Conversation
Practice
My Family
Outline
Do you know . . .?
 Starting Questions
 Conversation Practice
 Useful Expressions
 Discussion Question
 Reference
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Family
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What are they doing? What type of
family is this?
Starting Questions
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How many are there in your family? What
do they do?
Who influences you the most in your family?
Do you live with your parent(s)? What do
they do?
Do you live with your parent(s)? What do
you feel about (not) living with them?
What type of family do you want to form if
you have a choice? (nuclear family,
extended family, DINK, etc.)
Sample Conversation: Tell me
about your family --brother
A: Interviewer; B: Interviewee
 A: Please tell me about your family
 B: There are 6 people in my family. Besides me, they are Grandpa &
Grandma, Mom and Dad, and my kid brother Chris. Grandpa and
Grandma are so old that I keep forgetting how old they are. My dad
is 38. He seldom talks. My mom is the one who nags all the time.
My younger brother Chris is, well, okay, but sometimes he's such a
trouble maker.
 A: Why?
 B: When I'm watching a variety show, he wants to watch a cartoon.
When I'm listening to Ricky Martin, he shouts "Quiet!" because he
wants to study for a test, he says. Well, who knows what he does in
his room, after he swears to Mom he'd study hard.
Sample Conversation: Tell me
about your family—parents &
grandparents
A: Interviewer; B: Interviewee
A: How about your parents? Do they keep an eye you when you study?
B: No, my mom knows that I will finish my homework before I move on
to any other stuff. As for my Dad, he is working now in mainland
China, so I don’t often see him.
A: Does this bother you?
B: Oh, well, yes and no. Of course I’d like to have Dad around to
exercise with me or do different stuff together. But then he has to go
there; he calls home often so that we are still well connected with
one another.
A. Is it difficult to communicate with your grandparents?
B. So so. I won’t say that they’re like my classmates, whom I can talk
nonsense with. They are forgetful and my grandma is hard of
hearing. But they do care about me. So sometimes I will sit down
with them; they’ll ask me about school and I’ll answer slowly to the
questions which are almost the same.
(modified from Daily English)
Useful Expressions
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Family Relationships
Birth parents, adoptive parents（養父
母）, step-mother
sibling(s) –兄弟姊妹；
in-law(s) e.g. brother-in-law姊（妹）夫；
Spouse 配偶; ex-wife or former wife;
separated, divorced
Types of Family: nuclear family,
extended family, DINK (double-incomeno-kid), bi-cultural family, blended family
(or step family).
Family –How many people are
in your family? What do they
do?
Discussion Questions
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Family Resemblance: Do you look more like
(resemble) your mother or your father?
Generation Gap: Some say that the elderly
always know better. Do you agree? Do you
often argue with your mother or father?
What about?
Different types of family: what are the
advantages and problems of each type?
More questions here.
Expressions: What do you
think?
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Do you find your family “traditional”?
Useful expressions:
"Yes, I agree."
"Yes, maybe."
"I don't know."
"No, maybe not."
"No, I disagree."
"Me too."
"So do I."
"That's just what I think."
"Me either."
"Neither do I."
Reference
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Tell me More http://iteslj.org/t/tmm/