When to Tie the Knot
- Details
- Parent Category: Lower-Intermediate News Lessons
- Category: Relationships Lessons
- Written by Chris Cotter
Around the world, young people have waited longer and longer to get married. There are many reasons, such as careers, personal goals, and a fear of divorce. Many people also now see marriage as the last step in becoming an adult, whereas previous generations saw marriage as the first step.
People who support late marriages believe couples should wait until their late 20s and early 30s. These couples will more likely do things together, and they aren't as likely to think about divorce. In part, maturity and personal experience affects their ability to choose the right life partner. Financial stability, a completed education, and the start of one's career also greatly add to the success of the marriage. However, many people who wait too long may never marry.
Of course, there are also people who believe people should get married at a younger age. If people get married young, they discover the joys and pains of adulthood as a team. They rely on one another when they have problems. In addition, new research shows couples who marry younger were slightly happier than couples who marry older.
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a perfect age for marriage. Worldwide trends point to later marriages, but no one knows if this is truly a good thing.
Preview some of the lesson material:
Title: Speculate and/or discuss the contents of today's article from its title: "When to Tie the Knot."
Fill in the Blank: Fill in the blank with the correct word.
- People who ( ) late marriages believe couples should wait.
- Financial ( ) and the start of one's career greatly add to success.
- Couples ( ) the joys and pains of adulthood as a team.
- They ( ) on one another when they have problems.
- Couples who marry younger were ( ) happier.
- Worldwide ( ) point to later marriages
post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
- What do you think is the ideal age for people to get married? Why do you think so?
- What problems do couples face when they marry young? Please explain.
- What problems do couples face when they marry in their 30s or 40s?
- Many couples live together before tying the knot. Is this a good thing? Why/not?
- Should couples stay married no matter what? Why/not?
Google Search: Type "marriage" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.