Lesson 7: Prayers and Wishes
Just remember: Be careful what you wish for!

I can talk about prayers and wishes.

INTRODUCE

Discussing prayers and wishes is a great way to get to know a person’s hopes and dreams.

PRESENT

STEP A EXPRESSIONS

I. Go over the expressions with your tutor.  

    1. To make a wish means to think about what you want and hope that it will happen.

     

    On my birthday, I’ll make a wish to meet my favorite singer.

     

     

    2. People say be careful what you wish for to tell someone to think carefully because they might regret their wish.

     

    Starting a business requires a lot of responsibility. Be careful what you wish for!

     

     

    3. If your wish comes true, that means it happened in real life.

     

    If that’s what you want, then I hope your wish comes true.

     

    II. Your friend made three wishes. How would you respond to each wish?

    I made a wish about…

    I hope your wish

    comes true!

    Be careful what you

    wish for!

    1. winning ten million dollars

    2. having a twin

    3. being a famous celebrity

STEP B PRONUNCIATION

When one word ends with a consonant sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound, they are often linked together.
Phrase Example

make a

/ mey-kuh /

Blow out the candles and / mey-kuh / wish!

UNDERSTAND

SPEAKING

Mami, Kelsie, and Yuko are at a shrine.

Mami:

What did you wish for, Yuko?

Yuko:

You know how my dream is to start my own business? Well, I made a wish to finally get the chance to do it this year.

Mami:

Wow, that’s great! I can’t wait to see your wish come true! How about you, Kelsie? Did you make a wish?

Kelsie:

Yeah…

Mami:

So, what did you wish for?

Kelsie:

Oh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret!

Mami:

Is it because I haven’t told you mine yet? (laughs) Well, you girls already know what my wish is.

Kelsie:

Let me guess… A boyfriend? (laughs) But really, I can’t tell you girls what I wished for. If I do, there’s a chance it won’t come true.

Mami:

Really? Well, whatever it is, just remember: Be careful what you wish for!

TRIVIA

In Western culture, many people believe that if you tell someone what you wished for, it won’t come true.  Now, that’s one way to keep children from saying what they want all the time!

PRACTICE

STEP A EXERCISE

Complete the dialogues using the pictures and the expressions in the box. The form of some expressions may need to be changed.

be careful what you wish for
come true
make a wish

1.

I wish I could study abroad someday.

I hope your wish _____.

2.

I want to be a celebrity with millions of fans!

Well, _____.

3.

What can I do when I visit a shrine?

You can pray or _____.

STEP B EXERCISE

Complete the conversations using the expressions in the box. Some expressions may be used more than once, and the form of some expressions may need to be changed.

be careful what you wish for
come true
make a wish

1.

Tutor: Wow, you made me a birthday cake? Thank you!

Student: Blow out the candles and _____!

2.

Tutor: I want to have a really big family in the future.

Student: Are you sure about that? _____!

3.

Tutor: What are you going to do?

Student: I’m going to _____.

Tutor: Oh, that’s nice!

Student: Yeah, I just hope it _____.

CHALLENGE

Challenge 1

Today is Tanabata. You and your foreign friend wrote your wishes on pieces of paper. Talk about what you wished for.

Today's Expressions

  • come true
  • make a wish
  • be careful what you wish for

Challenge 2

Discuss your ideas.

If Time
Allows
1

MAKING A WISH
2

WHERE TO MAKE A WISH
3

TANABATA
1

MAKING A WISH

  1. What do you wish will happen to you in five years?
  2. How can you make it come true?
  3. Should people wait for their wishes to come true or make them happen?
  4. What’s the strangest wish you’ve heard from someone?

2WHERE TO MAKE A WISH

  1. In Japan, where can people go to make a wish?
  2. What’s the most popular place in Japan to make a wish?
  3. Have you ever gone there?
  4. Where do you prefer to make a wish?

3TANABATA

  1. What do people do during Tanabata?
  2. Do a lot of people celebrate it?
  3. What was the last thing you wished for during Tanabata?
  4. Have you ever made a wish during Tanabata that came true?

FEEDBACK

I can talk about prayers and wishes.

LESSON GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • 4
    Very Good

    Could complete the task with ease

  • 3
    Good

    Could complete the task with some clarifications

  • 2
    Fair

    Could complete the task with additional instructions

  • 1
    Poor

    Could somehow complete the task with difficulty

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK