Manuals > General English > Rosetta Stone Advantage > Elementary - Book 2 > Lesson 6
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By the end of the lesson, the student should be able to describe their family and share some basic information about each family member
Communication strategies:
The student should be able to ask someone for information using the following strategy:
1) state how many people are in your immediate / extended family
2) describe someone and state the person's relationship to you
3) state the person's name
4) state your opinion of them
5) state a memory you have of that person shared
6) share their personal information (e.g. age / marital status / job / hobby / appearance)
e.g.
I have a big family. I have a brother and two sisters. My brother's name is Simon. He's a doctor. He lives in Texas. He’s very competitive, just like me. I remember when we were young we were always competing with each other. Sometimes I won, sometimes he won. He’s 27. He got married last year. His wife’s name is Bec. She’s really nice. He works as a designer at an IT company. When he’s not working he likes to play video games. We sometimes play online together. My older sister is called Stacy. She is a uni student. She is currently doing a law degree. My younger sister - Gwen is still in high school. On my father’s side, I have an aunt and three cousins. My aunt is very nice. Her name is Megan. She is 43. She’s a high school teacher. She’s divorced. She really likes cooking. She
always bakes a really nice cake for my birthday.
Words and rules:
- The student should be able to state the relationships of different family members e.g. brother / aunt
- The student should be able to use the present perfect tense to describe experiences e.g. He has been to America.
- The student should be able to describe someone's marital status e.g. He's divorced.
Appropriateness:
Non-verbal behaviour: You can use your hand to gesture the height of a child. e.g. He's about this big.
Register: When talking about our family we usually use a casual register.
Social rules: We usually don't ask someone if they are married as it can be seen as a sign of flirting.
Cultural references: the following words mean the same, "father - dad" / "mother - mom" / Grandmother - granny - nan - nanna" / "aunt - aunty" / "older sister - elder sister - big sister" / "little sister - younger sister"
Track #13
This is my family. I have one sister, a mom and a dad. My mom is a
nurse, my dad is a teacher. On my mom’s side I have three cousins.
We often play together.
Track #14
There are five people in my family. My mom is a writer, my two sisters
are dancers, and my father is a doctor. My eldest sister is married. Her
husband is a really nice guy. I hope I can get married soon.
Track #15
Let me introduce you to my wife’s side of the family. This is my
sister-in-law. Her name is Jane. She is a high school student. This is my
father-in-law. His name is Charlie. He is a technician. We get along
really well.
Because the lesson touches on the topic of family, you are welcome to introduce some of the following vocabulary if you like.
1) a great grandmother (n)
2) a step brother (n)
3) a brother-in-law (n)
4) a foster brother (n)
5) a half-brother (n)
6) a nuclear family (n)
7) a partner (n)
8) a sibling (n)
9) a twin brother (n)
10) a relative (n)
Option 1:
Difficulty ★★
Type: Let's start - Warm-up vocabulary game
Purpose: To see if the student knows the basic family vocabulary
Method:
Make a sentence describing a relationship using possessives, then have your partner guess who you are describing.
A) This person is my brother’s son.
B) That’s your nephew.
Option 2:
Difficulty ★★
Type:
Let's practice - Expression introduction
Purpose:
To give the student some expressions they can use to introduce different family members
Method:
Model the expressions below, then role-play using them in conversation.
- I’d like you to meet my dad
- Let me introduce you to my dad
- This is my dad.
Option 3:
Difficulty ★
Type:
Let's practice - Controlled practice
Purpose:
To allow the student to show they understand different family relationships.
Method:
Draw a family tree on a spare sheet of paper. You can include the mother and father’s side of the family if you like. Then have the student introduce the family.
“Naruhodo” Point
get married vs be married (also divorced, engaged)
We use “get” to explain when a state started.
We use “be” to explain when a state continues.
I got married last year = when the state of being married started
I am married = the state of being married is continuing
Extra questions you might like to ask in the lesson
- Do you have a brother-in-law?
- How many cousins do you have on your mother’s side?
- How old is he?
- Is he married?
- What does he do?
A speaking hint you might like to use
Asking follow up questions
> Feel free to use this speaking hint in the “Let’s Practice” / “Let’s Speak” sections of the lesson
Utterance: Her name is Megan. She is 43. She’s a high school teacher. She’s divorced. She really likes cooking. She always bakes a really nice cake for my birthday.
Follow up question: What kind of cake did she bake for your birthday last year?
Let’s try
Track #13
He has a sister and a mum and a dad. His mom is a nurse. His dad is a teacher. On his mom’s side, he has three cousins. They often play together.
Track #14
There are five people in her family. Her mom is a writer. Her two sisters are dancers, and her father is a doctor. Her eldest sister is married. Her sister’s husband is a really nice guy. She hopes she can get married soon.
Track #15
His sister-in-law’s name is Jane. She is a high school student. His father-in-law’s name is Charlie. He is a technician. They get along really well.
Let’s practice
Content
Relationship / Job / Age / Marital status / Interesting information
aunt / teacher / 50 / married (20 yrs.) / She is currently on vacation in Spain.
Expected outcome
I have an aunt on my mother’s side. She’ll be 50 this year. She’s married. She’s been married for 20 years. She’s a teacher. She’s currently on vacation in Spain.
Let’s speak
Talking about your family and asking about someone else’s
A) Tell me about your family.
B) I have a big family. I have three sisters and two brothers. On my father’s side I have an aunt and three cousins. My aunt is very nice. Her name is Megan. She is 43. She’s a high school teacher. She’s divorced. She really likes cooking. She always bakes a really nice cake for my birthday. How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?
A) Yeah, I have two sisters. Their names are Kate and Alice. They are both students. They really like basketball.
B) Cool. Do you have any cousins?
A) Yeah, I have three cousins on my father’s side and two cousins on my mother’s side.
B) How often do you see them?
A) I usually hang out with Craig and Dan. They are my cousins on my mother’s side. I only really see my other cousins at Christmas time.
B) How old are Craig and Dan?
A) Craig is 27 and Dan is 24
B) What do they do?
A) They are both writers.