FAMILY

1. Family structures and members:

a) nuclear family: parents: father, mother, children – siblings, twins, only child,grandparents
b) extended family: relatives: uncle(strýko), aunt, niece(neter), nephew(synovec), cousins,
godparents, stepparents
c) single-parent family – there is only mother or father with children - one of the parents
died, or they divorced
d) blended (reconstructed) – divorced parents get married again and they bring their own
children from their first marriage

What does family mean: responsibility, protection, love, support / emotional, economic/,
education, social interaction, care,

2. Describing people’s appearance and character

General: nice, kind, good-looking, /un/attractive, handsome /only men/, smart, sweet /child/
Age: he/she is in his/her early / mid / late thirties/forties/twenties, she/he is fortish/twentish
Body – Height: well-built, muscular, tall, short, to be of medium height, to be of average
build, thin, plump, fat, overweight, chubby, skinny
Hair: long, short, shoulder-length, bald, dark, fair, light brown, dyed, has highlights in it,
straight, wavy, curly. Wear it in a ponytail, in pigtails, a bun, has a fringe, plaits,
hair let down, spiky
Hair colour: dark, black, brown: chestnut, hazel, red, fair, blonde
Face: oval, round, square. Has a beard, moustache, double chin, spots, freckles, wrinkles,
Sideburns
Skin: pale, suntanned, olive, dark, wrinkled
Eyes: light blue, greenish blue…Eyebrows: thin, thick, bushy. Eyelashes: long, short
Mouth: small, full lips, thin lips, rosy lips
Nose: small, big, hooked, straight, turned up
Clothes: casual, smart, fashionable, trendy, old-fashioned, conservative, formal, scruffy

Character:
Positive: friendly, relaxed, helpful, kind, outgoing, sensitive, talented, honest,
sincere(úprimný, open,
Cheerful(veselý), optimistic, talkative, chatty, generous, hard-working, ambitious,
creative,
Enthusiastic(nadšený), polite(slušný), well-behaved(dobre sa správa), sympathetic,
reliable(spolahlivý), respectful, responsible,
gentle, patient, caring(starostlivý), good sense of humour, modest, loyal,
faithful(verný), outspoken(otvorený)
Negative: negative, unfriendly, rude, impolite, selfish(sebecký), insensitive(bezcitný),
stubborn(tvrdohlavý), forgetful, silly(hlúpy),
moody, angry, depressed, mean, absent-minded, ill-willed, narrow-minded,
 hypocritical(pokrytecký), disobedient(neposlušny), nasty(protivný),
dishonest(nečestný), aggressive, arrogant, careless, immature(nevyspelý),
harsh, shy, greedy(chamtivý), cheeky(drzý), hysterical, spoilt(rozmaznaný),
childish(detinský)

Likes / Dislikes: what does the person like or doesn’t like doing in his/her free time

3. Family relationship: get on with sy well/badly, have a good relationship, take after sy, look
after sy, bring up, grow up, fall in love, go out with sy, break up,

4. Family events: birthdays, namedays, anniversaries, engagement, wedding, christening,

funeral, graduation, Christmas, Easter, first communion, confirmation, village
fair

On these occasions family members get together, have fun and celebrate

Weddings:
- bride(nevesta) – bridesmaids(družičky)– groom(ženich) – best man(ženichov svedok)
- ceremony in church / town hall – reception party
Customs/traditions:
- Throwing the bouquet(bukej): bride throws her bouquet to the single girls – the one
who
catches it is meant to be the next wife
- Breaking a plate: at the entrance(vstup) of the reception venues(tam kde) a plate is
broken and the newly weds(novomanželia) have to sweep(zamiesť) all parts of it / if
some are left, they symbolize the number of children out of wedlock(manželstvo) / - this
act means cooperation
- Feeding each other at the table: looking after each other, sharing
- Bridal dance(svatobny tanec): midnight ceremony when the wife changes her
clothes – she puts on something red and the guests have to dance with her. Before
dancing they have to put some money in a covered bowl held by one of the
relatives(príbuzný)
- Wife´s kidnap: sometimes the wife is kidnapped by the husband´s relatives who take her
to some entertainment facilities(vybavenie zábavy) where the husband has to find her.

5. Household chores(domáce práce): I like/ hate/can’t stand doing housework

To hoover/ vacuum cleaner (vysávač) the carpets, to tidy up, to clean the windows, to take the
rubbish out, to dust the
Furniture(nábytok), to make the beds, to put away things, to sort out clothes, to do the
shopping, to do
the ironing, to do repairwork around the house, to do gardening(záhradníctvo), to water the
plants, to cut
the grass, feed animals, babysitting, sweep(pozametať) the floor,
polish doorknobs(vyleštiť klučky), mop the floor, wash
 up, do the washing, hang clothes on the washing line, walk the dog, do repairworks

6. Generation gap – it is the difference between 2 generations, especially between young people
and their parents or grandparents. They usually have absolutely different opinions on fashion,
clothing, music, behaviour(správanie), friends, life, work. Young people like carefree life,
going out and hanging around with their friends, sometimes they are quite irresponsible.

Reasons of arguments between parents and children:

-
-
-

7. Siblings vs only children.

Only children:
Pros :
- get many benefits from the parents
- Parents give all their attention to the child
- He/she has his/her own room, gets more pocket money, more presents
Cons:
- They tend to be spoilt(maju tendenciu byť rozmaznaný)
- They have no one to play with, to talk to, to share secrets with
- Can feel lonely

Siblings:
Pros:
- You can play with, there is always somebody to talk to
- You can help each other with homework
- You can share housework
Cons:
- More arguments, fights
- Increased financial burden on the parents
- Sibling´s rivalry, jealousy

8. Problems in the family

- quarrel(hádka), fight between parents (husband and wife) – divorce, separation, cheating,
jealousy(žiarlivosť)
Secret love affair(aféra), domestic violence(domáce násilie) – physical & mental abuse,
gambling, alcoholism, workoholism
- unemployment, financial problems
- problems with children: hyperactive, problems at school: bad marks, skipping classes, bad
Behaviour(správanie), sibling rivalry, drug problems, juvenile delinquency– youth crime,
bullying, hanging around(poflakovanie), laziness, talking back(odvrávanie)

What is the reason of these problems?

 - Little communication in the family – no interest. Parents are overworked, busy, tired –
they have no time for their children
- Teenagers can get into bad company: alcohol, drugs, gambling…

9. Families in the past

- Were bigger, lots of children

- Kept in touch – strong bonds with families
- More conversation
- Strict parents – corporal punishment(telesný trest)
- Women: housewives, men: worked, children: had duties, helped a lot
- Getting married young
- Religious people, interruption was forbidden
- Single people were called spinsters(staré dievky) or bachelors(starý mládenci) which was
meant negatively
- Only married people could have children – there was no cohabitation(spolunažívanie bez
manželstva)

10. In my opinion parents should / shouldn’t:

- listen to their children
- talk to their children
- make compromises
- punish their children
- scold their children
- solve their children’s problems
- spend weekends with their children
- buy their children what they want
- argue in front of their children

11. Families nowadays:

- high divorce rate – low birth rate
- a lot of babies are born out of marriages - cohabitation
- a lot of singles / mingles / cohabitation / arranged marriages / adoption
- social transformation – loss of „ family values „
- a lot of families don´t keep in touch because of arguments and bad relationships
- more permissive / liberal parents

QUESTIONS:
- What relationship do you have with your parents, brother or sister and grandparents?
- What activities do you do together with your family?
- Describe one of your days during the week and your weekends.
- How do you help at home?Howk are household chores divided in your family?
- Speak about rules in your family ( eating, cooking, tidying, playing…)
- Describe one of the family celebrations
- What types of problems have you had so far with your parents?How have you solved it?