Dialogue
In this lesson, your tutor will help you go over this topic: Extended Family. First, read the following dialogue out loud with your tutor, then switch roles and try again.
Dorothy and Kevin are talking about their relatives.
| Kevin: | Do you have any plans for this long holiday, Dorothy? | ||||||||||
| Dorothy: | I’ll be at a family reunion at my grandfather’s house. He usually invites all of us. | ||||||||||
| Kevin: | Oh! That’s nice. Where does he live? | ||||||||||
| Dorothy: | He has a ranch in the countryside of southern California. Everyone loves visiting his house because he has four horses, and we can go horseback-riding. | ||||||||||
| Kevin: | Wow, your grandfather sounds like an awesome person! How many relatives are coming to the reunion? | ||||||||||
| Dorothy: | Let’s see… my family, including Toro, and my uncle’s family, my aunt’s family, and all of my cousins’ family as well will be attending. That’s more than 20 people. I can’t wait to see my newborn niece, Lily! | ||||||||||
| Kevin: | That’s a big reunion! | ||||||||||
| Dorothy: | Well, my grandfather is very family-oriented man. | ||||||||||
| Kevin: | He sure is! | ||||||||||
| Dorothy: | And I’m glad he is. Because of his efforts, I have so many good memories with my extended family. | ||||||||||
Vocabulary
Go over the following vocabulary and expressions with your tutor. Read the word/expression and definition out loud, and your tutor will go over anything you do not understand. Practice creating a sentence or two to make sure you know how to use the word/expression properly.
Vocabulary/ Expressions
| Expression | Definition | Example | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| extended family | a family that extends beyond the nuclear family; includes aunts, uncles, and cousins. | She bought a big house to live with her extended family. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| long holiday | holidays that are three days or longer | I plan to go to the Bahamas during the long holiday. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| family reunion | a family gathering | My relatives will have a family reunion in August. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| grandfather grandmother grandparents |
a parent of your mother or father | My grandfather and grandmother are very friendly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ranch | a large farm especially in the U.S. where animals (such as cattle, horses, and sheep) are raised | Dorothy’s grandfather lives on a big ranch. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| relative | a person related by blood or marriage | Most of my relatives live in my hometown. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| immediate (or nuclear) family | a family that includes a person’s parents, spouses, siblings, and children | Most Americans spend the New Year with their immediate families. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| newborn | recently born | The newborn baby was so small. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| niece/nephew | a daughter/son of your brother or sister | My niece has so much energy that I’m always ready for a nap after seeing her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| family-oriented | consider family as top priority | I’m so lucky to have such family-oriented parents. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
Practice answering the following questions with your tutors. You can use the sample answers to come up with your own answer.
- Does your family have family reunions?
- We usually get together on New Year’s Day.
- The last family reunion was on my grandfather’s birthday.
- Your answer:_______________________________
- Do you see your extended family often?
- I see my extended family once or twice a year.
- I live very close to my relatives, so we see each other often.
- Your answer:_______________________________
- Are you close with your grandparents?
- Yes, I call my grandma every weekend.
- No, they passed away when I was very young.
- Your answer:_______________________________
- Where do your relatives live?
- Most of my cousins moved away from my hometown, but aunts and uncles live near my grandpa’s place.
- My relatives live all over the world.
- Your answer:_______________________________
- What do you do during your family reunion?
- We normally have dinner together and play board games.
- My family usually goes on trips for family reunions.
- Your answer:_______________________________
Conversation
Use the following questions as a guideline to form an interesting conversation with your tutor. Feel free to diverge from these suggestions if anything interesting comes up.
- Who are you closest with in your extended family?
- Describe your memories with your grandparents.
- Who’s the oldest relative you remember? What do you remember about him or her?
- Do you think having regular family reunions is important?
- Are you a family-oriented person?
Wrap-up
Go over any new expressions or vocabulary that you learned today.
