LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERSBOOMERANG KIDS
LinguaHouse
Mar. 30, 2022
Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: Business English
Tags: Society and Change; Money and Finance; Psychology; Relationships; Behavior, Feelings and Emotions; Business People; Challenges; Ethics and Conduct; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; Article Based
Publication date: 03/30/2022
In this lesson, students will listen to an interview discussing the trend of "boomerang kids" – young adults moving back home with their parents – and read an article about the situation. Exercises focus on reading and listening skills and related vocabulary, and students will have an opportunity to discuss the issues relating to the topic (by Joe Wilson).
- CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
- CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
- CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
- CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
- CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: And now we take a look at “boomerang kids”, the trend that has been building for some time. Here to tell us more about the situation is Professor Hopeworth. Professor, thank you for joining us!
Professor Hopeworth: Thanks for having me on.
Interviewer: So tell us, Professor, what does “boomerang kids” mean?
Professor Hopeworth: It’s to describe the situation where we are seeing increasing numbers of young adults choosing to return to live with their parents after they have already moved out. They leave and then they come back, similar to the famous tool used by Aboriginal Australians. The pandemic increased the number of people doing this, but the percentage was increasing long before the world knew about Covid-19, and it is forecasted to continue.
Interviewer: And what has created this situation?
Professor Hopeworth: There are several reasons. First of all, the cost of living has increased, making it hard for a lot of young people to make the income they need to pay the bills, particularly if they are studying full-time, or starting their own business, or just not able to find work. It can also be a strategy for saving money if you need to pay back student loans after university or you need to save money. Short-term pain for long-term gain, some would say (laughs).
Interviewer: Is it all positive?
Professor Hopeworth: Well, no. There can be challenges for both the child and the parents when boomerang kids move back in. It can require a negotiation over what the rules will be: will the child be paying rent? Will they be buying their own food? Parents who are retired, for example, may not have enough money to fund their adult child’s life without some help. But then again, that adult child can make a big difference to the cost of running their home in a positive way. It depends on what you agree to. I’m not saying you need to sign a contract, but you should certainly have an agreement that is understood by both parents and children.
Interviewer: Where are we mostly seeing this trend?
Professor Hopeworth: We are, of course, mainly talking about Western societies here. In Asian cultures, there’s not as much importance placed on the idea of a child moving out around the age of 18. In the US and the UK, there is very much the idea that becoming an adult is strongly connected to moving out of your parents’ house. So, we see some boomerang kids struggling with the situation as they feel as though they have somehow failed. However, we will see less of this as the situation becomes more common. There are a lot of benefits emotionally to spending more time with your parents too. It can help you reconnect as adults and learn to do things together that are different from when you were growing up.
Interviewer: Yes, very interesting. I’m afraid that’s all we have time for now. Thank you for talking to us.
Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/boomerang-kids. Accessed on April 2, 2022. LinguaHouse.com © 2008 - 2022. All rights reserved.
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