New Citizens, Good Citizens - Exercise

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New citizens, good citizens Level 2 • Intermedíate Key words Choose the correct word to complete the sentences. 1, A_

has the legalrightto live in a country. (citizen / citizenship)

2. Someone who comes to live in a country from another country is calleo1 an _

.

(migrant / irnmigrant) 3. A _

is a legal (written) agreement between two or more parties. (policy / contract)

4. In Britain a _ 5. A _

can vote at the age of 18. (teenager / veteran) is an official group of people who make decisions about a local área, (council / government)

Use your dictionary to look up the definitions of the words you didn't use. Compare and contrast the meaníngs of each of the words.

Q Subtitles Write down keywords you would expect to read in the part of the text that follows each of these subtitles. Divisions in British society

Anewpointssystem

Reasons why the changes are needed

Plans for a 'Britain Day'

Ministers set out plans in a new report

Citizenship contract

Then skim-read the text and decide where each subtitle should go. Write them into the spaces (a-f) provided.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 NEWS LESSONS / New citízens, good eitizens / Intermedíate

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New citizens, good citizens Level 2 • Intermedíate Rules to make migrants intégrate

understand and unclear". In future, new citizens would gain points for the length of time spent in the country, bringing substantial new investment into the UK, passing English tests, demonstrating knowledge of the UK, undertaking civic work and living in a law-abiding way. A points system for citizenship would allow credits to be deducted for anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping or more serious criminal behaviour.

Ministers say citizenship should depend on good behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge oftheUK. Patrick Wintour, política! editor and Alan Travis June 5, 2007 a.

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1 Government ministers want to introduce a national British day as part of a 'citizenship revolution1 that would also toughen rules for migrants and try to instil community pride in all 18-year-olds. 2 Under the new plans, every teenager in the UK would be given a citizenship pack when they became eligible to vote, and migrants would only be able to become British citizens if they could demónstrate good behaviour and a willingness to intégrate. 3 The national day could be a bank holiday, similar to Australia Day. The proposals come from the communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, and the immigration minister, Liam Byme, who would also like to introduce citizenship ceremonies for anyone who wants to settle in íhe UK.

b. 4 Some of the ideas floated by the two ministers are likely to feature in a forthcoming report. The themes have already been enthusiastically embraced by the prime minister-in-waiting, Cordón Brown. 6 Another idea is to improve links between veterans and young people. The pack for 18-year-olds would provide information on democracy, volunteering and civic duties such as jury service. Student loan repayments could be reduced in return for volunteering. c. 6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly argüe that the current settlement policy for new migrants is "difficult to

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate

"This form of points system would be the basis of a clearer relationship between the citizen and the state. An easy to understand contrae! such as this would encourage integration and demónstrate a clearer sense in which citizenship and the rights that come with living in Britain are eamed." d.

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Local government should also provide a citizenship deal for newcomers, settíng out their responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well as their access to English language training and employment, say the ministers.

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A 'life in Britain - good neighbour contrae!' would be provided to all migrants from inside and outside the EU, including trióse that stay temporarily. The contrae! would be introduced alongside identity cards. The ministers also say councils should spend less on translation services and more on English language teaching.

e. 10 The ministers warn there is "a critica! risk that after 40 years in which diversity has grown, Britain's communilies are no longer looking outwards and celebrating what they have in common. Instead, they are beginning to look inwards, stressing their differences and divisions". 11 The threat to a united sense of feeling British comes both from Islamist extremism and also groups like the British National Party. Ministers point out that the government has to acknowledge and respond to the growing mood of English nationalism.

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New citizens, good citizens Level 2 • Intermedíate 12 "We risk seeing a more divided society, more suspicious of each other and no longer coming together around shared goals. We need a stronger sense of why we live in a common place and have a shared future." Mr Byrne admitted that recent eastem European migration had proved a "shock to the system". 13 He said new migrants needed to do more to "help them understand British valúes and its way of life." He added: "We need to make it clearer that citizenship isn't simply handed out, but is something which is earned."

that by 2011, only 20% of Britain's workforce will be white, able-bodied men under 45. f. 15 In a speech to business leaders, Mr Byrne said the new measures were needed because the "spike" in asylum claims in 2000, the unpredicted level of eastern European migration and the foreign prisoners crisis has badly damaged confidence in Britain's asylum and immigration system. He added, "We have to be open about the cholees available to us. In the 21 st century we can't make big decisions in secret."

14 The ministers say newtrends are pushing Britons apart in the workplace, the family, the media and new technology. They insist migration has brought benefits, but say sometimes the pace of change is rapid and destabilizing, pointing out

© Guardian News & Media 2007 First published ¡n The Guardian, 5/6/07

Comprehension check Choose the best answer according to the text. 1.

Government ministers want to introduce a new bank holiday to... a. improve the relationship with Australia. b. hand out good citizen awards. c. toughen immigration rules. d. promote community relationships.

2.

The Prime Minister-in-waiting, Gordon Brown, thinks the plans are... a. a bad ¡dea. b. ok, but not for Britain. c. a great idea. d. not modern enough.

3.

Ministers say the current settlement policy is... a. too easy. b. too complicated. c. too long. d. too expensive.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate

4.

Under a new policy, points would be awarded for.. a. criminal behaviour. b. volunteering. c. fly-tipping. d. oíd age.

5.

Mr Byrne says citizenship needs to be... a. bought. b. fought for. c. earned. d. handed out.

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New citizens, good citizens Level 2 • Intermedíate Vocabulary 1: Collocations Which words come before or after the words in the centre of the word wheeis below? Find verbs or nouns in the text to complete the word wheeis.

3.

Can you think of any more words to add to the word wheeis?

Vocabulary 2: Compound words Skim-read and subtitle are both compound words, i.e. two or three words that are combined to make a new word. Put these single words together to make compounds words f rom the text. waiting

minister year anti

abiding social able tipping

Try to work out whai they mean by reading the text again.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate

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