Teenagers playing pool
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Read this text and answer the questions below
The past decade has seen a shift in perceptions regarding the role of leisure-time activities in a young person's development. In the traditional view, leisure time is simply seen as
“free time”, but there has been a growing awareness of its vital contribution to a young person's social inclusion, access to opportunities and overall
development.
Terms such as “leisure”, “informal activities” and “free time” imply a casualness
of purpose and practice that does not do justice to the way a majority of young people use their unrestricted hours. In many cases, young people's leisure time and activities relate directly to important issues affecting them, including education and employment. Out of both necessity and interest, they are increasingly seeking and finding new ways to spend their free time.
HIV/AIDS, delinquency, conflict, drug abuse and other threats to a young person's well-being constitute a particular danger during discretionary time; however, many projects
and programmes designed to engage young people in more positive pursuits are focused on these very issues as well, though they may or may not be available in certain settings.Given such interconnections, it is critical that leisure-time activities be viewed within the
overall context of youth development and the participation of young people in their communities and society.
Yet,in many industrialized countries, cuts in government subsidies for sports activities,
music and art instruction, and other leisure and recreational options have endangered many valuable extracurricular programmes in and out of schools. The loss of these opportunities
is producing greater numbers of(click) latchkey children, who either return home to empty dwellings or roam the streets. Some young people are initiating projects in areas in which public programmes fall short, but they require assistance and support, including
supervision, the provision of meeting places, and increased access to other public facilities.
The leisure needs of young people must be considered in the processes of urban
planning and rural development in order to ensure that they have access to a range of constructive voluntary activities and opportunities.
Leisure activities in which young people are positively engaged in volunteerism are
particularly important, as statistics show that individuals who volunteer in their youth are
more likely to continue to do so in their later years.
Some studies in North America show
that young volunteers are more likely to do well in school and to vote. The International
Year of Volunteers in 2001 played an important part in broadening traditional perceptions
of the nature, role and contributions of young people as volunteers. By the end of that year,
there was a general consensus in the international community that the canvas of youth
volunteerism encompassed, but was much broader than, leisure-time activities. Young
people volunteer in a number of ways, engaging in activism, participating in formal service
organizations, and even assuming responsibilities within mutual aid systems, which are particularly
prevalent in developing countries. The momentum generated during the
International Year of Volunteers must be sustained, as volunteerism has the potential to
engage large numbers of young people in activities that can contribute greatly to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Adapted from UN Report On Youth
Comprehension Questions.
1-What do the words in bold refer to?
2-Pick out from the text phrases or expressions the writer uses to mean leisure time.
3-Comple these sentences from the text and in your own words.
A-Many threats such as HIV/AIDS, delinquency, conflict, drug abuse face youth....
B-In many industrialized countries,Governments ............
C-Youth who...............................................are
more likely to continue to do so in their later years.
D-We must sustain the momentum generated during the
International Year of Volunteers because............................................
Discussion:
Do you like your mother to work or stay at home.Why?
These ideas might help you:
The negative effects of being a latchkey child:
-Loneliness, boredom and fear ;
-greater susceptibility to peer pressure resulting in alcohol abuse, smoking and sexual experimentation.
-higher levels of behavioral problems, higher rates of depression and lower levels of self-esteem>>according to a study;
-Positive effects:
-Independence and self-reliance.
-In some cases, being left home alone may be a better alternative to staying with baby-sitters or older siblings.
- positive,calm atmosphere to study
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