FAMILY MEMBERS VOCABULARY

1. parents = phụ huynh

2. father / mother = Cha / Mẹ
3. husband / wife = Vợ / chồng
4. grandfather / grandmother = ông nội/ngoại – bà nội/ngoại
5. son / daughter = con trai / con gái
6. brother / sister = anh / chị
7. aunt (n) : the sister of your father or mother = dì
8. uncle (n) : the brother of your father or mother = chú
9. cousin (n) : the son or daughter of your aunt or uncle = anh(em) /chị họ
10. niece (n) : the daughter of your brother or sister = cháu gái
11. nephew (n) : the son of your brother or sister = cháu trai
12. Ex – husband / Ex – wife = chồng cũ / vợ cũ
13. Stepfather / stepmother = bố dượng / mẹ kế
14. stepbrother / stepsister = anh chị em kế
15. father-in-law / mother-in-law = bố vợ/chồng – mẹ vợ/chồng
16. granddaughter / grandson = cháu gái / cháu trai
17. spouse (n) : a husband or wife = người chồng / người vợ
18. sibling (n) : a brother or sister = anh chị em
19. Relatives (n) : Group of people related by blood or marriage = người bà con
thân thuộc
20. great-grandfather / great-grandmother = ông cố nội/ngoại – bà cố nội/ngoại
21. Only/middle child: Having no sibling in family = Con một
22. in your fifties: trong khoảng 50 – 59 tuổi
23. in your late fifties: từ 57 – 59 tuổi
24. in your mid fifties: từ 54 – 56 tuổi
25. in your early fifties: từ 51 – 53 tuổi
26. dedicated (a): tận tụy
27. maternal grabdparents (n): ông bà ngoại
28. accompany sb (v): đi theo ai
29. daily worries (n): những lo lắng thường ngày
30. started everything from scratch: bắt đầu từ số 0
31. give up hope for sth: từ bỏ hy vọng cho
32. inspire (v): gây cảm hứng
33. paved the way for sth: xây dựng nền tảng cho
34. influential (a): có ảnh hưởng
 IDIOMS ABOUT FAMILY
1. (Having a) bun in the oven: có thai
I didn’t even know she had a bun in the oven
2. Like taking candy from a baby: dễ
Beating them was like taking candy from a baby
3. Sleep like a baby: ngủ sâu
My younger brother didn’t hear the thunder in the middle of the night. He slept
like a baby.
4. A mama’s boy: con trai cưng
I’m thinking of breaking up with my boyfriend; he’s such a mama’s boy.
5. mother’s milk: quan trọng, cần thiết
Jazz is mother’s milk to me.
6. to keep mum: giữ im lặng
He was keeping mum about a possible move to Canada.
7. (Be the) spitting image: là bản sao của …
She’s the spitting image of her mother
8. Like father, like son: hổ phụ sinh hổ tử
9. Spare the rod and spoil the child: thương cho roi cho vọt
10. Kith and kin: bạn bè, họ hàng
They invited all their kith and kin to their new home.
11. Helicopter parenting: cha mẹ chăm con quá mức
12. Bob’s your uncle: đơn giản thôi!
You add two cups of water to the mix, heat it for five minutes and Bob’s your
uncle, the soup is ready.
 SPEAKING SAMPLE FAMILY TOPIC
1. Question: How has your family influenced you?

Answer : Although my parents are traditional, they try to become my friends, by

helping me and encouraging me without forcing me to live up to their expectations.
They also imprinted on my proper principles like moral values, respect, humbleness,
patience, diligence, etc. I think my family shaped who I am now. I’m deeply thankful
for having such a wonderful family.

2. Question : What do you like to do together as a family?

Answer : My family enjoys cooking together and afterwards having special meals
when everyone is invited. We catch up on news and talk about our lives. We enjoy
music as well. So, when we get together, we play several musical instruments and sing
along.

3. Question : Are there many different types of family in your country?

Answer : Yes, types of families vary in terms of the size of the household. There are
small families with one or two children and large families with about eight or more
children. Sometimes, parents decide to adopt a child without relatives.

4. Question : Do you think it good to be the only child in the family?

Answer : On the one hand, it could be a lonely existence when you are a small child
but as you become older would start to enjoy having that space. On the other hand,
they are missing out on the connection that you see between siblings.

5. Question: How do you spend the time with your family?

Answer : We’ll have a delicious big dinner together with scrumptious food prepared
by my mom. After we have dinner at around 7 o’clock, we’ll watch the news, have
some chat with each other or huddle together to play cards. It’s a precious time when
we can momentarily get away from the hectic whirlwind of daily activities.
 6. Question : Do you have a large or small family?

Answer : I come from a large family. Now, I just have my mom, an older and three
younger brothers. Sadly, my father passed away 17 years ago. So, now I am the only
daughter in the family.

7. Question : How much time do you spend with your family?

Answer : For now, I live alone in another city far from my family, so, I am only able
to spend about two weeks per year with them.

8. Question : Do you get along well with your family?

Answer : Sure. We are really close to each other. I am happy that I can tell them
literally anything. They are always there to listen when I have problems.

9. Question : Is yours a typical family?

Answer : Well, I can say that, yes, our family is a typical one. A family, who stays by
each other through good times and bad times.

10. Question : Who are you closest to in your family?

Answer : I am the closest to my mom. I think it is because we are the only women in
the family. So, we share the same ideas about many things and she always supports
me.

11. Question : Could you tell me something about your family?

Answer : My family is quite small and most people live far away from each other.
Some are at the top of the country and some at the bottom. More distant relatives live
in France and Australia, so we don't see them very often.

12. Question : Do you think it is good to live with grandparents?

Answer : In my opinion, living with your grandparents may be a way to save money
and also to help to care for them. Perhaps they can't do things they used to, like
housework or cooking, so being able to help them would be a positive.

13. Question : What’s the women’s status in families?

Answer : Women are seen as the people in charge in most families, they have many
roles within the family unit, often having qualifications and a career also. They are the
carers, providers, mothers and managers.

14. Question : Is there any generation gap in your family?

Answer : There is a divide between the older members of the family and the young,
with varying views on politics and religion which leads to misunderstandings.

15. Question : Do you like your family?

Answer : Yes of course! My immediate family - my parents are amazing people, kind,
funny and caring. The other members of my family and my husbands family are all
very lovely people, who have good times together.

16. Question : Who is your closest family member?

Answer : My mother is very close to me and we talk every day, often about trivial
things like what our dogs have been doing. She likes to ask questions about my dog,
to make sure he is being taken care of like a king!

17. Question : What are your parents like?

Answer : Very good, kind and funny people. They like to laugh, read, travel and like
all of the same TV shows as me. They are very caring people too, helping in the
community - for a children's charity and to protect the environment.

18. Question: How often do you meet with your family?

Answer : Well, because all of us are fully occupied with our schedule, we don’t see
each other during daytime. In the evening we’ll have dinner and watch TV together
and talk about our day. I think in the future if I’m ever able to move out, I’ll try to set
aside time to visit my parents at least twice a week.

19. Question: How do you spend the time with your family?

Answer : We’ll have a delicious big dinner together with scrumptious food prepared
by my mom. After we have dinner at around 7 o’clock, we’ll watch the news, have
some chat with each other or huddle together to play cards. It’s a precious time when
we can momentarily get away from the hectic whirlwind of daily activities.

20. Question: Do you want to live with your family in the future?

Answer : I think probably not. It’s better for me to try to start an independent life as a
grown-up. However, I still have the responsibility to take good care of my parents that
I’ll make time to visit them at least twice a week.

21. Question: What activities do your family like doing together?

Answer : Well, as I’ve mentioned we usually have dinner together. Besides, on

weekends, we would love to eat out or get outdoor. Sometimes we have a family trip
to the beach to enjoy ourselves on the day that all of us are free from work.

Describe a member in the family

My mother who is in her late fifties – used to be a beautiful girl in her schooldays and
later a dedicated teacher.

She used to have a comfortable life in her teens as my maternal grandparents owned a
lot of lands those days. Then, everything changed completely when my mother got
married. Leaving everything behind, she accompanied my father to HCMC and started
everything from scratch, but she didn’t give up hope for a bright future.

My mother always helps me make the right decisions and shares with me all the daily
worries. It was my mother who inspired me to become a good teacher and has given
me a lot of advice and support which have paved the way for my present teaching
career. She is one of the most influential people in my life.
 WIRITNG SAMPLE FAMILY TOPIC
Over the last few decades, there has been an increasing number of stay-at-home
fathers, financially dependent on female breadwinners. There are some reasons why
the phenomenon has gained in popularity recently and I assert this is a promising
progress.

Recession and education are two major factors contributing to the issue. Firstly,
economic downturn is reported to have laid a large number of employees off lately. In
fact, sectors, such as private business, where males dominate are the most adversely
affected. Another reason is more and more women have had access to education,
making them qualified for certain previously male-exclusive fields such as health care,
and hospitality. For example, had Vietnamese women not been encouraged to go to
school by authorities, they would have remained housewives, longing for their
husbands’ supports.

Although the majority of people object to the matter, from a societal perspective, I
believe this is a positive development for two reasons. The first cause is the
phenomenon reflects an even division of family responsibilities in which each parent
is in charge of raising his/her children or for financial contributions. Besides, in recent
times the general public has been vocal in women’s rights in society and the rise in
stay-at-home fathers happens to show a shift in gender role. Indeed, women who used
to stay at home for decades now have chances to enter the professional working
environment that men have been in for a long time.

In summary, economic climate and education are two causes out of many that fuel a
drastic alteration in the long-lasting responsibilities of males and females. However, I
am convinced that this is a good progress since it represents a balance in family and
gender roles.

Outline:
Introduction: General statement and Thesis

Body 1: Reasons

- Idea 1: Recession
- Idea 2: Education

Body 2: Opinion: a good development due to

- Idea 1: An even division of family responsibilities

- Idea 2: A shift in gender role

Vocabulary:

1. Breadwinner: trụ cột gia đình

2. Gain in popularity : phổ biến
3. Recession = economic downturn: suy thoái kinh tế
4. Object to SB/ST: chống đối ai/cái gì
5. An even division of family responsibilities: phân chia trách nhiệm trong gia
đình
6. Be vocal in ST: lên tiếng về việc gì
7. Economic climate: tình hình kinh tế
8. Fuel: thúc đẩy
9. A drastic alteration: sự thay đổi lớn
10. Long-lasting: lâu dài