Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Divorce
Divorce

Learn English with this breakup English lesson

Date: Mar 21 2018

Themes: Family, Health

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

When we’re young, we expect that our parents will be together forever. Unfortunately, this isn’t always what happens in life. Divorce affects children and teenagers in challenging ways. Sometimes kids blame themselves for their parents’ break up even though it’s not their fault.

Even adult children of divorcing parents have a hard time understanding what’s going on, but it’s most difficult for the people going through the divorce themselves. Parents fight over custody of their children. Couples fight over things, or over who will live in the apartment or house. People who are divorced are often wary of making another commitment.

Lily and Rafael discuss their experiences with divorce in today’s English lesson about families.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Rafael

Rafael

Lily

Lily

Rafael:  I’m feeling really excited because my mom and dad are coming to visit me.

Lily:  That’s great that they’re still together.

Rafael:  Yeah. I’d love to meet your parents sometime.

Lily:  Well, that’s kind of hard, because their relationship is kind of tenuous. They divorced when I was a kid, so they’re not on very good speaking terms. It’s kind of bad.

Rafael:  Did that make you skeptical of marriage?

Lily:  It’s definitely made me feel wary about the whole thing. I have commitment issues. It affects a lot.

Rafael:  So, who had you in their custody when you were growing up?

Lily:  It was my mom. My mom is great, and I think that both of my parents are wonderful. It’s really sad to be around all the blame. Lots of times you kind of feel responsible when you’re a kid. You hear your parents fighting and, because you’re young, you kind of think that it’s your fault.

Rafael:  Do you feel like they still have a lot of commitment to you?

Lily:  Well, yeah. They have commitment to me, but they don’t necessarily have commitment to each other anymore.

Rafael:  As long as they have commitment to you, that’s the important thing.

Lily:  True.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Present Perfect Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Lily shares with Rafael that her parents divorced when she was young. Even though it was a long time ago, her parents are not on very good speaking terms, and it’s clearly difficult for Lily. Rafael asks if she’s skeptical about marriage because her parents are divorced, and Lily says that she is.

Lily lived with her mother when she was growing up, and she still has a good relationship with both of her parents. Rafael reminds Lily that her parents are very committed to her, and that’s the most important thing. She agrees, but it’s obvious that Lily wishes her parents were still married like Rafael’s.

Are your parents divorced, or are you divorced? What did you learn from the experience?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

akbarali.chitrali

Pakistan

i think Divorce … it,s also called Misunderstanding in relation. i don,t think when the 2 couple share and express his feeling and emotion openly each other. this problem could,t occured . this problem start when the partner creating distance and not giving time to live togather. m single yet, but my advice to everyone live each other and share openly ur problem . and try to understand each other and some time compromise each other….. u will live hapy 4ever…....

02:54 PM Mar 26 2014 |

ahmet55

ahmet55

Germany

No. None of them. 



Parent’s divorce always makes children to be so upset for a long time. Parents break up and create a new life for themselves but they actually collapse the children’s education, life, happiness and their future. Sometimes this happen turns out them to another person. It will affect their life so much. As same as others i prefer to get divorced instead of arguing all day long forever with my wife. 

07:54 PM Mar 13 2014 |

qibin1989

qibin1989

China

My parents are getting divorced for quite a long time. And their marrige was a complete tragedy. To be honest, it was my strong support that made my mom determined to step up to do the right thing. She will never be happy if she compromised with this wrong combination. She had suffered a lot, and all I expect is the happiness that she deserves.

12:55 PM Mar 10 2014 |

S&W

S&W

China

Wether a child from a divorced family can be hurt or not decided by their parents.If their parents is responsible for the family and the child or even themself ,they can use a resonable way to slove this problem.A child still loved by both mon and dad.Only if the child was surrounded by love and given the explaination of the divorce,She or he maybe too young to understand this ,but one day they will know.Everyone wanna find the right one ,true love .Sometimes divorce is a brave way to chase love or new start.Divorce is better than living with endless argueing.I’m not support for divorce ,I just point at those marriage which is unable to save

11:57 AM Mar 10 2014 |

1 person likes this

nadyanood2

nadyanood2

Tunisia

My parents are together and my family is strong and good , but I have an idea about the children’s feelings when their parents get divorced because It’s a pervasive problem nowadays , life without family agreement is like a garden without fence , it is hard and challenging ! parent’s should think about the cousequences before getting such dangerous dicision !

02:22 PM Mar 07 2014 |

bravevivian

Ecuador

It’s great my parents are still together.  I don’t have any experience about divorce, but I imagine it’s terrible for the whole family.


I think divorce shouldn’t be an option.  That should happens only when there’s nothing else to do, maybe your life is in danger or something like that.  I mean I’ve heard that divorce is the first option for some people, like the easy way to solve differences.  I wouldn’t like that.


That’s why it’s better to decide wisely whom you are going to marry. You need to think and analyze, to take your time and when you are completely sure then go for it :D

02:34 AM Mar 07 2014 |

Arunshyam

Arunshyam

India

She shared her feelings from heart. This way children of divorced parents are getting into more trouble like too much of commitments always. 

07:31 PM Mar 06 2014 |

1 person likes this

ttsuka

ttsuka

Japan


Can this guy be a little more sensible and sensitive?  I mean Lilly is really opening up, revealing the thoughts she has given to her family situation here. It must be very difficult but she is putting up a brave face. But he sees none of these.  He basically concludes, the glass is half full, so cheer up, with little compassion.  To begin with, why can’t he get the clue when Lily said “that’s great they are still together” at the very beginning?  That’s it, I conclude. Rafael is indeed a robot, which can exchange words with people but cannot understand people.  

02:41 PM Mar 06 2014 |

raybanbcn

raybanbcn

Spain

The divorce is the way to fix a bad decision of the past. 


You can mistake with the election of your ideal partner, Thanks to the divorce these persons can start their life again, and try to find their ideal partner again . 


The only problem is when in this marrige there are children. then the thing turns more hard. 

05:37 PM Mar 05 2014 |

am.h768

am.h768

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

My parents are married for more than 35years and still they are in love :) . It’s so beautiful to have such a good realationship after all this years. Divorce is something awful. I think it’s happens when you close your eyes on realities about your partner before the marriage.

02:54 PM Mar 05 2014 |

Jobee

Jobee

China

I am single without a date.so I guess I am not the right person to talk about divorce.


I know divorceis happening,but I think we could take it seriously.divorce makes you never believe in love.


we like the world of love,huh?let’s make a lovely world

11:24 AM Mar 05 2014 |

2 people like this

Jasonlongo

Jasonlongo

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

I’ve never gone through that bad situation of divorce ! And don’t like my parents to break up when I still am  in their custody.

08:50 AM Mar 05 2014 |

1 person likes this

Spiderman198426

Philippines

I think divorcing a marriage is the practical solution to end an unhappy relationship. If both had tried and tested different ways to wrench the troubled screws and just ends like its hopeless , how come not ,Well . I grew up with both parents together,and enough to be thankful to them.

08:35 AM Mar 05 2014 |

sandraa95

sandraa95

Sweden

i never wanna experince it at all. those guys who married then exactly one month later get divorced So what was the main reason of their marrige?? ! But somehow i can realize that they have never ever got to know each other.thats why they suddenly just by some arguments try this solution!

08:16 AM Mar 05 2014 |

1 person likes this

sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Neither my parents,nor me are divorced but i think that divorce is the best option for couples whom they have problems and they can’t work them out.how ever they may hurt their children but if they continiue living together while they always argue about various things their children will be bothered more!


in conclusion,it’s a good option if there’s no way to adapt your-self with that situation and stick with it,but if you could solve your problems by talking this is the best solution!


:)

07:24 AM Mar 05 2014 |

modaher

modaher

Iraq

Yes divorce. Destroys a child’s life, especially if the child when the mother did not accept to go to see his father or vice versa?

03:00 AM Mar 05 2014 |

1 person likes this

AryelLanes

AryelLanes

Brazil

I don’t see the point in keeping an unhealthy relationship. Some people say that they don’t file for a divorce because of the children (they don’t want them to grow up out of a “normal” life), but I don’t buy it. It’s better to divorce and make them have good memories of you than to stay together and make them see the couple arguing all day long. I’m not married, and I think that I’m not going to be for a long time. But if I were in this situation, I wouldn’t hesitate. My kids would understand later… And yup, I’d leave them with their mom (if she was a good person, of course) as long as she agreed to leave them with me on the weekends and in the holidays.

Likes (20):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast