Understanding generations
1. Complete the statements with the phrases in the boxes. Then, say if you agree.
future generations generation gaps older generations younger generations
A. _______________ always think about the ‘good old days’.
B. _______________ won’t survive without technology.
C. It’s impossible to understand _______________ well because they develop fast.
D. _______________ often cause problems at work.
2. Think of a person you know from each generation. Describe the person in one sentence.
EXAMPLE: My mum is a baby boomer. She’s really organized and she likes meeting new people.
Generation X Generation Z
Baby boomers Millennials
(Gen X-ers) (zoomers)
born 1946–1964 born 1981–1996
born 1965–1980 born 1997–2012
3. Read each statement and decide who might say it: a baby boomer, Gen X-er, millennial or zoomer.
A. In our time, family was really important. Nowadays, people are not interested in building
relationships.
B. I can’t imagine my life without Google and having all the information I need.
C. These days, parents do everything for their kids. Our parents worked
all the time so we had to be much more independent.
D. My main goal in life is to do something I enjoy.
E. I remember when we called each other on a landline phone or met
face-to-face. Now, people mostly message each other.
4. Discuss the questions.
• Do you know some negative stereotypes about each generation?
• What generation do you belong to? Is there a stereotype about your generation that doesn’t
describe you? Is there one that describes you well?
• Do you think that people of these four generations are really that different from each other?
• How did someone decide when one generation ends and another generation starts?
Understanding generations
• Are these generational differences the same everywhere in the world? Think about your country, its
economy, culture and history.
• Do people from each generation behave differently at work? If so, how?
5. Watch a video [[Link] and compare your ideas from the last
question in ex. 4
6. Discuss the questions.
• Do your colleagues from different generations behave like the people in the video?
• Which generation’s behaviour in the video is the closest to yours?
• Which generation is the best to work with?
• How would each generation behave in the videos with these titles?
- Different generations on their day off
- Different generations go back to work after their holiday
- Different generations and their morning routine
7. Look at the activities and say who (a baby boomer, Gen X-er, millennial or zoomer) you would or
would never ask to help you with them. Explain your choice.
EXAMPLE: I would never ask a zoomer to help throw a surprise party because they would
probably write about it on social media and ruin the surprise.
A. throw a surprise party E. cook a meal without a recipe
B. start a social media account F. write a restaurant review
C. shop for something expensive (e.g. house, G. plan a road trip
car) H. build a treehouse
D. survive a zombie apocalypse
8. Think about the youngest generation called Generation Alpha (born 2013 onwards). Imagine what
they will think about and how they will behave in these areas.
family work technology
hobbies and free time environment