Conversation Questions
What bank do you bank with?
Why did you choose that bank?
How many bank cards do you have?
Why do people like to have credit cards?
Do you shop online?
Why do some people do their shopping online?
Have you ever had a loan from a bank?
What sort of loans can people apply to have?
Do you think banks are good or bad?
Do you like keeping your money at home or at the bank?
Why do some people not like to deal with banks?
Do you know how to use an ATM machine?
Did you use to use ATM machines in your country?
Why do you think having a credit card can be a bad thing?
Do you do online banking?
What do you need to do to open a bank account in Australia?
Do you think it is easy to save money in Australia?
If you had a million dollars, what would you do?
What is the best bank to get a home loan from in Australia?
Have you had a bad experience with any bank before?
Have you ever borrowed money from your friends or family?
Have you ever lent money to anyone before?
Have you had any money problems before?
Have you ever lost money while you were outside your house?
Have you ever found money or anything valuable in the street?
What do you need to do if you find a purse full of money in the street in Australia?
In many schools there is a “Lost Property” place. What does this mean?
Do you have an accountant who looks after your finances?
Do you think it is easy to start a business in Australia?
What are some of the things needed for anyone to start a business in Australia?
Read this text:
Mr Zhang is a new immigrant in Australia. He originally comes from China. He wants to buy a new car because public transport takes a long time. He doesn’t have enough money to buy the car he wants. He goes to the bank to apply for a loan to buy a car. Mr Zhang telephones the bank and asks to have an appointment to apply for a car loan. He goes to the bank in time for his appointment. He meets with someone who works at the bank. The bank employee explains the different loans that Mr Zhang can apply for. Mr Zhang chooses a loan that he thinks is good enough for him. Mr Zhang tells the employee that he wants to borrow 50,000 dollars. Mr Zhang shows the bank employee some documents to prove that he’s got a job and can pay the money back. The bank employee sees that Mr Zhang will not have any problem paying the money back.
Mr Zhang signs some documents to get the loan. Mr Zhang agrees to pay the loan fortnightly. This means that Mr Zhang has to pay money every two weeks. The documents Mr Zhang signs say that if Mr Zhang does not pay the money on time, he will get a fine from the bank. Mr Zhang wants to pay more money so he can finish the loan faster. By the time Mr Zhang pays off the loan, he will have paid more than 60,000 dollars to the bank. The 10,000 dollars are called interest. When you borrow money from any bank, you have to pay interest. This is how banks make money.
Some people don’t like paying interest. They borrow money from their family and friends. They pay the money back and they don’t need to pay interest. In most cases, family and friends can’t lend too much money but banks can. That is why many people borrow money from banks. Banks not only ask people to pay interest, they ask them to pay monthly fees. These fees are to be paid each month. Banks make a lot of money from fees. Some banks ask people to pay exit fees if they pay off a loan early. Also some people don’t borrow money from banks because their religion doesn’t allow them to pay interest. There are some banks in Saudi Arabia that don’t charge interest. People need to pay back the same amount of money they have borrowed. They do not pay one dollar more. Other people don’t like borrowing money from banks because they are not sure about what can happen in the future.
Fill in the gaps:
Mr Zhang is a ........... immigrant in Australia. He originally comes from China. He wants to buy a new car because public transport takes a ................... time. He doesn’t have enough money to buy the car he wants. He goes to the bank to apply .................... a loan to buy a car. Mr Zhang telephones the bank and asks to have an appointment ........... apply for a car loan. He goes to the bank in time for his appointment. He meets ................ someone who works at the bank. The bank employee explains .................. different loans that Mr Zhang can apply for. Mr Zhang chooses a ................ that he thinks is good enough for him. Mr Zhang tells the employee that he wants ................ borrow 50,000 dollars. Mr Zhang shows the bank employee some documents to prove that he’s got a job and .................... pay the money back. The bank employee sees that Mr Zhang will not have any problem paying the money back.
Mr Zhang signs some documents to get .................. loan. Mr Zhang agrees to pay the loan fortnightly. This means that Mr Zhang has to ................... money every two weeks. The documents Mr Zhang signs say that if Mr Zhang ................. not pay the money on time, he will get a fine from the bank. Mr Zhang wants to pay more money ................. he can finish the loan faster. By the time Mr Zhang pays off the loan, he will have paid more than 60,000 dollars to the bank. The 10,000 dollars ............... called interest. When you borrow money from any bank, you have to pay interest. This is how banks ..................... money.
Some people don’t like paying interest. They borrow money from their family and friends. They pay the money back and they don’t need to ................. interest. In most cases, family and friends can’t lend too much money but banks can. That is why many people borrow money from banks. Banks not only ................. people to pay interest, they ask them to pay monthly fees. These fees are to be paid each month. Banks make a ................ of money from fees. Some banks ask people to pay exit fees if they pay off a loan early. Also some people don’t borrow money ................... banks because their religion doesn’t allow them to pay interest. There are some banks in Saudi Arabia ................. don’t charge interest. People need to pay back the same amount of money they .................. borrowed. They do not pay one dollar more. Other people don’t like borrowing money .................... banks because they are not sure about what can happen in the future.
Use both sides of the table to fill in the gaps:
paying - more – bank – each – long - meets - Saudi - two | Arabia – interest - weeks – money - employee – month – time - with |
Mr Zhang is a new immigrant in Australia. He originally comes from China. He wants to buy a new car because public transport takes a ________ _________. He doesn’t have enough money to buy the car he wants. He goes to the bank to apply for a loan to buy a car. Mr Zhang telephones the bank and asks to have an appointment to apply for a car loan. He goes to the bank in time for his appointment. He _________ __________ someone who works at the bank. The bank employee explains the different loans that Mr Zhang can apply for. Mr Zhang chooses a loan that he thinks is good enough for him. Mr Zhang tells the employee that he wants to borrow 50,000 dollars. Mr Zhang shows the ___________ ____________ some documents to prove that he’s got a job and can pay the money back. The bank employee sees that Mr Zhang will not have any problem paying the money back. Mr Zhang signs some documents to get the loan. Mr Zhang agrees to pay the loan fortnightly. This means that Mr Zhang has to pay money every ________ _________. The documents Mr Zhang signs say that if Mr Zhang does not pay the money on time, he will get a fine from the bank. Mr Zhang wants to pay __________ _____________ so he can finish the loan faster. By the time Mr Zhang pays off the loan, he will have paid more than 60,000 dollars to the bank. The 10,000 dollars are called interest. When you borrow money from any bank, you have to pay interest. This is how banks make money. Some people don’t like __________ __________. They borrow money from their family and friends. They pay the money back and they don’t need to pay interest. In most cases, family and friends can’t lend too much money but banks can. That is why many people borrow money from banks. Banks not only ask people to pay interest, they ask them to pay monthly fees. These fees are to be paid ________ _______. Banks make a lot of money from fees. Some banks ask people to pay exit fees if they pay off a loan early. Also some people don’t borrow money from banks because their religion doesn’t allow them to pay interest. There are some banks in _________ __________ that don’t charge interest. People need to pay back the same amount of money they have borrowed. They do not pay one dollar more. Other people don’t like borrowing money from banks because they are not sure about what can happen in the future.
