I. Explain in English by matching A and B parts.

A	B
nuclear family	the adults have divorced and remarried, bringing children from other unions together to form a new nuclear family
immediate family	a family which only has one parent (because the parents are divorced, or because one of the parents has died):
step family	parents and their children living in the same residence or sharing the closest bonds
adopted family	includes all relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) living together and sharing daily household duties
single-parent / one-parent family =	your closest relative
foster family	two parents may adopt a child to whom they share no blood relationship, or one parent may adopt the child of the other parent.
extended family	one or more adult parent who serves as a temporary guardian for one or more children to whom they may or may not be biologically related.

IV. Write out all words and word combinations related to family. Add them to your topical vocabulary. Study the examples.

Expressions with family

family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: "There's a small family gathering next week."

family resemblance = where members of the family look / act similar: "You can see a distinct family resemblance between the father and the son."

to start a family = to start having children: "They want to wait a couple of years before starting a family."

to run in the family = a characteristic that is common among family members: "Baldness runs in his family."

to bring up / raise a family = to have and look after children: "It's difficult to raise a family on one income."

a family car = a car big enough to transport a family: "The Volvo Estate is a popular family car."

family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets of biscuits!"

family-friendly = a policy that favours families: "This hotel is family-friendly."

family doctor = a doctor who looks after general medical needs: "There are a number of good family doctors in this area."

family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family: "John is a family man."

family values = traditional ideas about what a family should be: "Some political parties often emphasise family values and the importance of marriage."

family name = surname: "What's your family name?"

 

 

How common /different families are?

Reading

Ø The number of nuclear families in the world is decreasing year by year. What are the consequences of this process? Is situation similar in all countries?

Ø You are going to read two short texts about family life in Britain and the USA. What is common? What are the differences? Make the list of problems/tendencies and share it with your groupmate.

 

The british Family

“There is no such thing as society,” Mrs. Thatcher once said. “Only individual men and women, and families.” many people disagree with her, but there remains a strong feeling that the immediate or ‘nuclear’ family is the basic unit of society, and that traditional family values remain the mainstay of national life.

The nuclear family is usually pictured as a married couple, with two children, ideally a girl and a boy, and perhaps their grandmother, or ‘granny’, in the background. As a picture of the way most British live, this becomes increasingly unrealistic each year. If the picture includes the traditional idea of the man going out to work while his wife stays at home, it is probably true of less than 10 per cent of the country. Even without such a limited definition, only 42 per cent of the populationlive in nuclear family households, an even within this group a considerable of parents are in their second marriage with children from a previous marriage.

Social attitudes and behaviour are undoubtedly changing. The number of people living alone has risen significantly. The British are clearly becoming a more solitary nation in their living habits. This will have social implications, for example housing needs in the future.

There is an increasing proportion of men and women living together before marriage. For example, in 1961 only 1 per cent of first-time married couples had previously been living together. By the year 2012 it was estimated that most couples lived together before marrying. Others living together, or ‘ cohabiting ’, never get married.

 

 

The American Family

When Americans consider families, many of them think of a "traditional family. " A traditional family is one in which both parents are living together with their children. The father goes out and works and the mother stays home and rears the children. The biggest change in families in the United States is that most families today do not fit this image. Today, one out of three American families is a "traditional family" in this sense.

The most common type of family now is one in which both parents work outside the home. In 1950, only 20 percent of all American families had both parents working outside the home. Today, it is 60 percent. Even women with young children are going back to work. New census figures show that as of 2011, only 23% of married couple families with children younger than age 15 have a stay-at-home mother (SAHM). These days, there are more kids being raise d by single moms than by married couples where the man earns all the income and the wife stays home. - See more at: http://www.themotherco.com/2011/11/what-is-the-traditional-family/#sthash.MUPkCFGM.dpuf
In many states, single people may also adopt children. Some people take in foster children --children whose parents cannot take care of them. Another change is that families in the United States are getting smaller. In the mid-1700s, there were six people in the average household. Today the average household contains between two and three people. A household is defined as any place where at least one person is living.
One recent change is that the number of marriages is rising. The number of babies born also has been climbing steadily for the past 10 years. Many experts see these trends as a sign that Americans are returning to the values of marriage and family.

Vocabulary practice