Tag: Family and Relationships

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Family holidays — a period of sweet relaxation, mouthwatering meals and lovely family evenings or perhaps, enjoyable “me time” full of memorable moments. Do family holidays remind you of a comedy film or a drama?

Read the article to know about why family holidays can sometimes be even a horror film for the whole family and how to survive them. 

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “alleviate” mean? “Creating a plan alleviates stress if your family is indecisive or time is limited” Use this word in a sentence.
2. What does “err on the side of” mean? “Err on the side of sharing pertinent information, even if it feels like over-communicating. ” Use this phrase in a sentence.
3. What does “cognizant” mean? ” Be cognizant of differing bedtimes. Leave a thank you note or flowers.” Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can you do if your relatives become too annoying?
2. Why do you think it’s difficult for some people to survive family gatherings?
3. Have you ever faced difficult situations during family gatherings? Share your experience.
4. Do you ever try to avoid some topics when you talk to people you don’t know well? If so, what are they?
5. What habits of others can drive you crazy?
6. Why would someone feel guilty during a family celebration?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The connection between true friends is a precious gift that transcends time and space. This attachment is even stronger for some when it comes to sisterhood. Sister best friends have special and compelling ties that is beyond description. They grow up around each other, share experiences and secrets, and ultimately, become deeply intertwined in each other’s lives.

The lives of sisters who are close often overlap, creating a strong alliance that may be their greatest significant link, though it is not without obstacles and conflicts.

For a more comprehensive understanding about the unbreakable connection between sister best friends, click on the link.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221121-the-intertwined-lives-of-sister-best-friends

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “life in parallel” mean in the sentence, “As twin flames, we feel each other’s lives and have always experienced life in parallel.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
2. What does “biggest cheerleaders” mean, “We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and as the eldest, I will always be fiercely protective of Lauren.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
3. What does “cause friction” mean in the sentence, “Intense bonds can impact other friendships and cause friction in – or even end – romantic relationships.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What kind of difficult situation can arise when sisters weave their lives closely together?
2. What advantages and drawbacks can one experience from having a strong sisterly bond?
3. Can you give examples of how sisters maintain their own distinct identities while still being closely interconnected?
4. Is it possible for the bond between sisters to change over time? If yes, in what ways?
5. How significant is the bond you share with your family members? Please share.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People’s social circles may change as they age, such as the loss of friends due to relocation, illness, or death. As a result, seniors may feel withdrawn and alone. Unfortunately, making friends later in life particularly for those over the age of 60 can be exceedingly difficult but not at all impossible.

Seniors may face issues such as limited social interaction opportunities, access to technology, stigma, and shifts in their social circles. But on the other hand, they can improve their social connections and overall quality of life by being proactive and seeking out new social opportunities.

Relationship building later in life may necessitate greater effort and commitment, but the advantages associated with social connection are well worth it.

To gain additional knowledge, access the link and read the entire article.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/making-new-friends-60s-advice_l_641ca16ae4b0a3902d35c9b7

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “mesh well” mean, “If you can offer that connection and companionship, there is someone out there with those needs whose personality would mesh well with yours, and that person would want you as a friend.” ? Use this expression in your own sentence.
2. What does “to tap into sth” mean, “To find your people as an older adult, tap into your interests. That might mean signing up for an art class, getting a part-time job, looking for a book club at the local library, trying a new activity like pickleball, or joining a religious, political or volunteer group for a cause that’s close to your heart.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
3. What does “going to bag” mean, “ “ Hey, you want to go have lunch?’ — if you’re not feeling quite up to it, you’re probably going to bag,” she said.” ? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What societal factors contribute to the difficulty of making friends in later life?
2. What is social isolation and how does it affect seniors?
3. What are some effective strategies for older adults to meet new people and build connection?
4. How can seniors maintain existing friendships and strengthen social ties?
5. In what ways can family members and caregivers facilitate social interaction for seniors?
6. What are the community programs or resources available to help seniors build social connections in your country?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Living without a traditional job is now the new lifestyle. Nowadays, people choose not to make a career and decide to try a different way of living. Moms and dads have also been shifting roles.

Although it isn’t very new, being or having a househusband is still something that not everyone is willing to flaunt this domestic arrangement out in the open.

Please read the article to know more about the househusbands of Wall Street.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does the idiom “at the top of the heap” mean, “I’ve been covering the elite echelons of big law firms for over 10 years, and I can tell you that many of the women who make it to the top of the heap often have a man at home who’s shepherding the kids around town, planning the meals, and otherwise keeping the hearth fired up.”? Use it in your own sentence.
2. What does the word “ambivalence” mean, “All of this points to our entrenched ambivalence about changing gender roles. Men in these situations often feel alienated, particularly if they are surrounded by stay-at-home moms.”? Use it in your own sentence.
3. What does the word “bow out” mean, “Though three couples were happy to speak to me on the record about their arrangement, many more bowed out about going public.“? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think that being a househusband is an alternative lifestyle to having a regular job? Why?
2. Why are househusbands less common than housewives?
3. What are your thoughts on this reversed domestic gender roles?
4. Share your opinion on this statement: “We simply haven’t evolved to the point where a househusband is considered desirable.“.
5. How are fathers better at being in-charge of raising the children and taking care of everything domesticity-related?
6. Do you know any proud stay-at-home dads? What can you say about their lifestyle?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Building a relationship early in your career is vital, especially for those who are migrating to a foreign city and have no existing connections. These friends focus on providing assistance during both personal and professional shocks, and in some cases, they even become lifelong friends.

While work has traditionally been a place to make connections, many of these young people have lacked chances as businesses shifted to hybrid, distributed, or remote-working concepts. While making friends as an adult can be tough in and of itself, hurdles have never been significantly greater, particularly for Gen Z.

According to experts, social circles have downsized generally speaking after a desolate period of time during the global epidemic  and in some cases, they were never established at all. This indicates that some young adults are searching for fresh ways to form relationships.

Generation Z, in particular, is using mobile innovations to build long-term strong ties in different manners that earlier generations did not. Put bluntly, young employees are increasingly becoming innovative in their approaches of making new acquaintances.

Read the article to know more about how Gen Z or zoomers make meaningful connections in the pandemic era.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230201-can-gen-z-make-friends-in-the-pandemic-era

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “top of mind” mean, “For many, limited social networks have been top of mind, and they’re working on innovative ways to build the kinds of friendships older generations found more readily at places like offices.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
2. What does “all walks of life” mean, “The 24-year-old grew up in Ireland, and was eager to “meet people of all walks of life.” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
3. What does the idiom “to put one’s self out there” mean, “During the pandemic, I was shocked with how anti-social I’d gotten, how nervous I was to talk to new people and put myself out there”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. How did the pandemic take a toll on your friendships? Please share.
2. During the lockdown, how did you maintain contact with your friends?
3. How did friendship help us cope with the isolation during the lockdowns? Talk about it.
4. Are you comfortable extending your social circle online? Why or why not?
5. How has your way of meeting new people or making new connections changed over the years?
6. What are the advantages and pitfalls of online friendships?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Why is having siblings becoming less common? The reasons for having an only child are numerous and diverse. Finances, sexual dysfunction, parent’s maturity level, clinical issues, and the desire to have only one are among them. Given the hardships of modern marriage, job demands, and the cost of child rearing, the rise in one-child families is understandable.

While single-child families remain a standard deviation, the number of one-child households has nearly doubled in the last 40 years. But even though having only one child is becoming the mainstream in many countries, there is still pressure to have more than one. Despite repeated arguments, stereotypes about only children being spoiled or unhappy is very apparent.

Parents say they feel pressured to have more children from everyone, from relatives to random strangers, that is why becoming a one-and-done parent is and always has been a tough choice, one to which they give a great deal of thought and occasionally may even doubt.

Read the article about one-and-done parenting.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230110-only-child-or-siblings-one-and-done

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “to forego” mean? Use this word in a sentence.
2. What does “one-and-done” mean in this sentence, ” Trying something new shouldn’t be a one-and-done exercise.”? Use this word in a sentence.
3. What does “background noise” mean here, “Even as deciding to be one-and-done becomes more common, this background noise means parents who make this choice often find themselves having to convince other people – and even themselves – that they’ve done the right thing.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. How common is it to have only one child these days? Why do you think that is?
2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of only having one child?
3. Are parents with only one child happier? Explain your stand.
4. Does growing up as an only child have any impact on an individual? Discuss.
5. How will the future be like with couples deciding to have fewer and fewer children?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A parent’s and child’s relationship should be one of mutually beneficial, unbreakable love that endures all ups and down. Regrettably, some parents may find it challenging to keep this bond going. Ultimately, a parent could perhaps decide to leave their roles because they feel they have passed the tipping point. Some parents who choose to cut off contact claim that they do so for their own well-being and security.

But were you aware that some children also constantly try to behave similarly to their parents? Yes, children do estrange themselves from their parents as well. For what reasons?

Follow the link to learn more.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221207-the-parents-who-sever-ties-with-their-children

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “cut off ” mean? Use this word in a sentence.
2. What does “ re-kindle” mean in this sentence, ”An attempt to rekindle their romance ended just before she died.”? Use this word in a sentence.
3. What does “ordeal” mean here, “Without the help and understanding of my daughter, I don’t know where I’d be, as this has been a very lonely ordeal,” she says.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do parents lose touch with their kids?
2. Is it acceptable to detach oneself from kinship? Explain.
3. Is there even an appropriate time to sever ties with your family? Explain.
4. Why do children estrange themselves from parents?
5. What does a toxic parent-child relationship entail?