Questions and activities

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What are some of the situations that have caused the young adults in the article to return to their parents' homes?

2. What have been the results - both positive and negative - of these changes in lifestyle?

3. Why do some psychologists believe that it is unhealthy for se­veral generations of a family to live together for a long period of time?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In your home culture, do the majority of young single adults live with their parents or independently? If an individual does not conform to the behaviour of the majority, are there problems?

2. In your home culture, do the majority of young married adults live with their parents or on their own? If with their parents, do they generally live with the wife's parents or the husband's parents? If on their own, un­der what circumstances is the majority behaviour not followed?

3. In your opinion, what special adjustments, if any, are neces­sary when different generations of a family live together?

4. Given your experiences in your home culture, do you agree with the psychologists who say that it is difficult for a young adult to achieve a separate identity if he or she lives with parents?

GROUP ACTIVITIES

In groups of three of four, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of several generations of a family living together.

THEME TWO

A Place to Live and Work

A. Listen to Helen talking about living in Oxford, now and as a student. Make notes to give an indication of the good and bad points.

NOW	AS A STUDENT
Good points	Bad points	Good points	Bad points

B. Before reading the text, discuss with other students:

Are there many immigrants in your country?

Do many people emigrate from your country?

What factors cause people to go and live in another country?

What do they expect to find?

What attitudes do they encounter and what treatment do they receive?

How do they view their homeland?

Now read the following text in four minutes and pick out fou significant facts about the life of Irish immigrants in London.