Cheers!

Intro

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

• ends up
• sum up
• Making a toast
• clink

• coming up
• here's to
• dot dot dot

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

a toast[/def] is a tradition in every country. But there’s a different way to do it in every country too.

Even so, the intention is usually the same. In the States, toasts are common at family gatherings like weddings and funerals, birthdays and anniversaries, or any event that is honoring a person. People traditionally clink their glasses together before they drink.

A toast is kind of like a prayer, but one that you say directly to the person. A toast can honor a person, thank that person, or wish that person well. A toast can be a way to acknowledge a special moment, or relish in joy. It can also be a way to remember someone who can’t be there to share that joy.

And sometimes, we just crack open a beer and say, “Cheers!”

Erin has to make a toast at her sister’s wedding. Listen to her talk to Mason about it.

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.

Erin

Mason

Erin:  My sister’s wedding is coming up, and I…

Mason:  Ooh, congratulations.

Erin:  Well, I guess that…

Mason:  To your sister.

Erin:  Thank you. Um, and, you know, it’s the tradition for the best man and the maid of honor to say some kind of a speech or a toast. I, I’ve never made a toast before, so I’ve heard the tradition of like, “OK everyone, well please raise your glasses and here’s to dot dot dot.” But, like, I mean, in Ireland, you know, they have poems that they make toasts with, which are beautiful and I’m Irish so I love it, but I don’t, I don’t know. Is there an American tradition that I’m not aware of?

Mason:  Well, there’s, I mean, there’s different kinds of toasts, right? There’s a toast that you do at a bar, which, like a nice little cool limerick or something would be appropriate for…

Erin:  Sure, like Cheers…

Mason:  Some dirty, you know, Australian thing that I, you know, couldn’t say from fear that my mother would hear, um… but this is…

Erin:  Hey, that’s their custom.

Mason:  That’s a thing. But, you know, this is a wedding toast, which ends up being more of a story, you know. It’s, it’s trying to sum up something about this person, uh… You are doing an honor to them. You are speaking more or less for the crowd at large that’s gonna be at your sister’s wedding.

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3