2. Speaking

Task 1:

Look again at the birthrate statistics. Do you think that the statistics are similar or different for your country?

Task 2:

Do you agree or disagree with these statements:

1) Women these days have babies too late in their lives.

2) Women who have young children shouldn’t continue to work.

3) It’s OK for men who have young children to continue to work.

4) Men who look after their children while their wives work are

ridiculous.

5) It’s wrong to pay someone else to look after your young children

while you work.

VOCABULARY

Afford – have enough money for

Astronomical – extremely high

Get someone up – get someone out of bed and dress them

Have time off – have free time

Mind - look after

Pick someone up – collect

Salary – the money that your employer pays you

Tea – a light meal in the late afternoon or early evening

Level 2 tasks

Task 1:

1. Squeeze the main thesis of the text.

2. Clarify the supporting ideas to the main thesis.

3. Define the Introduction.

4. Define the Conclusion.

5. Point out the transitions and conversational formulae.

6. Give your OPINION about the generation gap (150-180 words, response time – 60-90 seconds).

TEXT 1

Some Thoughts about the Generation Gap and about Myself

INTRODUCTION: Family life is the most important aspect of social life in any society. But the greatest problem inside any family is a question of the gap between generations. What does it mean?

There is no definition to this notion. But the problem still exists. The Protestants in England believed that personal faith was important, and put extra responsibility on the head of the family. As a result, all the rest members of the family had to be obedient to him. Moreover, from the early 17^th century children were frequently beaten to break their “sinful” will. The children who were not beaten were unusual.

What about our modern generation? Nowadays, the Victorian attitude to children, when children were to be seen and not heard, has vanished. MAIN THESIS: The majority of young people all over the world accept most of the beliefs and customs of their parents. But there is a great difference between the two generations – children have to become more independent nowadays. Not only has the style of life changed, but also the values of life have changed a lot. SUPPORTING IDEAS: Teenagers listen to different music and wear different clothes; they don’t read much, they don’t work much, but they are fond of spending their leisure time in front of the TV sets or computer screens; furthermore, they are crazy about discos and night clubs.

Frankly speaking, modern youth is quite different from the youth of previous years. They are better educated; they enjoy more freedom, more money to spend. MAIN THESIS: I think that all the parents should understand that life has changed since their youth. Unfortunately, sometimes the parents believe that their critical comments could encourage their off-springs to greater efforts. They, however, have got the opposite effect. After a good portion of criticism the child loses a great deal of his confidence. The lack of self-confidence which is based on ignorance and narrow-mindedness leads to despair; the young people feel shy, clumsy, awkward; their hearts are easily broken. In such a situation their parents’ authority will cause them unhappiness. Instead, it is better to rebel against your own inability to cope with your own problems and start from scratch; find the support and approval among your friends, contemporaries and, of course, your parents. Nevertheless, your parents are not always right. They are used to saying that the youngsters are not the same what they used to be. It is obvious that every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. SUPPORTING IDEAS: On the one hand, we observe constant conflicts, on the other hand, extreme permissiveness which provides disappointment and the feeling of frustration and, therefore, the failure in making a success. Thus, it is necessary to distinguish extreme permissiveness from self-confidence; self-confidence is always a result of a successful education and democratic relationships among all the members of the family. On top of everything, self-confidence is necessary to gain a firm social position in the society. CONCLUSION: As for me, I am going to become a top manager in economics and I’ll try to do my best to be a success. I believe that self-confidence will help me in taking risks. But I can’t do without my family that supports me in setting goals and getting my ideas across. Before making a decision I always listen to my parents’ advice, I rely on their experience and share their insights.

I know that it is difficult to foresee what will happen in future, but I am sure that my success will depend to a large degree on my abilities and the mutual understanding with my family.

MAIN THESIS: /…/ . I thinks that all the parents should understand that life has changed since their youth.

Task 2:

1. Squeeze the main thesis of the text.

2. Clarify the supporting ideas to the main thesis.

3. Define the introduction.

4. Define the conclusion. Point out the transitions and conversational formulae.

TEXT 2