Does a baby's name affect its chances in life?


Flipped lesson plan (B2 and above): Does a baby's name affect its chances in life? - BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content



Find out why children called Eleanor, Anna and Peter have a better chance of getting into the University of Oxford than children called Jade, Paige and Shannon. 

Also, we will discuss the origins of the top 10 most common surnames in the UK, learn six idioms/phrasal verbs related to names and practise deducing the relationship between individuals on a family tree (sister-in-law, auntie, niece, etc.)

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Lesson outcomes: 

  1. Learn idioms and phrasal verbs related to names and see them in context (e.g. to be named after, to drag one's name through the mud, to not catch someone's name)
  2. Watch and discuss a video about the origin of surnames and their connections with ancient professions and place names. This will help expose students to common English surnames (e.g. Taylor, Smith, Baker, Hill).
  3. Study a family tree, deducing the relationships between individuals (vocabulary: grandfather, brother-in-law, niece, etc.)
  4. Read a BBC article about the impact one's name has on success in life, as measured by university entrance and other variables (interesting vocabulary: dubious, to gauge, a marked discrepancy, etc.)

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