Get a tattoo

Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo? Well, more people are, especially in developed countries, where tattoos have become fashionable amongst both men and women.

However, tattoos on both men and women is not a modern phenomena and in many traditional cultures (including Maori in New Zealand and Chin in Myanmar) women wore tattoos. However, in the past, tattoos were usually a sign of group identity and signified some status within the community. In contrast, most young people in the western world are now getting tattoos to express their individuality.

1. Listen to the podcast below.

2. Listen CAREFULLY to the vocabulary introduced and explained in the podcast

3. Then fill the gaps in the sentences with the six words and phrases introduced in the podcast

Tattoos have become very popular amongst younger people in many Western countries, and it is now 1__________ to get a tattoo at an upmarket tattoo 2_______. However, where traditional tattoos (such as Chin in Myanmar) signified a tribal (collective) identity, many young 3__________ Western people now see tattoos as way to 4____________. Modern tattooing has 5_______ the traditional meaning of tattoos as symbolising the belonging to a larger group and tattoos have become another part of the 6____________ of individualism.

When you are ready, enter your answers into the test sheet below.