Talking about families and family dynamics is one of the most commonly explored topics when learning about personal relationships. It offers an opportunity to describe appearances, personalities, and individual characteristics. However, what if we could take this matter to the next level and delve into the dynamics of family roles and how they are affected by parental favouritism? This fresh perspective will surely ignite compelling discussions and allow students to dissect their family bonds.
Almost every EFL coursebook has a unit that focuses on families. It’s always nice to learn something more about students and their close relationships, but I think that discussing the same topics over and over again may get a bit redundant (for students and teachers, too!). Imagine how quickly I clicked on the link when I saw that BBC has recently published an article titled The lifelong effects of ‘the favourite child. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to provide students with authentic materials while sharing their thoughts and experiences connected with parents picking their favourites.
If you think that this topic may be something you and your students may be interested in, then you can find the presentation and the worksheet with the teacher’s notes at the end of the post.
Start the lesson by having a general discussion on students’ family dynamics. Speak about the number of siblings and students’ positions in their families. Think about the frequency at which they visit their parents and whether their parents prepare anything special when they or their siblings come over. Share and compare the answers. Think about potential reasons why some parents have a tradition of treating their children when they visit them.
Read the article introduction in which the author talks about her family dynamics and the roles of each family member depending on their position. It is a good way to demonstrate the use and explain the meaning of the Prodigal Son. Students discuss roles in their families, how they changed with time, and whether they have any expectations regarding their children. Ask if parents choose a favourite child. I believe this question can create some engaging discussion, and students may even want to debate each other on their beliefs!
The next part of the text deals with research on parental favouritism. Go over four questions and give some time to read the text to find the answers. Once everyone finds the answers, go over them and discuss favouritism and its short- and long-term consequences. Afterwards, look at the underlined words and match them with their meanings. Explain any other new words as necessary.
The last part of the article centres around avoiding favouritism and whether parents can stop picking favourites. It will also give students a chance to discuss the reasons why parents have favourite children. Students can think about their families and if they noticed any favouritism when they were children. Again, give everyone time to read the last part of the reading and find the answers to the previously discussed questions. Check if students’ guesses were correct and discuss whether they agree with the information written in the text. Finish by answering five multiple-choice questions.
Finish the class by having a debate about parents favouring the oldest “golden children” vs parents favouring their last-born children. Firstly, divide students into two groups: Group A will talk about the reasons explaining why parents may favour (or not) their oldest child, and Group B will discuss the same question regarding the youngest child. Switch the groups and allow students to exchange information and decide which child is usually favoured by their parents. You can finish this part by voting with a show of hands how many of the students believe parental favouritism exists, and if so, which of the children tend to be the favourite.
If you are interested in taking your advanced conversation about families to the next level, download the presentation and the worksheet with the teacher’s notes by clicking the links below.
Do you think that parents favour one child over the others? What roles did you have in your family?
