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Prom

Date: May 29 2009

Themes: Party, School

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

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Intro

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

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

The biggest day in many American high school students’ lives isn’t graduation. It’s prom. Prom is a formal dance held at the end of senior year, when students get dressed up, rent limousines, and dance the night away at a special venue. When the dance ends, they usually attend after-parties, which is often where the real fun begins.

But prom can also be stressful. First of all, you have to find a date, which can be quite challenging for some. Then, if you’re a girl, you have to get the perfect dress. Many girls also buy new shoes and jewelry, and get their hair and makeup done at a fancy salon. Guys have to rent a tuxedo, buy their date a corsage, and pay for the tickets, the limousine, and dinner before the prom. That’s a lot of money to spend for one night of awkward slow dancing.

Prom season is happening right now. Listen to Ella and Devan share their memories of prom.

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.

Devan

Ella

Devan: Did you go to your prom?

Ella: I did. It was really fun and now it’s coming around that time again where prom…Everyone’s getting their gowns and tuxes. It’s kind of exciting.

Devan: So you’re big on prom. Do you think that it’s an important ritual?

Ella: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s an important ritual. I just like to get dressed up. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons I started going to proms. I went to my friends’ proms, and they came to mine, so…Just an excuse to dress up.

Devan: So did you…you got a nice fancy gown, and did you have a corsage and everything?

Ella: Yeah, did the corsage, got the makeup done, had the hair done. All that stuff.

Devan: Did your date wear a tux?

Ella: Yes. Yes he did. All that good stuff.

Devan: Were you voted prom queen?

Ella: I was not!

Devan: I actually didn’t even go to my prom.

Ella: Oh my god!

Devan: Um, well, I wasn’t into the whole prom thing when I was in high school. I was kind of a rebel, so…

Ella: Nice. Cool.

Devan: We went to the bowling alley instead.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

Ella liked prom so much in high school that she not only went to her own prom, but also attended her friends’ proms. She loved getting dressed up and having her hair and makeup done. It sounds like she didn’t have any trouble finding a date.

Devan, on the other hand, didn’t go to her prom. She and her friends didn’t have much school spirit. They were rebels who thought prom was lame. On prom night, instead of following the crowd by going to the dance like all their classmates, they went to the bowling alley.

Do you have prom in your country? Do you think it would be fun to go to prom, or would you be a rebel like Devan and skip prom?

Comments

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mukashi

Myanmar

In my country, there is no prom. It is the first timr for me to hear that american high school culture. If I were an marican student I will be attend prom as I 'd like to wear dressed up and like to make fancy style. I am sure that it would be fun.

yvetttte

Taiwan

We didn't have a prom in the end of high-school year. But we did have a graduation party at the last year.

At at big day, graduation student will dress up to attend that ceremony, and most of them take it as a big deal.

velvetons

Brazil

I'm from São Paulo, Brazil. And here we don't have proms or anything like that. Most schools usually organize a "graduation trip" for their seniors, which is usually to the beach, Porto Seguro in Bahia is the most common destiny, at least for those who live in São Paulo like me. Students really go all excited about this trip, a week away from their parents, girls wearing bikinis, partying every night… they do have a lot of fun! However most of the students don't have a graduation trip. We also have a formal and usually boring graduation party that you're supposed to take your folks. Most students though think it's waste of moneyand prefer to save for vacation or college.