Episode 278
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Hi! Welcome to a special podcast about Thanksgiving! I'm Georgiana, your English teacher, and I want to tell you about Thanksgiving.
Ok, let's start!
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US and Canada. It's a special day when people express their gratitude for things like family and food.
Why People Celebrate this holiday: Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for good things. Many people have a big meal with family and friends.
When It Is Celebrated: Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, it's on the second Monday of October.
Where It Is Celebrated: People celebrate Thanksgiving in their homes or with family in other places. Others travel to be with family.
What's the origin of this holiday? Thanksgiving began long ago when Pilgrims from England came to America on a ship called the Mayflower. Pilgrims are people who have a tough journey because of their religion, and these ones came to America so they could practice their religion freely.
When they came to America, it was tough. It was cold, and they didn't have much food. But Native Americans, showed the Pilgrims how to grow food like corn, beans, and squash.
In 1621, the Pilgrims had a good harvest during the fall because of what they learned from the Native Americans. So they had a big meal together to say thank you and celebrate. The feast is known as the first Thanksgiving.
Since then, Thanksgiving has been a special day when people come together with their families. They usually eat turkey, potatoes, veggies, and pie. Some people also watch parades and football games on TV.
As you can see, Thanksgiving is a wonderful day celebrated in the United States and Canada. Even if you're from another place, it's good to remember that Thanksgiving is all about being thankful and enjoying time with your loved ones.
Now, let’s practice.
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GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
Present Tense - Third Person
Joe feels excited and a bit nervous. His American friend, Mike, has asked him to join his family for Thanksgiving.
In Joe's mind, Thanksgiving is about saying thanks, like sending cards with kind words. So, he spends a long time getting ready. He buys cards, writes lovely messages, and packs a big suitcase full of these thank-you notes.
When Joe arrives at Mike's house, everyone says hello with big smiles and hugs. Joe quickly shows his suitcase full of thank-you cards, hoping they will like them.
Mike's family is a bit confused but finds it funny, and they look at each other in surprise. Mike, trying not to laugh too much, explains to Joe that Thanksgiving is really about being together, eating delicious food, and saying thanks for good things.
Joe feels a bit embarrassed but also relieved.
During the day, Joe learns how to cook some traditional dishes, talks about his own experiences, and, most importantly, feels the warmth and togetherness that Thanksgiving brings to American families.
The dinner is cheerful, with laughter, stories, and tasty food. Even though he initially feels a bit out of place, Joe soon feels like part of the group. He even gives some of his cards, which makes everyone smile and laugh.
At the end of the day, as Joe says goodbye, he realizes that, even though he didn't understand it at first, he has really felt the true spirit of Thanksgiving: being thankful, sharing, and enjoying each other's company. With a lighter suitcase but a happy heart, Joe knows this will be an experience he will never forget.
Past Tense - Second Person
On a chilly morning you felt excited and a bit nervous. Your American friend, Mike, had asked you to join his family for Thanksgiving.
In your mind, Thanksgiving was about saying thanks, like sending cards with kind words. So, you spent a long time getting ready. You bought cards, wrote lovely messages, and packed a big suitcase full of these thank-you notes.
When you arrived at Mike's house, everyone said hello with big smiles and hugs. You quickly showed your suitcase full of thank-you cards, hoping they would like them.
Mike's family was a little confused but found it funny, and they looked at each other with surprise. Mike, trying not to laugh too much, explained that Thanksgiving was about being together, eating delicious food, and saying thanks for good things.
You felt a bit embarrassed but also relieved. During the day, you learned how to cook some traditional dishes, talked about your own experiences, and, most importantly, felt the warmth and togetherness that Thanksgiving brought to American families.
The dinner was happy, with laughter, stories, and tasty food. Even though you felt a bit out of place, you soon felt part of the group. You even gave some of your cards, which made everyone smile and laugh.
At the end of the day, as you said goodbye, you realized that, even though you didn't understand it at first, you had really felt the true spirit of Thanksgiving: being thankful, sharing, and enjoying each other's company. With a lighter suitcase but a happy heart, you knew this would be an experience you would never forget.
Great! I hope you enjoyed this special story about Thanksgiving. I'm really thankful for having you! 🤗
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
gratitude
the feeling of being thankful.
Pilgrim
a person who travels for religious reasons; here, an early English settler.
Mayflower
the ship that carried the Pilgrims to North America.
harvest
the gathering of crops.
feast
a large special meal.
turkey
the bird traditionally eaten at Thanksgiving.
parade
a public procession celebrating a special occasion.
thankful
feeling pleased and grateful.
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