IS IT GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO FAIL OCCASIONALLY?

“In our competitive world, we prize success and hate it when things go wrong, but is there actually a value in failing?

By: Lucy Wallis

Published: BBC News; 3 March 2014

Level of Difficulty: *

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Think about the major failures you faced in life? How did you feel?

·         Looking back, do you think you benefitted from the experience?

·         What are the reasons for attitudes to failure?

·         What effects does such an attitude have on individuals?
NOW WATCH THE VIDEO
* “Failure is actually a good thing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUATSGO-CGY

QUESTIONS

1.       Why did O’Brien lie about his manuscript? There are two answers; find both.

2.       Why didn’t O’Brien renew his attempt to get his manuscript published?

3.       The mistake O’Brien made about his manuscript was ……………………………………………………………

4.       Why was “failure week” organized in a high school and not a primary school?

5.       Why is fear of failure so harmful?

6.       Failing well can be useful because people……………………………………………………………………………….

7.       Under what conditions does Hanburry advise parents to praise their daughters? Why?

8.       Why does she make this suggestion?

9.       What is the ultimate effect on girls of “being programmed to please adults”?

10.   In order to get more done we need to:

·         Be perfectionists

·         Shed stigma

·         Be prepared to fail occasionally

·         Be afraid of mistakes

·         All of the above

·         None of the above

·         Other: please specify

11.   What enabled Andy Murray to win at Wimbledon? The fact that his failure in 2012…………………

12.   Smith benefitted psychologically from the fact that he failed to play for England as many times as he wanted because……………………………………………………………………………………………………

13.   What conclusion can we draw from Smith’s example of the bike?

14.   Failure contributes to our personal development by teaching us………………………………………….

15.   What second venture did Wimbledon High organize? Why?

WRITING TASK

Follow the plan below to write about failure and success:

Topic Sentence: Attitudes to failure need to change to ensure personal growth and greater success

·         Discuss popular attitudes to failure

·         Provide reasons for the above

·         Discuss the effects of the above personal attitude in the present and in the future

·         Discuss the change that needs to be made

·         Provide reasons for the above

·         Discuss the effects of the above on personal development

·         Make a concluding statement

IS IT GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO FAIL OCCASIONALY? KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This is a very straightforward yet interesting text which can go into the simplest reading category on this blog. It is always good to find such stuff as finding simple adult material which is also interesting is hard. There is a very good reading related guided paragraph to round things off.

1.       He didn’t want to admit his lack of success; we prize success and hate it when things go wrong.

2.       Because he had said the manuscript had blown out of the car; he had lied about the manuscript.

3.       Not being more open about his failure to get the book printed.

4.       The fear of failing and having to admit errors and mistakes to our peers heightens as we grow towards adulthood.

5.       It stops us from taking risks and this automatically cuts off new opportunities in life.

6.       Learn from the risk if it doesn’t work (enough though long answer is alright too)

7.       When they throw off the fetters and perhaps are a bit naughty; because a fear of failure affects girls more...

8.       Because fear of failure often affects girls more than boys; girls are programmed from a very young age by their parents to please adults.

9.       (They recognize that the way to keep adults happy is to get things right and getting things right means) avoiding failure at all costs.

10.   3

11.   Freed from the fear of failure

12.   Because failing helped conquer his sense of entitlement and relieved the pressure he put on himself.

13.   The more practice we get at failing, the more equipped we are to deal with it.

14.   To be more tolerant of human error, to learn about the limits of willpower and social determination.

15.   Blow your own trumpet week; to take the embarrassment out of pride