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Dinner Parties

Date: Apr 23 2010

Themes: Food, Party

Grammar: First Conditional

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Intro

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

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

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You know you’re a true adult once you’ve hosted your first dinner party. But a dinner party doesn’t have to be a formal affair, with candles, fancy china and a white tablecloth. It can be as simple and casual as making a big pot of spaghetti and asking your friends to bring over some bread, wine, and dessert. It can also be fun to have a potluck, where everyone brings a different dish and you get to try all your friends’ cooking.

Devan and Beren both like hosting dinner parties. But as you’ll find out, they have very different ideas about what the ideal dinner party would be like.

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.

Beren

Devan

Beren: Devo, do you like to have people over for dinner, like groups of people, groups of friends?

Devan: Like dinner parties?

Beren: Mm-hmm.

Devan: Yeah, I love hosting dinner parties.

Beren: Hmm.

Devan: I’m kind of a control freak and I like to have anything done my way.

Beren: So you’re not into potlucks.

Devan: Not so much, really. I don’t like when people bring things over, especially if it doesn’t go with everything else I’ve prepared.

Beren: Really?

Devan: Like I like…you know, I make everything, like I’ll make the different things I saute and bake and all the dips that I make. I like to make everything coordinate and go together.

Beren: Do you like to make guacamole?

Devan: Yes. So like if someone brings some like Pace Picante salsa to the dinner party then I’m gonna be pissed.

Beren: That upsets you? It doesn’t go with the guacamole?

Devan: Yeah.

Beren: What if you have a guest that’s allergic to avocado?

Devan: Then I will accommodate them. I’m very good about these things. I just like to have it my way, you know.

Beren: Huh.

Devan: What about you, do you like to have dinner parties?

Beren: I do, but I prefer the potluck. I like it when people bring over different dishes, and, you know, casseroles. And then you don’t…if you’re hosting you don’t really have to do anything. Just let people come over.

Devan: But you still have to clean it all up.

Beren: Oh that’s true. That’s what I don’t like, the clean up.

Devan: Yeah. I would agree with that.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Devan loves having dinner parties. When she has a group of friends over for dinner, she likes to control everything. She prefers to prepare all the food to be sure it all tastes good together.

Beren likes to have dinner parties to, but she isn’t a control freak like Devan. She doesn’t mind when people bring dishes with them to her house. In fact, she loves hosting potlucks because then she doesn’t have to do as much work. But no matter what type of dinner party you host, you always have to clean up, unless you have really polite guests who do their own dishes.

Do you like to host dinner parties? Do you prefer potlucks or dinner parties where you do all the work? What foods do you like to make for dinner parties or potlucks?

Comments

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21 through 34 of 34
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Youth

Saudi Arabia

I think it depends on the kind of poeple you are hosting. If they are closed friends I would prefer potlucks. But if they are people from work or people whom I have formal relationship with them, I would do everything by myself.

nice lesson (:

euden-d

Bhutan

Frankly I don't like hosting dinner parties where I have to do all the work myself. I would rather have potlucks.

kareem-jo

Egypt

nice topic

new_moon_cat

Brazil

Hosting dinner parties, especially the first one, really makes you feel

you became a true adult. That's how I felt about the first time I had

some friends of mine as guests, a few years ago. But I also felt

anxious about it! I was afraid that the food would not be good enough,

that the dishes would not fit the guests' taste, that I would not be a

nice hostess, etc… It is really fun to have people over for dinner,

but, frankly, I prefer going to dinner parties… =p If I had to invite

some friends for dinner again, I would rather arrange a potluck, even

if I had to be the only one to clean up… At least, washing up does

not make me anxious and worried… \=)

rosendo

Mexico

i rather a potluck , bcs u taste other dishes from u friends , but almost , they bring junkfood , but what's the matter , the point is to have a time to loose the arms .

have nice weekend!!!!

ads999111q

India

hosting a dinner & calling other gender is truly becoming an adult…

juanlara

Mexico

I prefer potlucks are so funny. I like guacamole with nachos and cheese.

fly_liyan

China

could you tell me how to use

supposed supposed to supposed to be

I am not clearly so i want you can help please !!!

ivyxie

China

I don't like to host dinner paries,but i like to go to the dinner parties.

I prefer potlucks

foufou363363

Lebanon

i'm a control freak like Devan, i prefer to prepare everything when i have a group of friens over for dinner. i hate those pot lucks.For dinner parties i like to make salads,many kind of dip, french fries with chicken wings, pizzas….