Everyone Loves the Underdog

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

We have heard of countless stories about how those people or teams who are in situations where they seem least likely to succeed or win actually end up winning in the end.

In sports, there are many stories of teams that were not expected to win, but have done better than predicted.

What is it about being an underdog that helps an individual or a team do better than expected?

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about how being the underdog can actually help one achieve success.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240328

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “underdog and top dog” mean? “Of course it’s not just the underdog playing, there are also top dogs, the most successful or powerful person or team.” Use these two terms in different sentences.
  2. What does “to look down one’s nose at (someone)” mean? “But some of these elite Premier League clubs will look down their nose at us and just think we shouldn’t be there, and we are there on merit and we’ve just gotta prove it this season.” Use this expression in a sentence.
  3. What does “choking” mean in this context, “No one expects underdogs to win and this gives them freedom to relax and play naturally. Top dogs, on the other hand, experience a lot of expectation, and this sometimes leads to choking.”? Use this word in this context in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does being an underdog help a person succeed or a team win?
  2. Do you tend to root for the underdogs too? Why or why not?
  3. Talk about a time you were or someone you know was an underdog.
  4. How can one overcome “choking”? How do you overcome it?
  5. What things cause someone to underperform?
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2 replies on “Everyone Loves the Underdog”

1. How does being an underdog help a person succeed or a team win?
They haven’t the responsability to win. They have less stress. Less people observe their work.

2. Do you tend to root for the underdogs too? Why or why not?
Depends of my emotional energy, if I don’t want suffer, I prefer the winner team, but If I want share a bit of my positive energy I cross my fingers, and I tend to root of the underdogs….

3.Talk about a time you were or someone you know was an underdog.
In the last Eurocopa 2024, the Giorgia’s football team was an underdog… For the first time they participated in this competition and they won various matches to reach the round of 16.

4.How can one overcome “choking”? How do you overcome it?
Take care yourself, keep the calm, and be concentrated in yourself and your team.

5. What things cause someone to underperform?
If you have too much pression may be you can lost your concentration, suffer anxiety, and stress… In this context will be very complicated and probably you will have difficulties to have a good result.

Interesting insights about being the underdog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

See how this sentence can be revised:

If you have too much pression may be you can lost your concentration, suffer anxiety, and stress…

If you have too much pressure,/If you are under a lot of pressure, may be you can lost it could affect your concentration / you can lose focus and suffer anxiety and stress.

Keep striving to achieve better writing skills.

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