ALLGEMEINBILDUNG CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

HS 2015 1 / 4

1. True or false?

T F Debt is always bad.

More women than men are in debt.

It’s easier to get into debt than to get out of debt.

A third of all young people in Switzerland are in debt.

Parents must pay off their the debt of their underage children.

It’s wise to take out a loan if you can’t afford holidays.

Most people get into debt because their credit card was stolen.

Only individuals can get into debt.

2. Read the text below, then watch the video and fill in the gaps.

What is debt?

Debt. It's a very emotive word isn't it? You see it in the press. You see it

everywhere. What does debt mean? Well, very simply, debt is a description of

_____________ that you owe. Money that you owe perhaps on a mortgage.

Perhaps on a _____. Perhaps ____________. Perhaps _______. All of it

represents debt. And, as a ____________, we owe many many billions of

pounds.

ALLGEMEINBILDUNG CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

HS 2015 2 / 4

What do the terms “good debt” and “bad debt” mean?

Is all debt bad debt? No, clearly not.

Examples of good debts:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Bad debt, on the other hand, is when you're borrowing the money, when really,

you can't afford it. So, a _____________ that you can't afford, a mortgage to get

on the property ladder, when really, you can't afford it. So bad debt simply is

money you __________, when really, you can't afford to be paying it.

How can I avoid getting into debt?

The best way to avoid getting into debt is careful _______________. The best

thing to do is not to have an _____________ on your bank account and use

________ cards rather than credit cards. Pay your way when it

comes to big ticket items like a holiday, a new TV,

________until you can afford it. A mortgage is fine as long as

you can afford the monthly payments. The two biggest costs for

most households is ______________ and _________________. Always think

before you sign up to the mortgage or the rent, can you actually afford it?

Similarly for an expensive car. If you find that you are struggling, again look at

those two things: Could you find somewhere __________ to live? Could you live

closer to where you work? Could you actually have a smaller car? That could you

__________ quite a lot, cheaper tax, cheaper insurance,

cheaper petrol, cheaper repair bills. You can save on the

environment as well. Shop around for the best ________ for

your mobile and utilities. Look at all the links on the website

and _________ how much you spend each month so you can

look back and see where your hard earned money has gone.

ALLGEMEINBILDUNG CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

HS 2015 3 / 4

3. Please list possible advantages and disadvantages of going into debt.

§

Compare with your partner. Are there more pros or cons?

4. Please write down important words. You can also write down German words and expressions you want to know in

English.

§ ………………………

………………………

§ ………………………

………………………

§ ………………………

………………………

§ ………………………

………………………

§ ………………………

………………………

§ ………………………………………………

ALLGEMEINBILDUNG CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

HS 2015 4 / 4

5. Create a mind map on the topic “debt”. Think about all important aspects we discussed. First make your own draft, then

create a poster in groups of three.