ESL WORKSHEET - Celebrations, Society and Change

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

WHEN ARE YOU AN ADULT?

LinguaHouse
Jan. 3, 2023

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2-C1)
Type of English: English for Teenagers
Tags: Celebrations and Special Events; People and Places; Society and Change; CAE*; Celebrations and Commemorations; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; Article Based
Publication date: 01/03/2023

The topic of this lesson is coming of age. Students will listen to a podcast about coming-of-age ceremonies. They will learn level-appropriate vocabulary and discuss their opinions and experiences. The grammar focus is on how to talk about age. In addition to this, there is a reading about legal ages around the world and discussion questions. As an extension or homework task, students can look up a list of idioms connected to age (by J. S. Fox).

* CAE is the acronym of “Certificate in Advanced English”.

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Sara: Today we have an interview with world-renowned anthropologist, Professor Arthur Smith, who has written a book about coming-of-age ceremonies. Good morning, Professor. Can you tell us about some of the traditions you describe in your book?
Professor: Certainly, I’ll start with some of those which would be most familiar to your audience already. In America of course there is the tradition of the Sweet Sixteen party for girls. This will typically involve an over the top party and of course, depending on the finances of the parents, the lucky teenager might be given a car.
Sara: Isn’t that something close to the Mexican Quinceñera?
Professor: Indeed, it is. Not only Mexico though, it happens in many parts of Central and South America. Unlike the sweet sixteen the quinceñera has origins from Catholicism. When a girl turns 15 there is a mass where she renews her baptismal vows. Afterwards, there’s a big party where she might wear a ball gown and tiara.
Sara: What about some other religious traditions?
Professor: There’s a Jewish tradition called the Bar Mitzvah when a boy turns 13, the age when boys are considered to have reached the age of maturity. At the ceremony he wears a tallit, which is a prayer shawl and reads from the Torah. It shows that he understands he is now fully responsible for following the commandments of Jewish law.
Sara: Are there any more unusual ones you’ve come across?
Professor: Oh definitely. The Bullet Ant Initiation of the Sateré-Mawé tribe of the Amazon rainforest. First, these ants are put into a herbal solution to sedate them. Then they are put inside special gloves. Then they blow smoke onto the ants so when they regain consciousness, they become aggressive. Then the 13-year-old boy taking part in the initiation puts his hands inside the gloves. And you can imagine what comes next. Oh, and their stings are unbelievably painful, and the pain lasts for more than 24 hours.
Sara: That sounds shocking.
Professor: It is. And the boys have to react as little as possible. They endure the pain in order to become warriors. They have to do this 20 times over a period of months to complete the initiation.
Sara: Wow. And anything else?
Professor: Yes, the last one I’ll mention is the bull jumping ritual in Ethiopia. In the Hamer tribe there’s a rite of passage that men have to complete before they can get married. They have to run and jump over the backs of a row of bulls four times. The men are naked during the ritual. If they are unsuccessful, they have to wait for another year to try again. But if they are successful, they are ready for marriage.
Sara: All very interesting. Thank you, Professor!

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/english-for-teenagers/when-are-you-an-adult. Accessed on February 17, 2023. © 2008–2023 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.