{"id":32794,"date":"2026-06-18T07:29:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/?p=32794"},"modified":"2026-06-18T07:29:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:29:24","slug":"living-with-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2026\/06\/living-with-debt\/","title":{"rendered":"Living with Debt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There comes a time in one\u2019s life when they need financial help to pay for something they couldn’t afford right away. Many people rely on loans or credit to cover large expenses, such as purchasing a vehicle or a home. In return, they agree to repay the borrowed amount over a period of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With prices of goods and services steadily increasing, some individuals now depend on credit not only for major purchases, but also for basic needs like groceries and monthly bills. When borrowing becomes excessive or difficult to manage, it can create financial pressure and negatively affect a person’s mental and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about living with debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/learningenglish\/english\/features\/6-minute-english_2026\/ep-260528<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vocabulary Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. What does \u201coverdraft<\/strong>\u201d mean? \u201cAccording to debt support group The Money Charity, roughly how much is the average British adult in debt through credit cards, <\/em>overdrafts<\/em><\/strong>, and personal loans?<\/em>\u201d Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. What does \u201cin arrears<\/strong>\u201d mean? \u201cFor many people in Woldham, Jason included,\u00a0debt\u00a0was an ordinary feature of daily life. And beyond that, being\u00a0<\/em>in arrears<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0was part of daily life.<\/em>\u201d Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What does \u201cthe never-never<\/strong>\u201d mean? \u201dJason actually fluctuated between wanting to\u00a0clear\u00a0all of his\u00a0debts\u00a0on the one hand, and on the other what he described as living on\u00a0<\/em>the<\/em><\/strong>never-never<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and actually questioning the supposed moral obligation to pay his\u00a0debts.<\/em>\u201d Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Discussion Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. When is taking on debt a responsible financial decision, and when can it become a problem?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. How can debt affect a person’s mental health and overall quality of life?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. What strategies can individuals use to prevent debt from becoming overwhelming?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Should financial literacy and debt management be taught in schools? Why?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. How can governments and financial institutions help people avoid excessive debt?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate  There comes a time in one\u2019s life when they need financial help to pay for something they couldn’t afford right away. Many people rely on loans or credit to cover large expenses, such as purchasing a vehicle or a home. In return, they agree to repay the borrowed amount over a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[49,291,39,292,290],"class_list":["post-32794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homework","tag-audio","tag-b2-upper-intermediate","tag-finance","tag-first-certificate-fce","tag-listening"],"yoast_head":"\nLiving with Debt | phone english blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2026\/06\/living-with-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Living with Debt | phone english blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate  There comes a time in one\u2019s life when they need financial help to pay for something they couldn’t afford right away. 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