Culture B1+ Unit

Coming of age
1 Talk about the statistics with your partner. Do you know the minimum age in your country to be able to do
these things?

UK Spain Brazil Singapore New Zealand

minimum driving age 17 18 18 18 16
minimum voting age 18 18 16 21 18
minimum age for marriage 18 18 18 21 18
without parents’ consent

2a Read the article. Which coming-of-age event does not involve a celebration?

Coming of age Canada

In North Baffin
Island, on the
edge of the Arctic

T here are about 1.8 billion young people in

the world; a quarter of the population who
are currently making the leap from childhood to
Circle, it is an
Inuit tradition
for fathers to
adulthood. In many countries, this transition is
take their sons
celebrated with a ceremony or a special ritual, and
on their first
the age depends on the culture and society. There is
hunt from the age of about 11 or 12. This is the age
no better way to boost a young person’s self-esteem
when boys are thought to be strong and capable
than to positively focus on their personal well-being
as they grow into mature young adults. enough to test their hunting skills, especially as the
journey can be tough in the harsh arctic weather. In
Inuit culture, this occasion marks the transition from
boyhood to manhood, and the tradition still reflects
Mexico the 5,000-year-old hunting culture of the region. It is
important to keep ancient hunting skills alive, and
In Mexico, as in most these days there are also ‘outcamps’ set up away from
Latin American countries, the community where both young boys and girls can
Quinceañera or the Fiesta learn the traditional skills of survival in their society.
de Quince Años celebrates
a girl’s 15th birthday. The Japan
event has its origins in
Aztec culture dating back Every year on
some 2,500 years. At 15, the second
boys became warriors Monday
and girls were considered in January,
the mothers of future Japanese
warriors, so this was the culture
age of maturity. Over the celebrates
years, 15 has continued Coming of Age
to represent the age of Day or Seijin
change from girl to woman as traditionally it was no Hi in honour of adolescents who have turned 20
when girls could prepare for marriage. Now the years old during the previous year. This is considered
Quinceañera festival marks this important birthday the age of adulthood in Japan, and is a ritual that has
with a big party. The birthday girl dresses in a ball existed in the country since about 714 AD, when a
gown and tiara, and wears high heels instead of young prince of the time wore new robes and changed
flat shoes, to symbolise her transition from girl to his hairstyle to mark his transition to adulthood. It
woman. Typically, there is a celebratory reception. has become the custom for all young adults to dress
During the celebration, she receives gifts from up in new clothes in the traditional style and attend a
the guests, and there is a traditional meal and special ceremony at the city hall to recognise their new
formal dancing. The party usually takes months to maturity, and introduce them to adulthood. Following
organise because it is such a big occasion for girls the ceremony, the proud 20-year-olds celebrate with
in Mexican society. their family and friends and they often receive gifts.

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Culture B1+ Unit

2b Read the article again and circle the correct   Gateway to culture
alternative.
3a Work with a partner and discuss the questions.
1 Quinceañera is usually celebrated on a girl’s
1 Is there a special ritual or tradition in your country to
15th/16th birthday.
celebrate the coming of age? What is it and how is it
2 The rituals of the ancient Aztec/Inuit culture
celebrated? Is it different for boys and girls?
gradually developed into the Quinceañera
2 Have you celebrated this event yet? If so, describe
celebration as we know it today.
the occasion. How did you feel? If not, are you
3 The first hunt/journey is a cultural ritual in Inuit
looking forward to it?
tradition originally for boys only.
3 Do you think it is important to mark your coming of
4 An outcamp is a place where young people can
age with an event? Why?/Why not?
go to learn about the traditions/history of the Inuit
culture. PROJECT
5 The age of maturity in Japan comes at the start/at
the end of a person’s 20th year. 3b You are going to work on a presentation
about coming-of-age events in two different
6 Seijin no Hi is a cultural ritual for which new adults
countries, including your own. If your country
wear traditional/modern dress.
doesn’t have a special event, choose another
country. Read the questions and prepare your
2c Read and complete the table. project research.
Mexico Canada Japan 1 Work in pairs. Do some research on the Internet
to find out about an interesting coming-of-age
What is
event in another country, as well as your own.
the age of
Find out:
maturity?
■ what the age of maturity is
Why is it ■ why this age is particularly celebrated
this age?
■ how long the ritual or tradition has been part

of the country’s culture

■ what people do to mark the event

■ any other information you think is interesting.

2 Decide who will talk about each of the points

above and add in any additional information to
make your presentation more interesting.
How old
is the 3c In your pairs, use your notes to give a
tradition? presentation to the rest of the class on your
coming-of-age events. Your presentation should
How is be around three minutes long. Compare and
the event contrast the coming-of-age events in your
marked? countries with those that your classmates have
chosen.

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