Learn English with this holiday English lesson

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen

• dive
• dashing
• ball
• ring in

• meh
• New Year's Eve
• dressed up
• a let down

• glamorous

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

Go Super to Listen

Three…two…one…meh. New Year’s Eve is supposed to be lots of fun. It’s the biggest party night of the year. Everyone gets dressed up and goes someplace special to count down to midnight.

The problem is, the expectations are so high for New Year’s Eve, that it’s easy to be disappointed. What if you’re stuck in traffic at midnight? That’s no way to start a new year. Or what if you didn’t get invited to any parties?

In this New Year’s Eve English lesson, Jason is excited for the holiday, but Vanessa is preparing for the worst.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Vanessa

Jason:  Hey it’s New Year’s Eve tonight, what are you going to do?

Vanessa:  I always get so excited for New Year’s Eve every year and it always turns out to be kind of a let down.

Jason:  How could it be a let down? It’s the biggest party night of the year!

Vanessa:  Well, I don’t know, I see all these holiday advertisements where there’s beautiful, sparkly gowns and glasses of champagne, and I just always really want to go to a glamorous party or something on New Year’s Eve. Have you ever been to anything like that?

Jason:  I guess I so. You know, it seems like whatever you do is sort of glamorous in your memory after the fact. I spent New Year’s Eve 2007 in a dive bar but for some reason, since it was New Year’s Eve, it just seems like it was a magical evening, even though I’m sure it wasn’t.

Vanessa:  Really?

Jason:  Yeah!

Vanessa:  I don’t know, I guess I always pictured myself on the arm of someone dashing in a tuxedo, in a beautiful ball gown, like New Year’s Eve in the movies. But, yet again, no glamorous ball this year.

Jason:  There’s got to be a glamorous ball somewhere! Maybe you can even have one at your house.

Vanessa:  No, I already have plans for New Year’s Eve.

Jason:  What’s that?

Vanessa:  I’m babysitting for my three-year-old niece.

Jason:  OK…well…I hope you guys ring it in in style.

Grammar Point

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

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3