The Internet TESL Journal

Are you a Good Socializer

Gerard Counihan
profesorSs [at] blabla.es

Level: Adults, intermediate and up

Activity A

This activity is designed to get the students talking, and so should not provoke moments of tension or embarrassment. It should be done with humour.

Answer these questions.

  1. When you are introduced to a stranger, do you normally become tense?
  2. Do you try to be the centre of attention of groups?
  3. Do you consider yourself a successful person, socially speaking?
  4. Do you find it difficult to demonstrate in public some of your personal skills (such as telling jokes, dancing, singing ...)?
  5. Do you have problems when speaking in public?
  6. Are you happy/satisfied with your own image?
  7. Would you eat alone in a crowded restaurant?
  8. Do you feel quite skilled at socialising
  9. Do you accept praise gracefully and naturally?
  10. During meetings/encounters with strangers, do you listen more than speak?
  11. Do you show your feelings to friends you don't know very well yet?
  12. Do you go red when someone shouts after you in public?
  13. Do you feel inferior when introduced to an important person?
  14. Do you often think that your contributions to a debate can be relevant?
  15. When you are going to be presented in public, do you sweat, shake a bit, and feel insecure ...?
  16. Would you be able to imitate a famous person?

(Loosely based on a test from QUO, June 1998, Spain.)

Calculate your score.

Discussion

Activity B

As a related activity, you could show them the following list of social types:

Social Types

Get the students to define, in their own way, each of these arbitrary names. They are supposedly, the main types of characters which abound on

the planet Earth. Are there any more types of people? The extrovert? The introvert?

Here are some definitions of the above terms:

Discussion


The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. V, No. 2, February 1999
http://iteslj.org/