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                                      Terrors or Teenagers
                                      By Marcelo Baccarin, Londrina, Brazil

Terrors                                                   Teenagers

They are often sent to school                    That may be what they say
by their parents.                                         but not what they feel.
                                                                 
                                                                 You may try and find out what
                                                                  they’re interested in and link that
                                                                  to English.
                                                  
                                                                  You may simply tell them that
                                                                   life is full of unwanted moments.

Some of them will often                              Put them in their classmates’ shoes
humiliate classmates and/or the teacher.

Teenagers are undisciplined                         They are group-driven and naïve about
and unruly.                                                   the long term benefits of sticking to
                                                                    rules. In reality they want rules and want
                                                                    them enforced.

It is hard to find what interests                      Any thing that has to do with their  
them.                                                             present or that will help them towards
                                                                     becoming as self-assured adult.

They do not respect set times.                       Their time references are emotionally
for breaks, beginning of class etc..                 driven: what they want is urgent- what 
                                                                     they don’t need can wait forever.

It is hard to make friends                               You may be trying the wrong approach. 
with them.                                                     You’re not one of them and they know 
                                                                      it. Be a leader who promotes leadership.

Teenagers want songs but the ones                Give them classics. They’ll then stand a            
you bring are never the ones they want.          better chance of knowing the song that
                                                                      will be playing on the radio 5 years
                                                                      from now.

Teenagers just want to speak their                 They don’t want to feel exposed.
mother tongue.                                              They have a lot on their hidden
                                                                      agendas to feel shy about.

Teenagers want to bend every rule.                Bear in mind that their common
                                                                      sense is not fully formed. You need
                                                                      to emphasise the need for common 
                                                                      sense.

Some teenagers are apathetic.                        They want to become “normal adults”.
                                                                      Things you ask them to do may seem
                                                                      far from this aim.

Teenagers copy from classmates.                   They have been brought up in a 
                                                                      system where the product is much 
                                                                      important than the process.