1. Young People and Society
Kód ITMS projektu:
Gymnázium Pavla Jozefa Šafárika – moderná škola tretieho tisícročia
Young People and Society
Vzdelávacia oblasť:
 Jazyk a komunikácia
Predmet
 Anglický jazyk
Ročník, triedy:
 3. ročník
Tematický celok:
 Mladí ľudia a spoločnosť
Vypracoval:
 Mgr. Zuzana Polónyová
Dátum:  

2. Content Young People and Their World Appearance Character Lifestyle
Interests
Advantages and disadvantages of being young
Listening
8. Problems that young people face
9. What do children think about parents
10. What do parents think about children
11. Discussion and roleplay
12. Sources

3. Young People and Their World
QUESTIONS
What is generation gap?
What are the typical problems of modern young people?
Could you say something about the way the young people live?
Describe physical appearance of teenagers – figure, - hair, - fashion, - tattoo, - piercing.
Describe typical characteristics, -behaviour, - hobbies.

4. Characteristic features of young people Appearance
on the basis of the pictures name some brand clothes and shoes that young people like to wear
add more brands
young people like to dress nicely – they like to wear brand name clothing, like Nike, Puma and Kenvelo.

5. What do girls and boys do to look more attractive?
How do they want to look?
Where do they go?
They like being fit and attractive – girls want to be slim and boys want to look fit and have strong muscles – that’s why boys often go to the fitness centre and girls are often on diets because they want to lose weight.

6. Describe typical hairstyles of young people.
What other things are typical for girls and boys to make them look better? (consider hair and face)
Read the following article and discuss why some young people have piercings and tattoos.
Young people like nice hairstyles – they dye their hair and use a lot of cosmetics like for example make-up, gel, mousse, face creams, after-shave and so on. They also like to have piercing and tattoos.

7. Character What are young people like?
Describe what they want to be like.
Do they know what they want from life?
What do they like? / What do they not like?
How do they like to spend their free time and with whom?
Young people like to be independent and respected - they know what they want from life and they like freedom.
They don’t like criticism and they don’t like to be told what to do.
They have their dreams and plans for future.
They like their friends and they like spending time with them => love and friendship is very important to them.
On the other hand, some young people are nowadays very cheeky, rude and impolite and they don’t care about other people. Sometimes they are lazy – they don’t help other people

8. Lifestyle What do young people want their life to be like?
In the developed world, young people are usually well-educated, experienced and self-confident. They know their goals and try to reach them. They are often hardworking and they have many opportunities to study or work abroad – they often travel to foreign countries to learn a foreign language, earn money and gain experience. Is this true for you as well?
They want their life to be interesting and exciting => they like to live fast.

9. What is the situation in Slovakia like considering job opportunities?
Do young people have enough finances to buy their own flat or start a family?
Read the following article from The Slovak Spectator on the topic „The young and the challenges they face“.
When it comes time for you to move away from home (not just to study at university, but permanently), would you rather rent or buy a home?
Explain the following sayings in English:
“A man’s home is his castle”
“Something is a house of cards.”
“Nothing to write home about.”
But sometimes it is difficult for them to find a job because they don’t have enough work experience when they finish school and because there are few job opportunities in Slovakia => they can’t afford to buy their own flat or start a family.
Many young people today start their own families later in life than their parents did. They want to work on their career first and get married later. Young families are different nowadays. In modern families they share chores, husbands help at home more or sometimes stay on a maternity leave if his wife earns more money.
• A man’s home is his castle: A man (or homeowner) is the ruler of his own home, and what he says is the final “law.” • Something is a house of cards: Something has been poorly constructed or organized and is about to fall apart. • Nothing to write home about: Nothing is especially interesting/exciting (nothing worth mentioning).

10. Positives/negatives about renting/buying
Break up into pairs and discuss some of the positives/negatives about renting/buying that the following video mentions.

11. Interests and leisure time
How do young people like to spend their free time?
Name some interests which are typical for the young.
What influence do modern inventions and gadgets have on the lives of young people?
They like to go out with friends – they go to pubs, cinema, discos, music festivals…
They like modern inventions and gadgets that make our lives easier => they can’t imagine life without the mobile phone or the computer. They are used to Internet banking, shopping on-line and using the Internet to find information. They spend a lot of time playing computer games or listening to music.
Young girls like to buy new clothes and make-up
Most young people like sport – they like to go skiing, swimming…

12. Advantages of being young
You have all your life ahead of you, you can make plans and decide what you want to do in the future - if you want to, you can travel abroad, find a job or study
You don’t have to think about your children because you don’t have any - you have your freedom
Let students write their own answers on the whiteboard first in the form of brainstorming.

13. Disadvantages of being young
it is more difficult to find a job because you don’t have enough experience
if you study and go to school, you don’t have your own money – you are dependent on your parents and family -you can’t buy your own flat, house or what you want because you don’t have your own money
older people don’t understand you – they have different opinions
Let students write their own answers on the whiteboard first in the form of brainstorming.

14. Listening
Listen to Sarah and Lindsay, aged 14 and 15. What are some of the things they like and don’t like about being a teenager? Complete the sentences: 1 You ______________ go to work. 2 You ______________ pay bills. 3 You ______________ go out with your friends. 4 I always _____________ tell my mum and dad where I’m going. 5 What time _______________ get back home? 6 You _______________ buy whatever you want. 7 Adults _____________ worry about paying the bills. 8 They _____________ always do what they want. 9 We ______________ bring mobile phones to class. 10 I _____________ go. I ____________ do my homework.
1 don’t have to
2 don’t have to
3 can
4 have to
5 do you have to
6 aren’t allowed to
7 have to
8 can’t
9 aren’t allowed to
10 ‘ve got to; ‘ve got to
I-Interviewer, S- Sarah, L- Lindsay
I Tell me, what are some good things about being a teenager and not an adult?
S Um… well, for one thing, you don’t have to go to work.
L Yeah. And you don’t have to pay bills.
I OK…
L And you can go out with your friends, and you can go shopping, and you can go to the cinema, and you can….
S Oh, come on, Lindsay. Adults can do all that too! But what’s different is how much freedom teenagers have.
L Don’t have, you mean.
S Right, how much freedom we don’t have. I mean, I always have to tell my mum and dad where I’m going and what time I’m coming home.
L Mmm.
I And what time do you have to get back home?
S Mmm- by 10 o’clock on a week-day, maybe 11 or 12 at the weekend.
L It doesn’t matter because you never have enough money anyway!
S Definitely. You get pocket money from your parents, but it’s never enough. And you aren’t allowed to buy whatever you want.
I OK, OK. Life’s tough for kids, but what do you think it’s like being an adult? Lindsay?
L Well, adults have to worry about paying the bills and taking care of their family. They can’t always do what they want when they want.
I They have responsibilities, you mean.
L Yeah. I feel more sorry for my mum than my dad. She’s always rushing around and she has to go to work as well. She doesn’t have to work on Thursdays and Fridays, but she still has loads of different things to do in a day, like shopping and cooking, and taking me to dance classes.
I So, do you think your dad has an easier life?
L Well, I don’t know. He has to drive over 500 miles a week.
I Sarah, tell me about school. What are some of the rules at your school?
S Oh! There are so many! Let’s see. We can’t wear make-up. We aren’t allowed to chew gum. We aren’t allowed to bring mobile phones to class…
L There are millions of rules – all of them stupid.
S And if you break one of the rules, you have to stay after school!
L Well, speaking of school, I’ve got to go. I’ve got to do my homework!

15. Problems that young people face
obesity
bullying
drugs
Young people can face these problems:
• alcohol and drugs – sometimes young people become addicted to alcohol and drugs. They are curious and they want to try it and later they can’t stop. Alcohol and drugs have ruined many young lives.
• Generation problems – these are the problems between older people and young people. Young people think that older people don’t understand them – they don’t like the music that young people listen, the way they dress, their hairstyles, the slang which young people use. Young people consider older people very old-fashioned. Older people despise the young generation because they are different - they think that young people are bad – much worse than themselves when they were at the same age.
• Problems with parents – young people feel that parents don’t treat them as equals. They treat them as little children and young people don’t like that. Parents sometimes don’t have time to spend with their children, to talk to them…
• Young people don’t have enough experience – it is difficult for them to find a good job and to earn money
problems with parents
alcohol
anorexia

16. What do children think about parents
are too conservative, stick to traditions, say how different young people are today,
do not give us enough freedom,
are always criticizing young people, do not like our clothes, hairstyles, music, our friends,
say we are lazy, unwilling to work hard,
underestimate us, do not respect our individuality,
would be satisfied if we spent all our leisure time studying or helping them,
do not give us enough pocket money
Let students write their own answers on the whiteboard first in the form of brainstorming.

17. What do parents think about children
do not respect the older generation,
think they do not need any advice,
are rude, impolite, badly behaved,
use bad/vulgar language,
are only interested in music, fashion, their friends,
do not study enough, do not think of their future,
spend too much time with friends,
their clothes and hairstyle are awful

18. Discussion and roleplay
How do you protest against your parents’ decisions if you disagree with them? Do you always protest? Why? / Why not?
What is the most common cause of conflicts (if any) in your family?
Describe the most serious conflict you have had with your parents so far. How did you solve it?
Roleplay
You are in your final year of secondary school. Your parents want you to apply to university but you have decided to take a year off and spend one year abroad working and travelling. Talk to your parents; give reasons for your decision, and state the positives and negatives it may have.

19. Použité zdroje
J. Bérešová, M. Hosszúová, M. Macková – Nová Maturita z angličtiny, 2003
Liz and John Soars – New Headway Intermediate Student’s Book- 3. edition