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ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

A HISTORY OF
TEENAGERS

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1 Warm up

Look at these two photos of teenagers and answer the following questions.

picture A picture B

1. In which decades do you think picture A and picture B were taken?

2. How old do you think these young men are?
3. What do you think they might have in common?
4. How do you think their lives differ?

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2 Vocabulary

Part A: Match the words to their definition.

1. alongside (prep.) a. have babies

2. reproduce (v) b. a person in the process of developing from a child to an adult

3. adolescent (n) c. not affected by something

4. regardless (adv.) d. the process of developing the production of goods in a country

5. guardian (n) e. a person legally responsible for the care of a child

6. industrialisation (n) f. next to or together with something

7. ripple (v) g. cause waves of something

8. innovative (adj.) h. use of new and original methods or ideas

Part B: Complete the gaps using the words above. Note the form of the word may be different.

1. Rabbits are able to quickly as female rabbits can become pregnant again almost
immediately after giving birth.

2. The inventor had a lot of ideas for new technology to improve the environment.

3. Samantha’s aunt became her legal after her mother was unable to take care of her.

4. experience a lot of change as they are still growing and developing into adults.

5. Cho liked to go for a walk along the beach every day, of the weather.

6. The closing of the bank caused shockwaves to the financial markets, which across
the rest of the economy.

7. Increased mechanisation of manufacturing went hand in hand with .

8. Volunteers and professionals worked each other in order to get the job done.

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3 Pre-reading task: prediction

You are going to read an article (page 4) about different generations of teenagers. First read the
statements below and try to guess possible answers. Scan the text to check your guesses.

1. The word teenager first appeared in the:

a. neolithic period

b. 1500s

c. 1900s

d. 1950s

2. In the UK, schooling up to the age of 15 was made compulsory in the:

a. 1910s

b. 1920s

c. 1930s

d. 1940s

3. In the US, a teen aged 17-18 is more likely to have tried alcohol than those of the same age 20
years ago.
a. true

b. false

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The teenager – a modern invention

Humans have been turning 13 to 19 for millennia, but only recently did anybody think that this stage
of life deserved its own name. Until only recently, the modern idea of the teenager was a foreign
concept.

1. Working like adults: 1500s teenager – has been created by the businessmen who
exploit it." Back then it was all about rock and roll
In the 1500s most Western adolescents would have
and now it’s all about TikTok. But, regardless of the
already been working alongside adults from as early
form it takes, teenage music, fashion and language
as seven, according to historian, Hugh Cunningham
ripples across the rest of society, encouraged by the
of the University of Kent. In many cases this was
industries which profit from them.
likely to have been farm work, but as industrialisation
spread in the 18th and 19th centuries, many teens 4. Teens are growing up more slowly
became factory workers. According to Cunningham,
In recent times there has been an interesting change
in the late 1800s children in the US were contributing
in teenage life. Psychologist Jean Twenge of San
around a third of family income by the time their
Diego State University notes that by some measures
father was in his 50s. There was no universal
teens are growing up more slowly. For example, a
schooling. The word and concept of teenager simply
typical 17-18-year-old in the US is now less likely
did not exist.
have tried alcohol, had sex, or acquired their driver’s
2. Teen culture: 1940s and 50s licence, compared with similarly-aged teens only 20
years ago. A 13-14-year-old is less likely to have a job
The first mention of a ‘’teen-ager” appeared in the
or to have gone on dates. Her hypothesis is that teens
1900s. Despite this, it remained rarely used. It only
behave differently depending on their environment,
started to become common in the 1940s and 50s as
an idea known as "life history theory". In tougher
a result of changes to living standards and education
times, teens were forced to take a "fast life strategy",
policies in the developed world. In the early 20th
reproducing earlier and focusing on basic needs.
century, young people were able to stay with their
Now life is generally more forgiving, and families are
parents or guardians for longer, supported financially
wealthier on average, so it’s possible for teens to
and emotionally. As such, teens became more likely
delay the transition to more adult behaviours.
to stay in school. In the late 1940s, schooling until
15 in the UK was made compulsory. And in the US, 5. Have teenagers changed?
high school graduation went from less than 10% in
While some things may have changed, others stay the
1950 to around 60% by the mid-1950s. This also
same. Bioarcheologists have been able to find out a
helped young people develop their own customs in
surprising amount about the teens of thousands of
an environment away from work and family, where
years ago by examining bones and teeth and other
they could create their own social rules and culture.
archaeological data. Their evidence shows that in the
3. It’s all about the money Upper Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, teenagers
were innovative and played an important role in the
Companies began to sense an opportunity to tap
origin and spread of new ideas. They were highly
into this emerging teenage culture. In the 1950s
mobile, creative and driven to interact with new
companies realised that teenagers were trendsetters
groups - much like the teens of today.
who could be marketed to. As a writer for The
New Yorker stated in 1958: "To some extent, the Sources: BBC, The Conversation, The Saturday Evening
teenage market – and, in fact, the very notion of the Post

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4 Discussion questions

Discuss the following questions.

1. What, if anything, surprises you the most in the article?

2. As a teenager, do you feel marketed to? Does this bother you?
3. Do you see your peers delaying ‘adult behaviours’? Do you feel like there is a difference between
the generations of teenagers?
4. There was a time when the concept of ‘teen’ did not exist. Can you imagine what other life stage
could be identified in the future? What would it be?

5 Language point: comparing pictures

Have a look at some useful language you can use when comparing and contrasting pictures.

Typical language to describe a picture:

• Present continuous

Use the present continuous to describe actions. eg:

In this picture, a man is walking his dog. The woman is wearing a green hat.
There are two boys playing football.

• There is..., eg: In this picture, there is a large box sitting on the floor.
• We can see..., eg: I can see an older man who is talking on the phone.
• I can see..., eg: I can see an older man who is talking on the phone

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Use language of comparison

• Both, eg:

a) Both pictures show a school playground...

b) In both pictures we can see a classroom...

c) There are women in both pictures...

d) Both women are working in an office...

• Whereas, eg:

a) Whereas in this picture the woman is working hard, in the other picture
the man is being lazy and doing nothing.

b) In this picture the woman is working hard, whereas in this picture the man
is being lazy and doing nothing.

(Note: in the second sentence a comma must come before whereas.)

• While, eg:

a) While in this picture the man is walking in the forest and getting fresh air,
the man in the other picture is inside a small dark office.

b) In this picture the man is walking in the forest and getting fresh air, while
the man in the other picture is inside a small dark office.

(Note: in the second sentence a comma must come before while.)

Use language of speculation

• Perhaps, eg: Perhaps she is taking a break from work.
• It seems like, eg: It seems like they are disagreeing on something.
• Maybe, eg: Maybe they are having an argument.
• They might have, eg: They might have lost their job and they are feeling upset.
• It could be that, eg: It could be that she is worried about work.

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6 Practice

Look at the following pictures of teenagers. Choose two to describe and compare and contrast in
pairs.

picture 1 picture 2

picture 3 picture 4

picture 5 picture 6

picture 7 picture 8

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7 Video: slang
You are going to watch a video from 1958. It uses a lot of slang from its time. Try to guess the
meanings of these slang words.

1. hep -

2. with it -

3. a square -

4. a cat -

5. a joint -

6. dig someone -

7. shoot away -

8. gay -

9. guys and dolls -

10. getup -

8 Watch video
Watch the video carefully and listen out for slang terms.

9 Talking point

1. Was there anything surprising in the video for you?

2. What did you notice about how Lady Lewisham spoke compared with the others?
3. Slang changes quickly - what slang words would you use now for these things?
4. What slang words are common among teens currently? Do adults know these terms? Are there
some your teacher probably doesn’t know?
5. How do you feel when adults try to use teen slang?

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10 Vocabulary

A: Match the vocabulary with the definitions.

Group 1

1. thriving (adj.) a. wonderful

2. splendid (adj.) b. the best method to a good result

3. throw off the tyranny of (idiom) c. free oneself from terrible power

4. live the gospel (idiom) d. really do something like you believe it

5. golden way to a big dividend (phrase) e. doing well, strong and healthy

Group 2

1. a raw deal (idiom) a. a short or incomplete view

2. well-off (adj.) b. unfair treatment

3. a glimpse (n) c. wealthy

4. cashes in (phrasal v.) d. take advantage of something financially

5. drab lounge suit (phrase) e. a boring normal suit

Group 3

1. some tune (phrase) a. bizarre and strange

2. outlandish (adj.) b. some amount of money

3. mass hero-worship (phrase) c. very different from the thing it’s being compared
to
4. a far cry (idiom) d. the admiration of someone by a lot of people

5. with a capital X (phrase) e. emphasis that something is to a great degree

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11 Debate

Prepare for a short debate in pairs or in groups.

You are going to debate the following statement.

Teenagers these days have it harder than in the past.

Decide if you will be for the statement (meaning you will agree this statement is true) or against the statements
(you will argue this statement is false). Your teacher can decide or you can flip a coin.

Once you know your side, come up with at least five points that support your argument.
In order to prepare better for the debate, also come up with five points the other side might argue. Be
ready to refute them (show how their argument is wrong).

Arguments for: Arguments against:

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

Some useful language:

The first argument I would like to make is that...

In my opinion...
It seems to me that...
I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on that point...
On one hand... on the other hand...
That’s a good point, but...
Let me give you an example...

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12 Extension/homework task
Choose one of the following tasks to complete.

Task 1: Ask your parents/teacher/sibling:

1. What do they remember from their teenage years?

2. How was life different for them as a teenager compared with today?
3. Do they wish they had been a teen more now or then?
4. Do they think being a teenager these days is harder or easier than in their day?
5. What slang did they use when they were a teen?

Write some short notes and be prepared to tell someone else what you found out.

Task 2:

Look up slang from the year or decade you were born. Do you know any of these words? Are any of
them still used today?

Task 3: Use the vocabulary from exercise ten to complete the gaps in sentences from the video. Watch
and listen to the video again to help you.
a far cry a raw deal cashes in
glimpse golden way to a big dividend live the gospel
mass hero-worship outlandish popularity with a capital P
some tune splendid the drab lounge suit
thriving throw off the tyranny well-off teenagers

1. But everywhere the cats have their own little places where they that this is the
age of the teenager.

2. From that club to Lady Lewisham’s , but wait.

3. I think they’re and I’m delighted you’ve asked me that question because I sometimes
think they get rather .

4. The shops know it so every town has a store with teenage departments on giving
the young people the fashions they demand.

5. And if the getup seems to border on the , why not look on them as the beginnings
of something new.

6. One result may be that males will at last of .

7. The gramophone industry on the for .

8. All industry knows that to please the teenagers is the .

9. And the objects of the , theirs is .

10. To get a brief of them is practically heaven itself.

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