Monday, September 13, 2010
Listening Lesson – “53 Years!”
Story: My parents’ wedding anniversary!
Pronunciation lesson: How to pronounce the word ‘anniversary.’
Listen to the podcast:
*Try to listen at least once without looking at the words!
If you have trouble with your listening skills, here’s something that may help:
How to practice listening
Listening Comprehension Questions:
1. Where did my parents meet?
2. What happened before my mom could go out on a date with my dad?
3. Who did my parents often have to take on dates with them?
4. What did we do this year for their anniversary?
Transcript:
(*Click on the links to learn more about the grammar, vocabulary and expressions used in the story!)
Last week my parents celebrated 53 years of marriage! You heard me correctly: my parents have been married for 53 years. In this day and age, a marriage that lasts for 53 years is quite rare!
My parents met when they worked at the same place as teenagers in the early 1950s. When my dad first asked my mom on a date, my mom had to ask my grandmother for permission to go out with him. Luckily my uncle (my mother’s brother) worked at the same place and knew my father. He told my grandmother that my dad was a good guy and it was OK to let my mother go on a date with him. My uncle often likes to remind my dad of this!
My parents courted for 5 years before they married. They had a lot of fun together. They would go on dates to the movies or they would go out for dinner. My grandmother often made my mother take her two younger sisters with her on dates! My dad told my mother: “stick with me and we’ll go places!” They’ve had a great life together.
My parents are very low-key. They wouldn’t let us throw a big party for them on their 50th anniversary, and they didn’t want to do anything elaborate for their 53rd anniversary either. On the day of their anniversary, we went to a local restaurant for drinks and some appetizers. I bought them a gift card to their favourite coffee store, where they like to sit and do crossword puzzles while they drink their coffee. It was a really nice evening!
Discussion Questions:
How do people celebrate wedding anniversaries in your country?
If you’re married, what do you do to celebrate your wedding anniversary?
Let me know in the comments below!
Pronunciation – How to pronounce ‘anniversary’
The word ‘anniversary’ is 5 syllables:
/æn.Iˈvɝː.sɚ.i/
/æn.əˈvɚ.sɚ.i/
The first syllable is ‘an,’ just like the article ‘an.’ In English, double consonants are only pronounced once, so there is only one ‘n’ sound.
The second syllable is the letter i. In English there are 4 ways to pronounce the letter ‘i.’ In this word, the i is NOT pronounced /i/. You can pronounce it / I / or / ə /.
æn.ə
The third syllable is the stressed syllable. It is said louder and longer than the other syllables.
/ vɝ /
æn.ə.’vɝ
Even though the next syllable is spelled ‘sar,’ the a + r is pronounced /ɚ/, the vowel r sound.
æn.ə.’vɝ.sɚ
Finally, the ‘y’ at the end of the word is pronounced /i/.
Let’s put all these syllables together:
/æn.Iˈvɝː.sɚ.i/
/æn.əˈvɚ.sɚ.i/
Vocabulary
to court
*this is an old-fashioned word that is rarely used today, but it was common when my parents first met!
My parents courted for 5 years before they married.
= to date and be in a romantic relationship with someone that you hope or intend to marry.
in this day and age
In this day and age, a marriage that lasts for 53 years is quite rare!
= in the present time, nowadays
to last
In this day and age, a marriage that lasts for 53 years is quite rare!
= to continue for a period of time
to ask (for) permission
…my mom had to ask my grandmother for permission to go out with him.
= to ask to be allowed/permitted to do something
Stick with me and we’ll go places
My dad told my mother: “stick with me and we’ll go places!”
= This is the punchline of a cute joke:
Q: What did the envelope say to the stamp?
A: Stick with me and we’ll go places!
My dad was joking with my mother and saying that if she spends her life with him, they will ‘go places’ – they will be successful and have a happy life together.
low-key
My parents are very low-key.
= My parents didn’t want people to make a fuss about their anniversary. They wanted something quiet, relaxed and without a lot of excitement.
to throw a party
They wouldn’t let us throw a big party for them on their 50th anniversary…
= to have a party, to host or prepare a party
appetizers
…we went to a local restaurant for drinks and some appetizers.
= not a full meal, small amounts of food before the main course.
Thank you dear Melanie, it is a really great job, it is very very helpful for me.
It is so pleasent to hear such a nice love story, unfortunatelly my parents are divorsed. nino tsamalaidze (from facebook)
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Hello Nino,
Thank you for taking the time to listen & leave a comment! I’m happy to hear this was helpful. I’m sorry to hear your parents are divorced. Hopefully it was an amicable divorce.
Take care,
Melanie
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Thank you for your effort….
My parent had the same story like you and they were together until my Mother left this life and they had 11 (now fully grew) children…me as the last son of my Mother, I have married and my marriage lasted in two months, not my mistake anyway and have a child from this marriage …praise be to God now I am quite ok with my child and I visit my child every weekend once as I am busy with school and work. I have never celebrated my wedding anniversary as it is now about second anniversary and my child is now 1,6y..as well I have never seen my parent celebrating their wedding anniversary…thanks for asking.
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Hello Abdullahi,
Thank you for sharing your story! I’m sorry to hear that you have never celebrate a wedding anniversary. I hope someday you will find a new wife! You sound like a very dedicated father.
All the best,
Melanie
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Hi Melaine,
I really like your method of teaching it’s absolutely interesing and your accent is very clear and understandable.
I hope that someday will be able to afford travling to toronto and enjoy finding out new cultures. going on a date with a canadian girl would be a real pleasure.
Thank you so much for your effort and your great English lessons.
Mohammad Al Qarni
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Hello Mohammad!
Thank you for your kind words about my listening lesson! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope one day your dream will come true! Many people come to Toronto to study English!
All the best in 2012,
Melanie
= )
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