Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a guest of honor
    • ex. The students performed a song to welcome the guests of honor to their school.
  2. diplomatic
    • ex. The two countries had a diplomatic meeting to discuss issues about the economy.
  3. honor
    • ex. During the New Year event, the company honored its workers.
  4. host
    • ex. My friend hosted a birthday party at his house.
  5. an initiative
    • ex. The local government has many initiatives to encourage people to recycle and reduce waste.

Article

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The White House held a state dinner as part of the National Teacher of the Year celebration. First Lady Jill Biden invited the nation’s top teachers to be the guests of honor at the state dinner. Normally, state dinners are organized for leaders of countries. But this was the first time the diplomatic event honored educators in the country.

In April, the first lady, who is also a teacher herself, surprised educator Missy Testerman of Tennessee at a TV program. Testerman is the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. During the program, the first lady also announced the state dinner for the teachers. Biden said hosting the nation’s top teachers is one of her favorite events at the White House. Similarly, Testerman expressed her excitement and thanked Biden.

A state dinner for teachers was held for the first time. But the concept has been done before. For example, Michelle Obama’s initiatives focused on improving kid’s health. So, she hosted the first kids’ state dinner in 2012. While Barack Obama, the first African-American US president, held a state dinner for African leaders in 2014.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

State Dinners

  • Jill Biden hosted a state dinner for the nation’s top teachers at the White House. Why do you think the Bidens had an event like this? Discuss.
  • Normally, state dinners are organized for diplomatic reasons. In your opinion, how important are state dinners? Discuss.
  • Aside from teachers, who do you think should be guests of honor in a state dinner (ex. athletes, soldiers)? Discuss.

Honoring Teachers/Educators

  • In your opinion, how important are teachers/educators? Discuss.
  • In your country, how do people honor teachers (ex. by celebrating teachers' day, by giving them gifts)? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you are choosing a profession. Would you consider becoming an educator? Why or why not? Discuss.