Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. parenting
    • ex. Jim says that parenting isn’t easy, but he loves being a dad.
  2. a checkup
    • ex. I go to the doctor for a checkup every year.
  3. insurance
    • ex. I have health insurance and life insurance.
  4. insist
    • ex. My friend insisted that he saw me at the mall last night, but I wasn’t there.
  5. sure enough
    • ex. I thought it was $2, but Kevin said it was $1. Sure enough, he was right!

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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A mom recently learned that she’d been celebrating her son’s birthday on the wrong day for two years. Emily Vondrachek, a popular Tiktok creator, shared the embarrassing story with her 1.2 million followers. She said that she hoped her “mom fail” would help other moms feel better about their own parenting mistakes.

Vondrachek had recently taken her three-year-old son, Henry, for a checkup. The doctor’s office called her and said that the insurance company wouldn’t pay because Henry’s birthday didn’t match their records. Vondrachek had told the doctor that Henry’s birthday was February 26th, but her insurance company insisted it was February 25th. Vondracheck was going to call them to complain, but she decided to check the birth announcement on Facebook first. Sure enough, Henry’s birthday was the 25th!

As a mom to four children all under the age of six, Vondrachek explained that she’s tired but doing her best. “I love my kids, okay?” she said. She explained that they might not have their birthday celebration on the right day, but they do always celebrate it!

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Birthdays

  • What do you think about Vondrachek celebrating her son’s birthday on the wrong day for two years? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think it’s important to celebrate birthdays? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your culture, what birthdays are the most important (ex. 16, 20)? Why? Discuss.

“Fails”

  • Do you think it’s a good idea to share stories about parenting “fails” on social media? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, why are videos and social media posts about people’s “fails” so popular (ex. they’re funny, they make other people feel better)? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what was your biggest “fail” (ex. decorated a cake really badly, forgot your friend’s birthday)? Why? Discuss.