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Le famiglie in Italia non sono più numerose come un tempo!
Families in Italy are no longer as large as they used to be!

Exercise 1: Word bingo

Instruction: 1. Listen minimum two times to the video and indicate the words you hear. 2. Use the words to form a conversation with your teacher (write down your conversation). 3. Memorize the words with the word trainer.

Word Translation
L'Italia Italy
I bambini Children
La popolazione Population
Le nascite Births
I neonati Newborns
La famiglia Family
I genitori Parents

Exercise 2: Dialogue

Instruction: 1. Read the dialogue in pairs. 2. Memorize the phrases by covering the translation. 3. Cover one speaker’s lines, give alternative answers with your teacher, and write them down.

Uno zio parla con la nipote che non vede da tempo, parlano della famiglia.

An uncle talks with his niece, whom he hasn't seen for a long time; they talk about the family.
1. Lo zio: Ciao caro! Come stai? (Hello dear! How are you?)
2. Marta: Ciao zio! Sto bene, grazie. Oggi lavoro da casa. (Hello uncle! I'm fine, thanks. Today I am working from home.)
3. Lo zio: E tuo fratello? Che fa? (And your brother? What does he do?)
4. Marta: Mio fratello lavora in un ufficio a Milano. Fa molti viaggi per lavoro. (My brother works in an office in Milan. He travels a lot for work.)
5. Lo zio: E tua mamma e tuo papà? (And your mom and dad?)
6. Marta: Mia mamma insegna ancora. Mio papà invece è in pensione dall'anno scorso. (My mom still teaches. My dad, on the other hand, has been retired since last year.)
7. Lo zio: E tu? Hai un marito? (And you? Do you have a husband?)
8. Marta: No, non ancora. Non è facile trovare tempo per l'amore! (No, not yet. It's not easy to find time for love!)
9. Lo zio: Capisco... Pensi di avere un figlio? (I understand... Do you think you'll have a child?)
10. Marta: Forse. Oggi in Italia molte famiglie hanno pochi figli. (Maybe. Today in Italy many families have few children.)
11. Lo zio: Ai miei tempi ogni famiglia aveva quattro o cinque figli! (In my time every family had four or five children!)
12. Marta: Lo so. Ora ogni famiglia ha solo un figlio. E spesso dopo i 30 anni. (I know. Now every family has only one child. And often after the age of 30.)
13. Lo zio: I tempi cambiano... (Times change...)

Exercise 3: Questions about the text

Instruction: Read the text above and choose the correct answer.

1. Dove lavora il fratello di Marta?

(Where does Marta's brother work?)

2. Che cosa fa il papà di Marta?

(What does Marta's dad do?)

3. Marta ha un marito?

(Does Marta have a husband?)

4. Quanti figli hanno spesso le famiglie in Italia oggi, secondo Marta?

(How many children do families in Italy usually have today, according to Marta?)

Exercise 4: Open conversation questions

Instruction: Discuss the following questions with your teacher using the vocabulary from this lesson, and write down your answers.

  1. Dove lavori tu o dove lavorano i tuoi familiari?
    2. Where do you work or where do your family members work?
  2. Quanti fratelli o sorelle hai e cosa fanno?
    3. How many brothers or sisters do you have and what do they do?
  3. I tuoi genitori lavorano o sono in pensione?
    4. Do your parents work or are they retired?
  4. La tua famiglia è grande o piccola? Descrivila un po'.
    5. Is your family big or small? Describe it a bit.