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BUSINESS ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

FOLLOWING
YOUR
INTUITION
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1 Warm up
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Are you good at making decisions?

2. What decisions do you find easy/difficult?
3. Have you ever had a feeling you have made the right or wrong decision but can’t explain it?
4. Are you good at reading people?
5. Do you think some people are more intuitive than others? Why/why not?

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2 Pre-listening vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. unease /2n"i:z/ (n) a. put something or someone in danger of being harmed

or damaged
2. venture /"ven.tS@r/ (n) b. a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or
uncertainty
3. jeopardise /"[email protected]/ (v) c. examine something or someone very carefully

4. hunch /h2ntS/ (n) d. a feeling of being worried about something

5. scrutinise /"skru:.tI.naIs/ (v) e. an idea that is based on feeling and for which there is
no proof

Part B: Put the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may have
to change the form of the word.

1. He is the future of this project by being careless. We need to talk to him now.

2. I have just started a new . It is a massive risk, but I am optimistic that it is going
to do well.

3. She had a he was cheating on her and she was right! He was seeing their neighbour
behind her back.

4. The documents were by everyone in the team before they signed the contract.

5. The recent increase in day-to-day costs have caused across the country.

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

• Have you ever started a new venture? Was it successful? Why, why not?
• Have you had a hunch about a person? Was your hunch accurate?
• Have you ever jeopardised your career, happiness, or friendship? How?
• When was the last time you felt a sense of unease?
• Do you think celebrities are too heavily scrutinised by the public and media?

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3 Listening for gist

You are going to hear three different speakers talking about their experiences and attitudes toward
following one’s intuition. Decide which Speaker, 1, 2 or 3, would agree with the following sentences.

a. I would never follow my intuition when making decisions.

b. I follow my intuition when making decisions.

c. I sometimes follow my intuition when making decisions.

Now, listen again and complete the table by ticking the correct box.

Which of the speakers can you relate to?

Do you always/occasionally/never follow your instinct, why? Give an example.

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4 Post-listening vocabulary
Part A: Look at the words and phrases from the audio. Match each one to a synonym below.

a. quit:

b. persistent and unsettling:

c. uncertain:

d. make an error:

e. believe:

f. an impulse:

g. a hunch:

Part B: Put the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences.

1. I was about moving away from the city, but it was the best decision
I have ever made.

2. She had a feeling that she had left the iron plugged in.

3. She decided to dye her hair purple and quickly regretted it.

4. Too many people the idea that expensive beauty products are better.
Cheaper options are often just as good

5. He had a that the job was not right for him, so he turned it down.

6. After working for over 12 hours straight, he finally and went home.

7. After seeing the state of the place, they realised that they had by
having a party.

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Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

5 Reading: skimming for gist

You are going to read an article Following your intuition. First, quickly go through the following titles
and match them to paragraphs A – F. There are two extra titles.

The science behind intuition The experiment

Artificial intelligence A rational approach

Combining methods Cry all you want

Intuition advocates How do you make decisions?

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Following your intuition

When it comes to decisions is it better to trust your gut feeling or take a more rational approach?

A.

When you have to make a decision, do you ever get a feeling or a hunch that tells you it is the right or wrong
thing to do? You can’t quite put your finger on the feeling, but your inner self is telling you something. It is not
usually based on logic or facts, but it is simply intuitive. Do you acknowledge the feeling and use it as a valuable
tool to navigate your way through life or do you just brush it off as anxiety, fear, or overthinking and take on a
more rational approach to decision making?

B.

Nowadays, many successful entrepreneurs, including Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey, strongly believe the key to
their success comes down to relying on their intuition. Albert Einstein, who is widely acknowledged to be one of
the greatest and most influential physicists of all time, believed strongly in the power of intuition and has been
quoted as saying "the only real valuable thing is intuition" and "the intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational
mind is a faithful servant".

C.

Research on this topic has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few decades shedding light on the source of
gut feelings and the situations in which they can help or hinder our decision-making skills. Evidence has shown
that intuition can play a pivotal role in making the right decision and that the strength of our intuitions will depend
on the extent of our experiences. Neuroscientists suggest that intuition is the subconscious brain attempting to
recognise, process, and use patterns of thinking based on previous experience. When faced with making a decision
our body gives off a signal which can come in the form of a feeling in the pit of the stomach, an inner voice,
goosebumps, a flash of clarity, sweaty palms or an increased heartbeat. They are also known as somatic markers.
Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis (SMH) has stated that by creating physiological
responses, emotions can influence future decision making quickly.

D.

To test the somatic marker hypothesis, Damasio, created the Iowa gambling task (IGT) which is a psychological
task which simulates real-life decision making. Each participant is asked to select one out of four decks of cards.
The idea is that they turn over a card and each time they either receive a financial reward or lose money. The
aim is to of course win as much money as possible. However, the four decks are stacked differently. Two of the
decks have larger pay-outs but also have larger penalties while the other two decks have smaller pay-outs but
are a safer option with smaller penalties. It is up to the participant to decide which stack to stick with. Data has
shown that as the game progresses, most participants start to get a hunch or emotional clues about which decks
have wins and losses and rely on them to make advantageous decisions. However, this experiment showed that
not everyone can form somatic markers. Neurological patients don’t always get this gut feeling and as a result,
they are unable to identify possible risks. They perhaps know what is right but do what is wrong.

E.

According to the dual-process theory, a framework for understanding how people think and decision-making
processes, there are two ways of thinking; intuitive and analytical. In contrast to the intuitive approach, analytical
thinking is much slower and more deliberate. Instead of making on-the-spot decisions, critical thinking skills are
used to reach logical and calculated decisions. Conclusions are reached through a more reasoned approach.

F.

So, is it best to take a more rational approach or to trust your gut? Instinctual decisions are made quickly, require
minimal effort, and are made without conscious awareness but are prone to errors while an analytical approach

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FOLLOWING YOUR INTUITION

takes longer and involves rational thinking and careful consideration. Does it depend on the situation? Many
cognitive scientists agree that intuitive and analytic thinking should not be seen as opposites and that adopting
a dual process is more beneficial as our decision-making skills work best when we use both strategies together.
So next time you have a decision to make, don’t dismiss that inner voice or gut feeling as it might be telling you
something important, but you should also consider the facts and weigh up the best option for you.

Sources: bbc.com, goodreads.com, sciencedirect.com, bestcasinosites.net, healthline.com, inc.com

Glossary

hinder (v): limit the ability of someone to do something, or to limit the development of something.
pivotal (adj): central and important.
somatic markers (n): special instances of feelings generated from secondary emotions.
stack (v): arrange things in an ordered pile.

6 Vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. refuse to listen to what someone says, or refuse to think a. (by) leaps and bounds
about something seriously
2. know or understand something, and be able to say b. weigh something up
exactly what it is
3. help to explain a situation c. brush something off

4. consider the good and bad aspects of something in order d. in the pit of the stomach
to reach a decision about it
5. the part of the body in which people say they feel fear or e. shed light on something
nervousness
6. emphasise that someone or something is improving or f. put your finger on something
increasing quickly and greatly

Part B: Put the words and phrases from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You
may have to change the form of the phrase.

1. I got a sick feeling when I heard the news.

2. He is thick-skinned, he just all their comments and criticisms.

3. Hopefully, the report will the situation.

4. I knew something was off with him, but I couldn’t .

5. She is doing so well this term; she has come on .

6. We just need to and decide if we should leave.

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7 Reading comprehension

Read the following statements and based on the text decide if they are True (T), False (F), or Not Given
(NG). Explain your choices.

1. Some entrepreneurs believe in trusting your gut.

2. Intuition involves our mind using earlier encounters and situations.

3. Somatic markers are body cues that help us make decisions in the moment.

4. The cards in the Iowa Gambling Task are separated into piles which have a similar monetary value.

5. The IGT highlighted that people who had experienced neurological damage picked up on strong
physical signals when faced with making a quick decision.

6. The analytical approach is regarded as a safer more reliable approach to decision-making.

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What is your attitude to intuition and decision-making?

2. Do you think one approach is better than the other? Do you think it depends on the situation?
Why/Why not?
3. Do you think some professions are more suited to an intuitive/analytical approach to decision-
making? Can you think of any examples?

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Transcripts

3. Listening for gist

Speaker 1 : I always trust my gut feeling whenever I have an important decision to make. Of course,
I consider logic and reasoning but if I get a nagging feeling or a sense of unease, I tend to
follow my intuition and so far, it has not let me down. So, a few years ago I was involved
in a new business and on paper, it seemed like the dream job but very quickly something
seemed off. At first, I put it down to it being a new venture and assured myself it would
all work out but I couldn’t dismiss this overwhelming feeling I had that the situation was
not only going to get worse, but it was going to jeopardize my future. I decided to trust
what I was feeling and call it a day. I immediately had this immense sense of relief and
knew that I had made the right decision.

Speaker 2: To be honest, I’m in two minds about listening to your inner voice. Personally, I’ve
had varied experiences. There have been many times I’ve felt something was off, and I
followed my intuition and I turned out to be right but there have been other times when
I was so confident that I had made the right decision and then realized I’d slipped up
badly. I remember once I decided to invest in a start-up business. I was so sure that it
was a smart decision, and I was going to cash in. I was wrong, sadly the business went
belly up and I lost everything. I do think, however, there is something to be said for
trusting your intuition when you meet new people. I’m pretty good at reading people
and my opinions usually come from a hunch I have about them.

Speaker 3: I don’t really buy into trusting your gut as I think it can be risky, especially with life-
changing decisions. If I’m looking at buying something substantial like a flat or a car,
I scrutinize quantifiable data, and other facts and I always write a pros and cons list.
When I bought my first car, it took me months to choose the right one and I did a tonne
of research. I can’t imagine picking one based on a feeling alone. What if it was a piece
of junk? The same goes for if I’m thinking about applying for a new job or position. I
think it would be reckless to make an important decision based on a whim that I can’t
explain or rationalize.

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Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This stage is to set the context for the lesson. It introduces the topic of how people make decisions and gives the
students an opportunity to personalise the topic and check their existing knowledge on the subject.

2. Pre-listening vocabulary

Part A
5 mins.
This stage is for students to practise keywords in the listening text. They match the words to the correct definitions.

1. → d. 2. → b. 3. → a. 4. → e. 5. → c.
Part B
10 mins.
This stage is to consolidate the new words. Ask students to predict which parts of speech can fill the gaps before
completing the sentences. Do the first one together as an example.

1. jeopardising 2. venture 3. hunch

4. scrutinised 5. unease

3. Listening for gist

5 mins.
This stage is for students to get the overall idea/gist of the audio.

a. Speaker 3 b. Speaker 1
c. Speaker 2
Table
5-10 mins.
This stage is to develop listening for specific information. Ask students to listen again and complete the table with
ticks.
Speaker 1: A and D
Speaker 2: C, E and G
Speaker 3: B and F
5 mins.
This stage is to get the students to respond to the topic. In pairs, students discuss the two questions below.

4. Post-listening vocabulary

Part A
5 mins.

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This stage is to learn and practise the new phrases. Ask students to match each phrase/word in bold to their
synonym.

a. (3) I decided to trust what I was feeling and call it a day.

b. (2) I get a nagging feeling.
c. (6) I’m in two minds about listening to your inner voice.
d. (4) I’d slipped up badly.
e. (7) I don’t really buy into trusting your gut.
f. (5) I think it would be reckless to make an important decision based on a whim.
g. (1) I always trust my gut feeling.
Part B
5 mins.
Instruct students to fill in the gaps with the correct word or phrase. Do the first one together as an example.

1. in two minds 2. nagging

3. on a whim 4. buy into
5. gut feeling 6. called it a day
7. slipped up

5. Reading: skimming for gist

5 mins.
This stage is to develop reading for gist. Students should skim over the text and choose the most appropriate titles
for each paragraph.

A. How do you make decisions?

B. Intuition advocates
C. The science behind intuition
D. The experiment
E. A rational approach
F. Combining methods
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220401-intuition-when-is-it-right-to-trust-your-gut-instincts
https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/iconic-entrepreneurs-use-their-intuition-to-succeed-what-you-need-to-know-
about-following-your-gut.html
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes
Trust Your Gut: What It Actually Means (healthline.com) https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/CABN.2.4.341
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/somatic-marker-hypothesis
https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/somatic-marker-hypothesis
https://www.bestcasinosites.net/blog/iowa-gambling-task.php
https://www.psytoolkit.org/experiment-library/igt.html
https://www.all-about-psychology.com/is-it-rational-to-trust-your-gut-feelings.html
https://www.globalcognition.org/dual-process-theory/
https://worldofwork.io/2019/07/dual-process-theory/

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6. Vocabulary

5 mins.
This stage is for students to practice keywords in the reading text. They match the words to the correct definitions.
Monitor the task and elicit correct answers.

1. → c. 2. → f. 3. → e. 4. → b. 5. → d. 6. → a.
Part B
5 mins.
This stage is to consolidate the new words. Ask students to fill in the gaps. Elicit answers.

1. in the pit of my stomach 2. brushes off

3. shed light on 4. put my finger on it
5. in leaps and bounds 6. weigh it up

7. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
This stage is to develop a deeper understanding of the text. Ask students to read more carefully and underline
where they find the answer.

1. T. "... the key to his success comes from following his intuition"
2. True. Neuroscientists suggest that intuition is the subconscious brain attempting to recognize, process, and
use patterns of thinking based on previous experience.
3. True. When faced with making a decision our body gives off a signal ... by creating physiological responses,
emotions can influence future decision-making quickly... which can come in the form of a feeling in the pit of the
stomach, an inner voice, goosebumps, a flash of clarity, sweaty palms or increased heartbeat. They are also known
as somatic markers.
4. False. The four decks are stacked differently. Two of the decks have larger pay-outs but also have larger
penalties while the other two decks have smaller pay-outs but are a safer option with smaller penalties.
5. False. Neurological patients don’t always get this gut feeling and as a result, they are unable to identify possible
risks.
6. NG .The article talks about the key features of each approach, but it doesn’t say one is better than the other.

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

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