Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

TED

364K views 5 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you think the title means by saying your identity is your superpower?
Have you ever felt that something about your identity made life harder or stronger?
What kinds of personal experiences do you expect the speaker to share in this talk?

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Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Early auditions and harmful stereotypes (00:00 – 01:29)

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1. What did the casting director ask the speaker to do differently in her first professional audition?

Act more confident
Sound more Latina
Speak louder
Dress differently

2. What did the speaker later realize "sound more Latina" meant?

Speak in broken English
Use more formal Spanish
Talk more quickly
Use a stronger voice

3. What message did the speaker keep receiving again and again?

Her identity was an obstacle
She needed more training
She should change careers
Her identity was a superpower

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Trying to change herself and recognizing the system (01:29 – 03:00)

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1. What did the speaker do so her skin would not get too brown?

She wore different clothes
She stayed out of the sun
She used makeup every day
She moved to another city

2. Why did the speaker's agent say she was not getting a role in a movie?

She had no experience
The movie needed to cast the white role first
She was too young for the part
She refused to audition again

3. What painful idea had been communicated to the speaker throughout her life?

That she should work harder
That she should only do comedy
That she was a person of less value
That she was not talented enough

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

A new understanding of identity and change (03:00 – 04:17)

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1. According to the speaker, what must people question in order for change to come?

Their education level
Their public image
Their own fundamental values and beliefs
Their career choices

2. What have many people been told they must resist in order to fulfill their dreams?

Their natural talents
Their families' expectations
Competition from others
The truth of who they are

3. How does the speaker describe her identity at the end of the talk?

As a private burden
As a social label
As her superpower
As her obstacle

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Transcript will load here…

1. What is the main message of the talk?

People should hide their background to achieve goals
The entertainment industry is improving quickly for everyone
Identity should be seen as a source of strength, not shame
Success only comes from fitting in

2. What does the speaker criticize most strongly?

People who work in advertising
A system that rewards stereotypes and exclusion
Young people who choose acting careers
The idea of working hard

3. What change does the speaker call for?

Less competition in creative industries
Questioning beliefs and matching actions to intentions
More expensive training programs
Ignoring identity completely

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Why do you think the speaker spent years trying to change herself instead of the system around her?
Can a person want change but still help keep unfair systems in place? Why or why not?
Have you ever seen stereotypes affect how people are treated at school, work, or in the media?
What does it mean in real life to stop resisting and start existing as your full and authentic self?