Britain’s baby boom

It’s official. The economy may be bust but the birth rate is booming. The latest count of Britain’s population shows that they are the reason the country is fuller than it’s ever been. Fertility rates have increased in the UK since 2001 (Roma Chapell, office of national statistics) when they reached a low of 1.63. Then, they have risen to 1.96 in 2008 and you have got to goall the way back to 1973 to find another year when fertility rates were higher in the UK. There were 791000 babies born between 2007 and 2008. That means 1 in 5 of the population is under 16. But we are also living longer. 1.3 million are over 85. Until now, immigration, particularly from Eastern Europe was thought to account for this baby boom. That no longer seems to be the only cause. Thisfigure shows that is largely due to more babies being born. The population is increasing despite the fact that the number of new immigrants is falling. Record numbers from Eastern Europe left last year and yet, the number of people living in the UK is still rising. The bulging population stretches services. The elderly need more care both at home and in hospital. More local authorities are beingforced to find more schools and nursery places. Certainly in major urban areas, you will find a considerable number of schools being expanded at reception to cater for the increasing number of people coming through. (Les Laurence. Local government association). But there are warnings that this surge in the indigenous population birth rates combined with immigration will push the population over 70million by 2030.

ITN

Voc:

The economy may be bust= may be close to banktuptcy
Is there a link between the economic situation and the number of babies being born?
The economy may be bust, but Britain is fuller than it has ever been.
……………………………………., and …………, Britain is fuller…
…………………..the economy may be bust, Britain is fuller………………………the fact that the economy…………………………………………
Fertility rates (increase) ……………………………………since 2001
……………………………………………………………………….over the last 7 years.
People thought immigration accounted for that rise. (to explain)
Passive=
People believed(said)…………………………………………………..
Passive=
People think he lied.
Passive=
It is due to (caused by)
The train is due to arrive in 5′ (it is to arrive= it should)
The bulging population (the growing population)
to cater for= to provide what is needed= to give what is required.
The surge= the rise, the increase.
To stretch (think of stretching)
The young, the old, the elderly=young people, old people…..
Crèche, day care centres. A childminder (a nanny) looks after the children in her own home.
More day care facilities for the babies as well as for old handicapped people need to be built
Old people’s homes… try to keep old people as much as possible in their homes.

Voc:
nuclear family: famille nucléaire _ A closely-knit family: famille très unie
Children’supbringing: l’éducation des enfants _ to bring up/ to raise:élever
A single parent family, a one-parent family: famille monoparentale
to go to a wedding:aller à un mariage _ To get married to/ to marry somebody:épouser qqn
Married life: vie conjugale _to get on/ get along well with: bien s’entendre avec
To be living together/to cohabit _ cohabitation: concubinage _ a partner:compagnon/compagne
Civil partnership: le PACS _ to break up with/ to split up wit: rompre
To have the custody of the children: avoir la garde. _ generation gap: conflit des générations
To give birth: accoucher _ to breatfeed: allaiter _a nappy: une couche
Disposable nappies (jetables) _to look after/ to take care of: s’occuper de
To do the cooking: faire la cuisine _ to do the housework: faire le…