Girl Power for ESL: Readings on Gender and Future Tense

Just in time for Wonder Women's new opening!

I.            Songs

1. “Try” by Colbie Caillat (Lyrics)
2. “Grown Woman” by Beyoncé (Lyrics)
3.  "Roar" by Katy Perry (ESL Lesson, lyrics)

II.          Grammar: Future Tense

1.     Functions, Forming and Contractions

2.    Practice, 2

3.    Conversation Questions, 2, Dialogues

4.    Writing

Example: We (clean) will clean on Tuesday. (We just decided to clean.)

Example: (drive) Will you drive on Sunday? (A decision about driving is being made.)

Example: Governor Taylor (sign) is going to sign the new law.

Example: Stan (share) is going to share a room with Tim next year.

5.    Games

6.    Extra Activity: Creating a Time Capsule + More

III.       Readings

Pre-Reading Discussions and Introduction:

 What is gender? Does Taiwan have sexism?

Handouts: A Class/B Class

Europe’s First Top Female Referee (B Class)

This reading is about Bibiana Steinhaus 畢碧安娜·施泰因豪斯:  

13 minute version here

 B Vocabulary

1.     Female

2.    Referee (n.) referee (v.)

3.    Look forward to something

4.    Media

5.    Pressure

6.    Get used to something

7.    Experience

8.    Speechless

9.    curious

After you read, answer the questions:

1.     Why is she happy?

2.    Why does she have a lot of experience?

3.    Why is it rare (not common) for a woman to be a referee?

4.    What is your dream? How would you feel if it came true?

5.    What can you do to make your dream come true?

Highschool changes Sexist Women’s Study婦女問題研究 Course 課程  (B Class)

[For more on body image click here]

Vocabulary (B):

1.     criticize (v.)

2.    critic (n.)

3.    online

4.    sexist

5.    subject

6.    polite

7.    etiquette

8.    enhance

9.    reproductive

10.  positive

A school in Canada has been criticized online for its women's studies course課程. Critics thought it had sexist subjects that were unfit for women in the 21st century. These included 'polite conversation,' dinner party etiquette, and 'nail application skills' (敷 指甲油). There was also a course on how to "enhance your style…face and body shape". The course did also have lessons on web design, reproductive health, the role of women in history, and beauty in the media.

A leading critic was actress Siobhan Bryn. She wrote: "This is unbelievably sexist. Women's studies is not fashion流行款式 and putting on a lunch." She said the course looked like it was from the 1950's. Another critic said it was very "offensive冒犯的  and disrespectful". The school has now removed the subjects. A spokesman said: "It looks like we're supporting stereotyping girls….We want [our kids] to have a positive image身體意象  and build self-esteem 自尊,…to analyze分析 things critically."

Answer the questions:

1.     What was wrong with this course?

2.    Who do you think wrote the course?

3.    How has stereotypes for women changed?

4.    Do you have a positive or negative body image? Explain why:

Mothers Get Less SleepThan Fathers (B)

Pre-reading Questions: What is the difference between a father who “helps with childcare” vs a father who fathers? Should a Dad be more than a babysitter? What kind of father do you have? What kind of parent do you want to be?

Vocabulary :

1.     Affect  影響 It's a disease that affects mainly older people. 這是一種主要侵擾老年人的疾病                                 

2.    Negatively                                

3.    Unaffected 未受影響的；未受傷害的；未被打斷的 The west of the city was largely unaffected by the bombing.該城西部基本上沒有受到轟炸的破壞。       

4.    Cause  原因，起因      She had died of natural causes.她是自然死亡                                   

5.    Lack 不足  Lack of sleep had made him irritable.睡眠不足令他煩躁易怒。                               

6.    Increase (v,) 增大；增加；增強  Incidents of armed robbery have increased over the last few years.持械搶劫案近幾年增多了                                

7.    Risk (n.) 風險；危險 In this business, the risks and the rewards are high.這個行業的風險和回報都很高。

8.    Diabetes 糖尿病

9.    Heart disease 冠狀動脈疾病

10.  depression 抑鬱症 Tiredness, loss of appetite, and sleeping problems are all classic symptoms of depression. 乏力、沒有食慾和失眠都是抑鬱症的典型症狀。

Mothers will not be surprised by a study that says that they get less sleep than fathers. Researchers looked at data on the sleeping habits of 5,800 men and women. They wanted to find out what affects their sleep. They found that having children in the house leads to less sleep for mothers. This negatively affects her daytime energy levels. The study found that fathers' sleep was mostly unaffected by having kids in the house.

Children are the biggest cause of mothers not sleeping. Dr Kelly Sullivan said each child increased a woman's risk of not sleeping by 46%. Just half of mothers under 45 with kids at home said they got seven hours of sleep a night. This figure was 62% for mothers with no kids at home. A lack of sleep is harmful. It increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Dr Sullivan said we needed to help mothers get the rest they need.

Post Reading Questions:

1.     What is the #1 reason for mothers not getting enough sleep?

2.    What are the negative effects of not getting enough sleep?

3.    Why do men’s sleep remain unaffected regardless不管怎樣 if he has children or not?

4.    Is it sexist that women do most of the parenting?

5.    What else about traditional family life is sexist?

6.    Even when a mother’s kids are not at home, how much sleep does she lose?______ Why?

7.    In your home is housework and parenting shared equally?
8.  How is fatherhood 父親的身分 and manhood 男子氣概 important for erasing sexism against women?

EXTRA:

Wonder Woman gets women-only screening, angering certain men 《神力女超人》女性專場放映會引男性不滿

Rise of young women going 'au naturel' as nearly a quarter now don't shave their underarms 自然解放浪潮來襲 近四分之一女性不再剃除腋毛

男士理想身材：想擁有"倒三角"？但你其實是"矩形" The IDEAL male body shape revealed: How men want to be 'inverted triangles' like sports stars Bolt and Ronaldo… but most are 'rectangles' like Becks and Harry Styles Egg Freezing For Female Employees  (B) Trial of Female Traffic Symbol  (B)

IV. Writing

Writing about Gay Marriage: How will Taiwan look like in a few years?

Using your new vocabulary words, write a paragraph about how the new ruling on gay marriage will affect Taiwan in the future. Will Taiwan be the same or different? Will people's ideas about gender, gender stereotypes, gender equality be different? Will people from other Asian countries come to Taiwan to get married? 

Use the FUTURE TENSE, think about the paragraph Hamburger (Topic sentence, details, closing sentence.)

Sources:

https://spinditty.com/playlists/Girl-Power-Playlist-Songs-About-Female-Empowerment

http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/simple-future-tense/

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/index.html
https://freeenglishlessonplans.com/2017/03/10/conversation-topic-everyday-sexism/

Gender Studies: Gender Roles

Guiding Questions: What are gender roles and how are they made and reinforced? Who benefits?

Vocabulary: 

Sexism  性別主義；（尤指對女性的）性別歧視，性別偏見

 gender  性別   

gender roles      ____________

gender inequality   __________     

feminism  女權主義；女權運動

 rape culture     (rape-強姦；強暴)

domestic violence   女性遭受的家庭暴力

male privilege  (privilege- 特權，特別待遇)

Activity 1:

Video clip  Do you think these stereotypes of men and women are accurate?  Audio discussion Download audio discussion about gender roles Download transcript of audio discussion

Activity 2: Fill in the Chart: Traditional Gender Stereotypes (Review Game)

Feminine	Masculine
Nurturing	Not nurturing
Tactful	Blunt
Kind	Cruel
Emotional	Logical

Gender Roles

Gender is a word commonly used for a person’s_______ (male or female). When people use the word gender in this way, it is often because sex has many other meanings, making it easy to ____________.  But there is a difference between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’.  The word ‘sex’ describes someone’s ______. It says whether someone is ____________ male or female, while the word ‘gender’ describes someone’s personality or character. It says if someone feels or acts more like a female (feminine) or more like a male (masculine).

Activity 3: Conversation Questions

I.            Characteristics

·         What do women tend to be better at than men?

·         What do men tend to be better at than women?

·         What behaviors are seen as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?

·         Are men and women equal in ability and intelligence?

·         Why is it sometimes seen as a sign of weakness for men to cry?

·         What things can men or women do that the other cannot do and why?

·         Are men and women really equal?

·         What are some more commonly held stereotypes with regards to women?

·         What are some more commonly held stereotypes with regards to men?

·         Do you think men and women can be equal in their physical ability?

·         Are there differences in the ways men and women communicate?

·         How do the friendships between men differ from the friendships between women?

II.          Employment

·         What professions are more popular with men?

·         What professions are more popular with women?

·         What are the typical jobs for men and women of your parents’ generation?

·         Is it possible for women to join the army in your country?

·         Are there more male or female managers and executives? Can women make effective managers and bosses?

·         Are there different barriers for men and women at work?

·         Are men and women treated equally – and paid equally – at work?

III.       Parenting

·         In your country are the responsibilities of a mother the same as the responsibilities of a father to their families?

·         Are fathers capable of carrying out the duties of a mother?

·         Are there different expectations for sons and daughters?

·         Should boys and girls be brought up differently?

·         Can men make effective caretakers of children?

·         What are the typical responsibilities of a father?

·         What are the typical responsibilities of a mother?

·         What do you think about men who stay home to look after the children while the woman goes to work?

·         Who do you think is easier to raise, boys or girls?

·         Is it ok for boys to play with girls’ toys and vice versa?

·         Do parents expect different things from sons than from daughters?

Role Reversal: Watch this video and answer the questions:

1. What is role reversal?
2. If its ridiculous to see men in these ads why isn't it equally ridiculous for women?
Try Role playing the opposite sex and demonstrate some traditional gender roles

GENDER BIAS IN LANGUAGE : A DOUBLE STANDARD

Reading: Young children must be protected from ingrained gender stereotypes

“A new study published this month by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that gender bias at primary school may in fact have long-term implications for pupils. The study saw several groups of students take two exams, one marked blind by outside examiners, the other marked by teachers who knew the students’ names. In math, girls outperformed boys on the anonymously marked exam, but boys outperformed girls when assessed by teachers who knew their names, suggesting that they may have overestimated the boys’ abilities and underestimated the girls. Tracking the pupils to the end of high school, the researchers found that boys who were given encouragement as youngsters not only performed better later on, but were also more likely to take advanced courses involving math, compared with girls who had been discouraged. They concluded: “Teachers’ over-assessment of boys in a specific subject has a positive and significant effect on boys’ overall future achievements in that subject, while having a significant negative effect on girls.” Of course, many teachers actively encourage girls into Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. But gender stereotypes are not only passed on at school. They also proliferate in the advertising, television, books, magazines and conversations that children are exposed to from a young age. One parent recently recounted to me the moment that their three-year-old daughter picked up a toy stethoscope, only for another well-meaning adult to swoop in and comment: “Ah, are you going to be a nurse?” Not, of course, that it wouldn’t be a fine choice of profession, but what would the corresponding comment have been had a little boy chanced upon the same toy? That young people might be deeply influenced by the gender stereotypes thrust upon them should give us all pause. How often do we heedlessly shower little girls with platitudes about prettiness and looks, or comment on how “big and strong” their brothers are growing? We hear comments about the sweetness and politeness of daughters, while sons are proudly described as boisterous instead. In the strictly segregated aisles of many toy stores, blue shelves mark off chemistry sets, dinosaurs and building tools as the domain of boys, while girls are left holding the (plastic) baby. Each individual incident is easily dismissed as harmless. And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with an individual child choosing to identify with any of these roles. But it’s the assumptions made for them that matter. Young children are not always equipped, as most adults are, with the critical tools to analyze and probe information – what is presented as fact is often absorbed without question. This might seem extreme, until, as I have, you visit a variety of primary school classrooms and start to realize just how many under-10s genuinely think that girls simply aren’t allowed to be footballers or doctors or lawyers. Ask your nearest small friend about these matters – you may be unpleasantly surprised. The silver lining is that change is happening. Several toy stores have abandoned gender segregation, partly thanks to the efforts of campaigns such as Pinkstinks and Let Toys Be Toys. The parent whose tweet first caught my eye later reported an excellent response and apology from the school. There is hope, too, in the reactions of children themselves. According to one project entry, a girl who faced her first experience of street harassment aged eight, when a passing man told her the muffin she was eating would “go straight to [her] hips”, patiently drew on her biology knowledge to explain: “No, it won’t, it has to go to my stomach first.”

Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the study’s conclusion in your own words?

2. What was the defining factor that affected the kids’ math test results?

3. What was the defining factor that affected the kids’ performance and math progress in elementary school?

4. Besides school, where do gender stereotypes come from?

5. How are gender stereotypes thrust upon children? (2)

6. What is the silver lining?

 

Reading: Boys Learn to Interrupt. Girls Learn to Shut Up.

 

Thanks to all my playdate co-hosting parents who tolerated me freakishly logging interruptions rather than hanging out with you, and thanks especially to the parents who let me observe playdates that my kid didn't participate in. I owe you one. Here's what I found. When boys and girls play together, boys interrupt more. A lot more. Over 10 hours of playdates I logged 472 interruptions total. That's an average of one interruption every minute and 16 seconds, which is more than twice as often as we saw in the corporate tech study. Not surprising, since a kids' playdate is a lot less structured than a formal corporate meeting. For two hours of observation time, I had another parent logging independently, and we were within two interruptions of each other in what we captured. Still, just as in the adult study, it is possible that I missed some. Six hours of playdate time included boys as part of the group, for a total of 291 of the total 472 interruptions logged across all 10 hours. Groups containing boys show an overall interruption rate of 48.5 interruptions per hour, and groups without boys show an overall rate of 45.25 interruptions per hour, so pretty similar. Groups of four kids had more interruptions than groups of two kids regardless of gender. But check out the interruption rates of boys and girls respectively during those six hours of coed playdates: Of the 48.5 interruptions per hour across the group, here's how many are contributed by boys and girls respectively: The more boys there are in the group, the less often girls in the group interrupt. The six hours of coed playdate time ranged in size from two to four kids. There were four types of coed groups: Group 1 had one boy and two girls for two hours of total time; Group 2 had one boy and one girl for 1.5 hours of total time; Group 3 had two boys and one girl for one hour of total time; and Group 4 had three boys and one girl for 1.5 hours of total time. I'd like to take credit for planning the groups this way, but the truth is that I took what I was able to get in terms of playdates available for eavesdropping. The higher the concentration of boys in the group, the more the girls stop interrupting: As the proportion of boys in the group increases, boys interrupt more and girls interrupt less. The data suggests that the reverse may also be true, but it takes more girls overall to bring the interruption rate to parity. And we'd need some even more girl-skewed playgroups to confirm. When girls play together without boys, they interrupt more. A lot more. Remember that the overall interruption rate is similar regardless of whether or not boys are part of the group. That means that when boys aren't around, girls pick up the slack in their own interruption rate. That's just basic math. But to make things even clearer, let's look specifically at the three girls who participated in both boy/girl and all-girl playdates.