2  Vocabulary Development   top

Instructions:  Working with your partner, complete each sentence using the appropriate word/phrase from the box.

birth certificate       wife       cousin       blood         gap       heir/heiress       half-sister      next of kin        family tree       sister-in-law       extended-family     surname        maiden      spouse      ancestor      mother’s       step-sisters      nuclear family      siblings      foster parent      widow         husband        twin       niece       great-aunt 

  1. Did you know that Melissa and her ____________ were engaged for almost six years before they eventually got married?  
  2. Unfortunately, Jose’s wife passed away last year so now he’s a ____________.
  3. Your ____________ are considered to be your closest relative(s). 
  4. When someone asks you for your last name (or family name), he/she wants to know your ____________. 
  5. A ____________ relative is someone who is related to youby birth rather than by marriage.
  6. A woman’s ____________ name is her family name prior to marriage. 
  7. When there is a lack of understanding between the older and younger generation, we call it a generation ____________.
  8. If youe interested in discovering more information about your family history, you can consult your ____________ which is a diagram that shows the relationships between different members of a family.
  9. Your mother is your father’s ____________.
  10. Your wife’s sister is your ____________. 
  11. My sister’s daughter is my ____________. 
  12. Your ____________ mother is your grand-mother.
  13. My aunt’s daughter is my ____________.
  14. If I share only one biological parent with my sister, then she is called my ____________.
  15. If a man and a woman decide to get remarried and each parent has a daughter from their first marriage, then the children are now called ____________.
  16. A person who was a member of your family a long time ago is your ____________.
  17. The family which includes your uncles, aunts, grandparents and other relatives is called your ____________.
  18. A ____________ is a person who looks after a child who is not his/her own.
  19. Your grand-mother’s sister is your ____________.
  20. A person who by law receives either money or property when the owner dies is called an ____________.
  21. Your ____________ are your brothers and sisters. 
  22. My husband is my ____________.
  23. A ____________ is a written declaration of one’s birth.
  24. A family which consists of a mother, father and children is referred to as a ____________.
  25. One of two children born to the same mother at the same time is called a ____________.

Communication Activity    top

Instructions: Interview two of your classmates and record their responses to the following questions.  Please record all of the responses using sentence format.   When you have completed your task, share your findings with the rest of the class. 

Questions

Student One
Name: __________

Student Two
Name: __________
  1. Do you come from a large family or a small family?
  2. Do you think that older parents (grandparents) should live with their  children and grandchildren?  Why?  Why not?
  3. In your opinion, at what age should a child leave his/her family home?    Why?
  4. What is your definition of “family”? 
  5. What are some differences you noticed between the family structure in Canada and that of your native country?
& Reading Exercise top

Instructions:

Read the text and complete the comprehension and writing questions that follow.

Twenty years ago most Canadians shared a common conception of family as being primarily composed of a mother, father and children. Today, our definition of family is much broader and encompasses single-parent families, blended families, and same-sex families. Coming to some kind of a consensus to what constitutes a family is a rather difficult proposition when only four in ten Canadian families are deemed traditional ‘nuclear families’. In the following article, we will look at some recent findings published by the Ottawa based Vanier Institute of the Family regarding the status of the Canadian family structure.

One thing on which we can all agree is that the family unit is fundamental to our psychological, physical and financial well-being. No matter what your definition of family may be, every family shares similar responsibilities such as: physical care and maintenance of members, addition of new group members through birth, marriage or adoption, socialization of children and nurturance of all members. The Vanier report notes that our perception of family has changed dramatically in that “a 1983 survey found 42 percent of respondents felt the father must be master in his house. By 1992, only 26 percent agreed with the statement. And in 2000, just 18 percent concurred.”(The Globe &MailNov. 29, 2004)

Let’s turn our attention to some surprising trends regarding the Canadian family structure. Fewer Canadians are “walking down the aisle” and those who do choose to get married, are doing so at a much later age.Canadians are having fewer children and are having them later in life compared to the norm thirty years ago. Today, it is not uncommon for a woman to have her first child in her late thirties.Other trends include a high, yet stable, divorce rate, more duel income families and a decline in religious affiliation. With a decline in affordable housing and the escalating cost of postsecondary education, more and more children are staying home longer. According to Statistics Canada, “in 2001, 41 percent of young adults lived at home up from 27 percent in 1981.” (The Globe &  Mail  Nov. 29, 2004) In 2001, 29 percent of men aged 25-29 were still living at home and the average of marriage rose to almost 29 percent.

4With our declining national birthrate comes another significant trend, an aging population. Baby boomers (those born between1947-1966) are quickly reaching the age of retirement.In 2016, almost 10 million baby boomers will be over 50.Marketers predict that this “grey power” will dramatically shape the nature of the goods and services provided in Canada. As people age, their needs change so we can expect to see more health related products and more demand for age-appropriate housing (condominiums, bungalows with no stairs to climb, retirement homes). Unless our immigration rates increase, Canada can expect a critical shortage of workers as more and more Canadians retire from the working sector.

In short, whatever your conception of family may be, we all agree that family continues to be the primary means by which we define ourselves. We may experience family in different ways, but it is the nurturing force that shapes our destiny.

1. The word “broader” (in the 1st paragraph) is: 

(a) a noun 

(b) a verb 

(c) an adjective 

(d) an adverb

2. Find a synonym in the third paragraph for the word “constant”. _______________________

3.  What does the word “nurturance” (in the 2nd paragraph) mean?   Provide a brief definition and use the word in your own sentence.  

Definition: ______________________________________________________________

Your Sentence:   __________________________________________________________

4.  What does the author mean when he says there is “a decline in religious affiliation” (in the third paragraph)?  Restate in your own words.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ 

5. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT: 

(a) The Vanier Institute is located in our nation’s capital. 

(b) It would be prudent to invest in healthcare-related services and products. 

(c) The divorce rate is very erratic.  

(d) The Canadian population is greying. 

6. The author has removed the following sentence from the article:

The Vanier Institute notes that there are fewer “empty nests”, households in which only the parents remain after the children have moved out.

Indicate where this sentence logically belongs by circling the square # to add the sentence to the paragraph.

7. In the first paragraph, the author uses the expression a “blended family”; what do you think this means?  Write your answer using sentence format.   __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

? Writing Assignment   top

Instructions: Select one of the following topics and compose a one paragraph response.  When you have finished your paragraph, proofread it carefully paying particular attention to grammar and spelling.  Your teacher will provide you with a piece of chart paper in which to write your proofed draft.

1.  With the increasing costs associated with housing and other living expenses, more and more families find that both parents (partners) must work.  Consequently, many parents are relying heavily on daycares to look after their children.  How do you view the role of daycares in our society?   What do you predict to be the long-term effects of this trend?

 

2.  Many teenagers work in a part-time job while they are attending high school.  Briefly discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of working while attending secondary school. 

3.  After arriving in a new country, some people decide to adopt the new customs and traditions of the host country; others prefer to maintain their native traditions while living in the new country.  Briefly discuss both approaches to this immigration question.  

 

4.  In the 2001 census, Statistics Canada defined a family as “a married couple, with or without children; or a couple living common-law; or alone parent living with one or more children”.    In your opinion, what constitutes a family?   Has this definition changed over time?    What societal pressures does a typical family face? 

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