Part 1: Stereotypes in the Media

1 SPEAKING
Assumptions about Regions in Colombia
Discuss in pairs the following questions.

• What are some assumptions Colombians have about each other?

• What do Colombians assume about Rolos? Paisas? Costeños?

Local Stereotypes

How would you define the word stereotype? (Take a few notes if
necessary)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Discuss your definition with a partner.

Now, read the following definition, paying special attention to

the bolded words. What do these words mean? How does this
definition compare to yours? What would you add to or change
about this definition?

“A mental picture that is held by members of a group

and that represents an oversimplified opinion,
prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment”.

Taken from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereotype

With your partner, make a list of stereotypes of people from different regions in Colombia. Consider their
attitude, appearance, and beliefs.

REGION ATTITUDE APPEARANCE BELIEFS

e.g.: Costeños Laid-back
 VOCABULARY TIP
Describing with Strong Words
Which of the following sentences sounds better?
• Julia was very happy to learn about the Afro hair movement .
• Julia was thrilled to learn about the Afro hair movement.
In English we can use strong adjectives rather than very + weak adjectives.

Go to the Vocabulary Reference

Go to Vocabulary Reference: Strong descriptive words

Part 2: Bizarre Stereotypes

1 LISTENING
a. There are many strange stereotypes around the world. Watch the following video about five bizarre
stereotypes and take note of how they have changed over time.

b. After watching, discuss the following questions in

small groups:

1. What is the main point of the video?

2. What does the video tell us about the nature of
stereotypes?

Past and Present Stereotypes

c. Rewatch the video and fill in the chart with the past
and present ethnic stereotypes.
Taken from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAfcPsiXuFs

Nationality Past Stereotype Present Stereotype

Japanese

Irish

German

Mexicans

Filipinos

d. Compare your chart with your group, and discuss the following questions:

• Why do you think stereotypes change?

• Why do you think people believe stereotypes?
Part 2: Bizarre Stereotypes
1 SPEAKING
Global Stereotypes
What are some common stereotypes about different world regions?

a. Look at the map and think of stereotypes about different regions in terms of attitude, appearance, and
beliefs. Discuss your opinions with a classmate.

b. Based on your discussion, complete the following chart. Choose three regions and list some of the stereo-
types associated with them.

REGION ATTITUDE APPEARANCE BELIEFS

e.g.: North America Materialistic?

Now discuss the following questions with your partner:

• Where do you think these stereotypes come from?

• Why do you think stereotypes exist?
Part 3: Stereotypes in the News
1 LISTENING
a. Watch the following video about stereotypes in the news and, while watching the video, answer the ques-
tions below.

Adapted from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYrAqrpshw

1. The video says that the one thing stereotyped 4. What does it mean when the narrator says to use
people cannot do is: a lens when reading the media?
a. Represent themselves a. Read many different sources to get multiple
b. Change stereotypes opinions
c. Avoid being stereotyped b. Don’t trust what you read
d. Stereotype others c. Think critically about the information you are being
told
2. What divisions are enforced by stereotypes? d. Always use glasses
a. Us vs. them
b. Rational vs. irrational 5. How does foreign media stereotype Latinxs?
c. Civilization vs. barbarism a. Drug lords
d. All of the above b. Football players
c. Dictators
3. According to the video, how does colonialism d. All of the above
create stereotypes?
a. Through education and government
b. Through literature and narrative USE OF ENGLISH TIP
c. Through hatred and misunderstanding Articles
d. Through art and religion
Look at the sentences below. How are they
different in meaning?
2 SPEAKING • I met a Colombian yesterday.
• I met the Colombian yesterday.
Reflection - Discuss the following questions in small
groups: • I met Colombians yesterday.
• I met the Colombians yesterday.
1. Who creates stereotypes? About whom?
2. Why is narrative such a powerful tool of oppression? English has three options for articles: the, a/an, and
3. How does the media reinforce stereotypes? no article. Do you remember how they are used?
4. What stories are you being told by the Colombian
Go to the Use of English Reference
media?
Part 4: Latin Stereotypes
1 READING & SPEAKING
a. What are some Latinx stereotypes in the foreign media? Describe them in terms of attitude, appearance,
and beliefs.

b. Read the following interview with Gina Rodriguez, a Latina American actress who won a Golden Globe for
her role in the show Jane the Virgin.

How did portrayals of Latinxs in American media affect her?

GINA RODRIGUEZ INTERVIEW

Interviewer: “Early on in your themselves?”
career you decided that you
weren’t going to take roles Gina: “I can tell you how it
unless they offered real role affected me: I felt invisible. Not
models for young latinas. As a just as a woman, but also as
young actress just starting out, a Latina that was dealing with
when roles might be harder to this dual identity in America. At
come by, how did you come to home, I had Arroz con Gondules
make that decision?” and my grandmother speaking
to me in Spanish.
Gina: “I think I was 27, heading to
Sundance and I was just annoyed Outside of home, it was hot dogs
at the opportunities. and hamburgers with friends
They were the same roles we who had no idea what it was like
have seen over and over again. to hide my other culture in fear
I wanted to play Sam, the office of being bullied, misunderstood,
nerd. Or Veronica, the comic or alienated.
book artist. Or Jane, the teacher.
I didn’t want to be limited because of my ethnicity or It was a crazy feeling as a young girl to only see myself,
skin color to the same stories that had been told a my culture, portrayed negatively on-screen or, even
million times and that’s exactly what it felt like, so I just worse, never portrayed at all. I felt like I didn’t belong
said, “No”. or I had to assimilate to be accepted or successful.
I missed out on learning perfect Spanish because
I grew up poor. I was already a broke-ass artist and Latinos weren’t the “good guys” on-screen, so god
what was I chasing? Money? Ha! I never once went into forbid anyone thought that way of me.
this for money. I just wanted to act. I just wanted to My parents feared we would be discriminated against
play pretend. so they taught us English first.

So I decided to wait. Wait for the chance to be what I On-screen, we were never portrayed as the doctors
saw in my household: strong, independent, educated and lawyers but, oddly enough, my sisters actually
women who had dreams and would never allow were, so I never really knew where my family and my
limitations to stop them from trying. And that is what I culture stood in America. And I was born in America!”
am still pursuing today”.
Adapted from: https://artsandculture.google.com/theme/
uwJiPR5kKaZWIg
Interviewer: “How do you think seeing stereotypes
Imagen taken from: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Rodriguez
in the media affects young people’s perceptions of
c. Reread the article and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. As a Latina actress, Rodriguez was offered diverse roles such as office nerd, comic book artist, and teacher.
2. Rodriguez sees Latinas as strong, independent, educated, and motivated.
3. Stereotypes never led Rodriguez to hide her Latinx heritage in fear of being bullied.
4. Rodriguez did not learn perfect Spanish, because her parents worried she would be associated with the
negative stereotypes of Latinxs in the media.
5. It can be inferred from the interview that Rodriguez was negatively affected by media stereotypes.

d. Compare and correct the false staments with a partner.

 ANALYZING THE NEWS!

Remember the quote from “The Politics of Stereotypes in the Media” video:

“Switch on the news.

Read the newspapers.
Look at the images.
What stories are you being told?”

Discuss in pairs or small groups.

1. What stories are you being told by the news here in Colombia?
2. Do you think it is possible for news sources to be free of bias?

Read this article below from a Colombian news source. What do you notice?

Colombian Source News - Venezuelans in Colombia

Seven Venezuelans Were Captured Attempting to Rob
Construction Material in Bogota

Two colombians also ended up behind bars. They were caught trying
to take various tools from a worksite in El Tunal. “The thieves used a
truck to steal various items valued at 170 million pesos in total,” said
Coronel Jhon Fredy Castaño, a police inspection official. The district
attorney’s office of the Molinos neighborhood took charge of the case.
The detained suspects are awaiting processing.

Adapted from: https://noticias.caracoltv.com/ojo-de-la-noche/bogota/siete-venezola-

nos-fueron-capturados-cuando-intentaban-robar-material-de-construccion-en-bogota

In pairs, discuss what message this article sends about Venezuelans in Colombia.

1. Do you see any stereotypes in the text?

2. How are the stereotypes communicated?
Now, in small groups, use the Internet to find a
news article that promotes a certain stereotype.
Remember the concept of the ‘lens in the media’
from the “Framed” video you watched.

Analyze this article through the following

questions:

1. What group of people is being stereotyped?

2. What group of people is promoting the
stereotype?
3. What is the stereotype?
4. In what ways does the article illustrate the
stereotype?

Prepare a presentation for your classmates and

present your findings.
 HOW TO GIVE ORAL PRESENTATIONS
The idea of giving an oral for research, or leave your audience with a thought-
presentation in any language provoking statement. Most presenters end by giving the
makes many students nervous. audience time for questions and thanking their professor
However, knowing some or advisor.
simple strategies can make DELIVERY
these assignments much less
intimidating! Below you will find Body language: Appropriate body language is very
some helpful tips on how to give important during oral presentations. Start by taking
effective oral presentations. a few deep breaths if you are nervous. Make sure that
during your presentation you make eye contact with the
ORGANIZATION audience, stand up straight, and speak slowly and clearly.

Introduction: All presentations should begin with group Speech: While it is okay to use notes during a presentation,
members introducing themselves. If you are making you should NEVER read directly from a script or from your
a Powerpoint, you will want your first slide to have the slides. Try to limit the amount of text on each slide and
title of your presentation and the names of all group only include important points in your notes. Practice your
members. presentation beforehand so that you can speak to your
audience rather than reading to them.
Background: It is then necessary to introduce your
topic. You may do this in several ways: posing a question
STEREOTYPES IN THE COLOMBIAN
to the audience; telling a short anecdote; showing an
COMMERCIALS
interesting image, quote, or graphic; or explaining why
you chose your topic. You will then want to provide some
Now find a commercial from a Colombian source.
background information on your topic. This section
This could be a TV commercial, a radio or magazine
should be brief but should include any information that
ad, or a billboard. Take a photo or save a recording
your audience needs to know in order to understand
of it. You’ll have to show the original version to class
your presentation.
describing the stereotypes you discovered.

Content: The next part of the presentation is when you

Then, working with your groups, redesign the
provide the actual content. Explain your topic clearly and
advertisement so that it does not include any
answer any questions posed by your professor/advisor.
stereotype, but still achieves its marketing objective.
You can record, film, draw, or design your ad
Conclusion: Finally, you should end your presentation
however you want.
with some sort of conclusion. Depending on your topic,
you may choose to summarize the main points of your
presentation, offer a solution, suggest future topics
 ACADEMIC WRITING
Below you will find one painting, one advertisement, one cartoon, and one photograph.

Take a careful look at these images. What do they have in common?

The Death of Sardanapalus, Male and Female Models

Eugene Delacroix, 1827 Modeling the Same Sweater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Sardanapalus http://time.com/2901435/charney-american-apparel-ads/

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Colombian Soldiers in the U.S. News

from The Simpsons
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/colombia-debate-
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-pro- grows-over-countrys-draft-n471201
ducer-addresses-claims-apu-is-leaving-1156001

These images portray people from groups that have been historically stereotyped, and unfortunately, they all
perpetuate these harmful stereotypes.
Use what you´ve learned in this unit to conduct a critical analysis on an image of your choosing.

In one paragraph, be sure to answer the following questions:

1. What group of people is being represented?

2. What stereotypes does this image reinforce?
3. How does it accomplish this?
 GRAMMAR REFERENCE
ARTICLES

The three options for articles in English are the, a/an, and no article. Do you know how to use them? Check out
the chart and explanations below for some helpful reminders and then complete the exercises that follow.

The
The is an article used to express definiteness; that is, • Musical instruments (Can you play the piano?)
we generally use it when the thing we are referring to is • Animals (The octopus is one of the most intelligent
specific or known. It is used: animals).
• Plants (The rose has been a symbol of romance for
1. When the speaker refers to a specific thing decades.)
known by the listener: • Inventions (Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.)
• Did you enjoy reading the Gina Rodriguez • Currencies (The euro is still stronger than the
interview? dollar.)

2. When something is mentioned for the second 5. With names of larger geographic features and
time: architectural sites:
• A stereotype about Asians is that they are good • Oceans (the Pacific Ocean)
at math. Although positive, the stereotype is still • Seas (the Mediterranean Sea)
problematic. • Rivers (the Amazon River)
• Mountain Chains (the Andes Mountains)
3. When a noun is made definite by a specific • Deserts (the Tatacoa Desert)
description: • Countries with plural names (the Netherlands)
• The incarceration rate for African-Americans is • Bridges (the Golden Gate Bridge)
more than six times the national average, largely • Hotels (the Four Seasons Hotel)
due to racial bias. • Museums (the Gold Museum)
4. When generalizing about the entire class of the • Skyscrapers (the Chrystler Building)
following things:
 GRAMMAR REFERENCE
ARTICLES

A/An
A and an are articles used to express indefiniteness; that 4. When a noun is NOT made definite by a
is, for something unspecified or unknown. The form of description:
the article depends on the first sound in the word that • Oceans (the Pacific Ocean)
follows. If it begins with a consonant sound, a is used. If • Seas (the Mediterranean Sea)
it begins with a vowel sound, an is used. Remember that • Rivers (the Amazon River)
English spelling is tricky and sometimes words are not • Mountain Chains (the Andes Mountains)
written the way they are pronounced. A/an are used: • Deserts (the Tatacoa Desert)
• Countries with plural names (the Netherlands)
1. With singular, indefinite count nouns: • Bridges (the Golden Gate Bridge)
• An assumption is an unquestioned belief. • Hotels (the Four Seasons Hotel)
• Museums (the Gold Museum)
2. When something is mentioned for the second • Skyscrapers (the Chrystler Building)
time:
• A stereotype about Asians is that they are good 5. To mean per:
at math. Although positive, the stereotype is still • We are bombarded with stereotyped images
problematic. several times an hour.

3. With professions:
• My mom is a doctor, but people assume she is a
nurse.
 VOCABULARY REFERENCE
ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Adjectives that end in ‘-ing’ describe the thing that causes the emotion while adjectives that end in ‘-ed’
describe emotions or the things directly. Match the words to their definitions:

Place Descriptions

indifferent ( ) a. to deprive of masculine strength

efficient ( ) b. lacking emotion, friendliness, or compassion

bizarre ( ) c. simple or uncultured

dehumanizing ( ) d. excessive concern with sexual activity

elaborate ( ) e. strikingly unusual

sorrowful ( ) f. marked by a lack of interest or concern

indulgent ( ) g. producing desired effects

frightening ( ) h. barbaric or uncivilized

melancholic ( ) i. full of sadness or grief

cold ( ) j. physically attractive or sexually arousing

snoozy ( ) k. tending to depress the spirits

hypersexual ( ) l. depriving of human qualities or spirit

emasculated ( ) m. sleepy or tired

hot ( ) n. using reasoning viewed as valid

primitive ( ) o. complex; detailed

heathenish ( ) p. allowing excessive leniency or generosity

Adapted from:https://www.merriam-webster.com/