Урок, присвячений синдрому самозванця "Impostor Syndrome"

PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2–B1)

LESSON: UNDERSTANDING IMPOSTER SYNDROME

1. Warm up

In small groups, answer the questions below.

Do you ever feel like you don't belong in a certain job, school, or position?

Have you ever worried that people around you will "find you out" or realize you aren't as capable as they think?

What do you usually do when you feel a lack of trust in your own abilities?

2. Focus on vocabulary

Part A

Match the words below to their correct definitions.

Part B: Collocations & Meaning

Match the two halves of the sentences to discover the definitions of the underlined terms.

When you experience perceived fraudulence,

If you fall into a vicious cycle,

Having a stumbling block in your career

When you have innate talent,

a. means you face a problem or difficulty that slows down your progress.

b. you feel like you are tricking others into thinking you are smart or capable.

c. you don't need to work hard to master a basic skill at first.

d. one bad situation causes another bad situation, making things worse and worse.

3. Listening task: Video Part 1 (00:00 - 01:34)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IsCfOs3GTs

Fill in the gaps with the given words. Watch the video and check.

achievements bubble conflict doubt fraudulence trick

Do you feel like you don't belong in a certain place? What you're dealing with is commonly known as imposter syndrome. Studies reveal that between 9 and 82 percent of all people have these thoughts.

Imposter syndrome is also known as perceived 1. _______________. It is the self-perpetuated feeling of incompetence and self-2. _______________ that continues despite a person's 3. _______________ academically and professionally. It is essentially a 4. _______________ between your perception of others and how you see yourself. You feel undeserving of praise and feel that your success is a 5. _______________ that may very soon burst. You may want to feel less guilty about having 6. _______________ the people around you for so long.

4. Video Comprehension

Part A: Watch Part 1 (00:00–01:34) and decide if the sentences are True or False.

Very few people (under 5%) experience imposter syndrome during their lives.

Imposter syndrome stops when a person achieves professional success.

People with imposter syndrome often work harder to prove they deserve their job.

Overworking to combat imposter syndrome can eventually cause burnout.

Part B: Watch Part 2 (01:35–02:48) and complete the notes about the 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome.

details failure hyper-independent innate mistakes

The Perfectionist: Aims to achieve perfection in every area of life. Small 1. _______________ seem like total failures.

The Natural Genius: Relies on their 2. _______________ ability. They feel embarrassed when they hit a stumbling block.

The Soloist: Aims to achieve success completely on their own. Relying on other people feels like a 3. _______________.

The Expert: Relies on matching unmatched knowledge. Failing with small 4. _______________ makes them feel like a fake.

The Superhero: Pushes themselves to the absolute limit to never stop working.

Part C: Watch Part 3 (02:49–04:00) and choose the correct cause or solution.

What parental factor can cause imposter syndrome?

a) Parents who don't care about school.

b) Pressure to perform academically and behave well.

What social factors influence imposter syndrome?

a) Gender and race biases.

b) Living in a big city.

According to the video, what is the BEST way to fight imposter syndrome?

a) Try to work harder and do more tasks.

b) Acknowledge your feelings, share them with others, and stop comparing yourself.

5. Speaking practice: Role-Play

Work in pairs (Student A & Student B).

Student A (Patient): Choose one of the 5 Imposter Syndrome types. Describe your daily work life, feelings, and stress to your therapist.

Constraint: You CANNOT use the words: Perfectionist, Genius, Soloist, Expert, Superhero, or Imposter.

Student B (Therapist): Listen to your patient. Identify which type of imposter syndrome they have and offer 2–3 pieces of advice on how to fight it (based on the video ideas).

Switch roles after 7 minutes.

6. Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the questions below.

Why do you think working harder often makes imposter syndrome worse instead of better?

Which of the 5 types (Perfectionist, Natural Genius, Soloist, Expert, Superhero) do you think is most common among language learners?

How can social media contribute to people feeling like "frauds"?

What advice would you give to a friend who is experiencing burnout from pushing themselves too hard at work?

7. Extension / Homework Chart

Complete the summary chart based on what you learned from the video.

🔑 TEACHER MATERIALS & KEY

2. Focus on vocabulary

Student A: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c

Student B: 1-c, 2-b, 3-a

Part B: 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c

3. Listening task

fraudulence

doubt

achievements

conflict

bubble

tricked

4. Video Comprehension

Part A: 1. False (82% can feel it), 2. False, 3. True, 4. True

Part B: 1. mistakes, 2. innate, 3. failure, 4. details

Part C: 1-b, 2-a, 3-b

7. Homework Chart Key

innate

help

detail

worthy / capable

burnout / overworking