I have posted a variety of Christmas listening activities for you. Listen as often as you need to before you answer questions.
If one of the stories includes the script, try to listen to the story without reading it the first time. Then, read and listen at the same time.
Enjoy! .
Source: learningenglishwithmichelle
Christmas in the 17th and 18th Centuries
;
Christmas
is coming! - a conversation (intermediate)
with :
I. Pre-Listening Exercises II. Listening Exercises
III. Post-Listening Exercises
Topic : Christmas gifts
Speakers : a man and 2 children
(Source: esl-lab.com)
The Christmas Gift - a narration (difficult) with :
I. Pre-Listening Exercises II. Listening Exercises
III. Post-Listening Exercises
(Source: esl-lab.com)
Fred Talks about the daily routine for his family on Christmas Day in Canada (Source: ELLLO)
Christmas Tree Traditions ( ELLL0)
Anja compares Christmas tree traditions with Fred
Source ELLLO)
Darren discusses how he feels about Christmas: what he enjoys about it and what aspects he finds stressful. Source ELLLO
Sharon talks about she feels at Christmas
It's Christmas Time Listening Game
Advent
'Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!'
Christmas is the biggest festival in Britain and is celebrated on 25th
December. The four weeks before Christmas are called Advent, and are
traditionally celebrated in churches by lighting a candle each Sunday
during Advent. Nowadays, many people in Britain are not very religious, but they still celebrate Christmas. (continue to listen Source BBC)
Reading Comprehension Activities PDF
At Christmas time, it's always worth remembering that there are many
countries where Christianity isn't the main religion. The official
religion of the UK is Christianity, but n London - one of the
world's most multicultural cities - there are many non-Christians who
also celebrate Christmas. In this program, Yvonne Archer finds out why
this is the case and what they like to do at Christmas time.(Source BBC)
From Paris to Burgundy, Christmas is the stuff of dreams - where rich sounds of medieval carols abound, simple rituals are shared by families and friends, and windows are illuminated by lights. SOURCE: ESOL Courses
German Christmas Markets
German Christmas markets are famous all over the world. This week we visit six of the oldest,most celebrated and most unusual. Today we are at probably the most famous of them all the Nuremberg Christmas Market.SOURCE: ESOL Courses
Every year, a theatrical group called The Washington Revels celebrates the holiday season and winter solstice with a festive Christmas production featuring traditional songs and dances. The award-winning group selects its themes from a different part of the country - or the world - every year. This year was Christmas as it was celebrated in rural England in the 1830s. SOURCE: ESOL Courses
When Christmas is just around the corner,
most people have very little Christmas shopping left to do. But it's a
well known fact that on Christmas Eve, most of the shoppers on the
streets are men. So is that last minute rush just a fun part of the
Christmas shopping experience for men, and do they actually like
Christmas shopping? Yvonne Archer goes in search of a few answers. (Source: BBC)
If you walk into many London shops, you might find it
difficult to believe that Christmas is still many weeks away. In this
program, with the help of a market researcher, we find out why
Christmas seems to be getting earlier and earlier. Source: BBC
Imagine this program is an invitation to a special kind of
Christmas party - not the kind you have at home for friends - but what
we call 'the office Christmas party', or less formally, 'the office
Christmas do'.(Source: BBC)
We've been out of the office to talk to people about their feelings at
Christmas time. We've also been asking people to describe their ideal
Christmas. (Source: BBC)
The story of the man in the red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas. Transcript of radio broadcast: 19 December 2009
"Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever...
Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel."
(Source: learningenglish.voanews.com)
How to Host a Christmas Dinner
A short instructional video listing the steps needed to host a Chrstimas dionner for family and friends. Lisdten as many times as you need to and answer the comprehension questions. Source: ESOL Courses
The Gift of the Magi by O'Henry
Listen and Read comprehension
A
spoken version of the famous story of a very poor young husband and
wife who each give up the most valuable thing they own in order to give
the other a Christmas gift.
(Source: VOA Quiz from ESL Listening.com)
Charles Dickens' 1843 classic "A Christmas Carol" is
quite possibly the most often told holiday story in the English-speaking
world.
The very wealthy Ebenezzer Scrooge is
miserable, while his poor employee Bob Cratchit is a contented man with a
virtuous disposition and family.
Scrooge, a hardened, greedy man who undergoes a
great emotional change one Christmas Eve through the assistance of
three ghosts. Each ghost represents some form of loss. The Ghost of
Christmas Past represents the lost innocence and kindness Scrooge
endures in a difficult childhood and young manhood. The Ghost of
Christmas Present represents the love and fellowship Scrooge is losing
in his current life.
Scrooge experiences a change of heart while he
reviews Christmas memories and once again discovers what it is like to
feel and live in the spirit of love, kindness, and giving..
(Listen and read the classic tale of Scrooge) (Source ESL Bits.com)
Trailer for the Movie A Christmas Carol
Listening Quiz for the trailer to A Christmas Carol : Source ESL Video.com
Now that all the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten and the Halloween costumes have been put away, everyone is getting ready for Christmas!
It’s supposed to be a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ, but somehow it’s become a huge commercial holiday and the most
important time of year for retailers. (SOURCE: Podcast from Melanie ESL)
The Christmas Cuckoo
A long time ago, there was village in the North Country. All its
inhabitants were poor, because their fields were barren, and they didn't
have much to sell; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called
Scrub and Spare. They were shoemakers. Their shack was very small. The
door was low and always open, because there was no window.Continue here
(Source:John Robinson's ESL Listening.com
Chatty Santa (chattysanta.com)
"Type what you’d like Santa to say to a particular person, and Chatty Santa will say it. Then send it to the designated person..." (SOURCE: Larry Ferlazzo)
Christmas greeting from Santa
Send your friends and relatives Christmas greetings from Santa by clicking here
(Source: Teflteacher's blog)
Voice of America Learning English
Christmas Traditions Old and New ( includes a video on China)
Small US towns Big on Christmas Spirit
Christmas in the United States is traditionally a time of gift-giving and family gatherings. But there are also performances, trees with lights and, of course, Santa Clause, the big man in a red suit. Small towns across the country have their own traditions. June Simms has this report by VOA’s Arash Arabasadi about a town in Virginia.
Xitan China's Christmas Village Christmas is a major event worldwide. In China, for example, there is a “Christmas Village,” with many signs of the holiday. This year, however, there is no public celebration of the holiday.
A Los Angeles Christmas The end of December is a time when many Americans are thinking about snow and cold weather. Yet the city of Los Angeles, California is almost always warm and sunny, even during the winter holiday season. Many people like all the holiday decorations and lights seen in and around Los Angeles.
Is He Santa, Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle or Pelznickel? Some of the many names of the short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur who delights children at Christmas | Words and Their Stories
The Story of the PoinsettaPoinsettias are the best-selling potted flowering plant in the United States. Red poinsettias are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations, which is why almost all of them are sold in the winter
CHRISTMAS NEWS STORIES on VOA
Twas the Night Before Christmas VOA (with script)
Angelina's Dress a Short Story
Hannukah video quiz from ESOL
MORE TO COME
Christmas Speaking Activities
Gift of the Magi VOA includes script and comprehension questions
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What are some of YOUR favourite Christmas songs that you would like to see here? Why do you like them?