Talking about family and friends
B1 · 40–50 min · Apex English
"Friends are the family you choose."— Jess C. Scott
Your inner circle
Draw a very small circle in your notebook. Put the names of the 3–5 people who are 'inside' it for you. Compare with a partner: who's family, who's a friend?
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Three people, three inner circles
Show transcript
Speaker 1 (A, Brazilian, 20s): My best friend Marina — we've known each other since we were four. Literally grew up next door. She's like a sister to me. We finish each other's sentences. Even now, living in different countries, we speak every single day.
Speaker 2 (B, English, 30s): I had a really close group at uni. Then life just took over — different cities, different jobs — and we drifted apart. We still text on birthdays. And with one of them, my mate Jamie, we actually fell out over something really silly in our twenties. Years later we made up. He was at my wedding.
Speaker 3 (C, Italian, 40s): Family means the world to me. Every single Sunday everyone comes to my mum's for lunch. Everyone. No excuses. Phones off. It's kind of sacred. I know it's not for everyone, but it's what holds us together.
A. Listen for gist
- Which speaker talks about a friend they lost touch with?
- Which speaker calls their best friend 'like a sister'?
- Which speaker says family is the most important thing?
B. Listen for detail
- Speaker 1: how long has she known her best friend?
- Speaker 2: why did he and his uni friend drift apart?
- Speaker 3: what happens every Sunday in her family?
- Which speaker mentions falling out and making up?
Ask the teacher: Write down anything you want to remember from this section. Your notes are saved automatically.
Friendship & family idioms
- we go way back
- we get on like a house on fire
- she's like a sister to me
- we drifted apart
- we fell out (over…)
- we made up
- family means the world to me
- he's a bad influence
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'Tell me about your best friend'
In pairs. A interviews B about ONE person in their inner circle. B uses at least 4 idioms from Section 3 in the answer.
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Family & friends game
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End-of-lesson quiz · Family & friends
6 questions · 70% to pass · instant feedback after you submit.
Q1.'We go way back.' Means we have known each other…
Q2.'We get on like a house on fire.' Means…
Q3.'We drifted apart after school.' Means…
Q4.'We fell out over money and then we made up.' Means…
Q5.'My cousin is a bad influence.' He…
Q6.Most natural about a close friend:
0/6 answered