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Holiday Albums

Holiday Albums

Date: Dec 22 2008

Themes: Holidays

Grammar: Simple Future Tense

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.

Every year, when the weather starts to get colder, something strange happens in America. All of a sudden, you can’t walk into a department store without hearing “Jingle Bells.” The supermarket puts “Deck the Halls” on repeat. And some singer you haven’t heard from in 10 years tries to make a comeback by releasing an album of badly redone holiday classics.

Holiday songs can either put you in the mood for Christmas…or in the mood to kill. Either way, holiday albums are a tradition just like Christmas trees, eggnog, and presents. But Marni can’t stand holiday music, even though she likes the holidays. Listen to her and Devan debate.

Dialog

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

Devan

Devan

Marni

Marni

Devan:  It’s Christmas time at the record store. And it’s so much fun, because now, from here until Christmas, all we’re going to listen to is holiday albums. All day, all night long. I love it. It’s so much fun.

Marni:  You’re being sarcastic right?

Devan:  No, I love it. There’s so many good holiday albums…

Marni:  Good?

Devan:  Yeah! Brian McKnight’s got a really good holiday album, and then there’s all the classic ones. You know, like Johnny Cash...there’s all kinds.

Marni:  OK, I can get behind the classic holiday albums. I grew up with A Nat King Cole Christmas. My grandmother was really into it. But every year, there’s someone putting out another holiday album. And it’s just the same songs redone over and over again, and they get stuck in your head, and they’re playing while you’re shopping or working. It’s just so annoying.

Devan:  It doesn’t give you holiday cheer to hear Mariah Carey sing “Silver Bells”?

Marni:  No, it gets me holiday angry. I just…I don’t like it! I mean, I understand it’s traditional and all that, but it’s just…Adaptations sometimes are so cheesy. It makes me want to scream.

Devan:  Do you have a holiday song that you do like? Is there one above the rest that you still like?

Marni:  I guess maybe “White Christmas.”

Devan:  Bing Crosby singing it?

Marni:  Yeah. Just all these new R&B singers, all the a cappella...I’m just not into it.

Devan:  That’s too bad, I love Christmas.

Marni:  And I’m just a grinch.

 

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Discussion

At the record store where Devan works, they always play holiday songs at Christmas time. Marni can’t believe that Devan likes holiday music, but Devan thinks there are a lot of great holiday albums.

Marni agrees that some classic holiday albums are good, but she hates the badly redone, new Christmas songs that come out every year. She also doesn’t like hearing the same songs everywhere she goes during the holiday season.

Do you enjoy holiday music? What do you like and what do you dislike about the holidays?

 

Comments

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Pampie

Pampie

Malaysia

i like christmas very much…it’s lovely! :))

03:55 PM Dec 22 2008 |

Billie joe

Colombia

Holiday songs are very important in christmas time doesn´t matter if are new or old, although I like old songs :P 

03:10 PM Dec 22 2008 |

little niuniu

China

i like christmas too!

01:54 PM Dec 22 2008 |

hasanmasoodi

Yemen

hi

 

01:52 PM Dec 22 2008 |

hasanmasoodi

Yemen

hi

 

01:52 PM Dec 22 2008 |

arun20123

India

   Happy Crismis

01:30 PM Dec 22 2008 |

vivid_ll

China

merry christmas!

:)

01:25 PM Dec 22 2008 |

Victoria1986

China

I like to talk with someone ,write to me

12:03 PM Dec 22 2008 |

Victoria1986

China

I like english songs very much.

11:58 AM Dec 22 2008 |

izzy5999

izzy5999

China

i like holiday music for it stands for the happiness of holiday

11:57 AM Dec 22 2008 |

arkin_uygur

Ukraine

I like this Christmas song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt-K5w1PFMo

09:47 AM Dec 22 2008 |

behnam1367

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

hello

i like to speak with some body.

please send email for me that talk togather .

07:28 AM Dec 22 2008 |

candywxl

China

I love all the holidays.Merry Christmas, everybody!

07:14 AM Dec 22 2008 |

white_lilly

Switzerland

christmas songs are always beautiful. old or new. 

07:06 AM Dec 22 2008 |

ch3rrybl0ss0m

France

i’m sorry to contradict Marni, but I adore those acappellas and all. they give new sound to a traditional song. i find it beautiful.

06:34 AM Dec 22 2008 |

cherry-chen

China

well doneLaughing

06:13 AM Dec 22 2008 |

Naomi1010

Naomi1010

Taiwan

Oh, well. Even though we don’t really celebrate Xmas here, I can hear Xmas songs no matter where I go in December. It’s become a tradition in Taiwan which is kind of weired!! :P

01:08 AM Dec 22 2008 |

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