Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Learning ObjectivesAfter this lesson, students will be able to:

• Discuss and relate quotes to real-life experiences.• Define youth and senescence.• Analyze an infographic about ages and the economy as a result of

ageing population in Japan.• Determine the effects of the ageing population to the economy of

Japan.• Recognize types of clauses according to function and structure.• Identify the proper usage of English expressions using context clues.

Learning Objectives 2

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Warm Up 3

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

1. Agree or Disagree?• It's better to enjoy life than worry about growing old.

• Although everyone grows old, I'd prefer to grow old gracefully.

• I want to look and feel young for as long as possible.

• Someday humans will likely live for hundreds of years.

• My generation will likely live for hundreds of years.

“Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar but thebest improve with age”.

- Pope John Paul XXIII

Introduction 4

Youth is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood toadulthood’s independence. That’s why, as a category, youth is more fluid than other fixed age-groups. Yet, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in relation to education andemployment, because ‘youth’ is often referred to a person between the ages of leavingcompulsory education, and finding their first job.

Old age, also called senescence, in human beings,the final stage of the normal life span. Definitions ofold age are not consistent from the standpoints ofbiology, demography (conditions of mortality andmorbidity), employment and retirement, andsociology. For statistical and public administrativepurposes, however, old age is frequently defined as60 or 65 years of age or older.

How old is “young”

and “old” in your

perception?

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Infographic 5

Source: How young are “young people”? And at what age does a person become “old”? | YouGov

How young are “young” people?

Most Brits believe only those under 30 are youngRespondents were asked atwhat ages they would stopdescribing a person to be"young" and at what agesthey would start describingthem as "middle aged" andold". Discuss the result ofthe survey.

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Listening Activity 6

Listening (6.1)

After Listening Exercise1. Where was the interview done?2. What is the age range of the interviewees?3. Summarize their answers to the following questions:

a. What was life like before mobile phones?b. What’s good about receiving a letter instead of an email?c. Thoughts about mobile phones and selfies.d. Do you ever wish you had this kind of technology earlier in life?e. What advice would you give younger people?

The Old and the New

https://youtu.be/GsFsS2Rh46gElderly Advice on Modern Life

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Vocabulary Preview 7

Match the words with the correct meaning. Identify what part of speech is each.

a. avertb. tacklec. stagnationd. loominge. labor forcef. censusg. crunchh. worse-than-expectedi. shrinking economyj. contract

1. happens when there is a drastic change in market activity. It means thatconsumer demand is lowering, creating an unhealthy surplus of goods,services, and human resources.

2. turn away (one's eyes or thoughts).3. an enumeration of people, houses, firms, or other important items in a

country or region at a particular time4. decrease in size, number, or range.5. appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening.6. state of not flowing or moving.7. total number of people who are currently employed plus the number of

people who are unemployed and seeking employment.8. make determined efforts to deal with (a problem or difficult task).9. undesirable, at much lower standards than expected.10. a crucial point or situation, typically one at which a decision with

important consequences must be made.

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Reading Comprehension 8

Japan's population is shrinking: What does it mean for the economy?

Japan’s population has fallen by nearly 1 million in the past five years, in the first decline since the census began in 1920.This is bad news for the country’s shrinking economy, which is unable to depend on an expanding labour force to drive growth.

The population now stands at 127.1 million, declining 0.7% between 2010 and2015, the latest census showed.

The figures show the population is shrinking in 39 areas of the country, andgrowing in eight. Japan’s nine major urban areas account for 53.9% of the total population,with Greater Tokyo now home to 28.4%. Rural areas, on the other hand, are being hit bysevere declines. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made tackling the problem of Japan’sshrinking population a priority. But experts say averting the looming demographic crisis isvirtually impossible.

The population is forecast to fall to about 83 million by 2100, with 35% ofJapanese aged over 65, according to the United Nations. Even if the birth rate rose from 1.4children per woman to Abe’s target of 1.8 and Ja pan accepted more immigrants, it would bedifficult to prevent a fall below 100 million.

The prime minister’s Abenomics drive to lift the country out of stagnation has already come under significant pressure after a worse-than-expected contraction in the economy, which shrank at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the last quarter of 2015.An ageing population compounds the difficulties of the world’s most indebted economy because getting growth from an ageing,shrinking society is hard to do.

Read the full article here: Japan's population is shrinking: What does it mean for the economy? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

9Reading Comprehension

The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Ageing predicts that over the next fourdecades the rapid ageing of populations will be one of the biggest issues affecting the world,having a significant impact on areas such as social welfare, public health and economicprosperity.While the proportion of people over 65 years old around the globe is currently 10%, it isexpected to jump to 22% by 2050.Japan is facing the biggest demographic crunch, but other parts of East Asia will also have to dealwith the consequences of increased longevity and falling birth rates.A recent World Bank report predicted that health and pension spending in East Asian countries with shrinking labour forces, such as China and South Korea, will increase sharply, raising concerns over how to provide care for increasing numbers of older people.

Discussion1. What does shrinking economy means?2. Why did experts say that that averting the looming demographic crisis is virtually impossible

for Japan? Do you agree or disagree?3. Why is getting growth from an ageing, shrinking society is hard to do?4. Do you think the ageing population of Japan will have a global effect?5. How can the increase in longevity affect the economy?

Read the full article hereJapan's population is shrinking: What does it mean for the economy? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Grammar Focus 10

Clause

What Are Clauses? A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb.

Independent ClauseTara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.(Tara ate a cheese roll is an independent clause. It works as a standalone sentence.)1. He ran fast2. I was late at work.

Dependent ClauseTara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.(The clause after she watched the news is a dependent clause. It does not work as a standalone sentence.)1. Because I woke up late this morning… (what

happened?)2. When we arrived in class… (what occurred?)

A clause can be distinguished from a phrase, which does not contain a subject and a verb (e.g., in the afternoon, drinking from the bowl).

An independent clause can express a complete thought (and can be a standalone sentence). A dependent clause is usually a supporting part of a sentence, and it cannot stand by itself as a meaningful proposition (idea).

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Grammar Focus 11

How Are Clauses Used in Sentences?Clauses can play a variety of roles in sentences. A clause can act as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

A noun clause is a clause that plays the role of a noun. For example:

Compare the three examples above to these:I like what I see. (noun clause) I like cakes.

An adjective clause usually comes after the noun it modifies and is made up of several words which, like all clauses, will include a subject and a verb.

The carpets which you bought last year have gone moldy.

The Components of an Adjective ClauseAn adjective clause (which can also be called an adjectival clause or a relative clause) will have the following three traits:• It will start with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, or which) or a relative adverb (when, where, or why).(This links it to the noun it is modifying.)(Note: Quite often, the relative pronoun can be omitted. However, with an adjective clause, it is always possible to put one in. There is more on this below.)• It will have a subject and a verb. (These are what make it a clause.)• It will tell us something about the noun. (This is why it is a kind of adjective.)

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Grammar Focus 12

An adverbial clause is a group of words which plays the role of an adverb. (Like all clauses, an adverbial clause will contain a subject and a verb.) For example:• Keep hitting the gong hourly.(normal adverb)• Keep hitting the gong until I tell you to stop.(adverbial clause)

In these examples, the normal adverb and adverbial clauseboth tell us when the gong is to be hit. They are bothadverbs of time. All adverbs (including adverbial clauses)can usually be categorized as one of the following

1. The pony express did not last long.2. Mail was carried by ships.3. Because today’s mail travels so slowly.4. The pony express riders would often ride throughout

the night.5. While they were called pony boys.6. When they carried the mail.7. Because fuel is so expensive.

Identify whether dependent or independent clause.

8. The pony express just might be revived.9. Though nobody knew the trip’s length.10. A rider travelled a great distance before he stopped for

the night.11. Before the letter arrived by pony express.12. During summer vacation, students could sign up to ride

for the pony express.13. It would be fun.14. Since our mail delivery is so slow.

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Language Focus 13

How to live longerMost of what you can do to live a long and healthy life iscommon sense—and some of it is just plain fun. Thoughsome suggestions may seem simple, their impact can betremendous.

• Internet• Family and friends• Job and/or business• Nature• Hobbies• Food• Travelling

How can these things help us to live longer? Pick put some clauses in your answers and identify what type each is.

Read the full article here: https://www.canyonranch.com/blog/health/15-things-you-can-do-to-live-longer/

1. Exercise2. Watch your weight3. Get enough sleep and take naps4. Eat well5. Manage stress6. Hold hands, cuddle and hug7. Wear a seatbelt8. Floss your teeth9. Stay connected10. Don’t skip check ups

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Useful Expressions 14

Matching Activity

1. Disaffected youth2. Juvenile delinquent3. Midlife crisis4. Going through a phase5. Feel their age

Collocations:

Idioms

6. A ripe old age7. Tender age of8. Act your age!9. Over the hill

a. The young age of …b. when someone feels as old as they arec. young people who do not accept society’s valuesd. Another way of saying that someone is olde. Behave more maturely (when someone is acting

like a child).f. period of dissatisfaction in the middle of one’s

life.g. going through a period of difficult behaviour.h. A very old age.i. a criminal who is still legally a minor.

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

Speaking Drill 15

1. Are you afraid of becoming old?2. What is the best age to be and why?3. Would you like to be immortal?4. Why do some people age before others?5. How concerned are you with aging? Please explain.6. Would you like to go back to when you were a child?7. What are the good and bad things about today’s youth?8. What can old people teach to young people?9. Do you think that older people make better leaders?10. Do members of your family live long and healthy lives? Please explain.11. What lifestyle choices have you made that have had negative effects?12. What lifestyle choices have you made that have had positive effects?13. If humans could double their lifespan, would it be a good idea? Why/not?

Lesson 6. Youth and Old Age

The End

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