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Writer's pictureKayley Hurley

ESL Family Unit: Get your Newcomers Speaking and Writing about All Things FAMILY

Updated: Jul 26, 2021

After an adjustment I made this year, this unit now includes TWO separate vocabulary flashcard sets. There are over 70 (!) vocabulary words in this unit: family nouns as well as adjectives that describe people. The first part of this unit focuses only on family titles (father, cousin, sister-in-law, etc.) There is a family tree project, and students quickly memorize these words. There is a separate test with only family titles, and this is given to students halfway through the unit. I was so pleased with how much better students learned ALL vocabulary words when they were separated into two bunches.



After the family vocabulary test, students move on to adjectives (and a few verbs) to close out the unit. Since this unit covers topics such as the future tense, the present progressive tense, helping verbs, and comparative and superlative adjectives, it lends itself well for students to create a family presentation at the end. These are such a joy to watch. If students are using all the grammar they learned correctly, they can create a darn good presentation and BE CONFIDENT when they are presenting. I have been so impressed over the years with how students step up to the plate. It’s a great show of everything students have learned up to this point.


This unit includes other enriching activities. There is a memory game and “Who Has, I Have.” Both are challenging and students improve the more they play it. There is also Charades and a speaking practice for helping verbs. Finally, there are quite a few comparative and superlative discussion cards that can be pulled out whenever you have extra time.


This unit takes about 5 weeks to complete. I teach in 80 minute block periods. Please see my TPT store to access this unit and read more information, including the specific vocabulary words and all other materials included in the unit. Thanks for seeking out the best for your students. If you choose to purchase this unit, I look forward to hearing your successes, suggestions, and any other feedback you may have.


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