13-14 June
Gender Roles
Do you see yourself as a typical man or woman? Why or why not?
In Turkey, what are the responsibilities of a mother and father?
Are there different expectations for sons and daughters?
Should boys and girls be brought up differently? Why or why not?
What habits or jobs are considered appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
Who do you think has an easier life, men or women? Why?
Do you think traditional gender roles are changing in your country? How?
Do you think women are given the same job opportunities as men? Why or why not?
Should there be jobs only for men or only for women? Why or why not?
What challenges do men face in society? What about women?
Are there any gender-related traditions in your culture?
What are some positive and negative aspects of traditional gender roles?
How does gender affect leadership roles in politics and business?
Related Words: gender roles, equality, inequality, stereotypes, expectations, responsibilities, social norms, cultural norms, masculinity, femininity, discrimination, bias, fairness, rights, opportunities, workforce, employment, leadership, empowerment, social change, traditional roles, modern roles, family roles, social expectations, gender identity, gender equality, societal pressure, cultural values, gender dynamics, social structure
Watch the videos above and discuss what you learned from them during your Spoken Cafe session
Meaning of Colours
Studies and experiments across years (2010, 2014, 2015 and more recently 2019) have given us more insight into colour psychology.
Red: Red is a brave colour choice that’s been associated with excitement, passion, danger, thrill, energy, and action. You may notice that some brands use red for their “call to action” buttons (“order now,” “shop now,” etc.). This is because red is an intense colour and it can provoke strong emotions, which can encourage you to buy things.
Orange: Orange is often representative of creativity, happiness, freedom, success, and balance. Marketers may use this colour to draw your attention to a catchy heading or important note on their website (many “alerts” are orange to catch your eye) —but orange isn’t nearly as brave as red.
Yellow: Happiness, positivity, and the warm summer sun are what yellow reminds us of. Brands may use yellow in their logo to make you feel happy when you see their products. Many “free shipping” icons on websites may be yellow to attract you to something cheerful and positive.
Blue: Blue is stable, harmonious, peaceful, and trustworthy. Brands that want to be most well-known for their durability, strength, or reliability will use blue in their logos. Many popular computer companies (Dell and HP) and websites (Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo) are known for their blue and white logos.
Green: Two of the things that make the world go round are associated with the colour green: nature and money. Green can show growth, fertility, health, wealth, wellness, or generosity. Green can also be associated with negative feelings such as jealousy or envy.
Purple: Purple can be connected to royalty, power, privilege, wisdom, and spirituality. Purple can be something of a frustrating colour as well, as it can cause feelings of frustration or arrogance – this is why websites and brands (Hallmark, Yahoo) will use purple or mix purple with a warmer tone, such as white.
Pink: Pink is often associated with femininity, playfulness and love, but pink can also be an immature colour. You will notice a lot of pink in a child’s toy packaging or brands to signal playful, capricious fun. Other brands (Victoria’s Secret, for example) have used the colour to mean something cute, fun, playful and hot.
White: White is often associated with purity – in Western cultures, white is for weddings and hospitals, often signifying purity, cleanliness, and order. Brands will often add white to offset more intense colours (such as red).
Black: Black can mean so many different things: boldness, uniqueness, mystery, intrigue and power. But it can also mean unhappiness, darkness, sadness, pain, or grief. Black is associated with death, but can also be associated with strength, luxury, and intensity.
Watch the videos above and discuss what you learned from them during your Spoken Cafe session
READ/SPEAK
Do you agree with the article above? Do colours have that much effect on your view?
Do you think colours can affect your emotions? Why or why not?
Do you think some colours are better for certain rooms in a house? Why?
What colour do you think best represents you? Why?
Have you ever seen a colour combination that you didn’t like? What was it?
Used to indicate that the speaker knows something but chooses to keep the identity of the informant secret.
“A little bird told me it was your birthday”
LEARN THE IDIOM AND SPEAK
Tell us about the biggest secrets of the world. Which ones do you think are real and which are just conspiracies?