Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Dolls and robots! Games and music! Mountains of wrapping paper! What is this celebration for? It’s a baby’s first birthday. Traditionally, many cultures have had special celebrations for the first birthday of a baby. In the days when many babies died in infancy, the first birthday was an important milestone for the baby to have reached. Today, many parents and families are still very happy to celebrate the first birthdays of their babies.
However, as American culture has become increasingly consumerist, Americans are spending more and more money on presents that one-year-olds don’t need and are not able to understand or enjoy. Some families have large and sometimes expensive parties with games that one-year-olds can’t play. Listen in as Marni and Lily give their opinions on first birthdays in this birthday English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Marni: I just bought a present for a one-year-old for their first birthday.
Lily: Oh, that’s so cute.
Marni: It is cute. It’s very sweet. But, you know, there’s part of me that… Have you been to a lot of birthdays for one-year-olds?
Lily: Not since my own.
Marni: Well, my experience these days is that, you know, it’s a big to-do, big theme party. There’s games, whatever, and the child is so disinterested in the gifts, and it’s very overwhelming to them that, you know, generally they’d be happy with a box and some wrapping paper.
Lily: Oh yeah, totally. It seems like they’re more for the parents just to kind of celebrate that they have raised this child to be one year old.
Marni: That’s true, and you know what? That is a very commendable thing.
Lily: Definitely.
Marni: They made it that first year.
Lily: Mmm hmm.
Marni: But, you know, I think once I have a one-year-old, I think I’m gonna be like, “Don’t worry about bringing gifts. Let’s just, you know, have a nice meal, and, you know, maybe a cake.” I don’t know, you know.
Lily: Mmmm, cake is always good.
Marni: Cake is always good
Lily: If there’s a chance for cake, you should definitely take it, I think.
Marni: But I think I’ll skip the goodie bags and the pin the tail on the donkey. I mean, that’s really not appropriate for a one-year-old.
Lily: Yeah. Well, definitely.
Marni: This might be my last gift that I buy for a one-year-old.
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Discussion
Marni and Lily discuss birthday parties for one-year-olds. Some people have big parties with lots of games and presents that one-year-olds can’t enjoy.
Marni thinks that these parties are too much for a one-year-old baby. She plans to have a simple party with only a meal and cake when she has a baby. She does not want games like pin the tail on the donkey.
How is a baby’s first birthday celebrated in your country? Do you feel like people spend too much money on birthday parties for babies? What do you think is the best way to celebrate a baby’s first birthday?
Comments
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