Family Problems


Topic Development Ideas
Strategies for Learners
Classes might want to learn more about...
Learners find it useful to...
• children’s legal rights in Canada
• ask for assistance from agencies in own ethnic
• conflict resolution
community
• counselling services for families
• ask for counselling in own language
• cultural differences in attitude toward spousal • ask for written version of information about
abuse
children’s rights
•
•
cultural differences in child discipline and sex
attend parenting workshops
education
• learn mediation strategies for parent-child
• elder abuse
conflicts
• parental rights and obligations
• share parenting issues with other parents
• problems arising from generation gap
• recognizing signs of drug abuse, smoking,
eating disorders, sexual abuse, emotional abuse
• role of police in family problems
• social programs for teenagers
• telephone helplines

Resources for Developing and Teaching Topic
¨ Family Violence is Abuse
" About: The Human Internet:
http://childparenting.miningco.com/library/howto/htfamilyconflict.htm (How to Resolve Family
Problems and Conflicts)
" Child and Family Services Portal on 211Toronto.ca: http://www.211toronto.ca (Child and family
services)
" CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario): http://www.cleo.on.ca
" Fact Sheet: Elder Abuse: http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/files/facts7.asp
" Health Canada Online: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca (Just for You, Parents)
" Legal Canadian FAQs: http://www.extension.ualberta.ca/legalfaqs/nat/v-chi-en.htm (Child Abuse)
" Parenting of Adolescents: http://parentingteens.miningco.com/msub11.htm
" Settlement.org: http://www.settlement.org (Social Services: Child, Youth and Family)
B family problems Canada; name of specific problem (e.g., elder abuse)
LINC 2
Family & Relationships
442
LINC Curriculum Guidelines

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Family & Relationships

Family Problems


Topic Outcomes (CLB 2)
Language Focus
Possible outcomes for this topic:
Items to help learners achieve the outcomes:
— make and respond to simple requests
• vocabulary (abuse, injury, right, lawyer, trouble, drugs,
— give expanded basic personal information
alcohol, fighting)
— give a basic description of a family problem
• vocabulary for giving personal information
O identify a range of expressions used to make
(name, address, phone number)
and respond to requests
• expressions: time, frequency
O identify details in a listening text: numbers,
• modals for requests
letters, time references, places, keywords, short
expressions
• possessive adjectives
& get information from a very basic text of up to
• pronouns: subject, object
seven sentences
• questions: yes/no, wh-
? copy information from a directory for personal • verb tenses: simple present, simple past
use or to complete a task
• pronunciation: unstressed vowel sounds (alcohol,
? give a basic description by filling in blanks in a
cousin, support)
short five- to six-sentence guided text or by
answering five to six simple questions


Sample Tasks
1. Practice asking for help with different problems illustrated in pictures.
2. Listen to a dialogue of someone explaining a family problem to a friend and circle details in a list.
3. Read a short story about a family problem and answer true/false questions.
4. Complete a worksheet by locating and copying phone numbers and addresses of family agencies from
a community directory.

Additional Tasks
: Experienced: Open an instructor-made file containing simple sentences describing family problems
and another file with a list of local agencies or services to help with the problems. Switch between
documents using the Window menu to cut appropriate agency names and paste them beside
corresponding problems.
Skills: Open, Switch Between Multiple Windows, Cut, Paste
LINC 2

LINC 1-5
443

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Family Relationships


Topic Development Ideas
Strategies for Learners
Classes might want to learn more about...
Learners find it useful to...
• alternative family arrangements (e.g., blended
• communicate with family in other countries
families, common-law relationships, families
using the Internet
with adopted children, same-sex couples)
• use personal photographs to describe own
• cultural differences in family relationships (e.g.,
family relationships
parental expectations of children, role of
• use picture dictionaries and family trees to
seniors, levels of formality)
understand family relationships
• effect of Western/Canadian culture on
children’s relationships with parents
• multicultural families
• types of families (e.g., extended, nuclear, single
parent)

Resources for Developing and Teaching Topic
¨ A Conversation Book 1, Revised Third Edition: Unit 1, “Welcome to Class”
¨ Canadian Concepts 2, Second Edition: Unit 4, “Family and Friends”
¨ Interchange 1: Unit 5, “Tell me about your family”
¨ Ontario Reader 1998: “My father would be proud of me”
¨ The ESL Tool Box: Unit 4, “Culture Checks”
³ ELLIS – Intro – Home and Family
³ Tense Buster – Lower Intermediate – Present Continuous – Practice: proofreading
" Child and Family Canada: http://www.cfc-efc.ca/site_map (Family Life)
" Kinderstart: http://www.kinderstart.com/familydynamics
" Parents Place.com: http://www.parentsplace.com
" Settlement.org: http://www.settlement.org (Social Services: Child, Youth and Family)
B family relationships Canada

LINC 2
Family & Relationships
444
LINC Curriculum Guidelines

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Family & Relationships


Family Relationships


Topic Outcomes (CLB 2)
Language Focus
Possible outcomes for this topic:
Items to help learners achieve the outcomes:
give a basic description of own family
• vocabulary for family relationships and greeting
talk about things family members enjoy
cards
identify details in a listening text: numbers,
• adjectives: comparative, superlative, possessive
letters, time references, places, keywords, short • subject pronouns
expressions
• questions: wh-, yes/no
generally understand the main point of a short
written message or text in a special occasion
• simple present tense
greeting card, invitation, or postcard
• verbs: be, have
get information from a very basic text of up to
• pronunciation: /p/ and /b/ contrast
seven sentences
(brother/parent, boy/play)
complete an expanded range of greeting cards
with minimum required information
give a basic description of personal family
situation by filling in blanks in a short five- to
six-sentence guided text or by answering five to
six simple questions

Sample Tasks
1. Find someone who…: Ask classmates questions in order to find someone who meets specific criteria
listed on a worksheet (e.g., has siblings, is an only child, lives with extended family, etc.)
Experienced: Interview three classmates using questions from Language Task 1. Organize the
information in a table. Insert check marks or other symbols using Wingdings in the appropriate
columns.
Skills: Insert Table, Insert Symbol, Wingdings
2. Listen to a story about a family and answer true/false questions.
3. Read greeting cards and choose appropriate messages from a list to insert in the cards.
4. Describe own family by answering five or six questions.

Additional Tasks
Experienced: Create a table to name and organize male and female family vocabulary (e.g., husband –
wife, son – daughter, mother-in-law – father-in-law). Remove the cell borders between the paired
words. Shade the two columns with your choice of colours.
Skills: Insert Table, Borders and Shading
LINC 2
LINC 1-5
445

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Family Roles & Responsibilities


Topic Development Ideas
Strategies for Learners
Classes might want to learn more about...
Learners find it useful to...
• child support
• learn about culture in Canada in order to
• Children’s Aid Societies and their services
appreciate its effect on roles within own family
• cultural differences in attitude toward family
• talk to classmates to find out how their families
roles and responsibilities
have adapted to their new country
•
•
Family Law Act of Ontario
use the Internet and community directories to
locate agencies and resources that provide
• finding child care
family counselling and support
• gender issues in Canada
• marital rights and legal protection in Ontario
• parental obligations
• services available for seniors
• spousal support
• types of child care available (e.g., home child
care, child-care centre, babysitter)

Resources for Developing and Teaching Topic
¨ Grammar Connections 1: Unit 3, “What a Nice Family”
¨ New Grammar in Action 1: Unit 4, “The Family”
¨ The ESL Toolbox: Unit 4, “Culture Checks”
¨ The Pizza Tastes Great: Unit 1, “Food”
G legal aid and community legal clinics
³ ELLIS – Intro – Home and Family
" BC Council for Families: http://www.bccf.bc.ca
" Child and Family Canada: http://www.cfc-efc.ca
" CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario): http://www.cleo.on.ca
" Family Service Canada: http://www.familyservicecanada.org (Documents)
" Settlement.org: http://www.settlement.org (Social Services: Child, Youth and Family)
B family

LINC 2
Family & Relationships
446
LINC Curriculum Guidelines

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Family & Relationships


Family Roles & Responsibilities


Topic Outcomes (CLB 2)
Language Focus
Possible outcomes for this topic:
Items to help learners achieve the outcomes:
give a basic description of own family and
• vocabulary and expressions for household
responsibilities of family members
chores (make the bed, do laundry, do the dishes, take
talk about things one enjoys
out the garbage, housework, cleaning, gardening,
babysitting)
identify details in a listening text: numbers,
letters, time references, places, keywords, short • adverbs of frequency
expressions
• possessive adjectives
get information from a very basic text of up to
• prepositions: time, location
seven sentences
•
give a basic description of family
pronouns: interrogative, subject
responsibilities by filling in blanks in a short
• questions: wh-, yes/no
five- to six-sentence guided text or by
• like + gerund or infinitive
answering five to six simple questions
• simple present tense
• pronunciation: third person singular endings
/z/ (lives), /s/ (walks), /z/ (watches)

Sample Tasks
1. Complete a worksheet about household chores by asking a partner questions (e.g., Who does the dishes?
Who does the shopping?). Record your partner’s name and answers on the worksheet.
Novice: Report your findings from Language Task 1 by word-processing sentences about
partners’ responses. Find and insert appropriate an appropriate Clip Art picture.
Skills: Keyboarding, Insert Picture (Clip Art)
2. Listen to a text about someone’s day and put pictures in chronological order.
3. Read a dialogue of two people talking about household chores they enjoy doing. Answer true/false
questions.
4. Write about the responsibilities of members of your family by answering questions.
Experienced: Word-process the answers for Language Task 4. Change the orientation of the
document to landscape. Add your name in a header and date in a footer. Print for evaluation.
Skills: Keyboarding, Page Setup (Orientation), Insert Header and Footer, Print
LINC 2
LINC 1-5
447

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Document Outline

• Family Problems
• Family Relationships
• Family Roles & Responsibilities

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