Section 4 — Identity and Values
Session 13 of 16
Monday, September 8, 2026
Who are you?
We open Section 4 by asking the most fundamental question in any conversation about beliefs: who is the person holding them? Identity — the story we tell about ourselves — shapes every belief we carry. Are you defined by where you were born, the language you speak, the work you do, the values you have chosen, or the community you belong to? In this session we explore how identity is constructed, how it can be multiple and shifting, and how it connects to the strongly held beliefs that feel most personal. We also develop the language for talking about your own identity in English — honestly, specifically, and without the clichés that often flatten the most interesting parts of a person.
Vocabulary for this session
identityself-imagenarrativeheritageauthentic
Grammar focus
Grammar focus: Defining yourself with precision — "I think of myself as..." / "I was raised as..., but I've come to identify more with..." / "My sense of who I am is tied to..." / "That's part of my identity, but it doesn't define me entirely." These structures distinguish between inherited identity and chosen identity, and allow a speaker to present themselves as a complex person rather than a category. They are also essential for avoiding the overly simple "I am [nationality]" responses that close down interesting conversation.
Come prepared to discuss
"If you had to name the three things that most shape who you are — not the most impressive, but the most true — what would they be, and why those three?"
Before this session
Prepare: Think about a moment in your life when your sense of identity was challenged — when you were seen by others as something different from how you saw yourself, or when you realized your self-image had changed. You don't need to share the specific story; just think about what it revealed about how identity works. Also: consider whether identity is something you discover or something you build.
Task-Based Activity
Identity Cards. Each student writes five words or short phrases on a card that they would use to describe who they are — not their job title or nationality alone, but genuine identity markers. Cards are shared in pairs. Partners take turns asking: "Why did you choose that one? Is it something you were born into or something you chose?" After five minutes, pairs report to the class: What distinctions emerged between inherited and chosen identity? Which identity markers felt most important to their partner — and did the reason surprise them? Close by asking: Which of your five would you defend most strongly if someone questioned it?
Career-Oriented Take — How to Frame It
In international professional contexts, the question "Where are you from?" is often the opening of a much richer conversation — or a disappointing dead end. Professionals who can articulate their identity with nuance and genuine self-awareness make a stronger impression than those who give a one-word national answer and stop. The language in this session teaches students to introduce themselves in a way that invites real dialog: they signal complexity without oversharing, express pride without defensiveness, and model the kind of curious self-awareness that builds rapport across cultures.
Big Picture — Global Context
Identity politics has become one of the most contested terrains in contemporary public life — both in Western democracies and in countries navigating rapid social change. At the same time, social psychologists distinguish between personal identity (the self-concept of the individual) and social identity (group membership and its psychological salience). Both matter for how people hold and defend beliefs. Students who understand how identity works — including their own — are better equipped to understand why certain conversations become charged, why people dig in when challenged, and how to engage across difference without triggering identity threat.
Homework (assign after session)
Write 150 words answering the session's discussion question in full: "If you had to name the three things that most shape who you are — not the most impressive, but the most true — what would they be, and why those three?" Use at least two grammar structures from today's focus. Focus on specificity: avoid clichés and push toward the details that make your answer genuinely yours. Bring your written answer to Session 14 — you may be asked to share a sentence or two.