B2 – Upper Intermediate
In the UK, the census takes place every ten years since 1801. It is the official number of every resident living within the country. Originally, census workers visit people door-to-door to get the basic information such as age, sex, race, and birth origin, etc. Nowadays, questionnaires are mailed out to every household with additional questions like ethnic backgrounds, immigration status, and personal relationships, etc.
Census is very important for many reasons. According to Gordon De Jong, professor of sociology and demography, “The census is most definitely important. Our whole representative democracy is based on it.” In addition, he has stated that “Equitably distributing the billions of dollars of public money requires up-to-date population data.”
Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about Census.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-210826
Discussion Questions:
- What exactly is a census and why is it important?
- What is the main purpose of the census before and now?
- How does the government acquire the information for census?
- Why do some people question the importance of Census?
- In your opinion, is the census a breach of privacy? Explain your stand.