English, baby!

The Big 1-8

Date: Aug 03 2007

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.

The last few years of your teens and the first few years of your twenties are so important. Everyone does a lot of growing up in those years, and depending on what country you live in, you come into different rights along the way.

Like most places, turning 18 in the United States is a big deal. Kevin’s Nephew is about to turn 18. Listen to him tell Marni about it.

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.

Kevin

Marni

Kevin: So my nephew is just about to turn 18.

Marni: Oh, God. Do you remember turning 18?

Kevin: I do, it was really exciting.

Marni: It was really exciting! It felt like this momentous event. I was thinking about this actually because I was just recently in Argentina and that’s the legal drinking age, you know, 18.

Kevin: Like in most countries.

Marni: In most countries. Not in the US. In the US it means getting vote, which is a great thing, but, you know, the drinking age is 21 here.

Kevin: You can go to war. you can go to some casinos, like where I grew up I went gambling for the first time, which was kind of fun, I lost a bunch of money. It was very exciting, but it was kind of disappointing that you couldn’t drink a beer. Well we were anyway…

Marni: That happens. It’s sort of this mile marker and depending where you are in school a lot of times it’s the end of your senior year so it just feels like this turning point, I think.

Kevin: And then we kind of get ready to leave. Like, I left for college, moved out of my parents house, lived in a dorm, lived in a different state.

Marni: A lot of transition.

Kevin: It was great. Very exciting.

Marni: It is very exciting. Well, tell your cousin? Nephew?

Kevin: Nephew.

Marni: ..nephew, “Happy birthday.”

Kevin: I will.

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Kevin’s nephew is about to turn 18, so Marni asks him if he remembers turning 18. He says it was a really exciting time and Marni agrees. She was just thinking about what it means to turn 18 because she was in Argentina where you can drink when you’re 18. In the US, you have to be 21 to drink alcohol.

But there are a lot of other things you can do when you’re 18 in the US. Kevin and Marni mention that you can vote, gamble and fight in wars. You can also get married or go to a strip club.

What rights do people get when they turn 18 in your country?

Comments

1 through 20 of 44
Next >
1 2 3

loklokloklok32

Hong Kong

no matter how 18 or 21, i had been drinking frequently before 18. haha～～～～

amany7

Saudi Arabia

me too BaRbIcAn ;)
before I was 18 my parents had some kind of control in my life just like any kid ,, actuly i was a good incconce gurl ;)....
after 18 the socitey is doing its job you have to take care of every thing you do as agurl…...
here it is illigal for gurls to drive also we don’t have any kind of voting coz no elections .
gamping and drinking are forbidden …
boys are allowed to drive in the age of 16 and it is normal to see a boy 13 \14 years old driving although it is illigal…
no thing so much different exccept that I moved to college and stopped wearing that school uniform ..;)
good topic ….:))))))))

BaRbIcAn88

United Arab Emirates

I wish if i can return to the past and being 18 again loool

Jajani

Sri Lanka

It was a turning point in my life which cannot be forgotten.I was reading the Bible . It said ,"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life". Oh what a privilege ! I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.God has been sooo good to me I strongly feel I should tell this to all

stellatse

China

I’m just about 18_{~happy special birthday to me ~}

coolest ^_*

United Arab Emirates

that is very nice topic thank you ^_

Entropia

Mexico

When I was a child, I wanted to have 18, then I had 18 and my life was the same because I lived in my parents house. I think that 18 could be a special moment if you decide to live alone and have independency.

I think that while you live in parents house, you must respect the rules established by them.

yessy90

Puerto Rico

I have 17 years old and I'm so excite because on February 19 I'll turn to my 18 years old. I'm happy because my mom told me that I could have my driver license. Also because my father is going to buy me a new automatic mustang….

mare1

Iraq

Turning 18 hey how cares !!!?i’m 23 now .

Longking Penn

China

we don't have legal drinking age in China, i can drink alcohol when i was born if i like. when i was 18, i start having the right to vote, but i did not care, because i did not think the vote has anything to do with me. but when i was 16, i have to fake my personal id card as 18 yrs old in order to get a drive lisence.

Ada1218

China

oh.i am 21 now. i have so many friends when i was 18 and keep in touch with they

i really miss that time

Kruschen49

Philippines

Well, as far as i remembered. I was still in college that time. But anyway, turning 18 is a really big deal. It is the start of manhood, adulthood. It is a big responsibility that will come your way. You will learn how to live by yourself, decide for yourself, choose the right path for your ife. But sometimes, turning 18 is very crucial because some teenagers are very experimental. They want to experience something different example, drink alcohol, drugs, gambling and sometimes they did not care what will happen next. Even though they are 18 they should look back and ask their parents guidance. So they will lead to the right path.

Kruschen49

Philippines

shadower88

Switzerland

I live in switzerland and in my country you can started to drink beer and vine with 16 years but for the hard drinks you must be 18

shadower88

Switzerland

very nice topic

ratormo

Spain

Hello

Many people seems to say that when they reach 18 responsibility and adulthood drop automatically, I think 18 is only an age which some banned things are allowed. Maturity is a gradual process, some teenagers seem mature before 18 but others not, I wonder how we can estimate maturity in 18 year old young?

Cheers

salty man

Saudi Arabia

of course, 18 is the important year in our live

in my country no casinos, no drink , no glambling

calipha3

Egypt

It makes no difference here, to reach 18 or 21 or whatever,ayear come and ayear gone

Jesse Zeng

China

Well,i am 18 now.it’s a great moment! i’m more mature.but i m still innocent,full of energy to catch my dream! it’s the line between child and adault.i really like it!

Jenniferlove

China

well, when i turned 18 i was a freshman, the first year i stayed far away from my family. As a Chinese girl, I didn't get so much freedom that year. But, really, I got mature, kind of independence.
It's great!