First of all, watch the video through, so that you can get familiar with their conversation.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following:
- Use of I mean to paraphrase what you have just said and make yourself clear
- Showing agreement: It’s true; Yeah; Yeah, no; I suppose; Exactly
- Conversation fillers to gain some thinking time: Well, you know
- Use of vague language: kind of ; the same sorts of things
- Use of so as a linking word
- Showing surprise: Yeah?; Oh, they don’t set up Christmas trees?; Oh, even better!
- Use of (wi)ll to express habits and repeated action in the present: they'll set up; they’ll have the, at least the traditional Spaniards will have a nativity scene; they’ll get presents
- Use of really to emphasize the verb
- Use of anyway to add a statement that limits what you have just said
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with a friend and relative and discuss Christmas. How do you feel about them? How do you celebrate them? Has the celebration changed much over time? Has it been influenced by globalization? Is it too commercial these days? What do you know about the way Christmas in celebrated in other families, other countries or other cultures?
Don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised in this lesson.
Because Christmas now is so commercial. I mean, you go to the shops in September and there’s Christmas trees and decorations, and you can visit Santa and tell him what you want, and . . .
It’s true. And have you seen the lights in London? The street lights in London? Every year they’re themed on some kind of film or product line…
Yeah.
All over the streets it’s selling something…
Yeah.
It’s, it’s almost criminal.
Yeah.
But at the same time, when you walk around and you see the Christmas lights, and you have that warm feeling that it’s nearly Christmas . . .
Not when Hollywood’s right behind them.
Yeah, no. I don’t like to be told what to do, and I feel like Christmas, you know...
Right.
…it’s all about telling you you’ve got to buy presents and every year you feel like you’ve got to buy more and it kind of snowballs and becomes [Yeah.] this huge thing.
That’s absurd.
It gets more and more expensive.
Of course, I don’t even celebrate it any longer. I, I’ve been living in Spain for a long time so it’s, I celebrate Three Kings Day.
Tell us about that, when, when is Three Kings Day?
It’s on the sixth, I think, the sixth of January.
Yeah?
Yeah and they have, instead of, instead of, setting up a Christmas tree, which they might do, they’ll set up a nativity scene.
Oh, they don’t set up Christmas trees?
Well, I mean now they do a little bit, but they more often they’ll have the, at least the traditional Spaniards will have a nativity scene. They get more excited.
That’s closer to the original reason so it’s better than a tree.
Yeah.
I suppose.
And are there, there’s presents that are exchanged?
Yeah, I mean, they, they, often they’ll get presents on both days.
Oh, even better!
Or even on Christmas Eve, so it’s like there… it’s lost all its meaning for me because I mean they don’t, associate it with the same sorts of things I associate it with. I mean the nostalgia, I mean Christmas past…
Exactly, that’s…
…or all, all the sorts of things that . . . all the symbols that make sense to me or . . . they just don’t make any sense here.
And do they leave milk and cookies out for the Three Kings?
I don’t think so, no. Not in my family, anyway. But we’re not, we don’t really celebrate it in a big way.
And do they believe in Santa?
No they don’t.
That’s such a shame! You remember thinking, Oh my gosh! Santa’s got my letter and he’s going to deliver my presents.
Oh yeah.
Yeah, I still kind of think that sometimes.
