Children at work - Didier

worked until they couldn’t see / they stopped working
when there was no light / they stopped working because
they had no glasses.
I could not say at what hour we stopped: the work was
so interesting, time was not important / the workers lost
sense of time / they hadn’t learnt to read the time / the
workers were not told the time / workers didn’t mind
working long hours.
There was no clock in the mill: the employer didn’t have
enough money to buy one / clocks hadn’t been invented
at that time / it was impossible to have a clock in the
mill because of the dust and the heat / it was no use
for the workers to know the time / the employers didn’t
want the workers to know the time.
writing
9 Réfléchir sur la langue : obligation et interdiction
Légende :
– encadré : mots qui servent à exprimer l’obligation ;
– surligné : mots qui servent à exprimer l’interdiction
(ou l’absence de permission) ;
– souligné : action visée par l’obligation ou l’interdiction
(ou l’absence de permission).
1. At times, some young children had to work in the
mill for about 19 hours a day. They were not allowed to
have more than a one-hour total break.
2. After the Chimney Sweeps Act was passed in
1875, employers were forbidden to send boys up
chimneys.
3. Parents were compelled to send their children to
work because they couldn’t provide for them.
4. In 1870, the Education Act stated that children
between 5 and 12 were to attend school.
5. In 1841, a law was passed stating that children under
the age of ten may not work underground.
6. Nowadays, employers must inform the local authorities
if they employ a school-age child. They have to
get a work permit. Children are not allowed to work
without a work permit. In any case they may not work
during school hours and they can’t work for more than
one hour before school.
c.
présent
passé
obligation
must – have to
had to – were compelled
to – were to
interdiction / absence
de permission
may not – are not
allowed to – can’t
were not allowed to –
were forbidden to
Conclusion :
Must exprime une obligation alors que can’t et may not
expriment une interdiction ou absence de permission.
Tous ne s’emploient qu’au présent.
DEBRIEFING Book p. 24
1. Picture
Pistes de relance :
– Focus on the label on the pair of jeans.
– Who could be wearing this pair of jeans?
– Focus on the logo. Explain what the poster is aiming at.
– Would you be ready to buy these jeans?
– What do you think could be done to stop child
labour?
2. Statement
Pistes de relance :
– Give examples of work children have always done.
– Think of different periods in history and give examples
of work children did at the time.
– Find reasons why the type of work they do now has
changed.
– Do you think it’s necessary for children to work ? Give
your reasons.
– Do you think children shouldn’t work ? Give your
reasons.
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