46716 what do you know about superstitions in britain

In pairs, decide whether the following statements bring GOOD or BAD luck in Britain.. Find a cover plant with four leaves Spill salt Catch falling leaves in autumn Put new shoes on the t

HANDOUT ONE:

What do you know about Superstitions in Britain?

TASK ONE In pairs, decide whether the following statements bring GOOD or BAD luck in Britain

Friday thirteen – Touch wood – Spill salt – Find a cover plant with four leaves – A black cat – Walk underneath a ladder - See a magpie – Put new shoes on the table - Break a mirror – A horseshoe – Open an umbrella indoors – Catch falling leaves in autumn

GOOD LUCK:

BAD LUCK:

TASK TWO In pairs, put the beginnings and the ends together, using the expressions from the box

the sky – angry - left hand - get married – good luck – at the corner – seven years – a black cat – nose – some money – a mirror – the weather

1 If you see _, a will be fine tomorrow

2 If you are _ of a table, b you’ll get soon

3 If is red this evening, c you’ll have _

4 If your _ itches, d you’ll not

5 If you break _, e you’ll get _

6 If your _ itches, f you’ll have of bad luck

TASK THREE In groups of four, discuss the following questions

1 Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country? Which are different?

2 Can you give a definition of ‘superstition’?

3 Do you believe that they can influence our lives?

HANDOUT ONE

Be careful! Some superstitions can be different from the ones we have in our country

Find a cover plant with four leaves

Spill salt

Catch falling leaves in autumn

Put new shoes on the table

Break a mirror Open an umbrella indoors

GOOD LUCK

Touch wood (to make something come true)

A clover plant with four leaves (specially the Irish As you may know, the shamrock is one of their cultural symbols)

A black cat (Black cats are a sign of good luck if they cross your path Moreover, the picture of a black cat appears on greeting cards and birthday cards in England)

A horseshoe (over the door But It needs to be right way up) U-shape

Catch falling leaves in Autumn (every leaf means a lucky month next year)

BAD LUCK

Friday thirteen ( it is considered like this because Jesus was crucified on a Friday)

Spill salt ( if you do so, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck) Walk underneath a ladder

Break a mirror ( Seven years of bad luck It has its origin in ancient times, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods)

Open an umbrella indoors

See a magpie

Put new shoes on the table

TASK TWO In pairs, put the beginnings and the ends together, using the expressions from the box

1 If you see a black cat a The weather will be fine tomorrow.

2 If you are at the corner of a table, b you’ll get some money soon.

3 If the sky is red this evening, c you’ll have good luck.

4 If your left hand itches, d you’ll not get married

5 If you break a mirror, e you’ll get angry.

6 If your nose itches, f you’ll have seven years of bad luck.

1 If you see a black cat, c you’ll have good luck

2 If you are at the corner of a table, d you’ll not get married

3 If the sky is red this evening, a The weather will be fine tomorrow

4 If your left hand itches, b you’ll get some money soon

5 If you break a mirror, f you’ll have seven years of bad luck

ITCH: an uncomfortable sensation that causes a desire to scratch the skin

SCRATCH: rub a part of one’s body with one’s fingernails to relieve itching

(The cartoons Lisa and Bart Simpsons watch on Tv: Itchy and Scratchy)

TASK THREE In groups of four, discuss the following questions.

1 Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country? Which are different?

SIMILAR: BREAK A MIRROR, TOUCH WOOD, FIND A COVER PLANT WITH FOUR

LEAVES, WALK UNDERNEATH A LADDER, A HORSESHOE, OPEN AN UMBRELLA

DIFFERENT: FRIDAY THIRTEEN, SPILL SALT, A BLACK CAT, SEE A MAGPIE,

PUT NEW SHOES ON THE TABLE, CATCH FALLING LEAVES IN AUTUMN, YOUR NOSE ITCHES, YOUR LEFT HAND ITCHES, THE SKY IS RED, AT THE CORNER OF

A TABLE

2 Can you give a definition of ‘superstition’?

A superstition is an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance brings good or bad luck to people’s life

3 Do you believe that they can influence our lives?

Students’ own answers