Teenage Problems.
учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку (9 класс) на тему

                                                Teenage Problems.

     Today it is fashionable to speak about teenage problems. Many problems were hushed up, but now we can speak openly about them. There are myriads of problems teenagers face. Some of them start in the family.

     Today conflicts between children and their parents are a classic case of misunderstanding between different generations: conflicts with adults are typical in teenager’s life. Children and their parents often argue with each other. One of the problem concerns teenage fashion and their body image. Teenagers and their parents have different views on the same things. Nowadays in most stylish clothes you can’t find anything that looks like normal in your parents’ mind. They don’t like such things as red and blue hair, and studs and rings in different parts of your body. It’s very difficult for them to understand that their children just want to be different, to be part of the current fashion.

    Another problem that grows from the family is high parental expectation. Parents try to control nearly every step of their children, they constantly tell them what to do and what not to do. Very often they don’t let them do what they want to do. Children feel themselves under so much strain. Teenage stress leads to teenage depression which increases with school work, a number of projects to be done, tests to cope with, professional choices to be focused on, sport and other extracurricular activities.

     Psychologists say that most young people experience conflict during this period of their lives. They are growing rapidly, both physically and emotionally and they are searching for self-identity. As they are growing up and becoming more independent, teenagers sometimes develop different values from those held by their parents. They begin to be influenced by the values expressed by their friends, the media and teachers. Teens feel the need to become more popular through different channels like music, sport etc.

    They try to spend their free time in the company of their friends or whom they consider to be friends. To look older young people often obtain bad habits like smoking, drinking, taking drugs. Other reasons that can inspire teen that his best friend is a bottle or a cigarette are absence of the second half, loneliness, lack of pocket money, parents’ misunderstanding. For many children from poor families violence, drinking problems and all that is associated with poverty becomes more real than reality.

     Problems are solvable, at least most of them. They are caused by things that can be changed. First of all let your parents know that you need them to help you, not add to the strain – support and encouragement can be better than any pressure. Very often parents live their dream through their children. Some of them seem to be too strict. But they just want us not to be disappointed and not to make the same mistakes which they made in the past. If you can’t rely on your parents you always can use Childline. It is the telephone line you can call if you can’t talk about your problems to anyone at home. You should never take drugs as this will make it worse.

                                             Questions for discussion.

1. What problems are most typical for teenagers?

2. What serious problems do you have?

3. How do you solve them?

4. .Do you like tattoo and body piercing?

5. Why do you think people choose to have tattoos or body piercing?

    A) Do they want to be part of the current fashion?

     B) Do they want to be different?

     C) Is it a good way to mark something you want to remember?

6. What do your parents say when they see navel rings or pierced ears, lips, noses, eyebrows, chins, tongues?

7. Do you think it would look strange when you’re old?

8. Why is schooling one of the most teenage problems?

9. What do teenagers do to look older? ( Do they obtain bad habits like smoking, drinking, taking drugs etc.?

10. What other reasons can inspire teens that their best friends are a bottle and a cigarette?

11. What do you think about teens who have mania to comps?

12. Do you think it’s important to have a person that you want to be look like? Doesn’t it kill your individuality?

13. Why do parents press on their children?

14. Do they always respect teens’ interests?

15. Do you think it’s a good idea to give teenagers a lot of freedom?

16. What do you think are some important things parents can do for teenagers?

17. What should you do if there’s nobody you can ask for help?

18. How do you feel about swearing? (Swearing – bad language, swore, sworn.) Does it matter if teenagers sometimes use bad language?

19. Should teenagers work? Why or why not?

20. How can they earn money?

                             Some additional material.

1. Some expressions to remember.

Happy parents raise happy kids.

If you want your teenager not to be “one of those teenagers…”, make sure you are not “ one of those parents”.

If you are hanging out, you are just spending time with your friends.

If you hit the big time, you become very successful.

2. The extract from the song by Slick Rick “Hey young world”.

Hey young world.. the world is yours…

This rap here… it may cause concern it’s

Broad and deep… why don’t you listen and learn

Love means happiness… that once was strong

But due to society… even that’s turned wrong

Times have changed… and it’s cool to look bummy

And be a dumb dummy and disrespect your mummy

Have you forgotten… who put you on this Earth?

Who brought you up right… and who loved you since your birth?

Reward is brainwashed kid going wild

Young little girls already have a child

Bad company… hey, now you’ve been framed

Your parents are hurting… hurting and ashamed

You’re ruining yourself… and your mommy can’t cope

Hey, little kids don’t follow these dopes

Here’s a rule for non cool… your life, don’t drool

Don’t be a fool like those that don’t go to school

Get ahead… and accomplish things

You’ll see the wonder and the joy life brings

Don’t admire thieves… hey they don’t admire you

Their time’s limited, hard rock’s too

So listen, be strong, scream whoopee-doo

Go for yours, cause dreams come true

And you’ll make your mummy proud… so proud of you too

And this is a message… that the Ruler Rick threw

And it’s true.

3. The extract from the song by Will Smith “Your parents just don’t understand”.

You know parents are the same

No matter time or place

 They don’t understand that us kids

Are going to make some mistakes

So to you, all the kids all across the land

There’s no need to argue

Parents just don’t understand.

I remember one year

My mom took me school shopping

It was me, my brother, my pop, and my little sister

All hopped in the car

We headed downtown to the Gallery Mall

My mom started bugging with the clothes she chose

I didn’t say anything at first

I just turned up my nose

She said, “What’s wrong? This shirt cost 20 dollars”

I said, “Mom, this shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar!”

The next half hour was the same old thing

My mother buying me clothes from 1963

And then she lost her mind she brought me Zips!

I said, ”Mom, what are you doing, you’re running my rep.”

She said, ”No, you go to school to learn not for a fashion show.”

I said, ”This isn’t Sha Na Na, come on mom, I’m not Bowzer

Mom, please put back the bell-bottom Brady Bunch trousers

But if you don’t want to I can live with that but

You gotta put back the double-knit reversible slacks.”

She wasn’t moved – everything stayed the same

Inevitably the first day of school came

I thought I could get over, I tried to play sick

But my mom said, “ No, no way, uh-uh, forget it”

There was nothing I could do, I tried to relax

I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts

And when I walked into school, it was just as I thought

The kids were cracking up laughing at the clothes mom bought

And those who weren’t laughing still had a ball

Because they were pointing and whispering

As I walked down the hall

I got home and told my mom how my day went

She said, “If they were laughing you don’t need them

Cause they’re not good friends”

For the next six hours I tried to explain to my mom

That I was gonna have to go though this about 200 more times

So ti you all the kids all across the land

There’s no need to argue

Parents just don’t understand.

Sources of information:

“Enjoy English”, учебники для 7 и 8 классов, М. З. Биболетова, Н. Н. Трубанева;“Popculture”, developing essential reading skills 2, Gillian Flaherty with Jane Bowring and Naomi Waterman, издательство Титул, 2003; nsportal.ru/shkola/inostrannye-yazyki/library; www.englishteachers.ru/forum/index.php; songs by Will Smith, Slick Rick.