Greece is the world's best place to retire

More and more people are choosing to spend their retirement overseas. The magazine International Living looked at the countries people most wanted to retire to. The researchers said Greece is the best place for 2026. The magazine has released its Annual Global Retirement Index. This looked at the things that were important for older people who wanted to live in another country in their golden years. These included climate, the cost of living, healthcare, and housing. It is the first time Greece has been the number-one choice for retirees. Spain and Portugal were usually the most popular choices. Panama, Costa Rica, and Thailand were also in the top-ten list for 2026.

Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of International Living, said Greece had what many people were looking for. She said the country was "beautiful, welcoming, and affordable". She added that it offered "a lifestyle that feels rich in every sense". The Greek Reporter website found many expats choose Greece because of its beauty. It reported that retirees can benefit from thousands of kilometres of spectacular coastline, endless sunshine, diverse countryside, picturesque islands, and dramatic mountains. One retiree, Leena Horner, left the USA four years ago to live in Greece. She loves the Greek attitude of taking life slowly and the "daily connection with nature".

1. THE BEST TIME: Students A strongly believe retirement is the best time of anyone's life; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Explain
2. PLACES TO RETIRE: What are the pros and cons of retiring in the places in the table? Complete this table 

	Pros	Cons
The beach
The mountains
A forest
Next to a lake
A countryside village
A capital city

3.Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	retirement	a.	In or to another country, far away.
2.	overseas	b.	The later time of our life, usually after stopping work.
3.	magazine	c.	Happening once every year.
4.	annual (adjective)	d.	A book or paper with news, stories, and pictures, usually published every week or month.
5.	golden years	e.	The time in life when an older person retires (stops working forever).
6.	climate	f.	People who have stopped working because of old age.
7.	retirees	g.	The usual weather of a place.

    Paragraph 2

8.	editor	h.	The edge of land next to the sea.
9.	affordable	i.	A person who prepares and corrects text for a book, newspaper, or magazine.
10.	in every sense	j.	Very beautiful, impressive, or exciting.
11.	benefit (verb)	k.	The way a person thinks or feels about something.
12.	spectacular	l.	In all ways.
13.	coastline	m.	Get something good from a situation or activity.
14.	attitude	n.	Not too expensive; something you can pay for.

 

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

1. choosing
2. released
3. climate
4. cost
5. popular
6. affordable
7. expat
8. picturesque
9. attitude
10. connection

1. link
2. reasonably priced
3. well liked
4. pretty
5. issued
6. way of thinking
7. deciding
8. migrant
9. weather patterns
10. price

5.Role play

Role  A – Go Travelling You think going travelling is the best retirement activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why):

Role  B – Write a Book You think writing a book is the best retirement activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why):

Role  C – Voluntary Work You think voluntary work is the best retirement activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why):

Role  D – Run Marathons You think running marathons is the best retirement activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why):                OR ·         Be with family ·         Learn a language ·         Go hiking ·        ·

6.Discussion - Retirement

1. What do you think of retirement?
2. What do you know about Greece?
3. Where would you like to spend your retirement?
4. Are you looking forward to retirement?
5. What do you think is important for older people?
6. What is more important – the climate of healthcare?
7. Where is it best to retire - Greece, Costa Rica, or Thailand?
8. What advice do you have for people who have retired?

11. What is the best age to retire?
12. How welcoming and affordable is your country?
13. What is good for retirees in your country?
14. What do you want to do in your retirement?
15. What do you think of taking life slowly?
16. How important is a daily connection with nature?
17. What questions would you like to ask a retired person?