That's English! - Module 7 - Unit 4: Modern Family

This unit is about family and how this has changed in the last decades. Let's start with the topic with general questions to discuss in class:

• What changes have you seen in families since the 1950's?
• Which of these changes is the most remarkable and why?
• What are the main problems of being a single parent? Are there any advantages?
• What is the "boomerang generation" (described in your textbook, p.43)? Could you guess other reasons for coming back your parents' home?
• Compare your parents' family and the new models of family. What are the main challenges for "modern families"?
• What is the usual family in Spain? Are there any other kinds of families?

Modern Family is a very famous TV series and here you are an interview with the principal stars. They answer their audience's questions  about their characters but also about family and many other subjects in a humorous way: click here for the video. Try to do it directly and then use the subtitles.

About grammar, there is a reference to reminding things and promising. Let's use it in oral practice with these exercises:

Activity 1
Work with your partner and think of all the things a person should do in your house to keep it in good conditions until you come back from holiday. Tell aloud these actions using:

• Don't forget to...       Remember to...       Let me remind you to....   Could  you …..?

You can watch this video to see the meaning and use of these verbs: click here

Activity 2

On p.42 you have a revision of making suggestions and how to accept or refuse them. Let's work on this point by doing exercise 8 on that page and then we'll make some suggestions for these situations related below. Before starting talking you may watch this video about suggestions:

• Your friend wants  to go on holiday for a week but she/he doesn't know where to go yet ( to the beach, a city break, a cottage in the country...)
• It's your friend's birthday and you want to prepare something special for him/her (eating out, cinema, a surprise party...)
• It's your father's or mother's birthday and you don't know what to buy as a present: a book, a jumper, a cd, a voucher for a department store..

Activity 3

On p.43 there is a current topic about living at your parents' home. Discuss with your partner about this and tell your own experience. Think about pros and cons of living with them: money, independance, rules, personal life, etc.

Activity 4

As usual, here are you an exercise of listening (filling the gaps). It's not difficult but it's a help for getting used to doing this kind of exercises for the oral and written exams. Click here

Activity 5

Here you are another listening about raising children. We'll do it in class and then we'll share our opinion on the topic. The exercise is here

In the final exam of this module you'll find an exercise of filling the gaps in the reading test. Here you have a link with two examples to practise this kind of exercise: click here

Hope this post is useful for you and see you in class!