Speaking Time
Many parents find it hard to relate to their children when they are teenagers. Teachers find it very hard teaching a class of rebellious teens. But I’m sure that being a teenager is great, cool and exciting.
What Is It Like Being a Teenager?
Word List
matter – мати значення
fashion – мода
feel confident – почуватися впевненим
to nag – чіплятися, не приховувати незадоволення
to focus on – зосереджуватись на чомусь
feel lack of privacy – відчувати відсутність самотності
to be up to – задумувати
to socialize – спілкуватись
tremendous amount of time – величезна кількість часу
hangout – постійне місце зустрічей
stick up – липнути, триматися
cheer up – підбадьорювати
give a piece of advice – давати пораду
shoulder – плече
to cry on – поплакати
avoid – уникати
to tend – мати тенденцію
to be very specific – бути конкретним
scuba diving – ниряння з аквалангом
jigsaw puzzling – складання пазлів
exchange – обмінюватися
surf the Internet – блукати Інтернетом
one of my likings – одне з моїх уподобань
to be involved in – брати участь у
attend – відвідувати
choir – хор
cheerleading – підтримка команди групою дівчат
feel jealous – відчувати заздрість
Will you please tell what it is like being a teenager. Speak about yourself using this sample. Level A2 / B1
- I’m Oksana Petrenko.
- I am 15 and I’m a normal teenager.
- I am a tall (short, not very tall), thin (skinny, plump, slim), fair-haired (dark-haired, red-haired, blond-haired) and blue-eyed (dark-eyed, green-eyed, brown-eyed, black-eyed, grey-eyed) girl (boy).
- My appearance does (doesn’t) matter for me. I’m sure looks are (not) important.
- My hair is short (long) and I feel comfortable with it.
- I prefer wearing sporty (formal, romantic, casual, punk) clothes.
- My fashion style has much to do with what my mates are wearing.
- I wear what makes me feel good and confident.
- My parents are always nagging when I do badly at school.
- They say that I should focus more on my study.
- I feel lack of privacy as my parents want to know what I’m up to.
- But I love them and try to build a bridge.
- My friends mean a lot to me and I like socializing with them.
- I hate being on my own, that’s why I spend a tremendous amount of time with my friends.
- We have hangouts and do teenage things.
- We hang out in the park or elsewhere and make the most of out time.
- Being together with friends is a great fun.
- I stick up for my friends because we cheer each other up and have fun together.
- My best friend … supports me in all situations, keeps my secrets, forgives me, never leaves me in trouble, can always hear me out and give me a piece of advice.
- My best friend is always a good shoulder to cry on.
- As teenagers everywhere I am interested in music, movie stars, dancing, avoiding parents and schoolwork.
- I tend to be very specific about dancing music (pop, jazz, modern rock, classic rock, heavy metal, punk, rap, hip-hop, indie, R&B).
- I do such teenage activities as … (camping in the countryside, rollerblading, skateboarding, going to pop and rock concerts, bungee jumping, scuba diving, taking part in sport competitions, going in for sports, jigsaw puzzling, going to the movies, going to the discos, dancing, going to the parties, talking to friends over the phone, exchanging e-mails and messages with friends, visiting social networks, surfing the Internet, taking photos, going to youth camps).
- I can’t stay away from discos and parties, because it’s my idea of a great evening out.
- Playing computer games is one of my likings.
- I can spend some time doing this but I’m not crazy about it.
- I am involved in school activities and clubs, such as … (football team, participating in school government, producing a weekly newspaper, joining drama club, participating in concerts, attending a school choir (band), cheerleading, taking part in school fairs and exhibitions, school trips).
- Sometimes I feel a bit jealous about some talents of my friends which I don’t have, such as drawing, painting, singing or playing the guitar.
Being a teenage is quite hard but it’s an interesting period of life. It is an age when you are starting to understand many things. A teenager should appreciate what he or she has to come through. Quarrels between parents and their teens are very common. It’s a normal process of forming an opinion. A teenager’s personality is developing and getting richer, he or she is passing through new feelings, emotions and experience. In this age a person chooses his moral values. Sadly, but many things and aspects of life can influence the growing person in a bad way. Most parents have problems with their children’s upbringing.
I’m a teenager, and I can compare my life with the time when I was a small child. When I was 10, I thought that my teenage life will be like in American films, but it isn’t now. I can’t say that it is bad. It has some advantages. It is the time, when you start thinking more logically, you try many things for the firsttime, and you don’t think about important problems, just dreams about the future life. But you feel freedom and dependence, happiness and sadness, calmness and anxiety at the same time. For teenagers, big parties, school, new smartphones are not important. They all need love, support and understanding from close people. I think, the best age is 20, when you’re not a child, but not an adult. I’m sure, all people remember their teenage years as the best.