Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Look at the picture

Read the questions

Think about the topic

Pre-Listening

What do know know about “body language”?

What does it communicate to other people about you?

Can body language change the way you think about yourself?

Watch the following TED Talk by Amy Cuddy.

Here are some questions to check your comprehension.

1. What is the main idea of the talk?

• You can change outcomes by changing your body language.

• Your body language determines what you think about yourself.

• Body language gives you clues to what others are thinking.

2. Who is influenced by non-verbals?

• Oneself

• Other people

• Both oneself and others

3. What (two) animal behaviors do people also exhibit in their body language?

4. What does “fake it till you make it” mean?

• Pretend that you will make something that you really won’t

• Act as if you have confidence, and you will become confident.

• Make a fake impression, and people will not notice your weakness.

5. What did the study find about “high power” and “low power” poses in job interviews?

6. What did the speaker’s experience at Princeton teach her?

7. What are the speaker’s recommendations for the audience?

Read and Pronounce

Read the full transcript here.

Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.

Speaking Instructions

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Do you agree or disagree that body language shapes who you are?

Why or why not?

Learning and Practice

Read the vocabulary words below.

Do you know what they mean?  Can you guess from the context?

Practice pronunciation with your tutor.  Try to use the words in sentences.

Use some of today’s vocabulary words and summarize the main ideas of the Talk.

Vocabulary Words and Expressions

non-verbals

pose(s)

tweak

wink

hunch(ing)

dominance

virtually

collaborator

hormone(s)

testosterone

cortisol

assertive

hierarchy(-ies)

gamble

configure

hypothesis

primate

heckle(d)

quicksand

evaluative

impostor

traumatic