What’s your background?

Culture, geography and personal identity

Tell us a bit about yourself…
background | ˈbakɡraʊnd |

1 the part of a picture, scene, or design that forms a setting for

the main
figures or objects, or appears furthest from the viewer: the house
stands against a background of sheltering trees | the
word is written in white on a red background.

2 the circumstances or situation prevailing at a particular time or

underlying a particular event: the political and economic
background | [as modifier] : background information. • a person's
education, experience, and social circumstances: she has a
background in nursing | her voice suggested a tenacious, working-
class background.
Where were you born? Where did you grow
up? Can you tell us a bit about your
educational background? Where do you live
now? What do you do for a living? What are
your interests/hobbies? How would you
describe yourself to somebody you have
just met? What would you say are your
focuses in life? What are your plans for the
immediate future? And in the long term?
What languages do you speak? Why are you
doing this course?
 Ask your partner…

Now that you’ve heard your partners’

introductions, feel free to ask them some
questions of your own!
Your relationship with English…
How would you describe your relationship with
the English language?
What are your goals/needs?
How much contact do you have with the
language? Where and when?
What do you like about the language?
Is there anything that causes you issues?
What do you feel you would like to improve?
What are you happy with?
How do you practice your English apart from this
course?
How does English compare to other languages?
Questions of identity
How would you describe your identity?
How would others recognize your identity?
Would you say your identity is more
continental, national or local?
To what extent do the following factors play a
part in your sense of identity? Food. Clothes.
Timetables. Humour. Language.
Relationships.
What do you feel has most contributed to
making you who you are?
Language, culture, geography
• How do/does the language(s) we speak affect our identity?
• Do you think that geography and climate play a role in our
sense of identity?
• How does national/local history affect our identities?
• Do you think that cultural identity has changed/is changing
where you are from?
• What does it mean to be your identity in the first half of the
21st Century?
Language changes
Language changes
How would you say your language has changed/is
changing recently?
How do you feel about this?
What other languages affect yours? Can you think of
any examples?
Which languages will have the most influence in the
21st Century and why?
Which languages are your favourites and why?
Are there any languages you have never studied but
are interested in? Why?
What English expressions have you learnt recently
that you found amusing/interesting/odd?
 Any questions?

Do you have any questions about English or the

material that you have been looking at that
you would like to ask or talk about?