Grown Where You Stand
Grammar: Conditionals
A Level 4 English lesson exploring society.
What's in this lesson
A Level 4 (upper intermediate) ESL lesson on society, practising conditionals. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Grown Where You Stand
In 1980, Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede published data from 116,000 surveys across 40 countries — and the results were striking. People in Japan scored roughly three times higher on "collectivism" than people in the United States. In other words, Japanese respondents consistently described themselves in terms of their group: their family, their company, their community. Americans consistently described themselves as individuals first. Hofstede argued that these were not random personal preferences. They were the product of upbringing — of the values, routines, and social expectations absorbed during a person's formative years.
Vocabulary
- upbringing
- formative years
- collective cultures
- individualism
- social conditioning
- internalise
- belonging
- Cultural norms
- fluid
Grammar: Conditionals
- Mixed: past → present
- If I had grown up in Seoul, I would think differently now. — past condition, present result
- Mixed: present → past
- If I weren't so shaped by my culture, I would have chosen a different path. — present condition, past result
Discussion questions
- Have you noticed how people from different countries apologise differently?
- Why do you think some societies celebrate standing out while others reward fitting in?
- Do people from your country tend to describe themselves by their job, family, or personality first?
Grown Where You Stand
Grammar: Conditionals
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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