Knock On Wood British English Teacher

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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · ADVANCED (C1-C2)
KNOCK
ON WOOD
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1 Warm up
Look at the pictures below and answer the questions.
picture 1 picture 2
picture 3 picture 4
1. What are superstitions?

2. Do you know anything about superstitions involving the things in the pictures?
3. How superstitious are you?
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2 Vocabulary
You are going to watch a video called "Where do superstitions come from?" Before you watch, complete
the exercises to define some useful vocabulary.
Group 1: word families
Complete each gap with an appropriate form of the root word in brackets. You may need to add a
prefix or suffix or use a plural form to fit the sentence.
1. This place has such great for me. I remember the wonderful holidays we used to
have here when I was a child. (associate)
2. My parents were really happy when my sister got engaged. They gave her their .
(bless)
3. Henry? Is that you? I can’t believe you’re on holiday in the same hotel as we are, during the same
week. What a ! (incident)
4. I’m sorry, but I’ve got an fear of dogs. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I just
can’t be near them. (rational)
5. She uses from the fashion industry to make beautiful handbags. (remain)
6. You think we know what we’re doing? I’m afraid not - it’s all an ! (illusory)
Group 2: letter F
Write one missing word beginning with the letter f in each sentence. The number of missing letters
is given. Then explain what the words in bold mean.
1. Witches and princesses are f _ _ _ _ _ characters in the folklore of many countries.

2. The Easter f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ has both pagan and Christian origins.
3. You must wear shoes at all times here. These people believe that it’s taboo to show your f _ _ _ in
public.
4. We’re far more likely to remember things that f _ _ in with our beliefs - that’s psychological bias.
5. In some parts of the world, peoplecling to old ideas instead of f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ about them.
6. We’ve made a conscious decision to buy f _ _ _ _ plastic toys for the children in order to help the
environment.
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3 Watch the video
Complete each gap in the notes with three words from the video.
1. Many superstitions have origins.

2. Because of the Last Supper, having 13 people was seen to be bad luck.
3. Today some buildings miss out .
4. In Indo-European folklore, you could receive from wood spirits by
touching a tree.
5. While some superstitions are religious, others are based on .
6. Italians associate the number 17 with the phrase "my ."
7. reminds Chinese speakers of the phrase "must die."
8. In the past, whistling backstage at a theatre could .
9. from the same match could be dangerous for soldiers during war.
10. If you have learned to avoid walking under a ladder, doing this will even
if you know it’s not logical.
11. Knocking on wood doesn’t so people carry on doing it.
12. Believing that your lucky socks make you play better gives you the illusion of
over events.
• How many of these superstitions had you heard of already?

• What’s the most interesting or surprising thing that you learned from the video?

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4 Language point
The presenter in the video uses a lot of discourse markers. These are words or phrases which give
structure to a talk or discussion and help the listener notice important points and recognise their
significance. Using discourse markers improves the listener’s understanding and enjoyment.
Read these sentences from the talk and complete the gaps with a suitable discourse marker from the
list. Then listen again to the talk or use the transcript to check your ideas.
After all Along the same lines believe it or not

Besides Of course Similarly
So somehow Well
1. how did it happen that people all over the world knock on wood, or avoid
stepping on sidewalk cracks?
2. , although they have no basis in science, many of these weirdly specific beliefs
and practices do have equally weird and specific origins.
3. , many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be true but other superstitions
come from religious traditions that few people believe in or even remember.
4. And , this tradition survived long after belief in these spirits had faded away.
5. , the word for the number four sounds almost identical to the word for death in
Cantonese ...
6. And , some superstitions actually make sense, or at least they did until we forgot
their original purpose.
7. , lighting three cigarettes from the same match really could cause bad luck if you
were a soldier in a foxhole...
8. , no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders or whistling indoors...
9. , superstitions often do seem to work.
Now write the discourse markers next to their meaning or function, as they are used in the talk. For
one option, two answers are possible.
1. : to explain that something has happened in a way we can’t explain
2. : to give another example of the same sort of thing
3. : to indicate that something is surprising
4. : to introduce a well-known, obvious or unsurprising piece of information
5. : to introduce the answer to a question
6. : to make an additional point
7. : to pose the main question that the speaker is going to answer
8. : to show that what you have just said is true

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5 Final activity
Choose one of these activities.
• Mini-presentation
1. Work in pairs or small groups. You are going to plan and deliver a mini-presentation about a
superstition (1-2 mins).
2. Each student in your group will read about a different superstition A-D. Remember the information
that you read and add at least three discourse markers to make your presentation interesting and
enjoyable for listeners.
3. Deliver your presentation to a classmate or your teacher. Your listener will make a note of the
discourse markers you used, stop you after 2 minutes by saying, "Thank you very much," and ask
you at least one question about the information in your presentation.
superstition origins what will happen why also

about
A) Walking under Early Christian General bad luck A ladder leaning You might also
a ladder teachings and associations against a wall knock off the
with the devil makes a triangle person at the top
and refers to the of the ladder or
Holy Trinity of make them drop
the Father, Son something on
and Holy Spirit. you.
B) Opening an Ancient Egypt Everyone in the Insulting the sun Umbrellas in the
umbrella indoors house will god Ra 19th century had
experience bad pointy and
luck dangerous metal
spokes.
C) Breaking a The ancient Bad luck for 7 The reflection in You might cut
mirror Romans - they years a mirror yourself on the
made the first represents a glass, cleaning
glass mirrors soul; souls up.
regenerate after
7 years
D) The full moon Folklore from Insanity, The full moon Police in the US
Italy, France and madness, influences our have found that
Germany becoming a mental state crime rates rise
werewolf by 5% during full
moons.

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• Talking point
Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups. Include discourse markers from the box in your
answers.
after all along the same lines believe it or not
well of course similarly
so somehow besides
• In what ways can superstitions be harmful or dangerous? In what ways can being
superstitious benefit people?
• Do you have your own "lucky socks" story? Explain your beliefs around this item. Why
do you think it’s more than just psychological bias?
• How long does it take for a superstition to become established? Have you heard of any
modern superstitions relating to mobile phones or other modern technology?
• Do you think that the movements of the sun, moon and planets can affect people’s lives
or do you think that astrology is a type of superstition? Explain your ideas.
6 Optional extension
We use these words to make predictions about the future, often based on superstitions. Read these
sentences and then underline four verbs and circle four nouns that relate to this function.
1. A high fever presaged more severe or long-term effects of the disease in some patients.
2. This is a sign that the economy is recovering.
3. High unemployment may foreshadow social unrest.
4. I saw a rainbow on my way to the job interview. This must be a good omen.
5. It doesn’t bode well that the hotel has lost our booking.
6. Many people see this company as a bellwether showing important trends for the future of this
market.
7. Some people say that a red sky at dawn is a portent of bad weather.
8. Your marks on the practice exam augur well for the future.
Which words indicate negative connotations in these sentences?
Choose three words to make original sentences.

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7 Transcript
Superstitions
• Are you afraid of black cats? Would you open an umbrella indoors? And how do you feel about
the number thirteen? Whether or not you believe in them, you’re probably familiar with a few of
these superstitions.
• So how did it happen that people all over the world knock on wood, or avoid stepping on sidewalk
cracks? Well, although they have no basis in science, many of these weirdly specific beliefs and
practices do have equally weird and specific origins.
• Because they involve supernatural causes, it’s no surprise that many superstitions are based in
religion. For example, the number thirteen was associated with the biblical Last Supper, where
Jesus Christ dined with his twelve disciples just before being arrested and crucified. The resulting
idea that having thirteen people at a table was bad luck eventually expanded into thirteen being
an unlucky number in general. Now, this fear of the number thirteen, called triskaidekaphobia,
is so common that many buildings around the world skip the thirteenth floor, with the numbers
going straight from twelve to fourteen.
• Of course, many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be true but other superstitions
come from religious traditions that few people believe in or even remember.
• Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans or possibly
people who pre-dated them, who believed that trees were home to various spirits. Touching a tree
would invoke the protection or blessing of the spirit within. And somehow, this tradition survived
long after belief in these spirits had faded away.
• Many superstitions common today in countries from Russia to Ireland are thought to be remnants
of the pagan religions that Christianity replaced. But not all superstitions are religious. Some are
just based on unfortunate coincidences and associations.
• For example, many Italians fear the number 17 because the Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged
to form the word vixi, meaning my life had ended.
• Similarly, the word for the number four sounds almost identical to the word for death in Cantonese,
• as well as languages like Japanese and Korean that have borrowed Chinese numerals. And since
the number one also sounds like the word for must, the number fourteen sounds like the phrase
must die. That’s a lot of numbers for elevators and international hotels to avoid.
• And believe it or not, some superstitions actually make sense, or at least they did until we forgot
their original purpose. For example, theatre scenery used to consist of large painted backdrops,
• raised and lowered by stagehands who would whistle to signal each other. Absentminded whistles
from other people could cause an accident. But the taboo against whistling backstage still exists
today, long after the stagehands started using radio headsets
• Along the same lines, lighting three cigarettes from the same match really could cause bad luck if
you were a soldier in a foxhole where keeping a match lit too long could draw attention from an
enemy sniper. Most smokers no longer have to worry about snipers, but the superstition lives on.
• So why do people cling to these bits of forgotten religions, coincidences, and outdated advice?
Aren’t they being totally irrational?

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KNOCK ON WOOD
• Well, yes, but for many people, superstitions are based more on cultural habit than conscious
belief.
• After all, no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders or whistling indoors, but if you
grow up being told by your family to avoid these things, chances are they’ll make you uncomfortable,
even after you logically understand that nothing bad will happen. And since doing something like
knocking on wood doesn’t require much effort, following the superstition is often easier than
consciously resisting it.
• Besides, superstitions often do seem to work. Maybe you remember hitting a home run while
wearing your lucky socks. This is just our psychological bias at work. You’re far less likely to
remember all the times you struck out while wearing the same socks. But believing that they
work could actually make you play better by giving you the illusion of having greater control over
events.
• So, in situations where that confidence can make a difference, like sports, those crazy superstitions
might not be so crazy after all.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)
KNOCK ON WOOD
Transcripts
3. Watch the video
Speakers: Are you afraid of black cats? Would you open an umbrella indoors? And how do you feel
about the number thirteen? Whether or not you believe in them, you’re probably familiar
with a few of these superstitions. So how did it happen that people all over the world
knock on wood, or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks?
Speakers: Well, although they have no basis in science, many of these weirdly specific beliefs and
practices do have equally weird and specific origins. Because they involve supernatural
causes, it’s no surprise that many superstitions are based in religion.
Speakers: For example, the number thirteen was associated with the biblical Last Supper, where
Jesus Christ dined with his twelve disciples just before being arrested and crucified. The
resulting idea that having thirteen people at a table was bad luck eventually expanded
into thirteen being an unlucky number in general.
Speakers: Now, this fear of the number thirteen, called triskaidekaphobia, is so common that many
buildings around the world skip the thirteenth floor, with the numbers going straight from
twelve to fourteen. Of course, many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be
true but other superstitions come from religious traditions that few people believe in or
even remember.
Speakers: Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans
or possibly people who pre-dated them, who believed that trees were home to various
spirits. Touching a tree would invoke the protection or blessing of the spirit within. And
somehow, this tradition survived long after belief in these spirits had faded away.
Speakers: Many superstitions common today in countries from Russia to Ireland are thought to be
remnants of the pagan religions that Christianity replaced. But not all superstitions are
religious. Some are just based on unfortunate coincidences and associations.
Speakers: For example, many Italians fear the number 17 because the Roman numeral XVII can be
rearranged to form the word vixi, meaning my life had ended. Similarly, the word for
the number four sounds almost identical to the word for death in Cantonese, as well as
languages like Japanese and Korean that have borrowed Chinese numerals.
Speakers: And since the number one also sounds like the word for must, the number fourteen sounds
like the phrase must die. That’s a lot of numbers for elevators and international hotels to
avoid. And believe it or not, some superstitions actually make sense, or at least they did
until we forgot their original purpose.
Speakers: For example, theatre scenery used to consist of large painted backdrops, raised and
lowered by stagehands who would whistle to signal each other. Absentminded whistles
from other people could cause an accident.
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KNOCK ON WOOD
Speakers: But the taboo against whistling backstage still exists today, long after the stagehands
started using radio headsets. Along the same lines, lighting three cigarettes from the same
match really could cause bad luck if you were a soldier in a foxhole where keeping a match
lit too long could draw attention from an enemy sniper.
Speakers: Most smokers no longer have to worry about snipers, but the superstition lives on. So why
do people cling to these bits of forgotten religions, coincidences, and outdated advice?
Aren’t they being totally irrational? Well, yes, but for many people, superstitions are based
more on cultural habit than conscious belief.
Speakers: After all, no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders or whistling indoors, but
if you grow up being told by your family to avoid these things, chances are they’ll make
you uncomfortable, even after you logically understand that nothing bad will happen.
Speakers: And since doing something like knocking on wood doesn’t require much effort, following
the superstition is often easier than consciously resisting it. Besides, superstitions often
do seem to work. Maybe you remember hitting a home run while wearing your lucky
socks.
Speakers: This is just our psychological bias at work. You’re far less likely to remember all the times
you struck out while wearing the same socks. But believing that they work could actually
make you play better by giving you the illusion of having greater control over events.
So, in situations where that confidence can make a difference, like sports, those crazy
superstitions might not be so crazy after all.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
Elicit/explain the definition of superstitions - if students don’t already know, they might guess from the images on
the page. Briefly elicit some general ideas relating to the superstitions shown in the three pictures, focusing on
whether these signify good or bad luck, and any other details students know about. Pose the follow-up question
for students to discuss in pairs.
1. Superstitions are beliefs about being lucky or unlucky. They are often very old and do not seem to be based
on scientific thinking.
2. The number 13, walking under a ladder and a broken mirror are said to bring bad luck, while touching wood is
said to bring good luck.
3. Student’s own answers.
2. Vocabulary
15 mins.
Students define vocabulary in two types of exercise. Group 1 is based on word families - do the first one as an
example with the whole class. In Group 2, students complete a gap-fill with relatively simple words that begin
with the letter f, and then use the sentence context to define the words in bold. Students could work in pairs.
Check answers, including pronunciation of all key words as well.
Group 1
1. associations 2. blessing(s) 3. coincidence
4. irrational 5. remnants 6. illusion
Group 2
Answers:
folklore: the traditional stories and songs of a group of people;
pagan: relating to religions that came before or exist outside of the main world religions;
taboo: something that has to be avoided for social or religious reasons;
bias: allowing non-scientific or personal ideas to influence you;
cling to: hold tightly onto something mentally or physically with no intention of letting go;
conscious: aware and intentional, not by chance.
1. female 2. festival 3. feet
4. fit 5. forgetting 6. fewer
3. Watch the video
10 mins.
Go over the instructions and give students a minute to look through the sentences so they know what they’re
listening for. Play the recording. Students could check answers in pairs before you check with the whole class.
If they are struggling with just one or two items, you could play just that section of the video again. This task is
similar to those found on the IELTS Listening exam. Pose the follow-up questions to elicit some brief responses
and reactions.
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1. weird and specific 2. at a table

3. the thirteenth floor 4. protection or blessing
5. coincidences and associations 6. life had ended
7. The number 14 8. cause an accident
9. Lighting three cigarettes 10. make you uncomfortable
11. require much effort 12. having greater control
4. Language point
15 mins.
Go over the information about discourse markers and tell students these are frequently used in business and
academic presentations, as well as in conversation and discussion. Understanding and using these will improve
students’ listening and speaking skills, including for exams. Students can work in pairs to complete the gap-
fill. They can check answers by watching the video again, or you can make the transcript available to them for
checking.
Set the next task - categorising the meanings/functions. The transcript may be helpful here so that students can
see the relationship between different points of the presentation. Check answers and then give students a couple
of minutes to practise reading the sentences out loud in a natural way. You may want to drill some or all of these.
1. So 2. Well 3. Of course
4. somehow 5. Similarly 6. believe it or not
7. Along the same lines 8. After all 9. Besides
Meaning and function

1. somehow 2. similarly, along the same lines
3. believe it or not 4. of course
5. well 6. besides
7. so 8. after all
5. Final activity
15 mins.
Both options support students to respond to the theme of the lesson and activate the discourse markers. You
could decide which one they do or let them choose.
Mini presentation: students share more information about superstitions and activate the discourse markers from
the previous exercise. This task is in a similar format to an IELTS Speaking Part 2, and the involvement of a listener
also supports preparation for Cambridge speaking exams. Go over the task instructions and set up the roles.
Students can be in groups of 2-4. Assign them one item A-D to read about and ask them to cover the other
items.
Students can then have a few minutes to read the information and plan the discourse markers they’d like to
include.
When students have completed their planning, go over the instructions for the next stage. The role of the listener
here is very important – they are not passive. (If this is a 1-1 lesson, the teacher is the listener.) After the
mini presentations, check on the use of discourse markers, and clear up any questions. If you have time, and
your class setting allows, students could change partners and repeat the presentation, making improvements. An
extension/homework task would be for students to write their presentation to demonstrate their understanding
of discourse markers.
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Source: based on Linguahouse lesson Superstition, based on an article in The Independent by Laura Davis, 13/01/12.
Talking point: students should structure their answers with discourse markers, and include reasons and examples
in their answers. You should also encourage them to consider other points of view. Students could tick off the
discourse markers they use. Monitor and support as necessary and conclude the stage with some feedback and
error correction, including pronunciation.
6. Optional extension
10 mins.
This activity is meant as a filler or cooler if you have some time in your lesson. Here students extend their
vocabulary by analysing the grammar and connotations of items in example sentences.
Answers:
verbs to underline: presaged, foreshadow, bode, augur;
nouns to circle: signs, omen, bellwether, portent;
negative connotations: presaged, foreshadow, not bode well, portent.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

Look at the pictures below and answer the questions.

1. What are superstitions?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/8

Group 1: word families

1. Witches and princesses are f _ _ _ _ _ characters in the folklore of many countries.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/8

3 Watch the video

1. Many superstitions have origins.

• How many of these superstitions had you heard of already?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/8

After all Along the same lines believe it or not

1. : to explain that something has happened in a way we can’t explain

2. : to give another example of the same sort of thing

3. : to indicate that something is surprising

4. : to introduce a well-known, obvious or unsurprising piece of information

5. : to introduce the answer to a question

6. : to make an additional point

7. : to pose the main question that the speaker is going to answer

8. : to show that what you have just said is true

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/8

Choose one of these activities.

superstition origins what will happen why also

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/8

after all along the same lines believe it or not

well of course similarly

Which words indicate negative connotations in these sentences?

Choose three words to make original sentences.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/8

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/8

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 8/8

3. Watch the video

3. Watch the video

1. weird and speciﬁc 2. at a table

Meaning and function

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