International Women's Day

Click here to read a text about this day.

Click here to do a video activity about this topic.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Story of Thanksgiving. Watch the video and fill in the gaps (check your answers in "comments").

The year was ________________________ (1). It was a normal day for me, sitting on the beach, getting some sun, ________________________ (2) my own business when lo and behold along comes this boat.

So the pilgrims got off the boat and began the hard work of ________________________ (3) a settlement in the New World. Now, I don't know  ________________________ (4) it was to try to build a settlement at the beginning of winter but ________________________ (5)the pilgrims had it ________________________ (6).

Finally came and the pilgrims went out to ________________________ (7). God had heard ________________________ (8) and sent along one of the ________________________ (9) to help them- an English-speaking Indian by the name of Squanto.

Add lots of hard work and working together with their new friends, the Indians. By the end of the ________________________ (10), they had an abundant ________________________ (11).

The tradition of Thanksgiving began and now people get together and eat and thank God for his ________________________ (12). 

Glossary:

• Lo and behold - Used for introducing something surprising that you're about to tell or show someone.
• Hereby - Used for stating that something said or written in a statement or document is now official or for emphasizing what you're saying.

Click here to do another listening activity using a video from "Friends".







There are more posts about this topic (see "contents") where you can learn about the food they eat and more historical facts.

Merry Christmas!

Ashlie and Stephen are getting ready for Christmas. They need to buy presents and decorate the tree, but there's still time for a bit of ice-skating... Click here to watch the video and do some activities.
Learn some vocabulary about the holiday here.

It's Christmas morning! Ashlie's got a lot to do to cook dinner for the family, but can she get Stephen to help? Watch the video here. Learn some vocabulary about the food and present simple and continuous here.



 And here's a slow version of the classic by Mariah Carey

 

Click on "Christmas" in contents and have a look at old posts about the holiday.

Thanksgiving Day

I. Click here to watch Donald Trump pardoning his first turkey.

II. Click here to learn some vocabulary and read a text about this holiday. The key is included.

III. Watch the first part of this video (55" to 7'08") and answer the questions. First there's some history about the holiday and then three people explain what Thanksgiving means for them. Find the answers in "comments".

1. What kind of celebration was Thanksgiving in colonial times?
2. How did they offer thanks?
3. What did the Pilgrims of Plymouth celebrate (the most famous celebration)? When? Who with?
4. When did Abraham Lincoln proclaim the Day of National Thanksgiving?
5. What happened in 1941 by an Act of Congress?
6. Diana
a. What two elements did the celebration have in her family when she was young?
b. What did they use to do?
c. How is it different now?
d. What element is missing according to her?
7. Chris
a.  Why does he describe it as "a secular national Sabbath"?
b. What do people usually do?
c. Why is it different to other family meals?
8. Amy
a. Why do her granddaughters like the holiday?
b. What is the heart of the celebration?


 

Festivals and celebrations

Vocabulary:

1. Celebrations, parties and special occasions.
2. Celebrating and entertaining.

1 & 3 tg5 - fetivals and special ocassions de David Lobato

Click here to see some notes for the episode in the video above.
Here you are some activities related to the same video and notes.
This is the website where you also have the script.


Practice



Listening

1. Celebrations

2. Unusual British Festivals

Click here for an old post about the same topic.