English, baby!

Friday the 13th

Date: Mar 11 2009

Themes: Alternative, Holidays

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Go Super!

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.

For superstitious people, Friday the 13th is the scariest day of the year. Some people believe that whenever the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, it’s an unlucky day. This year there are two Friday the 13ths. The first one happened last month, and this Friday will be the next one.

Friday the 13th is also the name of a classic slasher movie that has recently been remade. In the original film, a young boy, Jason Voorhees, drowns in a lake while he’s away at summer camp. His mother takes her revenge by killing all the camp counselors and then Jason comes back to kill people for 13 more movies. Ella and Marni both love slasher films. Listen to them talk about Friday the 13th, the new movie and the day.

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.

Ella

Marni

Ella: Oh my gosh. I love scary movies.

Marni: Me too. I can’t get enough of them.

Ella: Have you seen Friday the 13th?

Marni: Now are you talking about the original or the remake?

Ella: Um, I think the one that just came out.

Marni: Yes, it is a remake actually of the original. But the first one at Camp Silver Creek, I mean, I loved it, and it was totally terrifying, and it really started this whole genre.

Ella: Of slasher films?

Marni: Slasher films, and you know, Jason Voorhees, and you would just think of that hockey mask and be terrified. You never looked at a hockey mask the same!

Ella: Yeah! Well isn’t he supposed to be dead, didn’t he drown at the camp?

Marni: The whole premise is that he was a boy who drowned at the camp, and everybody… his mom felt like he should’ve been saved. I mean, ‘cause in the original, the mother was actually the villain.

Ella: Oh, well that’s different. You don’t expect that.

Marni: Yeah…Does Friday the 13th freak you out? Are you superstitious?

Ella: I don’t know, I haven’t had anything bad happen to me yet, but I was extra cautious.

Marni: I always feel that way too. But I definitely know that people…some people…I have friends that are terribly superstitious and they won’t even leave the house.

Ella: Yeah, and they watch for the black cats.

Marni: Exactly, don’t walk under a ladder…

Ella: Don’t break a mirror…

Marni: All those things.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Simple Past Tense" from this lesson

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

Ella and Marni talk about the classic slasher film, Friday the 13th, which has just been remade. The earlier Friday the 13th films forever changed the way people looked at hockey masks, because the killer in the film wears one.

Neither Ella nor Marni are very superstitious. However, they still think it’s a good idea to be extra careful on Friday the 13th. Marni knows some people who are extremely superstitious. They get scared on Friday the 13th and they also follow other superstitions. For example, they try to avoid black cats, they don’t walk under ladders, and they try not to break any mirrors.

Are you superstitious or do you know someone who’s superstitious? What are some superstitions in your country?

Comments

1 through 20 of 60
Next >
1 2 3

Staisy

Russian Federation

I have seen neither the original nor the remake of Friday the 13th, and it is out of my interest now,although there was a time when I could not get enough of scary movies. And of course I dont belive that this date is unlucky.

kpl

Taiwan

black cat has been a mark of a transport company . it's very cute .

ciccleo

Brazil

The supertitions in my country are the same about the balck cats, ladders and so on… I don't think I'm superticious. Bad times can come any date!

psycocreazy

Mexico

for me friday 13 is a day like the other noting inportant, i dontt know where i read or if somebody told me that the real meaning of friday 13 is because when jesus was bron the king of that time gived intruction to kill all childrens of 1 or 2 years

mickee85

Philippines

I don't believe in friday the 13th as well. Unexpected things always come in an unexpected day.

Hani44

Saudi Arabia

Really amazing,,,,,,I can't close my eyes

mirandabo

Taiwan

I think I love slasher movies, but I need my companions surrounding me when I watch them. So when I feel scared, I can hug them and scream. Ha!

I think 13 is not a bad number for us. We think 4 is an unlucky number because its pronunciation is similar to the pronunciation of 'die' in Chinese. So in hospitals, you won't see the 4th floor. We skip it.

mirandabo

Taiwan

I think I love slasher movies, but I need my companions surrounding me when I watch them. So when I feel scared, I can hug them and scream. Ha!

Actually, 13 is not a bad number for us. We think 4 is an unlucky number because its pronunciation is similar to the pronunciation of 'die' in Chinese. So in hospitals, you won't see the 4th floor. We skip it.

Jaisy

Taiwan

sometimes i am a little supertitious ! when i'm alone.

i think a lot when i'm alone !

zeinabou

Egypt

I cant beleive that till now we find a superstitous people especially in a country like USA IT MEANS that human being is the same everywhere…........

zeinabou

Egypt

I HATE SLASHER MOVIES FOR ME IT S A WAISTING TIME

luu.-21

Argentina

I'm not superstitious eg. yesterday, friday the 13th, i wasn't going to realized that it was friday the 13th if my friend didn't tell me which day was it haha!

The superstitious of my country are the same that were mentioned. breaking mirrors, seeing black cats, walking under ladders and stuff. Or sometimes a lot of people here send e-mails saying Hello I'm samatha (the girl of the movie, the call) and I'm dead. If you don't send this I will kill you in 1 hour! send this to 20 persons. Haha and although it sounds stupid, a lot of people do that because are too much supertitious

andiusia

United Kingdom

I` think this is wrong if somebody thinking that Friday the 13th is bad and scariest day… i`m not superstitious. Everyday can come something bad to people.

lala_smith

Jordan

I am not a superstitious person , but I have a reverse thing that in the morning when I see something good like a beautiful bird , a handsome guy ….,I feel that my day will by lucky and good so that make me happy and relax .

There are some superstitions in my country that I don’t believe in like black cat ( it’s a devil ) or owl ( someone will die )

i dont like these movies i feel scary and i cant sleep that night

lala_smith

Jordan

There are some superstitions in my country that I don’t believe in like black cat ( it’s a devil ) or owl ( someone will die )

itanz

Thailand

last 13 feb is bad luck for me , my car had accident with cows,that died. i so sad

linghe1210

Taiwan

Once I got a big Prize by choosing a number of 13!! I won 1,448 US dollars by the number! what does that explain? Bad luck?

little cherry

Lithuania

Yeah,great film ;)

Emmie_18

Slovenia

i had a birthday party on friday the 13th in february… i had 18yrs.:P it was really cool… :) we had no bad luck, but we were very drunk and stoned.. =) haha…..