The Rise of the Tradwife

Day in the Life of a Tradwife - Worksheet

1.Watch the video"Day in the Life of a Traditional Wife!" by Estee Williams.

2. Make a list, in the table below, of all the tasks Estee performs during the day and where they occur. You can draw the table in your notebook, fill it in online or download it.

3.What adjective best describes Estee's mood throughout the day? 

4.In her video posted on social networks, how does she make her daily routine look?

5.How would you feelif you had to do what Estee does in one day? 

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Toolbox

I'd rather + BV ... (e.g.: I'd rather do something else)
I'd prefer + V-ing = I'd prefer watching TV
I think so too ...
I would like to do that too ...
For me, it would be more fun to ...
To me, Estee's life seems ...
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Extract 1: [0:00 – 0:35]

Extract 2: [1:06 – 2:41]

Extract 3: [2:49 – 4:50]

Extract 4: [15:20 – 18:07]

1. Whole class work.
a. Watch Extract 1 [0:00 – 0:35], in which Dr. Phil's introduces the phenomenon. Pick out the keywords he uses to explain it.
b.Have tradwives been trendy for a long time? Justify. 

2. Speaking. Explain the phenomenon using the words from the list below.
recent
online buzz
traditional wife
stay-at-home-spouse
subscribers
huge audience 
domestic femininity trend
inferior-status individuals

Group A.
Each group works on a different part of the video.Do the 4 activities below, then exchange information with students from the two other groups. At the end of this activity, fill in your "Personal Recap Chart."

1.Watch Extract 2 [1:06 – 2:41]and pick out what is described as positive and negative in this testimony.

2.According to Estee, what do tradwives do that could seem negative but is not? (e.g. not getting everything they want — and that's okay)

3.Can you spot a reference to a piece of clothing repeated several times? What is it compared to? 

4. a. Identify synonyms for the word 'criticized'.
b.Find an expression meaning "we are serious about something".

5.Recap: Do you agree with Estee's arguments? Discuss with members of your group.

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Expressing nuance in a discussion 

Acknowledge multiple sides: Begin by recognizing that an issue is not always very clear-cut. Phrases like“On one hand …”,“While it’s true that …”, or“There’s a case to be made for …”help signal nuance.
Use qualifying language: Avoid absolute statements. Use terms like“often,” “in some cases,” “tends to,” “might,”or“it depends.”

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Group C.
Each group works on a different part of the video.Do the nine activities below, then exchange information with students from the two other groups. At the end of this activity, fill in your "Personal Recap Chart."

1.Watch Extract 4 [15:00 – 18:07],and make a list of expressions showing that things are not as great as what they are supposed to be. 

2.Are tradwives only homemakers? 

3.Spot the period of time mentioned three times. Discuss with a partner: what does this period evoke for you?

4.Find out if Neha focuses on positive or negative elements? 

5.According to Neha, the tradwife movement is in opposition to ... 

6. Stop the video at 16:36 and spot the caption on the screen which sums up Neha's point of view about the movement. 

7. Pick an expression repeated four times by Neha which refers to the framework that defines male and female identities. (=gender roles)

8.Match events and dates:

9.Discuss: Do you find the information given by Dr. Phil surprising? Explain. 

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Toolbox

Expressing surprise
That’s (totally) unexpected!
How surprising that ... + should ...
I wasn't aware of the fact that ...
Well, that’s news to me.
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Whole Class Recap

1. Oral summary. After exchanging information with the other groups, you will recap orally the main ideas of the video.

2. Interactive writing. You are watching Dr. Phil's show and you react on social networks as the show unfolds. You will use the comment section on this pearl to write your reaction.

The other students will also react — both to the show and to your comments (also in the comment section).

The Rise of the Tradwife

Day in the Life of a Tradwife - Video

Day in the Life of a Tradwife - Worksheet

The Rise of the Tradwife - Recap