II. What is your opinion:

1. Nothing else but family can be an emotional center of people's life, can be a transmitter of culture and raising children.

2. Understanding between the members of the family is very important in family relationship.

3. It is not very important to visit relatives on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and develop close relationship.

4. All problems should be solved inside your family.

5. It is natural when parents and children quarrel.

III. Fill in the correct family member: niece, nephew, grandson, aunt, uncle, grandfather, father-in-law, mother-in-law, cousin

1. My mother's sister is my ____________.

2. My daughter's brother is my __________.

3. My father's daughter is my ____________.

4. My husband’s mother is my_____________.

5. My wife’s father is my­­­­­­­­­­­­________________.

6. My sister's son is my _______________.

7. My aunt's son or daughter is my __________.

8. My father's brother is my _____________.

9. My mother's father is my _____________.

10. My daughter's son is my _____________.

11. My brother's daughter is my ____________.

IV. Discussion

1. Is each generation keen to become independent of parents in establishing its own family unit?

2. Relationships within the family are different now, aren’t they? Prove it.

3. Are there many different views on family life? What are they?

4. Do you think it’s a good thing for parents to live with their married children?

5. What is an ideal family as you see it?

6. What are the best ways, in your opinion, to praise or punish the child? What is your attitude to physical punishment?

7. Do you consider grandparents and their influence important in the process of upbringing children?

V. Read and discuss the text with your partner.

WALK YOUR OWN WAY

I am 40 years old and was on my own since age 17. I’m a college graduate and have a promising career. Four years ago, while working overseas, I met a divorced woman with three children who was working at a minimum-wage job. I became very close to her and her children and helped them. After coming home, I found myself missing her a great deal. I wrote her and asked her to marry me. She accepted. Now I’m scared to death. When I told my family and friends, they were skeptical and not very supportive. They think the woman may be using me.

I don’t know how to respond to these comments. I did not love anybody, so I don’t know if I love her. I do know that I trust her and feel comfortable with her and something is missing when I’m not with her. I did not have these feelings about anyone else.

What does it mean?

1. on my own since age 17; 2. a promising career; 3. a minimum-wage job; 4. I found myself missing her a great deal. 5. Now I’m scared to death. 6. They think the woman may be using me. 7. Something is missing when I’m not with her.

Discussion Points

1. What do you think he should do? 2. Do you think you could love a divorced woman with children? 3. If your family and friends were not supportive, what would you do if you wanted to marry a divorced woman? 4. If your son was in love with a divorced woman with children, and he wanted to marry her, would you say “yes”? 5. If you married a divorced woman with children, would you have more children with her?

Opinion Samples

1. He should walk his own way. First he should stop looking to others for emotional support. Then he needs a positive attitude about his commitment. He must make up his mind that this relationship is going to enrich his life.

2. We all understand that marriage is never the business of the married couple alone. To have a stable married life, support from family and friends is indispensable. In this case he thinks he loves her but he can’t deny his love comes from sympathy. And love based upon sympathy can’t last forever.