The Reading / Listening - Maternity Leave - Level 0

Parents in Finland will get seven months to spend with their babies. This is almost double the amount of the current leave. Each parent will get 164 days and give up to 69 of their days to their partner. Single parents will get 328 days. Current parental leave gives four months to mothers and two months to fathers.

Finland said the rules will help families. The government explained it wants to put the child "at the centre of family benefits and promote wellbeing". It wants to stop falling birth rates. Last year saw the fewest babies born in the country since 1868. Sweden gives each parent 240 days. The USA has no national paid parental leave.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Maternity Leave - Level 1,  Maternity Leave - Level 2   or  Maternity Leave - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/05/world/finland-parental-leave-policy-trnd/index.html
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/02/06/finlands-female-led-government-gives-men-and-women-nearly-seven-months-of-paid-parental-leave
  • https://www.npr.org/2020/02/05/803051237/finlands-women-led-government-has-equalized-family-leave-7-months-for-each-parent


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. get seven months to spend
  2. This is almost double
  3. the current
  4. Each parent will get
  5. give up to 69 of their days
  6. Single
  7. parental leave gives four
  8. two months
  1. leave
  2. to fathers
  3. to their partner
  4. with their babies
  5. parents
  6. months to mothers
  7. the amount
  8. 164 days

Paragraph 2

  1. Finland said the rules will
  2. The government
  3. at the centre
  4. promote
  5. It wants to stop falling
  6. the fewest babies
  7. Sweden gives each
  8. The USA has no national
  1. of family benefits
  2. paid parental leave
  3. birth rates
  4. parent 240 days
  5. explained
  6. wellbeing
  7. help families
  8. born in the country

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Parents in Finland (1) ___________________ months to spend with their babies. This (2) ___________________ the amount of (3) ___________________. Each parent will get 164 days and give up to 69 (4) ___________________ to their partner. Single (5) ___________________ 328 days. Current parental leave gives four months to mothers and (6) ___________________ fathers.

Finland (7) ___________________ will help families. The government explained it wants to (8) ___________________ "at the centre of family (9) ___________________ wellbeing". It wants to stop (10) ___________________. Last year saw the fewest babies born in (11) ___________________ 1868. Sweden gives each parent 240 days. The USA (12) ___________________ paid parental leave.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ParentsinFinlandwillgetsevenmonthstospendwiththeirbabies.Thisis
almostdoubletheamountofthecurrentleave.Eachparentwillget164d
aysandgiveupto69oftheirdaystotheirpartner.Singleparentswillget3
28days.Currentparentalleavegivesfourmonthstomothersandtwomo
nthstofathers.Finlandsaidtheruleswillhelpfamilies.Thegovernmente
xplaineditwantstoputthechild"atthecentreoffamilybenefitsandprom
otewellbeing".Itwantstostopfallingbirthrates.Lastyearsawthefewes
tbabiesborninthecountrysince1868.Swedengiveseachparent240da
ys.TheUSAhasnonationalpaidparentalleave.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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