All Professional English: HOW BIRTH ORDER CAN SHAPE YOUR PERSONALITY

HOW BIRTH ORDER CAN SHAPE YOUR

PERSONALITY

I Lead in.

A) Look at the list of adjectives below. Those adjectives describe personality. Divide them into positive, negative or neutral personality characteristics. Which of the adjectives can you use to describe yourself?

responsible; nervous; conscientious; conservative; dominant; experienced; dependent; outgoing; ambitious; strong; irresponsible; demanding; motivated; independent; sociable; honest; self-centred; diligent; power-orientated; open; predisposed (towards leadership); frivolous; selfish

D) Take a fun test: write 3 adjectives (that can describe personality) that come to your mind in 30 seconds. Click on the link to see the key to the test.

Discuss your results with other students. Do you agree with the results of the fun test?

II Key words. Read the sentences (1-8). The words in bold are used in the video. First guess the meaning of the words. Then match the words with their definitions (a-f).

1) Some people believe that children who have no siblings are likely to be selfish.

2) Some scientists believed that the order in which we were born to a family affects our personality.

3) For the middle children the pace of development is higher.

4) The only child doesn’t compete with any siblings.

5) Only children are often pampered by their parents

6) Studies have a number of inaccuracies.

7)Research doesn't take into account important social factors such as ethnicity, education, and relationships within a family.

8) The upbringing that children receive in their homes is a much more important factor in shaping their lives as individuals.

a) the way people are treated or educated when they are young

b) brothers or sisters

c) giving someone special treatment, giving someone everything the person wants

d) the speed with which something moves

e) has an influence on something or someone

f) to consider something

g) a situation in which something is not completely correct

h) try to be more successful than someone else

III Watch the video and divide the adjectives from the list above into three groups: personality characteristics of the oldest child, a middle child, the youngest child, an only child. Do you think the description is true for you? Why or why not?

the oldest child	a middle child	the youngest child	an only child

IV Watch the video and say if the statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.

1. There is a stereotype that the oldest child in the family tends to be very irresponsible.

2. The Birth Order Theory was developed by Alfred Adler, Sigmund Freud’s friend and colleague.

3. Alder believed that the order in which we made friends affects our personality.

4. According to Adler, the oldest child tends to be sociable and dependent

5. Oldest children often take responsibility for the younger siblings, so they are likely to take initiative when they grow up.

6. Middle children often struggle to surpass their parents.

7. Middle children are more likely to set unreasonably high goals to themselves.

8. As a rule the youngest child gets little care and attention from parents and even older siblings.

9. Youngest children often achieve big success; they become the fasted athletes, the best musicians, and most talented artists.

10. Only children are pampered by their parents.

11. Only children are often independent and people-centred.

12. The only child often has difficulty interacting with other children. Many children who have no siblings become perfectionists, and they usually achieve their goals no matter what.

V Watch the video and answer the questions.

1) What groups of people did scientists study to understand the relations between birth order and IQ level?

2) What groups of children showed higher performance in intelligence tests?

3) Did the scientists find any effects of birth order on emotional stability and imagination?

4) What groups of people did scientists study to understand the relations between birth order and personality?

5) What children (the oldest child, a middle child, the youngest child, or an only child) tend to be more conscientious and diligent?

6) What children tend to be honest and dominant, but less sociable and less resistant stress?

7) What children are likely to be open and sociable?

8) What children can be nervous, but they’re also quite outgoing and sociable?

9) Are the studies of connection between birth order and personality always accurate? Why or why not?

10) What other important factors can influence children’s personality?

VI OVER TO YOU.

A) Look at the “self-portrait” poem. Follow the instructions to write a poem about yourself. Share your poem in class (you can read it aloud or you can print it and display it as a poster (you are free to choose the type/font for your first and last name).

“Self-portrait” poem

1) Anna

2) loving, honest, independent, kind,

3) youngest daughter of Alexander and Helen

4) likes music, chocolate ice-cream, and warm days

5) afraid of spiders and darkness

6) would like to see the ocean

7) Martins

Instructions (write your poem)

1) your first name

2) four adjectives that describe you

3) where you are in your family, and your parents’ (caretakers’) names

4) three things you like

5) something you are afraid of

6) something you would like to do

7) your last name

B) Find two examples of the famous people (famous political leaders, scientists, artists) you admire or find interesting. Find out what role in their families those people had: were they the oldest child, a middle child, the youngest child, or an only child? Do you think that birth order influenced their personalities? Why or why not. Find the examples in their biographies that prove birth order theory right or wrong.

C) Express your opinion on the birth order theory. Do you think that birth order affects our personality?