speak to him for hours on end."
7.Read the following dialogue between Mrs. Brent and Mr. Alden, a teacher. The expressions in bold type show the WAYS ENGLISH PEOPLE
COMPLAIN. Note them down. Be ready to act out the dialogue in class.
A: Would you like another cup of tea or something?
B: Well, no...........Thanks just the same.
A: I am sorry to have to say this, but what would our youngsters do without the youth centre? They'd be pretty lost, wouldn't
they?
B: It's all right I suppose.
A: Er ... would you care to dance, Mrs. Brent?
B: Thank you ... but no. The music isn't of my generation. You know ... the generation gap. When I was young I'd never dared
speak as our children do. Especially with a teacher present.
A: We've got a bit of a problem here, you see. It's part of my job to know people ... and especially young people ... as they are.
And really the so-called generation gap is a myth you know. Teenagers aren't really so different. As a teacher I find them quite
traditional in their attitudes.
B: I'm sorry to disagree with you, but look at the way they dress ... and their hair!
A: I don't think you get the point. Those things are quite superficial. But basically their attitudes are very similar to those of our
generation.
B: There is no excuse for their language and you seem to approve of the kind of language we hear from our children.
A: Now, I didn't say that. Anyway the concepts of "approval" and "disapproval" tend to over-simplify matters. Every generation
creates its own special language just as it creates its own styles in clothes and music.
B: I'd like to point out that the styles and habits of today's teenagers are so ... Well basically ... unacceptable.
A: You mean unacceptable to you. In fact their clothes are very practical and very simple.
B: I do wish you had a teenage son or daughter of your own, Mr. Alden.
A: But I have more contact with them. You see, we have regular discussions. You could come and sit in sometime if you like. And
you'll realize I think how traditional their attitudes are. «
8.Answer the following questions:
1. What do you think of the problem of the generation gap? 2. Do you agree with all that is said in the dialogue? With which
statements do you disagree? (In answering this you may use the formulas of agreement and disagreement. See Appendix.) 3. What is
Mrs. Brent complaining about? Are her complaints justified?
9.Work in pairs. Take turns to make complaints about the following and to respond appropriately. Use the expressions and clichés of complaint and
apology:
Expressions of complaint and apology: A direct complaint in English sounds very rude indeed. To be polite one usually "breaks
it gently" and uses expressions like these before one actually comes to the point:
I wonder if you could help me...
Look, I'm sorry to trouble you, but...
I've got a bit of a problem here, you see ...
I'm sorry to have to say this, but...
It is usually better to break it gently like this than to say, for example: "Look here! I wish you'd arrive on time or I've just about
had enough of your unpunctuality (of your coming late)."
The following expressions can also be used:
I have a complaint to make.
It's just not good enough. You must try to ...
There's no excuse for doing it.
It's completely unjustified (unfair).
I'd like to point out that...
Next — and this is very serious — I feel that...
It gives us real cause for grievance.
Note: It is often not enough to just say "Sorry" and promise it won't happen again. You may need to apologize more profusely, like this:
Oh dear, I'm most awfully sorry.
I can't tell you how sorry I am.
I'm so sorry, I didn't realize.
I just don't know what to say.
I'm ever so sorry.
1. You find some pages torn out of a book. Complain to the librarian. 2. You have ordered the TV Times but you have been
brought the Radio Times. Complain to the newsagent. 3. You have bought a colour TV set which is not correctly adjusted. Complain
to the mechanic. 4. You can't sleep because of the noise made by people in the next door flat. Complain to the neighbour. 5. You
booked a hotel room with a bath and have not been given it. Complain to the receptionist. 6. You don't know what to do about your
pupils' discipline during your classes. Complain to the head teacher. 7. You can't make your child follow the doctor's orders and stay
in bed. Complain to your mother. 8. You can't manage your children during bed-time. Complain to your husband. 9. Your child can't
overcome his fear of animals. Complain to the doctor. 10. You think your 15-month-old child is backward (he's so very quiet, he
hardly moves, he can barely walk). Complain to the psychologist.
10. Work in pairs.
One of the students is supposed to be an eminent educationist and child-psychologist. The other is to play the role of an affection -
ate mother having a difficult teenage son who is always in a state of rebellion and resentment and regards his parents' anxiety over
him as sheer interference. The psychologist should convince his visitor not to worry about her child and understand that his peculiar
behaviour is due to adolescence. Advise her also not to give sympathy and advice but to show an interest in the child.
11. Read the following text. You can find in it some ways of teaching children responsibility. In fact the main problem is whether to leave final
decisions to children, without criticizing them. You can find some arguments for this view in the text. Note them down.
Teaching Responsibility
Naturally, every parent is anxious to teach responsibility to their children. But responsibility cannot be imposed on children. It
must grow from within. Children who are always told what to do may do their tasks very well, but they get little opportunity to use
their own judgement and to develop a sense of responsibility. This only comes if they are given opportunities for choosing and decid -
ing things for themselves.
A child is learning all the time. But if he is constantly criticized about his actions, he certainly doesn't learn responsibility. So the
first lesson in inculcating a sense of responsibility is not to criticize.
Even if the answer to a child's request is a certain "Yes", it's so much better to leave the decision to the child. These are some of
the ways in which you can build up their sense of responsibility and also heighten their self-confidence. Wherever and whenever you
can, let them make the decisions themselves.
A child should be given the responsibility of choosing his own friends. But this is a delicate matter and needs careful handling.
Obviously, it would be preferable for a shy child to have a friend who is an extrovert. And friends can also help to exert a beneficial
and corrective influence on each other. In spite of all this, a child should always feel that he is free to choose the friends he wishes.
Let the child spend his allowance his way. If he wants to spend the whole lot on chewing gum or toffee, it's his decision. Don't in-
terfere. These are just some of many ways in which responsibility is ta'ught.
10.
Discuss the text in pairs. One of the pair will take the author's point of view and insist that children should be given
opportunities to choose and decide things for themselves without any criticism on their parents' part. The other will defend
