Denmark will have world's highest retirement age

Denmark will have world's highest retirement age

Higher rates of longevity are pushing up ages of retirement. The Danish government has just announced it will raise the retirement age for its citizens from 67 to 70 by the year 2040. This means that Denmark's workers will have the world's longest wait before they can retire. Denmark said the new law was necessary because of the increasing life expectancy. However, Jesper Rasmussen, a trade union leader in Denmark, expressed his consternation at the government's move. He said: "Denmark has a healthy economy and yet the EU's highest retirement age". He added: "A higher retirement age means that workers will lose their right to a dignified senior life."

There is a precedent for the retirement age being 70. The world's first case was in Germany in 1881. They were the pioneers in this. They set the age at 70, before reducing it to 65 in 1916. Many countries followed suit and incorporated their own ages for workers to retire with a state pension. The USA first adopted a retirement age in 1935. It was set at 65. The USA Today website reported that in America, the retirement age was also increasing. It wrote: "The upward trend is slow, but striking. In 1994, the average man worked to age 61, while the typical woman clocked out at 59. Americans are living longer, and working longer."

The U.K, Germany, Portugal and Spain plan to increase the retirement age to 67 in 2027. However, when France increased its retirement age from 62 to 64, it caused huge protests by its citizens. Despite all this, the law still passed.

.
1. Students A strongly believe the retirement age for everyone should be 60; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Explain.
2. RETIREMENT CHALLENGES: How serious are these retirement challenges? How can we overcome them? Complete this table .

 

How serious is this problem?

How can this problem be overcome?

Less income

 

 

Lack of purpose

 

 

Physical decline

 

 

Boredom

 

 

Loneliness

 

 

 

 

 

3.Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1.

longevity

a.

How long a person is expected to live.

      2.

citizen

b.

 To make something increase

      3.

 union

c.

An association formed by people with a common interest or purpose.

      4.

Pushing up

d.

A strong feeling of worry or surprise.

      5.

 Announce

e.

The state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.

      6.

consternation

f.

A person who belongs to a country.

      7.

dignified

g.

Make a formal public statement

    Paragraph 2

      8.

precedent

h.

Money you get after you stop working because of age.

      9.

followed suit

i.

Finished work at the end of the day or when you retire ( it has these two meanings).

      10.

incorporated

j.

Easy to notice; surprising.

      11.

pension

k.

Added or included as part of something.

      12.

 pioneers

l.

To be the first to develop or to use a new method, area of knowledge, or activity.

      13.

striking

m.

Something done first that others follow.

      14.

clocked out

n.

Did the same thing as someone else.

 

4. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. retirement
  2. citizens
  3. necessary
  4.  union
  5. senior
  6. precedent
  7. adopted
  8. set
  9. steadily
  10.  average
  1. previous case
  2. essential
  3. decided on
  4. subjects
  5. established
  6. constantly
  7. giving up work
  8. typical
  9. syndicate
  10. older

5.Role play A

Role  A – No Work
You think no work is the best thing about retirement. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least realistic of these (and why):  

Role  B – More Hobbies
You think more hobbies is the best thing about retirement. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least realistic of these (and why):  

Role  C – Time to Sleep
You think time to sleep is the best thing about retirement. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least realistic of these (and why):  

Role  D – Time to Travel
You think time to travel is the best thing about retirement. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least realistic of these (and why):  

 OR 

·     Role E- Simpler life

·     Role F - Less stress

·     Role G- More time to exercise

5. ROLE PLAY B: “THE RETIREMENT DEBATE”:

Objective:
Students will use persuasive language, negotiation skills, and advanced vocabulary to discuss and defend viewpoints on retirement age, lifestyle choices, and government policies.

🧠 CONTEXT:

A new government proposal plans to raise the national retirement age from 65 to 70 due to people living longer. This has created a national debate.

A public forum is being held where various stakeholders will share their opinions. Each student will take on a role and present their perspective, then discuss and try to reach a consensus or compromise.

👥 ROLES:

  1. Government Representative

    • Supports raising the retirement age.

    • Argues it’s necessary to fund pensions and reflect longer lifespans.

    • Thinks older adults can and should remain active.

  2. Manual Laborer (e.g., construction worker)

    • Opposes the proposal.

    • Believes physical jobs can’t be done safely at 70.

    • Wants earlier retirement or exceptions for physical work.

  3. Young Professional (30s)

    • Mixed feelings.

    • Worried about job prospects if older people don’t retire.

    • Also worries about paying into a system that won’t benefit them.

  4. Recently Retired Person (age 66)

    • Enjoying retirement.

    • Believes people deserve time to enjoy life after working decades.

    • Opposes raising the age.

  5. Economist

    • Neutral but analytical.

    • Explains the financial burden of early retirement on society.

    • Can suggest middle-ground solutions.

  6. Healthcare Worker

    • Raises concerns about the physical and mental health of aging workers.

    • Advocates for flexibility and individual assessments.

📝 TASK:

  1. Prepare your character's position, arguments, and rebuttals (5–7 minutes).

  2. Engage in a moderated discussion or debate forum.

  3. Try to reach a compromise solution by the end (e.g., flexible retirement, tiered system, partial pensions).

💡 USEFUL LANGUAGE:

  • Expressing opinions diplomatically:
    “From my perspective…” / “While I understand your point…” / “That may be true, but…”

  • Agreeing/disagreeing:
    “I’m afraid I have to disagree…” / “That’s a valid concern…” / “You make a strong case…”

  • Persuasion/negotiation:
    “What if we considered…” / “Would you be open to…” / “Could we reach a middle ground?”

🗣️ FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Should retirement age be based on profession or a fixed number?

  2. How do cultural attitudes towards retirement differ around the world?

  3. Would you rather retire early with less money, or late with more?

6.Discussion - Retirement Age

  1.  If you could retire today, what would you do with your time?
  2. What's the best age at which to retire?
  3. When would you like to retire?
  4. Is increased life expectancy good for the world?
  5. What is the retirement age in your country?
  6. Does a higher retirement age mean a less dignified senior life?
  7. Should people be able to work after retirement age?
  8. What advice do you have for people who are retired?
  9. What country do you think would be the ideal place to retire and why?
  1. How can retirees contribute to society?
  2. What do you think of retirement homes?
  3. Should early retirement be a human right?
  4. How would you feel about working until you are 80?
  5. In what way might retirement be the best years of our lives?
  6. What do you think of state pensions?
  7. What questions would you like to ask a retired person?
7.FILL IN THE BLANKS:

1. Denmark is a  Nordic or                  country?
2. What are the other countries that are on this list?
3. Sweden is a country that is                 between Denmark and Norway.
4. While Yves has never visited a Nordic country, his plane has stopped for a few hours in both Iceland and Norway while he was on his way to Canada. He had a                   in those countries. 
5. One of  his best friends moved to Findland to do his PHD there. When he first arrived , he disliked it because of its cold weather and the unfriendliness of its people. When he first arrived he said that Finland wasn't his                             .
6. However, after some time had passed , he really began to enjoy it. In fact, Findland eventually
                                       .
7.  If the Spanish government passes a law that decreases the age of retiremet and this is really good news to you, you could say it is                                                    .
8. If you feel that you cannot wait until you retire and are really looking forward to it, you can say : "I am                 the days until my retirement".
9. If you have been waiting to retire in order to go live in Bali, then you can say living in Bali is on your                             .
10. If you think retiring is something that you are really excited about because of all the things you have planned to do , but also you feel you will miss your daily routine and your colleagues that you are accustomed to seeing every day, then you can say that for you, retiring is a
                                           .

8. Compare: 
How would you compare Spain with these places in terms of -
Work Conditions, Gastronomy, Open mindedness,  Stability, Weather: 
- BeNeLux
- The U.S.
- Scandinavia
- The U.K. 
- The M.E.
- Latin America

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