Chunk of the day: Just because . . . it doesn’t mean

We’ve both often had students act more than a little surprised at our apparently un-English ways. Smiling and being friendly is often enough to start the questions about whether we’re not secretly from somewhere ‘abroad’. This particular chunk helps offer a good answer – and is also great for students themselves. Just because I’m Brazilian (it) doesn’t mean I like football. Just because I’m from China (it) doesn’t mean I can’t think critically. etc. You can also show some common variations: People always assume that just because I’m from Spain, I can dance flamenco. Just because I’m a man, why do you assume I can’t cook? You can obviously get students to fill in their own ideas based on their experiences, which may often lead to wider discussions on stereotypes and assumptions.