Text Me Merry Christmas listening + reading

Which are your favourite Christmas songs?

B Read the article below and summarise in your own

words what Kristen Bell’s Christmas song is about.

TIME MAGAZINE December 2014

Kristen Bell’s where a text message today

provides a measly substitute
Christmas,” which led to a five-
album record deal.
Christmas Song for the in-person visits of yore. It may be out of fashion to

for the Selfie The lyrics (“I’ll go ‘neath

Generation
This holiday season, let your
loved ones know you care by
going through the tremendous
effort of selecting the right
emoji for a text message. So
says Kristen Bell in a newly-
released holiday song, “Text
Me Merry Christmas,” recorded
with a cappella group Straight
No Chaser. The song pokes
fun — very lightly, perhaps
too lightly — at the increasing
informality of communication,
the mistletoe and pretend
lament the adverse effects of
technology. But it’s not hard
my screen is you”) are a to imagine that a day will
very intentional far cry come when we yearn for the
from romantic songs of close and personal touch of a
Christmases past, in which winking emoji.
lovers kissed using the old-
fashioned technology of lips
and facial muscles. Bell has
proven her musical talents
before, in projects like Frozen
and a Funny or Die parody
video in which she played the
part of Mary Poppins. And
Straight No Chaser launched
its career in the late ‘90s with
a performance of “12 Days of

b How many Christmas text messages will you send this year? In
your opinion, is communication becoming increasingly informal?
Do you think you will ever yearn for the days of the emoji?

2 Complete the gaps in the lyrics to the song. Then listen and check your ideas.

This holiday Let me know you _______________

You’ll be far away Just a word or two
And I’ll be all alone Of text from you
So please _________________ Will ______________ me you’re still there
This December You don’t have to add much to it
To fully _______________ your phone One smiley ____________ will do
And Baby text me Merry Christmas
Text me Merry Christmas Cause I’m missing kissing you

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Text Me Merry Christmas listening + reading

Hey
How are you?
Ok
Miss u
Miss u too
Xmas sucks without you
I know lol
Love u
Love u
Kthxbye
A Facebook ______________ isn’t quite as sweet
I need more from @you than just a ___________
A snap on snapchat doesn’t ____________
Text me Merry Christmas And voicemail? That’s from Christmas ______
Make my holiday _________________ Text me Merry Christmas
Though you’re far from me Send a selfie too
Say you’ll brb If you do, I’ll go
That’s a text I’ll never _______________ ‘Neath the mistletoe
Choose just the right emoji And pretend my _____________ is you
One that makes me lol Show me that you love me
And if you text me something naughty I promise I Text xo to kiss and hug me
won’t _________ I’ll be right here _______________
I don’t care if you ___________ things right For my pants to start vibrating
I just want to hear from you tonight Baby text me Merry Christmas
Stroke those keys with your delicate touch And I will text you too this Christmas
And type those little words that mean so much! It’s the least that we can do
Hi Merry Christmas!

V Find word partnerships in the article that mean the following.

1. ________________ the period of time from late November to January that

encompasses several celebrations
2.________________ a close relation
3. ________________ an electronic message sent from one cell phone to another by
typing words
4. ________________ a group without musical accompaniment
5. ________________ tease, joke about
6. ________________ from a long time ago
7.________________ a long way
8. ________________ a contract between a record label and an artist

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Text Me Merry Christmas listening + reading

Complete these sentences with the word partnerships:

1. It is common for people to spend time with their ___________________ during the
_________________________.
2. If you can’t play a musical instrument, you can always join an ____________________.
3. Today, most children have televisions in their bedrooms. It’s a ______________ from
when we were children with only one black and white TV in the whole house.
4. Politicians _________________ were more respected than those of today.
5. I get 50 free _______________________ and 100 free minutes of calls included in my
mobile phone contract.
6. They played gigs in local pubs before getting a ___________________ with Sony.

E Explain the meaning of the highlighted phrasal verb in this extract from the article:

TIME MAGAZINE December 2014

This holiday season, let your loved ones know you care by going through the tremendous effort
of selecting the right emoji for a text message.

There are a number of verb combinations with go in English. Complete the gaps to make the
phrasal verbs defined.
1. go _______ _____ fail to keep (one’s word, promise, etc.)
2. go _______ ______ agree to; take the same view as
3. go __________ proceed without hesitation
4. go __________ (especially of foodstuffs) deteriorate; decompose
5. go __________ (often followed by with) be the boyfriend/girlfriend (of)
6. go __________ (of a computer network, etc.) to cease to function

React to these statements using the phrasal verbs:

1. I can’t eat this cheese, it smells terrible.

2. My friends promised me they would help me move house, but they didn’t.
3. Helen and Peter have been a couple for ages.
4. I put up my hand during the meeting and the chairman said I could speak.
5. This is the second time this week that my computer has stopped working.
6. My boss agreed with my suggestion to start working flexitime.
the fish has
gone off
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Text Me Merry Christmas week of 08.12.14
listening + reading
Teacher’s notes 1 student pages 3 intermediate+ (B1+)

Transcript C track 5
This holiday Hi
You’ll be far away Hey
And I’ll be all alone How are you?
So please remember Ok
This December Miss u
To fully charge your phone Miss u too
And Xmas sucks without you
Text me Merry Christmas I know lol
Let me know you care Love u
Just a word or two Love u
Of text from you Kthxbye
Will remind me you’re still there A Facebook message isn’t quite as sweet
You don’t have to add much to it I need more from @you than just a tweet
One smiley face will do A snap on snapchat doesn’t last
Baby text me Merry Christmas And voicemail? That’s from Christmas past
Cause I’m missing kissing you Text me Merry Christmas
Text me Merry Christmas Send a selfie too
Make my holiday complete If you do, I’ll go
Though you’re far from me ‘Neath the mistletoe
Say you’ll brb And pretend my screen is you
That’s a text I’ll never delete Show me that you love me
Choose just the right emoji Text xo to kiss and hug me
One that makes me lol I’ll be right here waiting
And if you text me something naughty I promise I For my pants to start vibrating
won’t tell Baby text me Merry Christmas
I don’t care if you spell things right And I will text you too this Christmas
I just want to hear from you tonight It’s the least that we can do
Stroke those keys with your delicate touch Merry Christmas!
And type those little words that mean so much!

Find word partnerships in the article that mean the following.

1. holiday season 2. loved one 3. text message 4. a cappella group
5. poke fun 6. of yore 7. far cry 8. record deal
Complete these sentences with the word partnerships:
1. loved ones / holiday season 2. a cappella group 3. far cry
4. of yore 5. text messages 6. record deal
Explain the meaning of the highlighted phrasal verb in this extract from the article:
go through = experience; suffer (something)
Complete the gaps to make the phrasal verbs defined.
1. back on 2. along with 3. ahead 4. off 5. out 6. down
React to these statements using the phrasal verbs: Suggested answers:
1. Maybe it has gone off.
2. Your friends went back on their promise.
3. So they’ve been going out for a long time.
4. The chairman told you to go ahead and make your point.
5. Your computer has gone down twice this week.
6. Your boss went along with your suggestion to start working flexitime.