Are Teenagers Really Lazy British English Teacher

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
ARE
TEENAGERS
REALLY LAZY?
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1 Warm up
Look at these pictures and describe what you see.
Picture 1 Picture 2
Picture 3 Picture 4
1. What adjectives would you use to describe these teenagers?

2. Do you ever do these things? Do you ever feel like these teenagers?
3. Why do adults think teenagers are lazy? Is this fair?
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?
2 Focus on Vocabulary
Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct definition.
1. harmful (adj.) a. used to emphasise the most important thing
2. basically (adv.) b. a sport where you move in a small, narrow boat for
one person
3. rush off (phrasal verb) c. causing damage to someone or something
4. canoeing (n) d. a sport where you cycle on rough ground, for

example through forests
5. mountain biking (n) e. go somewhere quickly and suddenly
II
1. excuse (n) a. rest for a short time and get back your strength
2. concerned (adj.) b. feeling worried about something or someone else
3. apparently (adv.) c. spend extra time doing something because you

didn’t do it earlier
4. recharge your batteries (phrase) d. a reason for doing something that can be true or
invented
5. catch up on (phrasal verb) e. used to show that you have heard or read some
information but are not sure it’s true
Language Tip
Adverbs like apparently and basically can be used to change the meaning of a sentence. Look
at these examples:
• She had apparently gone to the sports centre before going home.
• She had definitely gone to the sports centre before going home.
• What I’m basically saying is that we don’t think about other people enough – only
ourselves.
• What I’m sadly saying is that we don’t think about other people enough – only ourselves.
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Think of two sentences about yourself and sports. Use these adverbs in them to see how the meaning
changes.
Part B: Write the correct word or phrase from Part A in each sentence.
1. I’m a bit that Viktor isn’t doing enough exercise. I think he should join a gym.
2. I think a weekend away to after all those exams is just what we need.
3. I just heard the coach talking and, , the whole team were told to do extra training
after that terrible performance at the weekend.
4. I could give you lots of examples, but what we need are more sports centres near
to where we live.
5. I’m never going to go again! I fell into the river three times and the boat filled up
with water.
6. No, I don’t think having too much homework is a good for not doing any exercise.
7. No, I don’t think doing too much exercise can be although doing too little definitely
can be.
8. Going is so much more fun than staying on the road.
9. Please don’t when you hear the school bell as I’d like to speak to you about
tomorrow’s school trip.
10. I can’t go out tonight because I have so much schoolwork that I need to .

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Part C: Discuss these questions about sports with a classmate and use the word in bold in your
answers.
1. What’s the worst excuse you’ve ever heard for not doing your homework?
2. What are some of the best ways to recharge your batteries after a busy time at school?
3. Are you ever concerned that some of the things people do or eat are harmful?
3 Reading
Look at the images. What do you think is the relationship between the man and the boy? What could
they be speaking about? Who do you think the woman is? What do you think her job is?
Picture 1 Picture 2
You are going to read a letter from a worried parent. Read the letter quickly and then answer these
questions with a classmate.
1. Where might you see a letter like this?
2. Who is Claude?
3. Who is Jackson?
4. What is Claire’s job?

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Dear Claire,
I am writing to you because I am really worried about my son, Jackson. He is 15 years old
and seems to have a lifestyle pattern that could be harmful for his adult life. I was hoping
you could give me some advice about how to get him to be a bit more active, do more
exercise and basically, stop being so lazy. It can be difficult to convince him that getting
out of bed before twelve at the weekend is a good thing to do!
Let me give you an example or two. He gets up at 7am during the week so he can catch
the bus to school. He arrives at the breakfast table and doesn’t speak to anyone. His
younger brothers try to chat with him, but he hardly looks at any of us. Then, when he
gets home about four, he rushes off to his room to do his homework.
At the weekends, we are lucky to see him in the morning at all! He misses out on hikes in
the mountains and all kinds of sports we do. He used to love doing water sports such as
canoeing and things like mountain biking, but he’s just lost all interest. He makes excuses
about doing any sport with us, but the moment a friend calls, he is off that sofa and
running out the door! He also stays up until midnight watching series. It can’t be healthy.
He used to be such a lovely little boy; he always did as he was told and loved spending
time with us. Now I’m concerned that his school results might suffer. He has always got
amazing results in the past.
Apparently, all of this is quite normal, but I was wondering if you could give me a few tips
to get my son to do a bit more.
Yours sincerely,
Claude
Glossary:
Yours sincerely (n) - a polite way to finish a letter when you use a person’s name at the beginning
Claude wrote to a magazine for some advice about his son, Jackson. Claire works for the magazine
and wrote a reply that was published next to Claude’s letter. What advice do you think Claire might
give to Claude?
1. Ask him to join you for some early morning exercise.
2. Say congratulations when he does things well.
3. Talk to him more about his schoolwork.
4. Ask him to do some exercise with you at a different time.
5. Don’t worry about the time he goes to bed.
Read Claire’s reply and check your predictions.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Dear Claude,
Thanks for your letter. It’s clear that you care for your son and want the best for him.
How about telling him that as a starting point?
He actually seems to be quite responsible. He gets up at 7am every weekday and comes
home and immediately gets on with his homework. Then I read that he gets fantastic
results. Why don’t you celebrate this?
As you mentioned in your letter, all of this is quite normal, and I don’t think there is much
that you need to be concerned about. Your son isn’t being lazy, he is making choices. He
has a busy life and needs downtime to recharge his batteries. Unfortunately, this may
mean that he has less time for family life at the moment. Perhaps you could try talking to
him about it.
Your son probably needs to catch up on his sleep at the weekend because he has had to
get up at 7am from Monday to Friday. However, in addition to this, there is actually a
medical reason for your son wanting to stay in bed in the morning and stay up late at
night. Research has found that the chemical which encourages us to sleep is produced at
a different time in teenagers’ brains to that of adults. This chemical, called melatonin, is
produced later at night and into the morning in teenagers, which means they will not be
sleepy until late and will be sleepier than adults in the morning. I recommend not asking
him any difficult questions first thing in the morning!
So, Claude, if I were you, I really wouldn’t worry. Maybe it would be a nice idea to ask
your son to go for a hike in the afternoon instead of early in the morning.
Yours sincerely,
Claire
Glossary:
Downtime (n) - time to relax and not work

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
4 Language: Giving Advice
Part 1: Claire gave Claude some advice in her letter. Look at the advice below and complete the
sentences with words that were used in Claire’s letter.
1. If I you, I’d try to get more sleep.
2. Perhaps you have a go at a different sport.
3. Maybe it be a good idea to do things together in the evening.
4. Why you ask her how she feels?
5. I playing lots of sports before deciding what is best.
6. How trying to run a bit quicker next time?
Part 2: Read some of the problems below and ask your classmate for some advice. Draw a happy face
every time your classmate uses one of the phrases from Part 1.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
5 Listening
Part 1: You are going to listen to the audio file or watch a video about teenagers and sport. Think
about where you live. Which sentences are true?
Audio
1. Sports centres are too expensive.
2. Sports centres are too far away from where I live.
3. There should be more sports centres.
4. The sports centres near me aren’t very good.

Video
Watch the video. Which topics are mentioned?
Glossary:
disposable income - money that people have available to spend on what they want
cater for - to provide the things that a specific person or situation requires
Part 2: Watch the video again. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?
1. Nobody has asked teenagers what they need to stay fit and healthy.
2. Teenagers are unhappy with the things they have to do sport in their area.
3. Teenagers feel comfortable going to gyms.
4. Teenagers can easily walk to places.
5. Teenagers would like to try a variety of things.
6. Teenagers like sports with lots of rules.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Part 3: Look at these sentences from the video. What does the word in bold mean?
1. So, teenagers have a bad reputation for not being active enough.
a. Reputation is what people think about someone.
b. Reputation is when people get angry at others.
2. Instead of panicking about it and calling it a crisis has anyone thought to ask teenagers just what
they actually want?
a. Panicking is what people do when they want to change something.
b. Panicking is what people do when they are frightened about something.
3. They are not happy at all with the current standard of facilities around them.
a. Facilities are the public transport links in a city or town.
b. Facilities are the buildings and equipment for a specific thing.
4. They’re fed up of being told what they can’t do, and they want to be told what they can do.
a. When someone is fed up with something, they are unhappy with a situation that has gone on
too long.
b. When someone is fed up with something, they are hopeful that something will change in the
future.
5. They stress that this choice isn’t just about structured sport, and this leads us on to their final
suggestion.
a. If something is structured it has rules and systems in place.
b. If something is structured it has few rules and systems in place.
6. For teenagers, activity isn’t about being assessed or being competitive. It’s about having
unstructured fun opportunities.
a. If something is being assessed, it is being chosen in a competition against others.
b. If something is being assessed, it is being tested or an exam is taking place.
Discuss these questions with a classmate and use the words in bold in your answers.
1. Are sports facilities well-maintained in your area or do you have to travel elsewhere to find them?
2. What kind of things do you want to be addressed where you live?

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
6 Speaking: Class Survey

Part 1: Look at the following questions and quickly answer them with a classmate.
Part 2: In groups, choose or write one question about sports in your local area to ask the rest of the
class. Make sure your question has three options. For example:
Are there enough public sports centres in your area?
Answers Details
There are too many already. ✦✦
No, there aren’t enough. ✦✦✦✦✦ No basketball courts. No ice

rink.
I think we have the right ✦✦✦ I use our sports centre a lot.
amount.

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Part 3: Ask your question to the rest of your class and make a note of the results below.
Class Survey: Sports facilities in
Question:
Options Answers (✦) Details
Part 4: Listen to all the questions and answers from other groups, and take notes. You will use this
information to write a report.
7 Writing: Report (survey results)
Your local council has $1M to spend on sports facilities in your community. Suggestions so far include
a golf course and a yoga studio.
Write 2-3 paragraphs (120 words) describing the sports facilities where you live and what teenagers
in your area would like. Use the information you have from the class survey in your report. Include:
1. the sports facilities that are in your area

2. what is good about sports facilities in your area
3. what could be better about sports facilities in your area
4. what changes teenagers would like to see

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
Transcripts
5. Listening
Transcript 1:
V ideo
Speaker: So, teenagers have a bad reputation for not being active enough. They’re told they’re
lazy, that they’re on their phones too much and that they’re always playing computer
games. But, instead of panicking about it and calling it a crisis has anyone thought to
ask teenagers just what they actually want from activity and what could help them be
more active? Because we did and it turns out that teenagers actually have quite a lot
to say about activity, and there’s a few key things they want addressed.
Speaker: The first thing is they want things to be cheap. Teenagers say they don’t have
disposable income so this would go a long way to helping them be more active. The
second thing is that they are not happy at all with the current standard of facilities
around them. They say that they’re not well maintained, they’re dirty, they’re old,
they’re unused and they’re not safe.
Speaker: So, teenagers have started looking elsewhere to be active. And they said they’d really
like to go to places like gyms, but they say that gyms just don’t cater for their age
group which is why their third suggestion would be to make things more specific for
teenagers. They’re fed up of being told what they can’t do and they want to be told
what they can do but this shouldn’t mean that teenagers have to travel miles to get
places. No, these activities should be local.
Speaker: Teenagers stress that they just can’t access things that are far away and that they need
to be able to get there on foot. But just because you limit the distance doesn’t mean
you limit the choice teenagers have. And this is the choice to do anything, surprisingly
teenagers don’t like being told what to do, so they’d like to have the freedom to access
a lot of different activities, but they stress that this choice isn’t just about structured
sport, and this leads us on to their final suggestion.
Speaker: Teenagers don’t want to learn about sport, they don’t want to learn about specific skills
and rules. They just want to have fun. For teenagers, activity isn’t about being assessed
or being competitive. It’s about having unstructured fun opportunities to do with your
friends.
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Transcript 2:
Listening
Reader: Some people say that teenagers have a bad reputation for not being active enough.
Older generations tell them they’re lazy, are always on their phones and aren’t as fit
and healthy as they once were. But, instead of panicking about it and calling it a crisis
has anyone thought to ask teenagers just what they actually want?
Reader: Well, we’ve done a survey of hundreds of teenagers and it seems that young people
have lots of opinions on this matter and they want changes made to make it easier to
stay fit. Price is probably the most important issue.
Reader: Most teenagers say they don’t have an income so cheaper or even free things would
help them be more active. The next thing is that they are not happy at all with the
current standard of facilities around them. Many of the teenagers who answered our
questions said they’re not well maintained, they’re dirty, they’re old, they’re unused
and they’re not safe.
Reader: Because of this, young people often need to look outside of their local area. Many
would really like to visit a gym, but told us that gyms just don’t really think about young
people and they want more specific things for teenagers. They’re fed up with being told
what they can’t do and they want to be told what they can do but not if this means
they have to travel a long way to get what they want.
Reader: Teenagers say that activities should be local. It’s too difficult to access things that are far
away because they need to get there on foot or, at the very least, by public transport.
But even though the distance might be a problem, it doesn’t mean that choice should
be limited. And this should be the choice to do anything, and it’s no surprise that
teenagers don’t like being told what to do.
Reader: Young people want the freedom to access a lot of different activities, but they stress
that this choice isn’t just about structured sport, and this leads us to their final
suggestion. Sport shouldn’t be seen in a similar way to a school subject, it’s not about
rules. They just want to have fun. For teenagers, activity isn’t about being assessed or
being competitive. It’s about having unstructured fun opportunities that can be done
together.
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Key
1. Warm up
5-10 mins.
Ask students to look at the images and tell you what they see. Ask pairs to discuss questions 1 and 2. Elicit
some adjectives and write bored, tired and lazy on the board. Ask students which adjective best suits teenagers
generally.
Ask students to look at question 3 and think of three reasons why adults/parents think teenagers are lazy and
three reasons why this is unfair.
2. Focus on Vocabulary
10 mins.
Part A: Students work in pairs and match the vocabulary to their definitions. As you monitor, focus on pronunciation
as well as meaning. Check answers whole class and drill pronunciation.
I
1. → c. 2. → a. 3. → e. 4. → b. 5. → d.
II
1. → d. 2. → b. 3. → e. 4. → a. 5. → c.
Ask students to read the language tip and elicit a basic sentence such as I don’t play much football. Ask students
to play around with the position of the adverbs and think about how they can use some of the different adverbs
and what the sentence means when they use them.
5 mins.
Part B: Ask students to read all of the sentences before they decide which word to choose from Part A. Students
should check answers in pairs.
1. concerned 2. recharge our batteries

3. apparently 4. basically
5. canoeing 6. excuse
7. harmful 8. mountain biking
9. rush off 10. catch up on
5 mins.
Part C: Tell students to focus on saying the words in bold in their answers. Students could then talk to a different
classmate. Try to encourage students to develop their answers as they talk. Monitor and take notes for feedback.
3. Reading
5 mins.
Part 1: Ask students to look at the pictures and talk about who the people might be. You may need to help students
with the final two questions as it might not be obvious before reading the response. Set a strict time limit (2 mins)
for them to skim the article. In pairs, students answer the questions (1-4) and match the people in the images to
the names.
The letters were adapted from Psychology Today and The Independent.
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1. In a magazine. 2. Claude is the dad.

3. Claude’s son. 4. Claire is someone who gives advice in a magazine
(Agony Aunt), accept psychologist, doctor etc.
5 mins.
Part 2: Ask students to look at the possible advice and discuss the advice they think Claire will give and which
pieces of advice would be good for teenagers in general. Ask students to read the text quickly and check their
predictions.
2. ✓ Say congratulations when he does things well. 4. ✓ Ask him to do some exercise with you at a
different time.
5. ✓ Don’t worry about the time he goes to bed.
4. Language: Giving Advice
5-10 mins.
Part1: Students look at the sentences in pairs and say what they think the missing word is. They then check if
they can find these words in the letter. You could extend this by eliciting what comes after these phrases e.g. If I
were you + would, how about + -ing, I recommend + -ing, why don’t you + infinitive.
1. were 2. could
3. would 4. don’t
5. recommend 6. about
Part 2: Students read out the problems to each other and give advice using the phrases from the previous exercise.
Students add smileys as they listen so they can see how successful they were in using the target phrases when
they finish speaking.
5. Listening
10 mins.
Part 1: Students look at the sentences in pairs and discuss whether they are true about where they live. Explain
they are going to watch a video that explains the results of a survey of teenagers in one area in the UK. Students
listen and tick the sentences that are mentioned.
Note: there are two files in this lesson available for you as a teacher.
1-Audio
2-Video
It is up to you to decide which one you’d like to use with your target group. You could also use both if you find
that the other is not working as you’d expect. Be flexible and if needed - show the script.
1. ✓ Sports centres are too expensive. 2. ✓ Sports centres are too far away from where I live.
4. ✓ The sports centres near me aren’t very good.
Part 2: Students read the sentences together and say what they think the answers are from the first listening. Play
the video again and check answers.
Note: Some people say ‘fed up of something’ in informal British English, as in this video but this is not considered
correct in standard English. The correct form is ‘fed up with something’.
1. F - "has anyone thought to ask teenagers just what they actually want from activity and what could help them
be more active? Because we did ..."
2. T - "they are not happy at all with the current standard of facilities around them."
3. F - "but they say that gyms just don’t cater for their age group."
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4. F - "they can’t access things that are far away and that they need to be able to get there on foot"
5. T - "they’d like to have the freedom to access a lot of different activities"
6. F - "they don’t want to learn about specific skills and rules"
5-10 mins.
Part 3: Students look at sentences from the video and decide the correct meaning from the context.
1. a. 2. b. 3. b. 4. a. 5. a. 6. b.
Discuss the questions whole class as the vocabulary in bold is B2 level from the audio. These questions also lead
into the survey which follows.
6. Speaking: Class Survey
20 mins. Part 1: Students answer the questions about their local area in pairs or groups.
Part 2: Students in groups choose a question or write a similar question. They need to think of three possible
answers. Make sure each group has a different question to ask.
Part 3: Students collect as many answers as possible in five minutes. They can add further details in the third
column.
Part 4: Students tell the rest of the class about the data they collected, and the rest of the class take notes, as
they will need to write about sports facilities in their neighbourhood for the next stage.
7. Writing: Report (survey results)
30 mins.
This could be done at home if there is no time in class. Make sure students include data they collected in the class
survey.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

Look at these pictures and describe what you see.

1. What adjectives would you use to describe these teenagers?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/11

ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct deﬁnition.

1. harmful (adj.) a. used to emphasise the most important thing

4. canoeing (n) d. a sport where you cycle on rough ground, for

2. concerned (adj.) b. feeling worried about something or someone else

3. apparently (adv.) c. spend extra time doing something because you

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

8. Going is so much more fun than staying on the road.

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

1. Where might you see a letter like this?

4. What is Claire’s job?

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

1. Ask him to join you for some early morning exercise.

2. Say congratulations when he does things well.

3. Talk to him more about his schoolwork.

4. Ask him to do some exercise with you at a diﬀerent time.

5. Don’t worry about the time he goes to bed.

Read Claire’s reply and check your predictions.

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

4 Language: Giving Advice

1. If I you, I’d try to get more sleep.

2. Perhaps you have a go at a diﬀerent sport.

3. Maybe it be a good idea to do things together in the evening.

4. Why you ask her how she feels?

5. I playing lots of sports before deciding what is best.

6. How trying to run a bit quicker next time?

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

1. Sports centres are too expensive.

2. Sports centres are too far away from where I live.

3. There should be more sports centres.

4. The sports centres near me aren’t very good.

Watch the video. Which topics are mentioned?

3. Teenagers feel comfortable going to gyms.

4. Teenagers can easily walk to places.

5. Teenagers would like to try a variety of things.

6. Teenagers like sports with lots of rules.

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

a. Reputation is what people think about someone.

b. Reputation is when people get angry at others.

b. Panicking is what people do when they are frightened about something.

a. Facilities are the public transport links in a city or town.

b. Facilities are the buildings and equipment for a speciﬁc thing.

b. If something is structured it has few rules and systems in place.

b. If something is being assessed, it is being tested or an exam is taking place.

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ARE TEENAGERS REALLY LAZY?

6 Speaking: Class Survey

Are there enough public sports centres in your area?

There are too many already. ✦✦

No, there aren’t enough. ✦✦✦✦✦ No basketball courts. No ice