How assertive are you? Do you always stand your ground or do you often let people push you around?
In today’s podcast, you’ll learn vocabulary and expressions on the topic of assertiveness.

Voice message from Jose
Visiting Teachers Program (Spanish teachers visiting US and Canada)

Voice message from Ezequiel from Argentina

Assertiveness
Assert (verb) yourself – Assertive (adjective) / Assertiveness (noun) – having or showing a confident and forceful personality.

In which situations do you think it’s important to be assertive?

• When someone tells you to do something that you don’t want to do.
• When dealing with bureaucracy and red tape.
• When someone is trying to cheat you or overcharge you.

Vocabulary

Self-assured
Self-confident
To believe in yourself
Determined
Resolute
Uncompromising
Strong-willed
Boldness – to be bold (audacious)
To stand your ground / to stand up for yourself / to stand up for your rights
Not to take it (something) sitting down
To be your own boss
To wear the trousers
Domineering
Pushy (adjective)
To get your (own ) way
To be pushed around
A pushover
To be easily influenced or swayed
To do as you are told/bid
To do someone’s bidding
To go with the flow
(in)flexible

Discussion

Do you usually make the decisions when you’re with a group of people?

Who wears the trousers in your relationship? And in most relationships?

What would you do if…

…someone asked to borrow something that you did not want to lend?

…someone denied ever having borrowed something from you that you now want back?

…your boss, colleague or teacher called attention to you in an aggressive or unfair way?

…your boss suggested meeting you unofficially at his/her house to discuss your future with the company?

…a mugger asked you to hand over your wallet in the street?

…a person you were speaking to gave an opinion that you considered racist or sexist?

…you were in a meeting and a colleague kept interrupting you and didn’t allow you to speak?

….if you saw someone jump a queue that you were waiting in.

..your parents, partner, boss or close friend insisted on giving you advice about something you must or must not do and you think you should make your own mind up about it?

…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. How assertive are you? Would you behave in a similar way to us or do you think you are more, or less, assertive?
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In next week’s episode: More house and home Idioms

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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’