Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What is the most popular candy brand in your country?
- Which do you usually eat after meals, desserts or candies?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- treat /treet/
- concept /KON-sept/
- values /VAL-yooz/
- independence /in-di-PEN-duhns/
- note /noht/
[noun] – a type of food that is eaten in addition to your usual meals, usually something sweet
Have you already given treats to the children?
[noun] – a principle or idea
The concept of this presentation is quite easy to understand.
[noun] – the principles that help you to decide what is right and wrong and how to act in various situations
The community gives importance to their traditional values above all else.
[noun] – the ability to live your life without being helped or influenced by other people
In my opinion, parents should allow their children to have some independence.
[noun] – a piece of paper money
Sorry, I don’t have any coins with me. I only have notes.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Almost everyone, young and old, can’t get enough of candy. You can buy and eat them anytime, anywhere. However, in Sweden, these sweet treats are only purchased once a week.
On Saturdays at Stockholm’s Liljeholmen Square, Swedes are so accustomed to buying and eating candy that they have a word for it: lördagsgodis, which means “Saturday sweets.” The concept of lördagsgodis isn’t new. In fact, it has been around since the 1950s. According to Sofi Tegsveden Deveaux, an author and professor of Swedish culture and values, Swedish medical officials had advised people to limit their candy consumption to once a week to combat the rising tooth decay rates. Aside from its appeal for people to relax after a long week, lördagsgodis has a lot more to offer: it encourages children to think about weekly budgeting and contributes to a culture that promotes independence from a young age. When a Swedish child turns 16, the state stops paying child benefits and instead offers them the same amount as a study allowance as long as they continue in school. For Deveaux, it’s a “smooth transition” for children to receive money from the government.
Whether children are taught to budget using coins and notes or bank transfers and apps, the lördagsgodis trend will undoubtedly continue. We might also learn more about budgeting like the children in Sweden, one piece of candy at a time.
On Saturdays at Stockholm’s Liljeholmen Square, Swedes are so accustomed to buying and eating candy that they have a word for it: lördagsgodis, which means “Saturday sweets.” The concept of lördagsgodis isn’t new. In fact, it has been around since the 1950s. According to Sofi Tegsveden Deveaux, an author and professor of Swedish culture and values, Swedish medical officials had advised people to limit their candy consumption to once a week to combat the rising tooth decay rates. Aside from its appeal for people to relax after a long week, lördagsgodis has a lot more to offer: it encourages children to think about weekly budgeting and contributes to a culture that promotes independence from a young age. When a Swedish child turns 16, the state stops paying child benefits and instead offers them the same amount as a study allowance as long as they continue in school. For Deveaux, it’s a “smooth transition” for children to receive money from the government.
Whether children are taught to budget using coins and notes or bank transfers and apps, the lördagsgodis trend will undoubtedly continue. We might also learn more about budgeting like the children in Sweden, one piece of candy at a time.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What does lördagsgodis translate to?
- Where do Swedes often buy sweets on Saturdays?
- When did the concept of lördagsgodis start?
- Aside from reducing the rates of tooth decay, what else does lördagsgodis offer?
- At what age do children in Sweden receive study allowance from the government?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you often bring candies with you? Please tell me more about it.
- What is a candy you have heard of but have not tried yet?
- Would you like your country to have the same concept as lördagsgodis? Why or why not?
- Is it wise for people to learn how to be independent at a young age?
- What do you think is the disadvantage of children learning how to budget?