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New Year's Party

Date: Jan 01 2008

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.

New Year’s Eve is a great holiday for young people. First of all, it’s not really associated with a particular religion, so everyone can celebrate it. Second, there isn’t really a ritual associated with New Year’s Eve except for partying. There’s no one to buy gifts for, no family members you may or may not want to see. Your only worry is finding someone to be your midnight kiss, and who doesn’t like a kiss, right?

Marni and Mason are planning a New Year’s Eve party. Watch them check out a downtown rooftop as a possible location.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

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.

Marni

Mason

Marni: So what do you think?

Mason: I think it’s awesome.

Marni: Yeah I think this would be a great spot for our party.

Mason: We could totally throw the best New Year’s party here. We can see the fireworks that are going to happen over the river.

Marni: Yeah, totally.

Mason: And we’ll be able to hear all the stuff that’s going on in the center of the city.

Marni: Downtown celebrations, but we’ll be above it all.

Mason: It’s going to be cold. We’ll have to tell people to bundle up.

Marni: Warm jackets. But we can get those little space heaters and stuff. You can rent those.

Mason: Yeah, totally.

Marni: Yeah. It’ll be great.

Mason: Usually my New Year’s…it’s pretty mellow. I like to go out of town and get a cabin with a couple of friends or something.

Marni: Really?

Mason: Yeah.

Marni: I love a rager. Just a huge party to ring in the New Year. It’s like my annual night of just partying.

Mason: The one night?

Marni: There’s some holidays I don’t really like to have a big party and drink a lot and get crazy, but New Year’s Eve, you know?

Mason: Yeah, woo!

Marni: A new year. We made it! One more year.

Mason: Yeah. Some other countries New Year’s is like a way bigger deal here though. Japan, China, a lot of Asian countries, it’s like seriously huge.

Marni: Well and they have a different New Year’s celebration, I mean they celebrate, you know…

Mason: True, true.

Marni: ...the year of the rat, the new Chinese year.

Mason: I ought to go there for New Year’s sometime.

Marni: That would be really fun. You should.

Mason: They put ours to shame.

Marni: Yeah, we should see it.

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Discussion

Marni and Mason agree that they’ve found a good place to have a New Year’s Eve party. They’ll be able to see the fireworks and everything going on downtown.

The only drawback is that a rooftop in the middle of the winter might be a little cold. They’ll just tell people to wear jackets and rent some heaters.

Mason is excited for the party because he usually spends New Year’s Eve with just a few friends. Marni always likes a big party on New Year’s Eve.

Of course, the biggest New Year’s party is in China on the Chinese New Year. Mason says he’d like to visit China for their new year sometime.

How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve? Is there a special custom in your country?