That's English! - Module 7 - Unit 3: The Older Generation (B1.2)

Introduction
This lesson deals with the topic of elderly people, which is pretty actual. As usual, we'll do some activities to practise oral skills in class.

General questions

• Do we take care of our elderly people? What measures can be taken to make them feel confortable in our society?
• Would you live with your parents when they were unable to do it alone? Give reasons for your answer
• Have you ever lived with an eledrly person? If so, what about your experience. If not, what problems would you face by sharing your home with them?
• What are the main problems that elderly people must face? Think about money, health, relationships, etc.
• Would you like to live a long life? Would you mind being an elderly person?
• Is there anything you can do to get older in good conditions? Explain what and give reasons for your answer.

Activity 1
Discuss with your partner what means to be part of the older generation. Use the questions below:
How old should you be to consider yourself an elderly person? What means to be old? Do you know elderly people? What do they say? How do they feel? Are there any places where they prefer to live?

Activity 2
Try to work out what advantages and disadvantages you can find about being old. Share your ideas with your partner. Speak about elderly people in your country. What are their popular pastimes, their hobbies? Do they travel a lot? Where do they go? Do they help their children? How do they do it?

Activity 3
Read these statements with your mate and say what you think about that. Give reasons for your answers or the pros and cons of each sentence:

• Younger people don't respect the older generation or they should do it at least.
• Elderly people should be looked after by their own family.
• When you get older you can't do many things. You should accept it.
• You are as old as you feel. You can do whatever you like, no matter your age.

Activity 4
Have elderly changed a lot in the last 50 years? In what way? Think of your grandparents' life and elderly people nowadays. What are the main differences between them?

Activity 5
Let's practise with the third conditional, also called "impossible conditional". You use them as a complaint or a regret about a past event. Here you are a link with some third conditional sentences to finish: click here. You can do it alone (at home) or with your partner (in class).

• Regrets from your past: If I'd studied/practised more, I'd have got better grades/qualifications
• You missed your frined's birthday party. Think about possible sentences such as: If I'd been able to go, I would have met Peter's new girlfriend
• Complaints: use the 3rd conditional to finish the following sentences sentences
• If I'd known you were coming...
• I would have told you the truth if ...
• If I'd had the money...

* Although this is the gammar point for this unit, we'll revise second conditional, that is, improbable conditional: If I knew you were coming...

Activity 6
In this unit it's explainded how to pronounce perfect conditionals and perfect modals (page 35, exercises 3 and 4). To help you with this, here you are a video with an explanation and examples on this: click here. The other video we'll see in class is this: click here

If you are interested in this topic about elderly people and aging here you are an article from the BBC: click here

Listening practice

Listen to this podcast about Aging Population from BBC Learnin English. Besides, here are you an exercise of multiple choice from ESL: click here; and this one is another post (take the fast option).

REMEMBER: The more you practise listening skills, the better you'll do it in the exam; but also you'll be able to speak much better if you do listening exercises regularly.

Don't forget to bring your compositions next week!