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      TeachingEnglish
      Family tree
      Submitted by TE Editor on 23 June, 2002 - 13:00

      It's amazing how students can't stop telling their friends about themselves. I introduced my class of second-language learners to the family tree and the different relationships between people in the family - in-laws, step-family, cousins, paternal and maternal sides etc. even terms like widow, widower and divorcee.

      Then, I got them to draw their own family tree and share it with their friends, giving 10 minutes each to tell and ask about a particular member in their family, e.g. grandparents, aunts, cousins, siblings etc.

      They could hardly stop talking! I'm glad to say that this is one lesson which saw students continuing their discussion even after the bell rang.

      Daphne, China

      Average: 3.2 (15 votes)

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      alicevalger's picture
      alicevalger
      Family Tree Modification
      Submitted on 17 October, 2009 - 14:54

      I also like using a fantasy family tree. The given task is to draw a tree with at least 20 members of some family, choose one central person (someone of the sandwich generation), write down the dates of birth and marriage. Then students come and tell about the family. That's very interesting. For instance, one of the students told us about the family of Don Pedro from a soap opera. That was amusing.

      Later on you may use this tree in different ways, for example, the students can imagine the professions of all the people and so on.