Central Europe has birth rate crisis

URL: http://www.newsflashenglish.com/100807birthcrisis2.htm

Ideas and Articles by David Robinson

10^th August 2007

Level: intermediate / upper intermediate

This lesson is the copyright of www.newsflashenglish.com

THE ARTICLE

Central Europe has birth rate crisis

Population levels across many parts of the world are falling. This is particularly noticeable in the former Eastern bloc states where the number of children being born has plummeted within a generation - BBC News recently reported. The exception is Slovakia, where a bundle arrives every day with a postmark from the 1970s. Former Czechoslovak leader Gustav Husak keeps sending gifts. During his regime, cheap flats, long maternity leave and, for want of a politer word, sheer boredom, produced a baby boom. This major boom is reproducing a minor baby boom today. The girls conceived in the apartment blocks of Petžalka, a suburb in Bratislava, or along the shores of the river Danube, have reached the age of peak fertility. Slovakia is suddenly the only country in Central Europe where births outnumber deaths. As populations plunge throughout the region, the plucky Slovaks are proudly producing offspring.

Boris Vano, from the Slovak Demographic Research Centre is less impressed by the numbers. “In 1974, 100,000 babies were born in Slovakia. Now there are barely 50,000 a year,” he laments. Adding, “When the boom girls have had their baby – two if we are lucky – I foresee Slovakia slipping back into the same, shrinking population straits as the rest of Central Europe.” In the 70s couples married on average after only three months of acquaintance. The girl was 22 and usually pregnant. Those marriages may not have survived but their copious young are now delaying conception until their early thirties. They have access to an arsenal of contraceptives their parents could not have dreamt of. Under communism, abortion was the most commonly available method. Another irony from the former communist countries is that the young frustrated by desire for political freedom took consolation in their desire for one another.

START

1. POPULATION DECLINE OR INCREASE? Is the world’s population growing or getting smaller? What about the population in your region of the world – is it increasing or decreasing? What about in your country? Also were your parents young when you were born? Go round the room swapping stories. Change partners often.

2. DICTATION: The teacher will read some of the article slowly and clearly. Students will write down what they hear. The teacher will repeat the passage slowly again. Self correct your work from page 2 - filling in spaces and correcting mistakes. Be honest with yourself on the number of errors. Advise the teacher of your total number of errors. Less than 5 is very good. 10 are acceptable. Any more is room for improvement! More than 20 - we need to do some work!

3. READING: Get students to read the passage aloud. Swap readers every paragraph.

4. VOCABULARY: Students look through the article. Underline/highlight any vocabulary you don’t know. Look in dictionaries. Discuss and help each other out. The teacher will go through and explain any words or phrases you are stuck with!

5. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting (circle) and which are most boring (underline).

Population / Central Europe / baby boom / Petžalka / peak fertility / contraceptives / communism / abortion / shrinking population / Gustav Husak

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently. Put them into different categories.

6. BOY’S NAMES: Create a list of your top ten favourite boys’ names. Are these typical for names used in your country or not? Discuss and compare with your partner.

1 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5 10

The teacher will select some pairs to discuss their findings.

7. GIRLS NAMES: Create a list of your top ten favourite girls’ names. Are these typical for names used in your country or not? Discuss and compare with your partner.

1 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5 10

The teacher will select some pairs to discuss their findings.

8. QUICK DISCUSSION: With your partner discuss the following from the article… Student A a) Are population levels falling around the world? b) What impact will this have? c) Will it affect you? d) Your question Student B a) Are you worried about falling populations? b) Can you think of any countries/races whose population is increasing? c) Why are population levels falling? d) Your question

9. SENTENCE STARTERS: With your partner(s), finish these sentence starters. Change partner(s) and talk about the sentences you made.

a) The population __________________________________________________

b) In Slovakia ____________________________________________________

c) During Communism ______________________________________________

d) In 1974, ______________________________________________________

e) The girls ______________________________________________________

f) Births are _____________________________________________________

g) The copious young ______________________________________________

h) Today girls _______________________________________________________

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: After reading the article guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Population levels across many parts of the world are increasing	T / F
b.	In the former Eastern bloc states however births are decreasing	T / F
c.	During communism sheer boredom produced a baby boom	T / F
d.	The girls conceived have reached the age of peak fertility	T / F
e.	In 1975, 100,000 babies were born in Slovakia	T / F
f.	Now there are 60,000 born a year in Slovakia	T / F
g.	In the 1970s couples married three months after acquaintance	T / F
h.	The girl was 22 and usually pregnant	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	Bundle	Friend
b.	Plummeted	Important
c.	Lament	Want
d.	Acquaintance	Recognise
e.	Population	Fallen
f.	Major	Large amounts
g.	Apartment	Flat
h.	Desire	Regret / sadness
i.	Copious	People
j.	noticeable	Baby

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	Population levels	the apartment blocks of Petžalka
b.	This is particularly noticeable	cheap flats, long maternity leave…
c.	The exception	of the river Danube
d.	During his regime,	the only country in Central Europe
e.	Sheer boredom,	in the former Eastern bloc states
f.	The girls conceived in	an arsenal of contraceptives
g.	…or along the banks	the age of peak fertility
h.	…have reached	is Slovakia
i.	Slovakia is suddenly	produced a baby boom
j.	They have access to	across many parts of the world

GAP FILL: READING

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Central Europe has birth rate crisis __________ levels across many parts of the world are falling. This is particularly __________ in the former Eastern ____ states where the number of children being born has plummeted within a generation BBC News recently reported. The exception is Slovakia, where a bundle arrives every day with a ________ from the 1970s. Former Czechoslovak leader Gustav Husak keeps sending gifts. During his regime, cheap flats, long maternity leave and, for want of a politer word, sheer boredom, produced a baby ____. This major boom is reproducing a minor baby boom today. The girls conceived in the apartment blocks of Petžalka, a suburb in Bratislava, or along the shores of the river Danube, have reached the age of peak _________. Slovakia is suddenly the only country in Central Europe where births outnumber deaths. As populations ______ throughout the region, the plucky Slovaks are proudly producing _________.

boom fertility noticeable offspring postmark plunge bloc population

Boris Vano, from the Slovak Demographic Research Centre is less impressed by the numbers. “In 1974, 100,000 babies were born in Slovakia. Now there are barely 50,000 a year,” he laments. Adding, “When the boom girls have had their baby – two if we are lucky – I foresee Slovakia slipping back into the same, shrinking population straits as the rest of Central Europe.” In the 70s couples married on average after only three months of ____________. The girl was 22 and usually ________. Those marriages may not have survived but their copious young are now delaying __________ until their early thirties. They have access to an arsenal of _____________s their parents could not have dreamt of. Under _________, ________ was the most commonly available method. Another irony from the former communist countries is that the young frustrated by desire for political _______ took consolation in their ______ for one another.

contraceptive acquaintance pregnant conception desire freedom communism abortion

GAP FILL: LISTENING:

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Central Europe has birth rate crisis

Population levels across many ______________________ falling. This is particularly noticeable in the former Eastern bloc states where the number of children being born has plummeted ___________________ BBC News recently reported. The exception is Slovakia, where a bundle arrives every day with a ______________________. Former Czechoslovak leader Gustav Husak keeps sending gifts. During his regime, cheap flats, long maternity leave and, for want of a politer word, sheer boredom, produced a baby boom. This major boom is reproducing _________________ today. The girls conceived in the apartment blocks of Petžalka, a suburb in Bratislava, or along the shores of the river Danube, have reached _______________ fertility. Slovakia is suddenly the only country in Central Europe where births outnumber deaths. As populations plunge ______________________, the plucky Slovaks are proudly producing offspring.

Boris Vano, from the Slovak Demographic Research Centre is less impressed by the numbers. “In 1974, ___________________ born in Slovakia. Now there are ____________________,” he laments. Adding, “When the boom girls have had their baby – ___________________ – I foresee Slovakia slipping back into the same, shrinking population straits as the rest of Central Europe.” In the 70s couples married on average after only three months of acquaintance. ___________________ usually pregnant. Those marriages may not have survived but their copious young are now delaying conception until their early thirties. They have access to an arsenal of contraceptives their parents could not have dreamt of. Under communism, abortion was the most commonly available method. Another irony from the former communist countries _________________ frustrated by desire for political freedom took consolation ___________________ one another.

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a) Did the headline make you want to read the article?

b) Did anything in the article surprise you?

c) How old were your parents when you were born?

d) Are couples delaying having children until their 30’s?

e) Was communism that bad?

f) Why do you think there was a lack of contraception during communism?

g) Do you think your government should copy Gusav Husak and encourage breeding?

h) How many children do you want?

i) What is a good age to have children?

j) Is there a baby boom in your country?

$---------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a) Did you like reading this article?

b) What do you think about what you read?

c) How many children do you have?

d) How long did your parents know each other before they got married?

e) Do you know anyone who has had a shotgun wedding?

f) Do you know anyone who has a bun in the oven?

g) Do you think having two children is acceptable these days or should people have less or more?

h) Do you think contraception is important?

i) Would you make a good parent?

j) Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
2. Was there a question you didn’t like?
3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
4. What did you like talking about?
5. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING: 1:

ROLE PLAY: CONTRACEPTION: Think of five questions to do with contraception. Write them down then ask your partner.

	Findings
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

The teacher will select some students to discuss their situations in front of the class.

LANGUAGE: CORRECT WORD: Choose the correct words from a–d below and write them in the article.

Population (1)___ across many parts of the world are (2)___. This is particularly noticeable in the former (3)___ (4)___ states where the number of children being born has plummeted within a generation BBC News recently reported. The exception is Slovakia, where a bundle arrives every day with a postmark from the 1970s. Former Czechoslovak leader Gustav Husak keeps sending gifts. During his regime, cheap flats, long maternity leave and, for want of a politer word, sheer boredom, produced a baby boom. This major boom is (5)___ a minor baby boom today. The girls conceived in the apartment blocks of Petžalka, a suburb in Bratislava, or along the shores of the river Danube, have reached the age of peak fertility. Slovakia is suddenly the only country in Central Europe where births outnumber deaths. As populations plunge throughout the region, the plucky Slovaks are proudly producing offspring.

Boris Vano, from the Slovak Demographic Research Centre is less impressed by the numbers. “In 1974, 100,000 babies were born in Slovakia. Now there are barely 50,000 a year,” he laments. Adding, “When the (6)___ girls have had their baby – two if we are lucky – I foresee Slovakia slipping back into the same, shrinking population straits as the rest of (7)___ Europe.” In the 70s couples married on average after only three months of acquaintance. The (8)___ was 22 and usually pregnant. Those marriages may not have survived but their copious young are now delaying conception until their early (9)___. They have access to an (10)___ of contraceptives their parents could not have dreamt of. Under communism, abortion was the most commonly available method. Another (11)___ from the former communist countries is that the young frustrated by desire for political freedom took consolation in (12)___ desire for one another.

1.	(a)	levelled	(b)	levels	(c)	levelling	(d)	level
2.	(a)	felled	(b)	fell	(c)	falling	(d)	fall
3.	(a)	Western	(b)	Northern	(c)	Central	(d)	Eastern
4.	(a)	blocs	(b)	block	(c)	bloc	(d)	blocked
5.	(a)	reproducing	(b)	produced	(c)	producing	(d)	reproduced
6.	(a)	bang	(b)	booming	(c)	bing	(d)	boom
7.	(a)	Southern	(b)	Central	(c)	eastern	(d)	Western
8.	(a)	girl	(b)	boy	(c)	wife	(d)	husband
9.	(a)	thirties	(b)	fifties	(c)	forties	(d)	twenties
10.	(a)	Chelsea	(b)	Leeds	(c)	arsenal	(d)	Liverpool
11.