FAMILY

VOCABULARY
• HOW ABOUT YOU?????
 VOCABULARY
• extended family: đại gia đình, bao gồm cả bố mẹ, con cái, ông bà và (có thể) cả cô chú, các
bác… (family that includes, ot only of parents and children but also of grandparents, aunt)
• nuclear family: gia đình cơ bản (hay còn gọi là gia đình hạt nhân), bao gồm bố mẹ và con cái
(a mother, father, and their children, considered as a social unit)
• to raise = to bring up:/foster/ nurture nuôi nấng đứa trẻ (to care for children until they grow
up)
• upbringing: sự dạy dỗ mà một đứa trẻ được nhận trong quá trình khôn lớn (the way in which
a child is cared for and taught while he/she is growing up)
• childhood: thời thơ ấu (the period of life when you are a child)
• adolescence = teenage years (từ đồng nghĩa là puberty ): tuổi dậy thì (the period of life
between childhood and adulthood)
• to divorce: ly dị (legally dissolve one's marriage with someone)
• to marry: kết hôn, lập gia đình (to join in marriage)
• marriage: hôn nhân (the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by
which they become husband and wife)
• relatives: họ hàng người thân (a person connected by blood or marriage)
• to play truant = to skive off: trốn học (to be absent from school without permission)obedient
• juvenile delinquency: tội phạm vị thành niên (antisocial behaviour demonstrated by
adolescents, usually involving breaking the law)
• neglected: bị bỏ bê (not looked after, not getting any attention)
• to get on well with somebody: có mối quan hệ hòa thuận với ai đó (to have a good relationship
with somebody)/yell at/
• red-letter day: ngày đáng nhớ (any day that’s significant and memorable to you for a reason). E.g:
The day when my father came home from the 2nd World War was the red letter day of my family.
• blended family: gia đình có thành phần bao gồm con riêng từ chồng hoặc vợ hoặc cả  hai (a family
where either one or both parents have children from previous relationships)step
• siblings = brothers or sisters: anh chị em (individuals sharing the same father or mother)
• to allow = permit = let: cho phép (to give your permission to someone to do something)
• to take after somebody: có nét giống, tương đồng với ai đó (to be/resemble someone in
appearance or character)/look like
• overprotective: quá bảo vệ, bao bọc (wanting to protect someone too much)
• strict: nghiêm khắc, khắt khe (wanting order and discipline all the time, opposite = lenient,
forgiving)
• foster family: gia đình có con nuôi (children living with guardians who are neither their natural
nor their adoptive parents)
• family background: thông tin gia cảnh
• family gathering: buổi tụ họp của gia đình/ family reunion
• to lead seperate lives: theo đuổi cuộc sống riêng
• family activity: hoạt động gia đình
• household chore: việc nhà
• Breadwinner : earn money to provide for family
• Housewives / househusband
 IDIOMS
• break one’s neck: nai lưng ra làm, cố gắng hết sức. E.g: My parents want us to try hard and use all the
effort for studying. They break their neck to fulfil out requirement for life and education expenses.
• bring home the bacon: kiếm tiền nuôi sống gia đình. E.g: Now that I have a full-time job, I'm bringing
home the bacon!
• buckle down: học hành nghiêm túc. E.g: My dad wants me to stop playing games and buckle down for
my exams.
• until the cow comes home: khi đã về khuya, rất muộn. E.g: I regret what I have done in the past, hung
out all day with bad guys and went home until the cow comes home. That made my parents worried a
lot.
• bang for the buck: đáng đồng tiền bát gạo. E.g: When I had to prepare for my entrance exam to the
university, my parents borrowed money from bank to help me. After graduation, I get a job in a good
company and my parents said it’s the best bang for the buck they have ever made.
• chip off the old block: giống bố mẹ như đúc. E.g: John looks like his father—a real chip off the old
block.
• apple doesn’t fall far from tree: con nhà tông không giống lông cũng giống cánh. E.g: He does so good
at math, just like his father. You know that, apple doesn’t fall far from tree.
• the apple of one’s eyes: người được cưng chiều, yêu mến. E.g: My 2-year-old little brother is the
apple of my father’s eyes. He take after my father a lot.
 IDIOMS
• men make houses, women make homes: đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm. E.g: Despite the traditional
thought that men make houses and women make homes, nowaday in Vietnam, women are capable of
earning money and doing big things as well.
• like two peas in the same pot: giống nhau như đúc. E.g: The twins are like two peas in the same pot, I can
hardly tell them apart.
• when the blood sheds, the heart aches: máu chảy ruột mềm. E.g: When the blood sheds, the heart aches.
Everyone in the family has to take responsibility to stand by side and help others to go through sorrow.
• black sheep of the family: thành viên cá biệt của gia đình. E.g: Everyone likes me because I'm so quiet and
obedient. The same cannot be said for my wild cousin Nathan, who is the black sheep of the family.
• hell or high water: dù có chuyện gì xảy ra đi chăng nữa, bằng mọi giá. E.g: By hell or high water, I am going to
make it to your wedding!
• like father, like son: giống hệt nhau. E.g: My dad and my brother are like father, like son. They match each
other in every aspect.
• air one’s dirty laundry in public: vạch áo cho người xem lưng. E.g: My mom acts so sensibly whenever I do
something wrong. She never yells at me on front of people. She doesn’t want to air my dirty laundry in public.
• blood is thicker than water: một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã. E.g: You had better pay more attention to
your family and relative than neighbor. Because blood is thicker than water.
• turn gray: bạc đầu. E.g: My parents work so hard to raise the children that their hair turn grey over the time.
 IELTS SPEAKING PART 1
• Simple and direct
• 2- 3 sentences
 1. Do you have a large or small family?

• My immediate family is • immediate family /ɪ

not very big but I have ˈmiː.di.ət/ (noun): gia
a close-knit large đình trực hệ
extended family • close-knit /ˌkləʊsˈnɪt/
including many uncles, (adj): thân thiết
aunts, and cousins. • keep in touch with
We keep in touch somebody /tʌtʃ/
with one another, so (idiom): giữ liên lạc
celebrations are always
crowded and noisy.
 2. What are your parents like?

• They are patient, • attach great importance

understanding and have a to something /əˈtætʃ/
good sense of humour. (verb phrase): coi trọng
They are also caring and
• decent /ˈdiː.sənt/
willing to give others a
hand when needed. My (adj): tử tế
father specifically attaches
great importance
to standards of morality.
He always wants me to
become a decent citizen.
 3. How much time do you spend with
your family?

• I’ve been living in the • update somebody on

city centre which is far something (verb): kể
from my family. On cho ai về điều gì
weekends, when I get
back home, I make sure
to spend most of the
time with my parents.
We just update
ourselves on what’s
going on in our lives.
 4. What do you like to do together as a
family?

• To me, simply being with • rewarding /rɪˈwɔː.dɪŋ/

my family is rewarding. (adj): đáng, đáng làm
We don’t do anything • have idle chit-chat
special. When I get back
about something
from the city, we just cook
/ˈaɪ.dəl/ (verb
together, enjoy the
reunion meal, and have phrase): tán dóc
idle chit-chat
about what’s going on in
our lives. That’s it and it’s
enough.
5. Do you get along well with your family?

• Sure, we get on very well • get on (well) with

with one another. They somebody (phrasal
are the most reliable verb): hòa thuận
people to me. I always • confide in somebody
turn to them to confide
/kənˈfaɪd/ (phrasal
in. My parents and
verb): trải lòng, tâm sự
siblings are good listeners
as well as advisors. I am với ai
happy to be a part of
such a wonderful family.
• 6. Who are you closest to in your family?
• 7. Which member of your family are you most
similar to?
• 8. Were your parents strict when you were a
child?
• 9. In what way is your family important to you?
• 10. Would you take a friend on a family holiday?
• 11. Are there many different types of family in
your country?
 IELTS SPEAKING PART 2
•  Describe a person in your family you really
admire
You should say:
• Who the person is:
• How the person is
• What you usually do together
• Why you admire him/ her
• When I read the cue card, the first one springing to mind was my
mother. She has been a major influence in my life. (who)
• My mother has always been a good role model for me to follow.
She’s industrious, patient and understanding; she’s also got a good
sense of humour and seems to get along with everybody. Fortunately,
I’ve inherited some of these character traits. (what is she like)
• I think she brought up me and my siblings well; she was quite strict but
always fair. Despite the fact that I am the youngest child in the family,
she never pampers me. Besides, She set a good example by working
hard and having an optimistic outlook on life. I vividly remember that
she used to leave home for work early and come home quite late, but
she always made time for me and my siblings. That’s why I idolize her
who could maintain a healthy work-life balance. (why)
• Now my mother is at her retirement and has more time for the family.
But, unfortunately, I’ve been living far from home, so we have very
little quality time with each other these days. That’s why whenever I
get back home on weekends, I make sure to spend most of my time
cooking, eating, watching TV, and having idle chit-chat with my mom. I
can confide everything to her, things like my study, my work or even my
relationship. She’s always been someone who I can turn to for advice.
industrious /ɪnˈdʌs.tri.əs/ (adj): chăm chỉ
get along with somebody (phrasal verb): hòa đồng
character traits (noun phrase): đặc điểm tính cách
bring up somebody (phrasal verb): nuôi nấng
pamper somebody /ˈpæm.pər/ (verb): nuông chiều
have an optimistic outlook on life /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk ˈaʊtlʊk/ (verb
phrase): nhìn đời lạc quan
vividly remember /ˈvɪv.ɪd.li/ (verb phrase): nhớ như in
idolize somebody /ˈaɪ.dəl.aɪz/ (verb): ngưỡng mộ, thần tượng
at one’s retirement/rɪˈtaɪə.mənt/: đã nghỉ hưu
quality time (noun phrase): thời gian thư giãn bên gia đình, bạn bè,..
sau thời gian làm việc
confide something to somebody /kənˈfaɪd/ (verb): nói, thổ lộ
have idle chit-chat /ˈaɪ.dəl/ (verb phrase): tán dóc
turn to somebody for advice (verb phrase): tìm đến để xin lời khuyên
2. Describe an interesting old person
You should say:
Who the person is
Where you met him/ her
What characteristics of his you most like
Why you think this person is interesting
IELTS SPEAKING PART 3
 1. Who is the family leader in your
country?
• I believe it’s flexible at the moment. In the • breadwinner /ˈbred
past, the husband was normally ˌwɪn.ər/ (noun): người
the breadwinner and the wife was usually kiếm tiền trong gia
the homemaker of a family. However, đình, trụ cột gia đình
everything has changed and these days, • homemaker /ˈhəʊm
women have increasingly been ˌmeɪ.kər/ (noun): nội
participating in the labour market trợ
and bringing home the bacon. As a result, • bring home the
they now have a voice in their family as bacon /ˈbeɪ.kən/
their husbands do. That’s why both the (idiom): kiếm tiền về
husband and the wife can be the leader of nuôi gia đình
a family. Before making a decision, they • voice (noun): tiếng
have to discuss the issue together. nói, quyền được nói
 2. In what ways is family life different now to the
past?/ In what ways have families in your country
changed in recent years?

• Over the past decades, families in Vietnam have

transformed a great deal in terms of both size and family
roles. To be specific, extended families with many generations
living together are not the trend anymore. Meanwhile,
nuclear families with only parents and children have become
the pattern in the city as well as rural areas. The reason for
this change is to avoid conflicts and arguments caused
by generation gaps. Besides, family roles are not the same as
they were in former days as both parents go to work.
Therefore, the responsibilities to make money, bring children
up and do housework are shared between them.
 3. How do you think family life will change in the
future?

• Apart from all flying cars, robot maids and the like, family
life probably will not be much different. There will still be
children and parents. Our body secretes hormones that
cause us to want children and bond us to them. I would
imagine there will be more same-sex parents or something
like group parenting, with 3 parents. Who knows what the
future may hold? But families will be families, still.
• secrete something /sɪˈkriːt/ (verb): tiết ra
• who knows what the future may hold?: ai biết tương lai
sẽ ra sao?
 Preserve
• 4. What are the roles of grandparents in your
country?
• 5. Should we rely heavily on our families or is
it better to try to be independent?
• 6. Which are more important: families or
friends?