Talk About Your Family - Advanced English Idioms & More

0:00 You take after your mom, right?

0:03 When I asked my student this question, she looked confused.

0:08 She knew all the words but couldn't make sense of this question.

0:13 That's because take after is a phrasal verb.

0:18 All I want to know is do you take after papa or mama?

0:21 So today I want to share a powerful and meaningful

0:25 English lesson based around the theme of family values.

0:30 I will share a story that explores identity,

0:34 belonging, and the people who shape us.

0:37 As you listen, you'll hear lots of advanced

0:40 natural English expressions that native speakers use every day,

0:44 especially when talking about family and relationships.

0:49 We will dive a little deeper into the vocabulary too.

0:53 So, grab a notebook and stick with me to the end.

0:57 Let's begin with the story.

1:01 Who do you take after in your family?

1:05 I think that I take after my mother.

1:09 She instilled in me so many values such as loyalty,

1:15 respect, empathy, and warmth.

1:19 I don't take these values for granted.

1:22 Instead, I try to pass them on to my own children.

1:27 Right from their early years, I have urged them to stand by their nearest

1:32 and dearest and to foster close ties with their extended family,

1:38 even if they are first cousins once removed.

1:43 Of course, it's not always so simple.

1:47 It's not always plain sailing, and there are times when we just don't get along.

1:53 Like any other family,

1:55 we might reach a point where we won't even answer each other's instant messages.

2:01 But when all said and done, we soon make up,

2:04 if we have fallen out with each other.

2:07 I like to think that we are resilient and have

2:11 such a strong bond that we will never grow apart.

2:15 but instead we will work together to survive

2:18 the swings and roundabouts of family life.

2:22 During the worst times, our family members support each other unconditionally.

2:28 The door is always open.

2:29 There is always a shoulder to cry on or an ear to lend.

2:35 I really look up to my mother and father

2:38 for the way that they have always been there for us.

2:43 [snorts] I feel that I have a strong moral compass as a result

2:45 and that I am able to weather the storms of life by remembering their patience,

2:52 guidance, and acceptance.

2:55 I said that I think I take after my mother,

2:58 but I have a lot in common with my father, too.

3:02 He was stricter and more demanding,

3:05 but I think he was playing bad cop to my mother's good cop.

3:10 He wanted me to find solutions for myself and not

3:14 to simply roll over whenever the going got tough.

3:19 As children, my siblings and I witnessed these values in our elders

3:23 and we took on board the way to apply them in our lives.

3:28 I cherish the way they nurtured us.

3:31 Even though we had to put up with a lot of limitations,

3:36 we always knew that we could rely on someone

3:38 to look out for us when we needed it.

3:42 It's important for a family to provide a sense of belonging.

3:47 We can always look back and draw strength from our shared memories.

3:54 The movie nights where we fought to see who would choose the film.

3:59 the camping trips that always seemed to be rainy and the crises

4:04 that occurred which only served to bring us even closer.

4:10 The way that my parents brought me up has

4:13 shaped me into the person that I am today.

4:17 I am so grateful to them for this and for the fact

4:21 that they allowed me to make mistakes so that I could learn from them.

4:28 They have provided me with such great insight

4:31 into what it is to truly be supportive.

4:37 Now, let's take a look at the vocabulary and expressions used in the story.

4:42 I'm going to walk you through them in the order they appeared,

4:46 and I'll also replay short parts of the story

4:50 so you can hear the expressions in context.

4:53 Let's start at the very beginning.

4:56 To take after someone means to resemble

5:00 a family member in appearance or personality.

5:05 For example, I take after my dad in my love of cooking.

5:11 Next, the verb instill.

5:15 To instill values means to teach someone

5:20 important beliefs slowly and consistently over time.

5:26 Parents often instill values of kindness or honesty.

5:32 And then we heard not take something for granted which means to never

5:38 forget how valuable something is because you assume it will always be there.

5:43 So we say do not take something for granted.

5:47 Don't forget how valuable it is.

5:51 We had to stand by someone.

5:56 This means to support them, especially during difficult moments.

6:01 Your nearest and dearest are your closest loved ones, usually family.

6:08 And to foster close ties means

6:12 to help relationships grow stronger and more connected.

6:18 So, let's listen again to the first part

6:20 of the story and see if you can spot those phrases.

6:26 Who do you take after in your family?

6:29 I think that I take after my mother.

6:33 She instilled in me so many values.

6:37 I don't take these values for granted.

6:40 Instead, I try to pass them on to my own children.

6:44 Right from their early years, I have urged them to stand by their nearest

6:50 and dearest and to foster close ties with their extended family.

6:58 Great.

6:58 Let's move on to the next part of the story.

7:03 Plain sailing.

7:05 This means easy without problems.

7:09 It's plain sailing.

7:11 So if something is not plain sailing then it means that it was challenging.

7:17 To make up with someone means to become friends again after an argument.

7:24 You make up with them.

7:27 To fall out is the opposite.

7:29 That means to have an argument that damages the relationship temporarily.

7:34 So you fall out then you make up again.

7:38 to grow apart.

7:41 This means to slowly become less close.

7:45 You grow apart over time.

7:49 And the expression swings and roundabouts means that life has ups and downs,

7:56 good and bad, that ultimately balance out swings and roundabouts.

8:04 Let's hear that section again.

8:07 Of course, it's not always plain sailing.

8:11 We soon make up if we have fallen out with each other.

8:15 We will never grow apart, but instead we'll work together to survive

8:20 the swings and roundabouts of family life.

8:25 Now, let's continue.

8:27 To support someone unconditionally means there are no limits.

8:34 you support them no matter what.

8:38 A shoulder to cry on is someone who listens when you're upset.

8:45 They are a shoulder to cry on or they give you a shoulder to cry on.

8:52 To lend an ear means to listen sympathetically.

8:58 And when you look up to someone, it means you admire or respect them deeply.

9:08 A strong moral compass means having a reliable

9:13 sense of what's right and what's wrong.

9:18 And to weather the storms means to survive difficult periods in life.

9:25 We also heard acceptance,

9:29 which means allowing people to be who they are without judgment.

9:34 Here's that moment again that includes all that vocabulary.

9:39 The door is always open.

9:41 There is always a shoulder to cry on or an ear to lend.

9:45 I really look up to my mother and father.

9:48 I am able to weather the storms of life by remembering their patience.

9:54 guidance and acceptance.

9:58 Next in the story, we meet good cop, bad cop.

10:03 This describes a situation where one person is gentle and the other is strict,

10:09 usually to guide or teach someone.

10:14 To roll over means to give up too quickly or stop resisting.

10:21 And when the going gets tough, this simply means that life becomes difficult.

10:30 Then we have take something on board,

10:34 which means to accept and understand, advice.

10:39 And put up with something means to tolerate something unpleasant.

10:45 GH to look out for someone means to take care of them.

10:51 and ensure they're safe.

10:53 You look out for them.

10:57 Here's how they appeared in the story.

11:01 He was playing bad cop to my mother's good cop.

11:05 He wanted me to find solutions for myself and not

11:09 to simply roll over whenever the going got tough.

11:13 We took on board the way to apply them to our own lives.

11:17 We had to put up with a lot of limitations.

11:21 We always knew someone would look out for us.

11:26 And finally, the last part of the story.

11:30 To draw strength from something means to gain

11:34 courage or inspiration from a memory or experience.

11:39 If something only served to bring us closer,

11:43 it means a difficult situation actually strengthened the relationship.

11:49 To bring someone up means to raise them and teach them how to behave.

11:56 And great insight means a deep

12:01 understanding or wisdom gained through experience.

12:05 You have great insight.

12:09 Okay, one more recap.

12:12 We can always look back and draw strength from our shared memories.

12:18 The crises that occurred only served to bring us even closer.

12:23 The way my parents brought me up has shaped me into the person I am today.

12:28 They have provided me with such great insight

12:32 into what it is to truly be supportive.

12:37 Now it's your turn.

12:40 Think about your own family and the values that have shaped you.

12:46 Who do you take after?

12:48 Which memories help you draw strength when life feels difficult?

12:53 If you'd like, write a few sentences in the comments.

12:57 It's a great way to activate your vocabulary.

13:01 If you enjoy learning English through meaningful

13:04 stories like this, then make sure you subscribe.

13:08 I'll be sharing more story-based lessons to help

13:10 you grow your vocabulary and speak with more depth, confidence, and clarity.

13:18 Thank you for joining me today.

13:19 Keep learning and I'll see you in the next lesson.