English

Countryside or City?

Jacob M

• 9 min read
Countryside or City?
Photo by Thomas Habr / Unsplash
Living in the City vs. the Countryside

Living in the City vs. the Countryside

การใช้ชีวิตในเมืองเทียบกับในชนบท

Let's learn and compare!

Vocabulary: The City

A city (เมือง) is a large town with many people, tall buildings (ตึก), and a lot of traffic (การจราจร).

Examples:

  • Bangkok is a very big city.
  • I work in a tall building in the city center.
  • The traffic is bad in the morning.

Vocabulary: The Countryside

The countryside (ชนบท) is the land outside of cities. It has a lot of nature (ธรรมชาติ) and is usually quiet (เงียบ).

Examples:

  • My grandparents live in the countryside.
  • I like to walk in nature and see the trees.
  • It is very quiet here at night.

Vocabulary: Comprehension Check

1. Where can you find many tall buildings and a lot of traffic?

Correct! Cities are known for tall buildings and traffic.
Not quite. The countryside has more open space and less traffic.

2. Which word describes a place that is not noisy?

Excellent! Quiet means there is very little noise.
Try again. Think about the opposite of 'loud'.

Good Things About the City

  • Jobs: There are many companies and more opportunities to find a job.
  • Convenient (สะดวกสบาย): It is easy to find shops, restaurants, hospitals, and banks.

It's very convenient. I can walk to the 7-Eleven from my apartment.

More Good Things About the City

  • Transportation (การคมนาคม): There are many ways to travel, like buses, the BTS/MRT, and taxis.
  • Entertainment: There are cinemas, shopping malls, museums, and many fun things to do.

On the weekend, we are going to the new shopping mall.

Bad Things About the City

  • Expensive (แพง): Renting an apartment and buying things can cost a lot of money.
  • Noisy (เสียงดัง) & Crowded (แออัด): There is always noise from cars and many people everywhere.
  • Pollution (มลพิษ): The air is sometimes not clean.

City Life: Comprehension Check

1. A good thing about the city is that it is ______ to buy things.

Correct! 'Convenient' means easy.
Incorrect. Think about how easy it is to find a shop in the city.

2. A bad thing about the city is that it can be ______, with lots of people.

Yes! 'Crowded' means there are too many people in one place.
Try again. How do you feel on a bus with too many people?

Good Things About the Countryside

  • Quiet and Peaceful (สงบ): It is not noisy. It is calm and relaxing.
  • Close to Nature: You can see fields, mountains, and breathe clean air.

I love the peaceful feeling of the countryside.

More Good Things About the Countryside

  • Cheaper (ถูกกว่า): Houses and land are usually less expensive than in the city.
  • Community: People often know their neighbors and are very friendly.

My neighbors in the countryside always say hello.

Bad Things About the Countryside

  • Fewer Jobs: It can be difficult to find a job.
  • Less Convenient: Shops, schools, and hospitals might be far away. You often need a car.

We have to drive 20 minutes to get to the nearest supermarket.

Countryside: Comprehension Check

1. People like the countryside because it is quiet and ______.

Correct! 'Peaceful' means calm and quiet.
Not quite. Think of a word that means calm and relaxing.

2. A bad thing about the countryside is that ______.

Perfect! 'Less convenient' means it's harder to get to shops and services.
Incorrect. Clean air and being cheaper are good things.

Activity 1: Features

Drag and drop the words into the correct box.

Tall Buildings
Quiet
Farms
Traffic
Shopping Malls
Fresh Air

City (เมือง)

Countryside (ชนบท)

Activity 2: Pros & Cons

Drag and drop the ideas into the correct box.

Many Jobs
Expensive
Peaceful
Pollution
Convenient
Fewer Jobs

Pros (Good Things)

Cons (Bad Things)

Activity 3: Memory Game

Click the cards to find the matching pairs!

Conclusion: City vs. Countryside

The city and the countryside are very different. Each place has good things and bad things.

City (เมือง)

  • Pros: Convenient, many jobs, fun
  • Cons: Noisy, crowded, expensive

Countryside (ชนบท)

  • Pros: Peaceful, clean air, cheaper
  • Cons: Fewer jobs, less convenient

Which is better for you?

The best place to live depends on what you like and what is important to you.

สถานที่ที่ดีที่สุดในการอยู่อาศัยขึ้นอยู่กับสิ่งที่คุณชอบและสิ่งที่สำคัญสำหรับคุณ

End of Lesson

Good job! You learned a lot today!
เก่งมาก! วันนี้คุณเรียนรู้ไปเยอะเลย!

Reading

My Two Homes --- My name is Malee. For most of my life, I lived in the countryside. It was always very peaceful. I loved waking up to the sound of birds instead of cars. The air was fresh and clean, far from the pollution of big cities. When I finished university, I had to move to the city for my new job. Life here is exciting but so different. It’s very convenient; I can walk to restaurants and take the Skytrain everywhere, so I don't have to worry about traffic. But it is also much more expensive. My apartment is small and costs more than my parents’ entire house! Sometimes, the streets are so noisy and crowded that I miss the quiet, open spaces of home. I like the energy of the city, but I will always treasure the peaceful life of the countryside. --- my: ของฉัน, name: ชื่อ, is: คือ, for: สำหรับ, most: ส่วนใหญ่, of: ของ, life: ชีวิต, i: ฉัน, lived: อาศัยอยู่, in: ใน, the: (คำนำหน้านามชี้เฉพาะ), countryside: ชนบท, it: มัน, was: เป็น, always: เสมอ, very: มาก, peaceful: สงบ, loved: รัก, waking: ตื่น, up: ขึ้น, to: สู่, sound: เสียง, birds: นก, instead: แทน, cars: รถยนต์, air: อากาศ, fresh: สดชื่น, and: และ, clean: สะอาด, far: ไกล, from: จาก, pollution: มลพิษ, big: ใหญ่, cities: เมืองต่างๆ, when: เมื่อ, finished: จบ, university: มหาวิทยาลัย, had: ต้อง, move: ย้าย, city: เมือง, new: ใหม่, job: งาน, here: ที่นี่, exciting: น่าตื่นเต้น, but: แต่, so: มาก, different: แตกต่าง, it’s: มันคือ, convenient: สะดวกสบาย, can: สามารถ, walk: เดิน, restaurants: ร้านอาหาร, take: โดยสาร, skytrain: รถไฟฟ้า, everywhere: ทุกที่, don't: ไม่, have: ต้อง, worry: กังวล, about: เกี่ยวกับ, traffic: การจราจร, also: ด้วย, much: มาก, more: กว่า, expensive: แพง, apartment: อพาร์ตเมนต์, small: เล็ก, costs: มีราคา, than: กว่า, parents’: ของพ่อแม่, entire: ทั้งหมด, house: บ้าน, sometimes: บางครั้ง, streets: ถนน, are: เป็น, noisy: เสียงดัง, crowded: แออัด, that: ที่, miss: คิดถึง, quiet: เงียบ, open: โล่ง, spaces: พื้นที่, home: บ้าน, like: ชอบ, energy: พลัง, will: จะ, treasure: ทะนุถนอม ---audio audio-src = https://blog.teacherjake.com/apps/assets/weblessons/two-homes.mp3 ---questions Q: Where did Malee live for most of her life? A: In the city A: In the countryside [correct] A: Near her job Q: What is a major difference Malee notes between the city and the countryside? A: The food is better in the city. A: The city is much more expensive. [correct] A: The countryside has better transportation.