The Reading / Listening - Foreign Workers - Level 0

Japan needs many workers. It does not have enough workers. It decided to find workers from other countries. The government will meet to agree on a plan. This would let 345,000 foreign workers to help to fill jobs. Most will work in building, fishing, healthcare and farming. Most will be low-skilled workers. They must speak Japanese.

Japan must change and use foreign workers. If Japan does not change, it will be, "in a very difficult situation". The government will make sure workers adjust to life in Japan, "and have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children. The population is falling every year.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Foreign Workers - Level 1,  Foreign Workers - Level 2   or  Foreign Workers - Level 3

Sources
  • https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-Immigration/Japan-prepares-support-for-incoming-foreign-workers
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/japan-passes-controversial-new-immigration-bill-to-attract-foreign-workers/2018/12/07/a76d8420-f9f3-11e8-863a-8972120646e0_story.html
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/08/national/japan-passes-law-opening-door-foreign-labor-experts-warn-challenges-ahead/


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. It does not have
  2. find workers from
  3. meet to agree
  4. help to fill
  5. Most will work
  6. fishing, healthcare
  7. Most will be low-
  8. They must
  1. in building
  2. skilled workers
  3. other countries
  4. speak Japanese
  5. on a plan
  6. jobs
  7. enough workers
  8. and farming

Paragraph 2

  1. Japan must change and use
  2. it will be in a very
  3. The government will make
  4. adjust to life
  5. have the right
  6. in which to live and
  7. Japanese people are having
  8. The population is falling
  1. environment
  2. fewer children
  3. difficult situation
  4. every year
  5. sure
  6. in Japan
  7. work
  8. foreign workers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan needs many workers. It (1) ___________________ enough workers. It decided to find (2) ___________________ countries. The government will (3) ___________________ on a plan. This would let 345,000 foreign workers to (4) ___________________ jobs. Most will (5) ___________________, fishing, healthcare and farming. Most will (6) ___________________ workers. They must speak Japanese.

Japan must (7) ___________________ foreign workers. If Japan does not change, it will be, "(8) ___________________ difficult situation". The government (9) ___________________ workers adjust (10) ___________________ Japan, "and have the right environment in which to (11) ___________________." Japanese people are having fewer children. The population (12) ___________________ year.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japanneedsmanyworkers.Itdoesnothaveenoughworkers.Itdecidedt
ofindworkersfromothercountries.Thegovernmentwillmeettoagreeo
Thegovernmentnaplan.Thiswouldlet345,000foreignworkerstohelpt
ofilljobs.Mostwillworkinbuilding,fishing,healthcareandfarming.Most
willbelow-skilledworkers.TheymustspeakJapanese.Japanmustch
angeanduseforeignworkers.IfJapandoesnotchange,itwillbe,"inaver
ydifficultsituation".Thegovernmentwillmakesureworkersadjusttolif
einJapan,"andhavetherightenvironmentinwhichtoliveandwork."Jap
anesepeoplearehavingfewerchildren.Thepopulationisfallingeveryye
ar.

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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