Uploaded July 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What is your zodiac sign? Do you think the description of the sign is a reasonably good reflection of who you are? If so, you are not alone. Watch this amazing clip to see how this Astrologer analyses a Psychologist's personality (it could have been you!) The second part of the clip is even more fascinating: the Psychologist gave his students a description of their inner world ostensibly based on their zodiac sign and then asked them how accurate they thought it was. What they did not know, was that they all got the same one!
This phenomenon (our tendency to think that vague statements actually apply to us) is called the Forer (or Barnum) Effect. What makes it so widespread are three key factors: a) we are extremely self-focused and we tend to try to relate everything to ourselves; b) we have a build-in tendency to discover patterns and connections -- even where none exist, and c) we tend to focus on 'hits' (instances when something happens to be true) and ignore the 'misses' (all the other cases).
OK -- how is all this relevant to ELT? For an excellent demonstration of how we can make use of this effect to get our students to develop their fluency while also engaging them in cohesion-building 'humanistic' activities, you need to watch 'Psychology and ELT -- The Forer Effect 2'.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
What is your zodiac sign? Do you think the description of the sign is a reasonably good reflection of who you are? If so, you are not alone. Watch this amazing clip to see how this Astrologer analyses a Psychologist's personality (it could have been you!) The second part of the clip is even more fascinating: the Psychologist gave his students a description of their inner world ostensibly based on their zodiac sign and then asked them how accurate they thought it was. What they did not know, was that they all got the same one!
This phenomenon (our tendency to think that vague statements actually apply to us) is called the Forer (or Barnum) Effect. What makes it so widespread are three key factors: a) we are extremely self-focused and we tend to try to relate everything to ourselves; b) we have a build-in tendency to discover patterns and connections -- even where none exist, and c) we tend to focus on 'hits' (instances when something happens to be true) and ignore the 'misses' (all the other cases).
OK -- how is all this relevant to ELT? For an excellent demonstration of how we can make use of this effect to get our students to develop their fluency while also engaging them in cohesion-building 'humanistic' activities, you need to watch 'Psychology and ELT -- The Forer Effect 2'.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
![Comedy for ELT - Star Wars [Phonecalls]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O1TTFt-zVHE/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Star Wars [Phonecalls]
OK – the first one is good, the second one is simply brilliant! In the first phone call, we have Yoda calling 192 (Directory Enquiries). The bemused operator is asked to find Obi Wan Kenobi’s number… In the second phone call, Obi Wan Kenobi calls the Dorchester Hotel (one of the best in the whole galaxy!). He wants to book a room, but there are a number of things he needs to check first… Enjoy!
NB: The phone calls are real! The actors make a number of calls and record them; then they go through them all, they keep the funniest and they just add the laughter tracks… [You can imagine how the guys at the other end feel… They realise it’s some kind of practical joke, but they cannot very well hang up… :-) ]
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].")
![Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 2 [Friends]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OFHxvZ3JrOE/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 2 [Friends]
He is male, he is a father and he is divorced. He is also very frank… So when his son asks him about things, he is only too happy to reply. It’s just that one wonders whether his son might not have been better off not asking questions in the first place… In this clip, Paul is a little upset because he feels socially excluded… Enjoy!
Quite apart from the entertainment value, these little sketches contain very real-life language, including discourse markers and idioms. Taken from the BBC Series ‘The Armstrong and Miller Show’. Level: C1 – C2. Topic: Family / Parents – Children / Friendship / Social Exclusion.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
D: You’re all right, old fellow?
S: I can’t sleep…
D: Something on your mind?
S: No…
D: Come on Paul, I’m your dad… What did we say? No secrets…
S: Dad….why don’t I have any mates?
D: What?
S: Well, it’s Craig Higson’s birthday this weekend and he’s invited all the boys in my class… except me… Why doesn’t anyone want to be my friend?
D: Well, they don’t mean to hurt your feelings… It’s just you are quite boring. * I mean, I love you cause I’m your dad; but the chances are other people aren’t really going to see the attraction. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love all the little stories about what happened to drama club, or how mum nearly left the gas on when you went to the shops but, let’s face it, you’ll never get work as an after-dinner speaker… * And that lack of animation or anything interesting to say can have the knock-on effect that you leave very little impression on people… * I mean, if I’m brutally honest, after I’ve dropped you off at your mum’s on a Sunday, well, by Wednesday, even I have trouble remembering what you look like… * Do you want a hot milky drink? I can’t remember… do you take sugar? *")
