negative or neutral. What does this tell us about stereotypes?

7) Fill in the following questionnaire on your own and later discuss it with your teacher and colleagues. You may use :
A= I agree B= I'm not sure C= I disagree

• National stereotypes are dangerous because they may provoke racial prejudice.
• Stereotypes contain a certain amount of truth.
• There is no such thing as national character and therefore the idea of national stereotypes is rubbish.
• The reason stereotypes exist is because people are afraid of diversity, change, and what is unknown. They prefer to cling to simple classifications, which maintain an old, familiar and established order.
• Stereotypes are simply harmless sorts of jokes we tell about other nationalities or groups of people.
  

8) What is, in your opinion, the best way to challenge a stereotype.

9) What you have seen here are national stereotypes. Can you think of other kinds of stereotypes?

C - Homework

• Participating groups should compose a report to be sent to the teacher by e-mail on the results of this class.
• Students should find other examples of how stereotypes are used.
  
  Extra resources for teachers:
  
  
• Definition stereotypes
• Reading Comprehension text and vocabulary exercises
• Europe and Italy
  
  Other lesson plans and material on stereotypes
  
  
• Media Stereotyping
  
• Teaching Awareness of Stereotyping
• Stereotypes of the French
• Stereotypes The World According to
  
  
  
  Barbara Dieu - The English Department