The Reading / Listening - Digital Nomads - Level 1

There is good news if you want to work in New Zealand. The country has a new visa for "digital nomads". A digital nomad is someone who can work anywhere because their job is online. The new visa lets visitors work online for a foreign employer for up to nine months. People staying that long may have to pay tax. New Zealand's economic growth minister said: "We want…wealthy and super-talented people coming [through] the arrival gates."

New Zealand's economy has suffered because of the Covid pandemic. It hurt tourism. The tourism industry has not returned to pre-Covid levels. Another thing that hurt the economy is the many young people leaving the country. New Zealand's immigration minister hoped the visitors with the new visa will spend more money. This will help the economy. She also hopes that they will fall in love with New Zealand.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Digital Nomads - Level 0 Digital Nomads - Level 2   or  Digital Nomads - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/new-zealand-relaxes-visa-rules-to-lure-digital-nomads-and-influencers
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-loosens-visitor-visa-rules-welcome-digital-nomads-2025-01-27/
  • https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/540177/visas-for-digital-nomads-a-positive-step-commentators-say-but-there-are-potential-complications


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. There is good
  2. if you want to
  3. someone who
  4. their job is
  5. a foreign
  6. may have to pay
  7. economic
  8. coming through
  1. tax
  2. online
  3. work in New Zealand
  4. employer
  5. the arrival gates
  6. news
  7. can work anywhere
  8. growth

Paragraph 2

  1. New Zealand's economy has
  2. the Covid
  3. It hurt
  4. The tourism
  5. Another thing that
  6. many young people leaving
  7. New Zealand's immigration
  8. She also hopes that they will fall
  1. tourism
  2. in love
  3. pandemic
  4. hurt the economy
  5. minister
  6. suffered
  7. the country
  8. industry

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is (1) ________________________________________________ you want to work in New Zealand. The country (2) ________________________________________________ visa for "digital nomads". A digital nomad is someone who can work anywhere because their (3) ________________________________________________. The new visa lets visitors work online for (4) ________________________________________________ for up to nine months. People staying that long may have (5) ________________________________________________. New Zealand's economic growth minister said: "We want…wealthy and super-talented people coming [through] (6) ________________________________________________."

New Zealand's economy (7) ________________________________________________ of the Covid pandemic. (8) ________________________________________________. The tourism industry has not returned to pre-Covid levels. (9) ________________________________________________ hurt the economy is the many young people leaving the country. New Zealand's immigration minister (10) ________________________________________________ with the new visa will spend more money. This will (11) ________________________________________________. She also hopes that they will (12) ________________________________________________ with New Zealand.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisgoodnewsifyouwanttoworkinNewZealand.Thecountryhasan
ewvisafor"digitalnomads".Adigitalnomadissomeonewhocanworkan
ywherebecausetheirjobisonline.Thenewvisaletsvisitorsworkonlinef
oraforeignemployerforuptoninemonths.Peoplestayingthatlongmay
havetopaytax.NewZealand'seconomicgrowthministersaid:"Wewan
t…wealthyandsuper-talentedpeoplecoming[through]thearrivalgat
es."NewZealand'seconomyhassufferedbecauseoftheCovidpandemi
c.Ithurttourism.Thetourismindustryhasnotreturnedtopre-Covidleve
ls.Anotherthingthathurttheeconomyisthemanyyoungpeopleleaving
thecountry.NewZealand'simmigrationministerhopedthevisitorswith
thenewvisawillspendmoremoney.Thiswillhelptheeconomy.Shealso
hopesthattheywillfallinlovewithNewZealand.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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