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Big Families

Big Families

Date: Apr 03 2009

Themes: Family

Grammar: The Unreal Past

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Recently, an American woman named Nadya Suleman gave birth to octuplets. Octuplets! That’s eight babies. And she already had 6 other children at home. Can you imagine how exhausted you’d be if you were a single mother with 14 children?

Nadya and her brood may be an extreme example, but lots of people want to have big families. For one thing, having more kids means more chances that at least one of them will turn out OK. But children are also a lot of work. And from diapers to college tuition, each one comes with a high price tag. According to one estimate, it costs an average American family over $250,000 to raise a child!

Marni is surprised that Ella wants to have a lot of children. Listen to them talk about the ideal family size.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Ella

Ella

Marni:  So that woman who recently had 8 babies, it’s made me really think about the nature of big families and how it’s pretty unnecessary in this day and age to have that many children.

Ella:  Well, I don’t know, like, it could work. I mean, we have an overpopulation problem. But if I have kids, I think I want four.

Marni:  Four. Really.

Ella:  Well, okay. So, one would be an only child. Two, what would happen if they hated each other? There’s a problem there. Then you have three, there’s the whole “I’m the middle, I’m the youngest.” So four would be just right.

Marni:  So you really think that four is the perfect amount?

Ella:  Yeah, I just, I’ll figure the finances later. But I don’t know, it’d be fun!

Marni:  Fun? But really, you have to think about the expense of it. And like you said, there is an overpopulation problem. We don’t need four children in this day and age. People used to have big families to do farm work and stuff like that, and that’s pretty much non-existent.

Ella:  I’ll live on a farm.

Marni:  You’ll live on a farm. OK. So, if you really want four children do you think maybe you’d consider the Brad and Angelina Jolie route, adopting and having your own?

Ella:  Yeah, totally! Maybe half my own and the other half help some other kids that need help.

Marni:  OK…

Ella:  Yeah, I’m open to anything.

 

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Discussion

Farmers used to need lots of children to help out around the farm. But Marni thinks it’s unnecessary in modern society to have a big family. When you think about overpopulation and how many unwanted children there are in this world, having lots of children can seem like a pretty selfish thing to do.

But Ella is sure that she wants to have four kids. She thinks four is the perfect number to avoid sibling rivalry and make sure that all the kids get along. She isn’t worried about how much it would cost to raise four kids. But she is worried about overpopulation, so maybe she’ll adopt two of the four kids.

Are you part of a big family or a small family? How many kids do you have or want to have?

 

Comments

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jkin

Colombia

having child I think is bad idea now, but there are a lot of problems in this world, anyway have a child is very expensive.

10:10 PM Apr 04 2009 |

zeinabou

zeinabou

Egypt

I had the chance to be a member of a big family{3 boys and 5 girls}we did not need to have friends -at least as youngs-It was of course a big work for my parents but now with 19 grand children it is amaizing.. 

08:48 PM Apr 04 2009 |

Mancaugi

Mancaugi

Germany

I hate kids and I hate families Foot in mouth

07:57 PM Apr 04 2009 |

mehmetd

mehmetd

Turkey

ı have two children and it s incredible sense to have children..because of that ı want to have a lot children..ı advise to everyone..ı think that really to have children is mean of life,absoletly…children is mean of life for everbody…

03:55 PM Apr 04 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Family planning is the best thing in taday’s,because sad is a big family or children going need :(

03:28 PM Apr 04 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Many people in many poor countries have the mistake idea that a large family is good…What is missing for these people is educations and awareness that lack of finacial condition to take care of a child does not joke,still more many children :)

03:20 PM Apr 04 2009 |

scratchie

Turkey

My family is not small but not too big.Parents and 3 children.I want to have one or two children.There are many methods to solve sibling revalry or being selfish too much in science.

03:15 PM Apr 04 2009 |

avogadromo

France

surprising because some families in my country and especially to the village families have at least eight amerique personnes.sachant that happens I can only be stupefait.felicitations.

02:50 PM Apr 04 2009 |

eflect

India

Another interesting real life story.Thanks for sharing.

 

www.improvingvocabulary.org

02:07 PM Apr 04 2009 |

Mars0910

China

Well,here in china, our government carry out the one-child policy.Because there have been already too much people ,so big family isn’t a good idea in china ,while having 14 children is too un reallistic,but i always dream to have a brother or sister ,then we can confide in each other .

01:09 PM Apr 04 2009 |

didooooo

Egypt

i think that 3 kids is the ideal number to have especially if two boys and one girl.at the same time i wanna explain that this depends on the family's social and financial conditions. The most important is to be sure that we can take care of our kids and bring them up well

10:51 AM Apr 04 2009 |

Cabdirisaag

United Kingdom

thankis

08:24 AM Apr 04 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

I'm the only child in my family, after 1979, most of the Chinese family can only have one child according to the policy.

I would like to have 2-3 kids of my own, if I marry an only child Chinese, the policy let us have 2 kids now, but the other one, there must be a way out somewhere…lol

07:44 AM Apr 04 2009 |

Cabdirisaag

United Kingdom

cool want to look there only not other

07:31 AM Apr 04 2009 |

lanna.pan

lanna.pan

China

we are encouraged to give birth to only one baby each family in my country,but my family have two children,my little brother ang i.because we were poor,so my parents have to live a hard life to raise us,because we love each other,so we live a happy life always,now,my brother and i have worked,we can servive ourselves.i'happy ihave this family,i love my little brother.

06:52 AM Apr 04 2009 |

j .meseguer

Mexico

my grandparents has 6 children and 2 adopted in total 8, that was before in mexico, now I think people think,  to use condoms. better !!!!we are many!!!!!

06:41 AM Apr 04 2009 |

shimaa mohammed

Egypt

Ok. I'm in big family too. I have 3 sisters and one brother.I'm the second among my siblings; It's much responsablity. You alway responsable for your home and your the eldest siblings. Oh God; but there are more fun you have many special occasions, and I love my siblings. God bless them. 

05:01 AM Apr 04 2009 |

gngilong

United States

Big Family? I'm in big family rite now! I have 3 sisters and 1 brother. We are extremely different from each other so we don't get along well and barely share our secrets or things…so if someone thinks that you should have more than 1 kid so that your children won't feel lonely…well think twice…i'm lonely in my own big family!

04:00 AM Apr 04 2009 |

XxXlizaXxX

XxXlizaXxX

Kazakhstan

I'm an only child. i' ve always wanted to have brother or sister but my mother haven't. I think I'll have fwo or more children. 

02:36 AM Apr 04 2009 |

leearena

leearena

Malaysia

big family,,,? must be fun! I'd 4 sibling,,I'm the eldest,, being an eldest child is not bad,, i can do whatever i want to,,hangout with friends,,get new stuff while my others sibling inherited it from me hehe,,honestly,,i miss  my family,,

02:36 AM Apr 04 2009 |

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