Let’s Talk About the Elderly

How to use this resource?

All of the activities in this PDF begin by watching this video to get the students in the right mindset for the subject.
The video: https://youtu.be/jBWu75IWpUE

Touching? Sad? Frightening? All of the above?

From here, you can jump off at any point in the PDF depending on the level of your student or group.
The PDF consists of 3 separate activities arranged by level. Beginner (A1), intermediate (A2-B1) and advanced (B2+).
Feel free to mix and match them according to your group.

Talk about the elderly with beginner students (A1):

Follow the activities on page 1 in the order presented on the PDF. Your students discover or review some vocabulary pertinent to the subject in the warm up section. Show them the video and do the comprehension activity. This allows students to review some basic vocabulary and introduce a few new words. Next, students give their opinions in part 3 on several statements connected to the subject of the elderly and old age. Seeing as you are working with beginners, ask for simple explanations.

Talk about the elderly with intermediate students (A2-B1)

Print page 2 (for online classes, simply display or screen share) and cut out the statements. Mix them face down on the table. In turns, students draw a card and finish the phrase out loud while giving their opinion. If you see the opportunity for a debate or discussion in class, don’t hesitate to help guide them to a discussion amongst themselves. This can be done as a class or in pairs.

talk about the elderly with advanced students (B2+)

Show them the video and have them make some hypothesis about the creature (e.g. is it real or imaginary?) and the message of this short film. Next, put students in pairs. Distribute a mind map from page 3 to each group along with the vocabulary list from page 4. Each pair is charged with placing three of the words in each place of the mind map. At the end, groups will present their results to the class and explain their choices. If you see the opportunity for a debate or discussion in class, don’t hesitate to help guide them to a discussion amongst themselves.