Level: B2/C1
Type of English: general
Lesson activities: listening comprehension, vocabulary building, speaking practice.
Grammar focus:
Tags: staying clam, work life, work performance, sport performance
Your favorite athlete closes in for a win; the crowd holds its breath, and at the crucial moment … she misses the shot. That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as “choking,” where despite months, even years, of practice, a person fails right when it matters most. Why does this happen, and what can we do to avoid it?
During the 1-hour class your teacher will take notes of your mistakes and make corrections.
These will be emailed to you after the lesson.
It is a good idea to revise the same vocabulary at the start of the next lesson.
Opening Questions:
Do you have a favorite athlete?
Can you think of their best and worst performances?
Do you have performance anxiety?
New Vocabulary Questions:
If I am closing in on the end goal, what is happening?
What crucial thing must you do today?
What is choking?
Why would you “hold your breath” when watching sport?
Can you name 2 sports when you play a shot?
Can you think of something you avoided recently?
What thing haunts a haunted house?
So, how can an emotion or a feeling haunt you?
What is a spelling bee?
What does it mean to blame?
What can you “blame on your nerves”?
What is a good way to undermine authority?
What does boil water mean?
What does the the phrasal verb to boil down to mean?
If the source of a problem boils down to focus, what does it mean?
What is your worst distraction?
Right now, what is your task at hand?
What happens when relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention?
What is the following sentence describing “Eventually, with the increasing pressure, something has to give.”
Have you any idea what a mental scratch pad is?
What is at stake in a poker game?
Can you identify something that you overanalyze?
Name 1 thing that is inevitable.
What are you susceptible to?
What is a good context for: “When the final moment arrives, that’s when it counts the most.”
What does this mean?: “The book aimed to extol the virtues of kindness and empathy.”
When did you last take a deep breath?
What is a cue word?
Watch the Video:
Task: Try to write down the 2 theories to explain choking
Listening Comprehension Questions:
How would you define choking?
What are the 2 theories that explain choking?
- What did the 2004 study of students doing math problems tell us?
- Explicit monitoring theories. (which game was used to describe this?)
Discussion:
Performance Under Pressure: “How does intense pressure in sports or public speaking lead to choking, and why does it impact even the most practiced individuals?”
Distraction and Focus: “Discuss the role of distraction theories in performance anxiety. How do worries and irrelevant thoughts compete with the task at hand, and what impact does this have on the brain’s information processing capabilities?”
Overanalyzing Mechanics: “Explain the concept of ‘explicit monitoring theories’ and how overanalyzing the mechanics of a well-practiced skill can lead to choking. Why do tasks that are usually performed unconsciously become vulnerable under pressure?”
Avoiding Choking: “What strategies can be employed to avoid choking under pressure, based on the studies mentioned in the video? Discuss the effectiveness of practicing under stress, pre-performance routines, and having an external focus on the goal.”
Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Choking: “Why are some individuals more susceptible to choking under pressure than others? Discuss the role of self-consciousness, anxiety, and fear of negative judgment in this context.”
New Vocabulary Practice:
What is choking in a different context?
To Close In On: “How did the detective feel as he began to close in on the suspect’s location?”
The End Goal: “What was the end goal of your last project?”
Crucial: “Why was finding the missing evidence crucial to solving the case?”
Hold Your Breath: “Why might someone hold their breath while watching a suspenseful movie scene?”
A Shot: “What was going through the inventor’s mind when he took a shot at presenting his idea to the investors?”
To Avoid: “What strategies do you use to avoid distractions while studying?”
To Haunt: “What memory continued to haunt the main character throughout the story?”
A Spelling Bee: “How do participants prepare for a spelling bee competition?”
To Blame: “Who was to blame for the mix-up at the office?”
Blame on Your Nerves: “How might blaming a mistake on your nerves during a performance affect your confidence?”
To Undermine: “What actions can undermine a team’s trust in their leader?”
To Boil: “Why is boiling water good?”
To Boil Down To: “How would you explain a complex issue that really boils down to a matter of right and wrong?”
A Distraction: “What is a common distraction that you face while trying to do some deep work?”
The Task at Hand: “How do you stay focused on the task at hand in a busy and noisy environment?”
Relevant Thoughts: “Why is it important to keep relevant thoughts in mind during a debate?”
Something Has to Give: “In a situation where workload is overwhelming, what usually has to give for balance to be restored?”
A Mental Scratch Pad: “How do you use your mental scratch pad to remember important details during a meeting?”
At Stake: “What is at stake in a high-level negotiation between two countries?”
Overanalyze: “Can you give an example of a situation where someone might overanalyze a simple decision?”
Inevitable: “Why is change often considered inevitable in a growing company?”
Susceptible: “Why are young children more susceptible to common colds compared to adults?”
When It Counts: “Can you name a historical figure who delivered results when it counts?”
To Extol the Virtues: “How would a leader extol the virtues of teamwork to their employees?”
A Deep Breath: “Why is taking a deep breath recommended before making an important decision?”
A Cue Word: “How can a cue word be used effectively in a public speaking scenario?
Grammar Focus:
The 2nd conditional:
Rewrite the following sentences from the transcript into the second conditional form.
Original: “Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on key moments.” Rewrite: “If choking weren’t common in sports, how would performance under intense pressure and at key moments be different?”
Original: “Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves.” Rewrite: ……………………
Original: “The brain can only process so much information at once.” Rewrite: “If the brain could process …………………….
Original: “Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking.” Rewrite: “If tasks we do unconsciously weren’t vulnerable to choking, ………………………………
Original: “Research suggests that some are more susceptible than others, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being judged negatively by others.” Rewrite: “If research suggested that no one was more susceptible to choking than others, ………………………….
Solution:
- To Close In On: To approach or get nearer to someone or something.
- The End Goal: The ultimate objective or aim that one wants to achieve.
- Crucial: Extremely important or necessary.
- Choking: The physical act of obstructing the airway; metaphorically, failing to perform well under pressure.
- Hold Your Breath: Waiting in anticipation or suspense.
- A Shot: An attempt or try at something.
- To Avoid: To keep away from or prevent something from happening.
- To Haunt: To recurrently and disturbingly occupy the thoughts, memories, or presence.
- A Spelling Bee: A competition where participants spell words aloud.
- To Blame: To hold responsible or accountable.
- Blame on Your Nerves: To attribute a mistake or failure to one’s nervousness.
- To Undermine: To weaken or damage something, often surreptitiously or gradually.
- To Boil: To heat a liquid until it reaches the temperature where it bubbles and turns to vapor.
- To Boil Down To: To summarize or reduce something to its most basic or essential elements.
- A Distraction: Something that diverts attention away from the main issue or focus.
- The Task at Hand: The current job or activity that needs attention.
- Relevant Thoughts: Ideas or considerations pertinent to the subject or situation.
- Something Has to Give: A situation can’t continue as it is and a change is inevitable.
- A Mental Scratch Pad: A way to describe one’s ability to temporarily store and manage information in the mind.
- At Stake: In a situation where there is a risk or something to be gained or lost.
- Overanalyze: To analyze something to an excessive and potentially paralyzing degree.
- Inevitable: Certain to happen; unavoidable.
- Susceptible: Likely to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
- When It Counts: At the most important or critical time.
- To Extol the Virtues: To praise highly or speak very favorably about something.
- A Deep Breath: A large inhalation of air, often used to calm nerves or prepare for something.
- A Cue Word: A word or signal that triggers a response or action.
Grammar Solution:
Original: “Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on key moments.” Rewrite: “If choking weren’t common in sports, how would performance under intense pressure and at key moments be different?”
Original: “Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves.” Rewrite: “If most people didn’t blame choking on their nerves, what else might they consider as a cause?”
Original: “The brain can only process so much information at once.” Rewrite: “If the brain could process more information at once, how would it affect our ability to handle pressure?”
Original: “Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking.” Rewrite: “If tasks we do unconsciously weren’t vulnerable to choking, how would it change the way we perform under pressure?”
Original: “Research suggests that some are more susceptible than others, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being judged negatively by others.” Rewrite: “If research suggested that no one was more susceptible to choking than others, how would this change our understanding of performance anxiety?”