| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficult | Divorce | Man – Woman | 03:07 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
What are several reasons why some relationships end in divorce? When there is conflict, what are some ways in repairing and enhancing marital relationships? Are there times when a divorce lawyer may be needed to settle family disputes or breakups?
- Staying in an unhappy marriage is worse than getting a divorce.
- Children are always better off if their parents stay together.
- It’s possible to remain good friends after a divorce.
- Financial problems are one of the biggest causes of divorce.
- Couples should go to therapy before deciding to separate.
- Some people rush into marriage without knowing their partner well enough.
- Divorce is more difficult for women than for men.
- Divorce is more accepted today than in the past.
- It’s better to be alone than in a difficult relationship.
- Social media puts extra pressure on modern relationships.
Idioms
“divorce yourself from” = separate yourself completely from something
“Unless you divorce yourself from your work, you’ll never have time for your wife and family.”
“part ways” = separate or break up
“We decided to part ways instead of getting married. There were just too many differences between us.”
Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:
- gloomy (adjective): sad or depressed
– I’ve noticed a very gloomy atmosphere in their family recently. - call it quits (phrasal verb): give up or end
– After having gone through marriage counseling, Karl and Susan decided to call it quits. - bliss (noun): happiness
– Marriage is filled with a combination of bliss and trials. - duh (exclamation): used to express that something is stupid or obvious
– A: This advanced grammar class is so difficult.
– B: Well, duh. It’s an advanced class for a good reason. - petty (adjective): simplistic, unimportant
– My parents often get into petty arguments about dumb things. - down the road (prepositional phrase): in the future
– Their relationship is going to be in serious trouble down the road unless they work to resolve their differences. He should stop taking such a belligerent (hostile or aggressive) attitude toward things.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
Some people assume that love often diminishes over time in a relationship; however, what are at least three things that couples can do to maintain and enhance a loving relationship, whether you have been together for one week or fifty years?
Online Investigation
When problems surface in a relationship, it is often the tendency to talk about our problems with family and friends. However, in many cases, these people might not be the best people with whom to discuss problems because they lack the training to provide the right type of counseling. Therefore, what resources are available in your local community that offer marriage or relationship counseling? Are there any stereotypes or stigmas associated with getting outside help to help people in relationships? Use the internet to research these questions.