Workaholic fathers 'leave orphans'

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Pope Francis has warned fathers about working long hours. He criticised workaholic dads for being 'absent' from families and for making their children 'orphans'. He spoke to a congregation at the Vatican and asked fathers to spend more time with their children and get more involved in family life. He said an absent father means children have problems growing up and is one reason why kids get into trouble.

The Pope said workaholic dads not spending time with their family was now common. He said: "Fathers are so focused on themselves…that they even forget their families." He added that the bad feeling of being orphaned that kids can have is worse than we think. He said children are orphans because their fathers work so much, and they do not act like fathers when they are at home. He warned that fatherless families could be accepted as the norm.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-criticizes-workaholic-dads-says-theyre-symbolically-absent
http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/43247/pope-warns-absent-working-fathers-leave-orphans/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	working long	a.	growing up
2.	making their children	b.	hours
3.	He spoke to a	c.	trouble
4.	spend more time	d.	'orphans'
5.	get more involved	e.	with their children
6.	children have problems	f.	why
7.	one reason	g.	in family life
8.	kids get into	h.	congregation

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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	workaholic	a.	that kids can have
2.	not spending time with their family	b.	dads
3.	Fathers are so focused	c.	fathers work so much
4.	they even forget	d.	the norm
5.	the bad feeling of being orphaned	e.	was now common
6.	children are orphans because their	f.	families
7.	fatherless	g.	their families
8.	accepted as	h.	on themselves

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Pope Francis has (1) ___________________ working long hours. He criticised workaholic dads (2) ___________________ from families and for making their children 'orphans'. (3) ___________________ congregation at the Vatican and asked fathers (4) ___________________ time with their children and get more involved in family life. He (5) ___________________ means children have problems growing up and (6) ___________________ kids get into trouble.

The Pope (7) ___________________ not spending time with their family was now common. He said: "Fathers (8) ___________________ on themselves…that (9) ___________________ their families." He added that the bad feeling of being orphaned that kids (10) ___________________ than we think. He said children (11) ___________________ their fathers work so much, and they do not act like fathers when they are at home. He warned that fatherless families could (12) ___________________ the norm.

FATHERS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about fathers in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about fathers for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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