UNIT 2 THE BOLD AND THE BASHFUL

FOCUS ON THE TOPIC

PREDICT

Look at the cartoon above and the title of the unit. Bookstores sometimes
sponsor events at which authors can meet people and autograph books for
them. What is the message of the cartoon? Do you think it's funny? Why
or why not? What kinds of self-help tips might be offered in this book?
How do you think it feels to be bashful or shy?
B. SHARE INFORMATION

1 Who's shy and who isn't? Take the quiz and calculate your score.

HOW SHY ARE YOU?

For each statement rate yourself on this scale. Circle your answer.
Statement Never Almost Sometimes Often Always
Never
1. I'm tense and nervous when I'm with people I 1 2 3 4 5
don't know well.

2. It's difficult for me to ask other people for 1 2 3 4 5

information
3. I'm often uncomfortable at parties and other 1 2 3 4 5
social gatherings.

4. When I'm in a group of people, I have trouble 1 2 3 4 5

thinking of the right things to say.

5. It takes me a long time to overcome my 1 2 3 4 5

shyness in new situations.

6. It's hard for me to act in a natural way when I'm 1 2 3 4 5

meeting new people.

7. I'm nervous when I'm speaking to someone 1 2 3 4 5

in authority.
8. I find it hard to talk to strangers. 1 2 3 4 5
 WHAT YOUR SCORE MEANS:
30-40 = very shy

21-29 = somewhat shy

below 21 = probably not shy, although you may feel shy in some

2 Discuss the results of the shyness quiz in a small group.

1. Who had the highest score in your group? Who had the lowest score? Did your own results
seem right to you?
2. When you speak English, do you feel shy or bold? In what situations do you feel shy? Describe
those situations.
3. In your opinion, is shyness a positive or negative quality? Explain. In cultures you know, how is
shyness perceived or regarded?

C. BACKGROUND AND VOCABULARY

1. Shyness has personal, situational, as well as cultural dimensions. First, read and listen to the
sentences. Then try to determine the meaning of the boldfaced words from the context of the
sentences. Write a definition or similar expression under the sentence.
1. In English class, some students tend to speak out a lot. Others are somewhat reticent.

2. A public-speaking phobia, called glossophobia, prevented the businessman from

delivering formal presentations at work.

3. If people cannot explain their ideas well when they speak, others may assume those ideas
have no merit.

4. Dr. Zimbardo, a university professor who studies shyness, found that Israelis were not shy and
introverted. On the contrary, they were outgoing and extroverted.

5. In China, being shy may not have adverse consequences as it does in some countries. In fact,
some studies have indicated that Chinese children who are shy are well accepted by their peers
and often end up in leadership roles.

6. Researchers have found that Scandinavians have higher rates of shyness, often defined as a
social anxiety syndrome, with both physical and emotional symptoms. They say it could be
because of the cold weather.
 7. Chronic shyness—shyness that persists from childhood to adulthood—can have negative
consequences, such as low self-esteem and loneliness.
8. My friend and I regard each other as kindred souls. We are both painfully shy.

9. The public often make misattributions about top business executives. People assume they are
outgoing, aggressive, and bold. But data shows that 40 percent of chief executive officers (CEOs)
worldwide describe themselves as shy.

10. Of the students from India surveyed, 82 percent reported that shyness was a problem or
handicap that made them unhappy and unfulfilled.

11. Off-screen, film actor Brad Pitt is said to be aloof and unfriendly. But in truth, he is just very
shy and protective of his personal life.

12. It was not her intention to be rude or condescending toward her staff. She behaved this way
in order to cover up her extreme shyness.

2. Now match the words on the left with the correct definition or similar expression on the
right Write the appropriate letter in the blank. Then work with a partner and compare answers.
1. Reticent a. condition
2. Phobia b. distant
3. Merit c. very strong fear
4. Extroverted d. negative
5. Adverse e. disadvantage
6. Syndrome f. unwilling to talk
7. Chronic g.false assumptions
8. kindred souls h. very sociable
9. misattributions i. people having similar traits
10.handicap j. value
11.aloof k. treating others as inferior
12.condescending 1. continual (in a medical sense)
 FOCUS ON LISTENING
AT LISTENING ONE: Americans Are Getting Shyer

What is the reputation of people from your country: bold or bashful? Is this a stereotype? How do
they see themselves? Internationally, Americans are seen as bold. However, one professor's
research has shown that they consider themselves quite bashful. Americans believe that being
bashful is a problem: "Shyness is undesirable, [it] has adverse consequences," explains Professor
Philip Zimbardo in an interview aired on NPR®.

Work with a partner. Predict some of the problems that you think shy people may have as a result
of their shyness (for example, staying in a dead-end job, avoiding social situations). Discuss your
ideas with your partner. Then listen to this excerpt of the interview to check your predictions.

LISTEN FOR MAIN IDEAS

Read the topics. Then listen to Part One of the interview, and write a main idea statement
related to each topic. Do the same for Part Two. Work with a partner and compare notes.

TOPIC MAIN IDEA

PART ONE

1. Results of Dr. Zimbardo’s new study 1.

2. Reasons Americans are becoming shyer 2.

PART TWO

3. Descriptions of shyness 3.

4. Dr. Zimbardo's advice to shy people 4.

5, Problem that shyness presents to attractive 5.

people
 LISTEN FOR DETAILS

Read the sentences and circle the letter of the answer that completes each sentence T*P
correctly. Answer as many items as you can. Then listen to the interview again. As you listen,
complete any remaining items. Work with a partner and compare answers.
Part One

1. According to the interviewer, Alex Chadwick, these days Americans are

having difficulty _______________ .

a. meeting people

b. dressing appropriately

c. asking questions
2.Dr. Zimbardo

a.teaches in a shyness clinic

b.runs in Palo Alto

c.manages a shyness clinic

3.Dr. Zimbardo's latest research focused on shy ________________ .

a.adults

b.children

c.children and adults

4.The researchers discovered that over the past 10 years, the number of
Americans who label themselves as shy has increased to _______________ .

a.48 percent

b.18 percent

c.20 percent

5.One thing that Dr. Zimbardo does not say about shy people is that
they are .

a.competitive

b.reticent

c.self-conscious
6.The electronic revolution means that many people's jobs are being replaced by computers. Dr.
Zimbardo doesn't mention as being replaced by computers.

a.gas station owners

b.bank tellers

c.telephone operators

Part Two

7.In Dr. Zimbardo's survey, ______________________ of people said shyness was undesirable.

a.70 percent

b.79 percent

c.75 percent

8.One example of situational, or momentary, shyness not mentioned by Dr. Zimbardo

a.going on a blind date

b.playing the piano in public

c.speaking in public

9.Quasimodo is the hunchback in Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback ofNotre Dame. Dr.
Zimbardo compares shyness to Quasimodo's hump because

a.everyone notices it

b.you always carry it with you

c.it's not chronic

10.Dr.Zimbardo feels that shy people should be aware that nearly _________________ of the
population is shy.

a.15 percent

b.50 percent

c.40 percent
11.According to Dr. Zimbardo, when you are too shy, people may assume you are also

a.unintelligent

b.motivated

c.unattractive

12.Dr. Zimbardo tells Alex Chadwick that he is not shy because he is the oldest child in

a.small Italian family

b.large Sicilian family

c.large Greek family

MAKE INFERENCES
Read the questions. Then listen to each excerpt from the interview. Remember that making
inferences means understanding something that is not literally stated, but that you believe is true
based on the intention, attitude, voice, pausing, and choice of words of the speakers. Discuss your
answers with a partner, then with the class.

Excerpt One

1.What do you think the interviewer, Alex Chadwick, means by the phrase "Friends, take heart"? Why
does he use the word friends to address the anonymous radio audience?
2.What is Chadwick's attitude toward the topic of shyness? How does he use his tone of voice to
express this attitude?

Excerpt Two

3. Dr.Zimbardo clearly believes that his research is important and interesting. How does he show
this attitude in the excerpt? How does he use his tone of voice? What words does he use to
express this attitude?

Excerpt Three

4. How does Dr. Zimbardo feel when Chadwick asks him whether he is shy?What can you hear in
his voice and choice of words?

EXPRESS OPINION
1.Work with a partner. If you were a parent of a shy child or if you had a good friend who was shy,
what five strategies would you use to help your child or friend "come out of his I her shell"? In other
words, what tips would you give a "shrinking violet" to blossom? Or, alternatively, how would you
convince a "shrinking violet" to simply accept and be comfortable with his or her reserved temperament?
Discuss your opinions.
2.Are we born shy, or do we become shy? Work with a partner. Read the factors that psychologists
believe make people shy. Decide how important you think these factors may be in causing shyness.
Write them in one of the columns. Then discuss the reasons for your choices.
genetics lack of social skills

cultural values physical attractiveness

birth order (oldest, middle, use of computer and video games
or youngest)
use of electronic communication
gender (e-mail, voice mail, chat rooms)
competition life experiences (moving, changing
schools, divorce in family)
parents' behavior

VERY IMPORTANT SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT NOT VERY IMPORTANT

3 Work with a partner. Look at the cartoon, and discuss the answers to the questions that follow
 LOW S E L F - E S T E E W
Drawing by M. Twohy, © 1996 The New Yorker Magazine, Inc.

1.What does "low self-esteem" mean? Do you think all shy people have low self-esteem? What could
cause low self-esteem?
2.Is writing in a diary a useful way to express your feelings and cope with problems? What advice
would you give to the man to boost his self-esteem?

B. LISTENING TWO: The Pollyanna Syndrome

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Have you ever run into an overly optimistic person? In
this on-air essay from Public Radio International, Julie Danis gives her opinion about Pollyannas—
people who refuse to accept that anything bad can happen. The name comes from the heroine of a
1913 novel, Pollyanna, who had a consistently optimistic outlook on life, which many people today
see as unrealistic. In the commentary, Danis gives examples of ways that one coworker was able to
"make lemonade out of lemons." What might this phrase mean? Have you ever known an
Pollyannas? If so, describe them.

 Read the items on the left. Then listen to Julie Danis's commentary. Listen
again, and match Danis's unlucky event with Pollyanna's "bright side" view on the right.

Danis Pollyanna
1.went to the eye doctor but did not
get a diagnosis for the problem of a. time to purge, or clean out, the
blurred vision computer files

2.stop-and-go commute
b. time to catch up on movies

3.computer crashes and 1-800-HELP line is very

busy c. a chance to skip the mascara
and rest eyes every two hours

4.snowed in with no hope of flying

d. no solution

5.toothache and no dental insurance for the root

canal e. a chance to listen to language
tapes while doing relaxation
exercises
C. INTEGRATE LISTENINGS ONE AND TWO

Step 1: Organize
 Using the information in Listening One and ListeningTwo, complete the chart Use information

that is directly stated and information that is implied.

PERSONALITY TYPES POSITIVE NEGATIVE WAYS TO COPE

ATTRIBUTIONS ATTRIBUTIONS
 Find others
Dispositionally shy  Unpopular who are shy


Situationally shy 



Optimist  Outgoing



 
Pessimist   
 Step 2: Synthesize
 Work with a partner. Read the situations and use the words and phrases from Step I to
improvise a short conversation between a Pollyanna and a shy person. Then present the
conversations to your class.

Situation I
 Student A: You are a situationally shy employee who has just been told by your manager that
you have to give a presentation to 75 salespeople about a new product your company has
just launched. Following the presentation, you will have to host the reception, making sure
everyone feels comfortable. You are petrified. Explain all of your feelings and symptoms.
 Student B: You are the Pollyanna coworker. Give advice to Ms. Situationally Shy to help her
succeed in her task. Help her make lemons out of lemonade.

Situation 2
 Student B: You have just been chosen as the president of the campus environmental club
because of your intelligence, knowledge of the subject matter, and ability to get things done.
However, you are very dispositionally shy. In this role, you have to be a leader, organize
events, give speeches, and convince your members to follow your agenda. You are not sure
you can manage. Discuss all of your feelings and symptoms.
 Student A: You are a Pollyanna and you are Mr. Dispositionally Shy's club adviser.
Convince him that he should be "comfortable in his own skin" and that he can do the job.
Give him tips for doing it. Help him find the silver lining.