Here are some English proverbs dealing with marriage and family life. Illustrate them with a short story.

1) Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2) Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.

3) Men make houses, women make homes.

4) It’s a sad house where the hen crows louder than the cock.

Solve the problems.

1) Your husband beats you, but with eight children he is your only means of financial support. Your mother comes over to visit you and asks you why you are bruised. What’s your reply?

2) You and your wife have been married for 5 years. You’ve been very happy but lately you’ve begun to feel very attracted towards another woman. Your wife asks you if anything is wrong. What do you say?

3) You are going to call off the engagement. What do you say to your boy/girlfriend?

4) You are a reporter of the Daily Mail Gossip Column. You are going to interview Elizabeth Smith and Richard Brenton, the famous film stars, who got divorced last year but who, according to rumour, are planning to remarry. What questions will you ask?

Read the following marriage advertisements from the Lonely Hearts Column and make up your own.

1) English bachelor, 40, own house, seeks sympathetic woman (18-35) of any nationality for lasting friendship, possibly marriage. Interests: classical music, golf, wine. Photo appreciated.

2) Very attractive female, seeks long-term mate. He must be older, wiser and richer than me. I’m 24, slim, fair, intelligent, have one child. Tired of doing the rounds of dance halls and want to settle down.

3) Simon, 25, slim, attractive, own Sussex home, boat, aircraft and cars. Country and animal lover. Seeks warm, affectionate girl, 17-23, no reply without photo.

4) Who wants a 25-year-old, dark-haired, good-looking, lively woman interested in pop-music, driving, clothes, and “living life to the full”? If you are a man aged 25-30, with a similar interest in having good time, then write with photo (or drawing!)

5) Mature man seeks mature woman. Must be kind, home-loving and interested in art. Write with photo.

Points to ponder.

1) People should not marry outside their religion, nation, race, class, education.

2) Interracial marriages should be discouraged.

3) Adopted children should know who their natural parents are.

4) There is no such thing as love.

5) Loneliness can be beneficial.

6) Divorce is on the increase in Russia.

7) The heart that once truly loves never forgets.

8) It is the wife who changes for better or worse, not the husband.

9) Premarital sex has undermined one of the primary reasons for marriages.

10) Love cannot be forced.

11) No herb will cure love.

12) Happiness takes no account of time.

14. Group work. Split into two groups:

1) One of the groups has to prepare the role of the interviewers, and write down questions. Each interviewer asks the members of the “ideal family”. The other group represents an “ideal family”, they should allocate the different roles within the group and talk about the personalities, ways of behaviour and ideas of the people in their family and give advice to other families.

2) The “ideal family” is interviewed by different interviewer in turn in front of the class. At the beginning each member of the family introduces either himself or another family member.

3) Since a lot of students’ values and ideas regarding families will have become obvious, they should discuss them afterwards.

15. Role- play the following scene with other members of your group. Each person plays a different role in the family. Make a decision as family group:

A mother has just enrolled into evening language classes. She has a lot of studying to do and cannot do all the housework any more. Her husband and two teenaged children want her to be happy, but they are not used to helping with the housework much. However, they do not like TV dinners and dirty clothes. What can they do?

 

 

UNIT 4. PARENTS AND CHILDREN

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

A happy child is

-kind-hearted; -good-natured; -loving; -friendly; -affectionate; -confident; -balanced; -secure; getting along with others; -gregarious; -sociable; communicative; -outgoing; unselfish; -hard-working;

-industrious; -self-disciplined; -self-possessed; -alert; -motivated; -conscientious; -active; -preserving; -enthusiastic; -polite; -courteous; -considerate; -thoughtful; -helpfully able to cope with difficulties and problems;

An unhappy problem child is

-obedient; -prone to obey; -submissive; -repressed; -depressed; -distressed; -mixed-up; -confused; -frustrated; -disturbed; -neglected; -self-centered; -unsociable; -lonely; -timid; -shy; -fearful; -sulky; -indifferent; -impersonal; -listless; -irresponsible; -insensitive; -hurt; -humiliated; -stubborn; -uninterested; -unmotivated; -dull;

inactive; -bored; -unable to cope with difficulties; -irritable; -annoyed; -anxious; -restless; -naughty; -inconsistent; -impulsive; -undisciplined; -unruly; -misbehaving; -disobedient; -resentful; -arrogant; -insolent; -impudent; -inconsiderate; -intolerant; -disrespectful; -unrestrained; -destructive; -belligerent; -rude; -rough; -offensive; -wrong-doing; -delinquent;

A happy parent is

-loving; -caring; -affectionate; -kind; -kind-hearted; -good-natured; -friendly; -approving; -reassuring; -responsive; -thoughtful; -considerate; -sympathetic;

-sensible; -reasonable; -self-restrained; -patient; -tolerant; -open; -outgoing; -firm; -consistent; -just; -understanding; -sensitive;

An unhappy difficult parent is

-impulsive; -indulging; -pampering; -babying; -unreasonable; -selfish; -self-indulging; -self-interested; -self-willed; -inconsistent; -sentimental; -permissive; -loveless; -indifferent; -impersonal; -insensible; -disapproving; -unjust; -moralizing; -uncompromising; -tough;

-unfair; -impatient; -intolerant; -insensible; -unreasonable; -unwise; -inconsistent; -nagging; -fussy; -cold; -hard; -harsh; -cruel; -bullying; -aggressive; -destructive; -violent; -repressing; -demanding; -restraining;

Answer the following questions.

- What is the best way to punish a child?

- Do you think it is easier to be a father or a mother?

- Do you think you could put an aging parent into an old-age house?

- Do you think grown-up children and parents should live together?

- What problems face single-parent families?

- What are the main reasons for the conflict between different generations?

- Did you or any of your family have to be away from each other for any length of time? Did you miss each other?

Below are the statements expressing different opinions. Imagine that you are expressing these opinions, try to make them sound convincing.

1) The parents’ permissiveness breeds contempt in children.

2) The child is born selfish and he will need the best part of his life to get over it.

3) Popularity and success in life seldom come to totally self-centered people.

4) Enjoying things is essential to a child’s development.

5) True enjoyment comes mostly from using skills for real achievement.

6) Enjoyment may come not only from personal experience but also from passive enjoyment.

Read the text.

The Bell Family Charter

Housework: All members of the family must do equal share of the housework according to age and ability. A list of duties will be put up each week.

Free time: Children and parents have an equal right to free time.

Visitors: Children have a right to bring friends home whenever they like.

Bedtime: Bedtime will be fixed according to age. Children of 15 may go to bed when they like.

Rules for parents: parents must not break promises. Parents must not cancel plans suddenly. Parents must not criticize their children in public.

NB. Parents are not always right.

a) What is your opinion of the charter?

b) What does it imply?

c) Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

What are the arguments for and against each one?

1) Boys should do so much work as girls.

2) Small children should be given jobs too.

3) Children should be given as much free time as adults.

4) Parents must not do anything to upset their children.

d) Talk it over.

1) What duties do parents have that children don’t?

2) How will you bring up your children?