talking about FAMILY

One of the first subject that you are able to talk about with beginner levels is FAMILY. Partly because you may use relatively easy language to do this, like verbs TO BE and TO HAVE GOT, but also because that's something close to everyone. My take on the subject is fairly simple and involves using pictures and a speaking game. Hope you'll like it.

SPEAKING

Remind the students the rules of using 's in expressing possessions or family relations. You may do it as follows:

• Whose book is it? It's my brother's book. - It is his book.
• Whose pen is it? It's my deskmate's pen. - It's her pen.
• Whose car is it? It's my grandparents' car. - It's their car.

The students are to look at the pictures. Ask them Who is who? to a person marked with a star.

Who is Mona to Marge?
Who is Patty?
Who is Herb?
etc.

Who is Ling to Abraham?
Who is Mona?
Who is Homer?
etc.

Who is Patty to Maggie?
Who is Lisa?
Who is Ling?
etc.

WRITING

You may also use the picture without stars and ask the students to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

Bart is Lisa's _________________________ 

Marge is Homer's_________________________ 

Clancy is Selma's_________________________ 

Abraham is Mona's_________________________ 

Maggie is Ling's_________________________ 

Lisa is Patty's_________________________ 

Homer is Abraham's_________________________ 

Selma is Ling's adoptive_________________________ 

Bart is Herb's_________________________ 

Abraham is Lisa's_________________________ 

Bart and Lisa are Marge's_________________________ 

Maggie is Jackie's_________________________ 

Maggie is Marge's_________________________ 

Herb is Marge's_________________________ 

Patty is Selma's_________________________ 

Abraham is Marge's_________________________ 

Herb is Maggie's_________________________ 

Jackie is Homer's_________________________ 

Marge is Herb's_________________________ 

Homer and Marge are Lisa's_________________________ 

Homer and Herb are Clancy's_________________________ 

Bart and Lisa are Maggie's_________________________ 

Marge is Mona's_________________________ 

Maggie and Bart are Ling's_________________________ 

SPEAKING GAME

Prepare cards with words representing different members of the family. Put them on a table face down. The student take turns to pick a card and using possessive 's explain the word to the class.

You may use the basic words but you may also enrich the game with words such as:

a boyfriend

a widower

a divorcee

twins

a stepmother

a great grandmother

etc.

DISCUSSION POINTS

• How big is your family?
• Which family is bigger: that on your father's side or your mother's?
• Who is the oldest in your family?
• Who is the youngest?
• How many brothers and sisters have you got?
• How many aunts and uncles have you got?
• How many (first) cousins have you go?
• Who are you named after?