TEFL at Christmas: The Ultimate Lesson Plan
As the festive season approaches, the spirit of Christmas can bring a touch of magic to your EFL classroom. Whether you're teaching abroad or working with international students, December is the perfect time to weave cultural traditions, holiday cheer, and language learning into your lessons. In this blog, we’ll explore why incorporating Christmas into your teaching can be a rewarding experience for both you and your students. Plus, we’ll share the ultimate Christmas-themed lesson plan—packed with engaging activities, creative ideas, and cultural insights to keep your students learning and laughing all the way to the New Year. Get ready to spread some holiday joy while enhancing language skills!
Including Christmas in your TEFL lessons can be a fantastic opportunity to enrich your students' learning experience.
Cultural Exchange
Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday in many English-speaking countries. Including it in your lessons helps students gain cultural insights, making language learning more authentic and engaging. For students in countries where Christmas isn’t commonly celebrated, it introduces them to new traditions and practices, fostering cultural curiosity and understanding.
Motivation and Engagement
The festive atmosphere of Christmas can energize your classroom. Fun, holiday-themed activities like songs, games, and crafts make learning enjoyable and can capture even the most reluctant learner’s attention.
Real-Life Language Use
Christmas-themed lessons naturally incorporate practical vocabulary and phrases. From learning about traditions like "stocking stuffing" to practicing conversations about festive plans, students build language skills they might encounter in real-life English-speaking contexts.
Creativity and Variety
Christmas provides endless opportunities to get creative with your lessons. From storytelling and role-playing to letter writing (like writing to Father Christmas!) The festive theme opens up diverse ways to develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
A Sense of Connection
The holidays are a time of togetherness. Including Christmas in your lessons creates a sense of shared celebration and helps you build stronger connections with your students. For students far from home or those experiencing the festive season in a new way, it can make the classroom feel warm and inclusive.
By embracing the festive season, you can not only teach English but also create joyful memories that your students will carry with them. It’s the perfect way to mix education with a little holiday magic!
The Ultimate Christmas Lesson Plan
This lesson combines language learning with festive cheer, encouraging students to practice their English while exploring festive traditions! As a Christmas treat from us to you, you can download the full lesson plan for free, including all the handouts and resources needed, using the button at the bottom of this blog post.
Lesson Title: Christmas Around the World
Level: Pre-Intermediate
Time: 60 minutes
Skills Focus: Vocabulary, Listening, Speaking, Reading
Materials Needed:
Flashcards with Christmas vocabulary
Handouts with a short reading text
A worksheet for matching exercises
A world map or globe (optional for cultural activity)
Lesson Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Understand and use common Christmas-related vocabulary.
Describe basic Christmas traditions in English-speaking countries.
Share information about holiday traditions in their own countries.
Lesson Outline
1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)
Activity: Christmas Brainstorm
Write "Christmas" in the centre of the board. Ask students to call out words they associate with Christmas (e.g., tree, Santa, gift, snow). Write them around the word on the board.
Use flashcards to introduce 8–10 key Christmas vocabulary words: stocking, reindeer, carol, ornaments, mistletoe, candy cane, fireplace, snowman. Practice pronunciation and clarify meanings.
2. Reading & Comprehension (15 minutes)
Activity: Christmas Traditions in the UK and the USA
Distribute a short reading text. Students must read the text individually and answer comprehension questions.
3. Vocabulary Practice (10 minutes)
Activity: Match & Describe
Hand out a worksheet where students match pictures of Christmas items (e.g., a stocking, a candy cane, a Christmas tree) with their names. In pairs, students use the new vocabulary to describe the pictures to their partner.
4. Speaking Activity (15 minutes)
Activity: Christmas Traditions Around the World
Show a world map (optional). Explain that people celebrate holidays differently in different countries. In small groups, students discuss how Christmas (or similar holidays) are celebrated in their home countries. Groups then share their traditions with the class.
5. Wrap-Up (10 minutes)
Activity: Christmas Wishes
Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to write a simple Christmas wish (e.g., “I wish for happiness for my family.”). Collect the wishes, mix them up, and let each student randomly pick and read one aloud.
Homework (Optional)
Ask students to write a short paragraph (4–5 sentences) about their favourite holiday tradition and how they celebrate it.
We hope this blog helps you to create a lesson filled with festive fun. Adding some Christmas magic to your lesson can help students improve their English proficiency but also creates an enjoyable and culturally enriching classroom experience. By blending traditional language teaching techniques with festive cheer, it fosters engagement and curiosity, making learning memorable.
We hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
