Class 5

Gender stereotypes

Intro: Fill in the blanks and then say what the stereotype is. Do you agree with each statement.?



Listening: Watch the video and answer the questions:

1. Why is the woman annoyed at her boyfriend ?

2, Why does he not immediately understand this?

3. After taking the Manslator’s advice, what does he decide to do instead?

4. What has the man forgotten in the second situation?

5. Listen to all the sentences that the Manslator translates. What is the stereotype about Men/women in each one?

6. What do you have to do to get a Manslator?

7. What is the company’s slogan?

Grammar: Present perfect: Explanation

Practice: Have you ever Questionnaire

Reading text - Women in a man’s world
Read the text and then put the paragraph headings into the correct place.

a) Fighting fire
b) The tide is turning
c) The benefits
d) All things being equal
e) Skills gap

Women in a man’s world 1) Women are moving away from their traditional role in the workplace – of secretary, carer, cleaner or cashier – and seeking a career in jobs usually carried out by men. But there is still a long way to go until a gender balance in the workplace is achieved. 2) In UK schools, girls continue to be advised to pursue stereotypical careers. However, the shortage of skilled workers such as plumbers, electricians and gas fitters – due in part to a lack of investment in vocational qualifications - has meant that women are realising they have an opportunity to try something different. Lorraine Winns had been working for the National Health Service (NHS) for 12 years when she decided she needed a change so trained to be a gas fitter. ‘…I just couldn’t bear the thought of doing the same job for another 10 years. In this job, I get to use my head and my hands…’. According to Michelle, a gas fitter since the age of 16, her colleagues have been welcoming but the same cannot be said about the customers. Women in particular are finding it difficult to come to terms with female gas fitters – ‘some of them will answer the door in a negligee, expecting to get a man’, says Michelle. (source: The Independent, 1 October 2005) 3) There are added incentives available to those who consider such a career change. Grants are available for the training, salaries are high – typically starting at around £30,000 - and there is the added benefit of the flexibility to work for yourself. 4) Across the border in Scotland, the number of women who become fire-fighters has tripled in the past 10 years. Jill Robertson is a fire-fighter in Aberdeen. She says, ‘…the image of the fire service is a macho one but all the guys are fully supportive of us’. Anyone over 18 can join the fire service and there are no specific academic requirements. (source: The Times, 19 September 2005) 5) The Equal Opportunities Commission wants to see this trend continue and is campaigning for girls at school to be encouraged to take up a skill not usually associated with women. Its aim is for men and women to have equal chances in life. Writing:  Choose a question and write a personal response Are there any jobs that you’ve never seen a woman do? If so, why do you think this is? Are there any jobs that you’ve never seen a man do? If so, why do you think this is? Do you think there are equal opportunities in your country in the world of work? Why / why not? Are the job opportunities that are open to you today the same as the job opportunities your parents / grandparents had? Do you think the world of work is changing? Why / why not?