Lesson 38: Theme: Culture & Traditions
discuss traditions and cultural change using "used to"/passive and culture-specific vocabulary.
Why this matters
Culture, festivals, and "how traditions are changing" are reliable Part 3 themes — and a chance to bring in your own culture, which examiners enjoy. "Used to" and the passive ("traditions are passed down…") fit naturally here.
The Tip/Trick
Use a specific cultural example from your country. Generic answers ("traditions are important") are weak; a concrete Vietnamese example (Tết, ancestor worship, áo dài) makes you sound authentic and gives you content.
- Before: "Tradition is important. We must keep it. Young people forget tradition now."
- After: "Take Tết, for example — it used to mean a week of family rituals, whereas now many young people treat it more as a holiday to travel."
Grammar Focus — "used to" + passive for traditions
Rule: used to + base for past customs; passive (are passed down / is celebrated / was held) to describe traditions impersonally. Reference: the "used to / would (past habits)" and "Passive voice" sections.
- "Tết used to be a much longer celebration."
- "Traditions are passed down through generations."
- "The festival is celebrated across the whole country."
Vocabulary Cluster — Culture & traditions
Add to under "Culture & traditions".
- to pass down (traditions) — hand to next generation — "Recipes are passed down."
- to preserve / keep alive — protect from disappearing — "We should preserve our heritage."
- cultural heritage — inherited culture — "It's part of our cultural heritage."
- to die out / fade away — disappear — "Some customs are dying out."
- deeply rooted — long-established — "The tradition is deeply rooted."
- a sense of identity / belonging — feeling of who you are — "Traditions give us a sense of identity."
- to embrace modern values — accept new ideas — "Young people embrace modern values."
- a melting pot — mix of cultures — "The city is a melting pot."
Drill these as flashcards — flip, then grade yourself.
Answer Outline
- General point: "I think ____."
- Specific example (used to): "Take ____ — it used to ____, whereas now ____."
- Evaluation: "On one hand ____, on the other ____."
- Stance: "Personally, I'd say ____."
Model Answers: 5.0 vs 7.0
Question: Are traditional festivals less important to young people today?
Band 5.0: "Yes, young people not care tradition. They like modern thing and phone. Tradition is important but they forget. It is sad."
Band 7.0: "To some extent, yes. Take Tết, our Lunar New Year — it used to be a week of family rituals and ancestor worship, whereas now many young people treat it more as a chance to travel or relax. On one hand, some of the deeper customs are slowly fading away; on the other, the core idea of reuniting with family is still deeply rooted. Personally, I'd say festivals aren't less important — they're just being reshaped, blending heritage with more modern values."
What changed:
- Specific cultural example (Tết, ancestor worship).
- used to + whereas to contrast past and present.
- Collocations: "fading away", "deeply rooted", "cultural heritage", "modern values".
- Balanced "on one hand… on the other" evaluation.
- "young people not care" → "young people don't care".
- Passive form: "tradition pass down" → "traditions are passed down".
- Over-generalising → ground it in a real example.
Your Turn (Record)
Task: Answer 3 questions with a specific cultural example each: (1) How have festivals in your country changed? (2) Why is it important to preserve traditions? (3) Does globalisation threaten local cultures? ⏱ ~4 min.
Your turn — record & get scored
Part 3- How have festivals in your country changed?
- Why is it important to preserve traditions?
- Does globalisation threaten local cultures?
Self-Check + Spaced Review
Done when:
- I gave a specific cultural example.
- I used "used to" and one passive structure.
- I used ≥4 culture collocations.
Spaced review:
- From Lesson 28: trace how/why a tradition has changed (cause→effect).
- From Lesson 27: contrast past vs present with whereas.