ESL Podcast 917 - Types of Families

nametags - a small sticker or a small piece of paper with a pin on one side, used to write one's name and place on one's shirt so that other people know what one's name is

At the conference, everyone wore nametags with their name, title, and the name of their company.

in this day and age - in modern times; nowadays; these days

In this day and age, it's unusual to hear people say words like "thee," "thou," and "shall."

unconventional - not traditional, normal, or expected

The company is trying some unconventional marketing techniques, like putting advertisements on the mirrors in public bathrooms.

nuclear family - the core members of a family: father, mother, and children

Pasindu always received a lot of support from his nuclear family, so it was difficult for him to he move away to attend college.

same-sex - referring to a romantic couple with two men or two women, not a man and a woman

More and more countries are making same-sex marriage legal.

stepfamily - a family where a mother/father has remarried, so the children from the first marriage live with the mother/father and the step-father/step-mother

Karina had two kids from her first marriage, and Damian had three kids from his first marriage, so when they married each other, they had to learn how to manage a large stepfamily with five children.

grandparent - the mother or father of one's mother or father

Claire's grandparents sometimes take care of her for the weekend so that her parents can have some time alone.

divorced - with a marriage that ended when two people decided to stop being husband and wife (not because one of them died)

Gwyneth has been divorced for four years, and now she wants to start dating.

single parent - a man or woman who is raising his or her child/children alone, without help from the other parent

Lorenzo is having a difficult time as a single-parent working a full-time job.

partner - a broad term for a person with whom one has a romantic relationship, but the two people are not married and do not want to use the term boyfriend/girlfriend, often used when one doesn't know whether the partner is a man or a woman

How long have you been living with your partner?

spouse - a husband or wife; the person to whom one is married

Every year, the company has a big holiday party for employees and their spouses.

foster - a program where families take care of children temporarily until a permanent family (often adoption) can be found, for children who had been living in a dangerous or abusive situation

Wynona's father was in jail and her mom was an alcoholic, so she grew up living in several foster families.

in which case - in that case; in that situation; under those circumstances

We might not get any qualified applicants in this area, in which case we'll have to advertising the job opening in nearby cities.

to give up - to stop trying to do something, especially because it is too difficult or challenging and one does not believe one will be successful

It's always hard to start a new business, but don't give up!

to bring up - to begin talking about something; to raise an issue or topic; to mention

Whatever you do, don't bring up money when Christina is visiting. It's a very sensitive topic for her.

blank - without anything written on a piece of paper or without anything showing on a screen; empty

Wow, Michael must really trust you a lot. He gave you a blank check, knowing you could have written in whatever amount you wanted to.

complexity - a measure of how difficult, confusing, and complicated things are; difficult to understand, comprehend, or manipulate

The complexity of the calculations the teacher showed us in physics class is intimidating.

simplicity - a measure of how easy and straightforward something is; easy to understand, comprehend, or manipulate

The beauty of those photographs is in their simplicity.