Speaking and Writing Activities

Ex. 8. Role play the dialogues. Based on the examples below, invite your partner to practice English conversations that tell about a family. Make up your own information or you can give the real information about your family to your friends for practicing.

A Nuclear Family

A: How many people are there in your family?

B: There are four people in myfamily.

A: Who are they?

B: They are my mother, my father, my elder sister and me.

A: How old are your parents?

B: My father is 45. And my mother is a year younger. As for my sister, she’s five years older than me.

A: What does your sister do?

B: She’s a lawyer. She works at a legal advice office.

A: Do you have any brothers or sisters?

B: Yes, I do. I come from a large family.

A: Really? How many brothers and sisters do you have?

B: I have two sisters and a brother.

A: Wow. You certainly have a large family.

B: My elder sisters are both married. And I’m already an aunt. I’ve got two nephews and a niece.

A: And what about your brother?

B: My younger brother is a teenager and he lives with my parents in Vozhega.

A: Tell me about your family, do you have brothers and sisters?

B: I have two brothers and a younger sister. My first brother, Oleg, has just married and his wife is pregnant. My second brother, Boris, is at university and my sister, Anne, is still at secondary school.

A: What a big family! Personally, I’m a single child. What do your parents do?

B: My father’s a businessman and my mother is a secondary school teacher. And what about your parents?

A: My parents divorced two years ago. I’m living with my mother and my stepfather now. I have a stepsister. Her name is Marina.

B: Do you sometimes go to see your father?

A: Yes, I do. We meet at weekends and spend holidays together.

Notes:

pregnant – беременная

An Extended Family

A: How many people are therein your family?

B: I have a lot of relatives. I am not sure how many. There are maybe more than twenty people.

A: Who are they?

B: They are my grandparents, my parents, my younger sister, my four uncles and my three aunts and their children – my cousins.

A: Do you get along well with your cousins?

B: Well, they live in different parts of our oblast. I’m closer with my cousin sister on my mother’s side. Her name’s Victoria. We’re of the same age.

Ex. 9. a) Study the tips for writing an e-mail (Appendix 2).

b) Read the e-mail. Marina is going to spend a weekend with her pen friend from London called Beth Collins. What kind of e-mail is this? Are Marina and Beth close friends do you think?

From: marina97@mail.ru

To: funnygirl@hotmail.com

Subject: Coming to Russia

Hi Beth, Thanks for your email. It’s great to hear from you. This time I’m writing to tell you about my family. I can’t wait to see you here in Russia. Don’t worry. I’m sure, you’ll love our family. My father's name is Alexander and my mother's name is Anna. My dad is forty-two and my mum is under forty. My dad is a doctor and my mum works at the bank. She is an accountant. They are loving and caring. And they are rather modern. We listen to the same kind of music. My parents met each other at the rock concert! They try to be in good shape. My dad goes to the gym twice a week. In winter they enjoy skiing and skating. I love them both very much. I have a horrible little brother and no sisters. His name is Danya. He is twelve years younger than me. Of course, I love him too, but sometimes he can be really annoying. He is always arguing and taking my things. He loves playing football and he is fond of computer games. We've also got a pet dog called Oscar. Do you like dogs? He's short and black and very friendly. My responsibility is to take him for a walk. Well, that’s all for now. I hope to hear from you soon. I’m really looking forward to seeing you! Best wishes Marina

Notes:

be in good shape – быть в хорошей спортивной форме

gym – спортивный зал

skiing – катание на лыжах

skating – катание на коньках

annoying – надоедливый

responsibility – зд. обязанность

c) Find the answers for the following questions in the text.

1. How old is Marina's mother / father?

2. What does her father do?

3. Where does her mother work? What post does she hold?

4. What kind of parents are they?

5. What are their names?

6. Do they try to keep fit? What sports do they go in for?

7. Who is Danya?

8. What is his favourite pastime?

9. Do they have any pets at home?

d) Write a similar letter telling about your family and / or friends.

Ex. 10. Talk about all kinds of family issues using these conversation starters. Ask any other questions.

1. Do you come from a large family?

2. How many people are there in your nuclear family?

3. What do your parents do?

4. Do you have a big “extended” family (including aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces)?

5. How many people are there in your extended family?

6. What are the advantages of living with your grandparents?

7. Do you resemble (look like) one of your parents or grandparents?

8. How far back do you know your family tree (grandparents, great grandparents)?

9. How many children does an average family have in your country?

10. Who makes the big decisions in your family?

11. What responsibilities does each member of your family have?

12. How often do you have big family get-togethers?

13. What do you and your family like to do together?

14. Do any of your relatives live in other countries?

15. Describe your future family.

16. How many children would you like to have?