ESL Christmas with Charlie Brown

After nearly 50 years, one  of the greatest Christmas holiday specials continues to be the animated cartoon  "A Charlie Brown Christmas"  

Why is it so special? According to Robert Loyd, film critic for the Los Angeles Times, " it isn't about any invented crisis in the life of an imaginary  creature. There are no elves, no reindeer, no Santa. It's just about us. 

The Spirit of Christmas 

 Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts"  wrote a little fable  about how a meaningful  holiday such as Christmas has become so commercialized that it has  lost any meaning. The only magic Christmas now allows  is the kind we create ourselves when we pay attention to someone besides ourselves.  

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" remains true to both the spirit of Christmas and to the spirit of "Peanuts."

Although it t emphasizes the need for hope and love, it still reminds us that for many people around the world the Christmas season can bring anxiety and a feeling of being alone and unloved. 

 "I know nobody likes me," sighs Charlie Brown in the animated special.  "Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"

The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree 

The sad little Christmas tree he buys for the school play stands for all the world's underfed, unseen, unloved,  yet it is not beyond rescue. 

In fact, with a little love, care and attention, it can truly be something special and even magic. 

Subtle, slow and quiet — absolutely silent at times — the special is remains as satisfying today as it was when it was first shown in 1965. 

In addition to the wonderful score by Vince Guaraldi's famous jazz piano score, 

the production features the voicers of real children rather than adult actors trying to sound like children. "

Watch the special and learn about one of the most popular idioms about Christmas that comes from the story: A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. 

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How Well did you Understand? 

Watch the film as many times as you need to. Then see how  many questions you can answer in the quiz below. 

Also, can you answer the question: What is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree?

Here are a few more  quizzes to try

• Charlie Brown Christmas Quiz 1 (easier) 
• Charlie Brown Comprehension Questions
• The Complete Script to Charlie Brown Christmas 
• Vocabulary Charlie Brown Christmas 
• The Making of Charlie Brown Christmas 
• Ten Things You Didn't know about Charlie Brown Christmas

Now, try this song.

For more information  on Charlie Brown 's christmas as well as other Charlie Brown stories go to  Jennthebenn's Peanut Page

For the complete transcript go to:  Transcript Charlie Brown Christmas

ESL Christmas: Charlie Brown Style

Christmas would not be Christmas in North America if you didn't watch a Charlie Brown Christmas. 

 Almost every person under the age of 50 has watched this Christmas special at least once . Many of us have watched it 20 or 30 times. 

In fact, one of the most popular English idioms about Christmas comes from this specific Christmas animation. 

When people say they bought, or prefer a "Charlie Brown tree" for Christmas, they are referring to a a a  Christmas tree with very few branches that looks like it needs a lot of love. 

The expression refers to the kind of tree Charlie Brown chose for his Christmas and which is heavily featured in the story. Just look at the picture above to get the idea. 

The True Meaning of Christmas  

This half-hour Christmas show is one of the truly lovable animated specials in TV history, a status proved by its annual network telecast since 1965.

 It is also my favourite Christmas video animations because it focuses on the meaning of Christmas.  

A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first, and best, of a series of programs based on the Charles M. Schulz cartoon strip "Peanuts." Hapless hero Charlie Brown finds himself depressed at Christmastime, searching for the true meaning of the holiday amidst the glitz and commercialism of the modern age. 

Appointed director of the school holiday pageant, Charlie Brown ventures out with Linus to buy "a great, big, shiny aluminum Christmas tree." Instead they bring back a miserable tree--a real one. 


The Peanuts Gang  
A Charlie Brown Christmas shows off the "Peanuts" gang doing what they do best: Lucy is bossy, Snoopy is crazy, Linus is sweet, and Pig Pen is, well, filthy. 

Instead of using adult actors trying to sound like kids, the production features real children providing the voices, an endearing effect. 

The jazz music score, composed by Vince Guaraldi, has become a classic in its own right; like so much about this program, it's an unexpected but perfectly right choice. --
Robert Horton   Source: Xmas Fun 

Go the the new updated 2015 version for the video and many other new activities

A Charlie Brown Christmas

How Well did you understand? 

Try the following quizzes

• Charlie Brown Christmas Quiz 1 (easier) 
• Charlie Brown Comprehension Questions
• The Complete Script to Charlie Brown Christmas 
• Vocabulary Charlie Brown Christmas 
• The Making of Charlie Brown Christmas 
• Ten Things You Didn't know about Charlie Brown Christmas

How about YOU?  What does Christmas mean to you?  

Write  a comment in the box below to let me know if you think Christmas is too commercial or whether it has any meaning at all. 

Specifically, what does it mean for YOU?   

ESL Christmas: Home for the Holidays

One of the most important parts of any holiday, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Lunar New Year,  or Kwanzaa  is coming home to be with your family and friends. 

Many Christmas songs focus on how lonely people are when they can't be with their loved ones. 

Sometimes this is is because they live in different places. Other times, one person is  traveling or working away from home. 


Thinking about Home
No matter what the reason, Christmas or any other holiday can be a time of loneliness and homesickness when we find ourselves thinking of home....wherever that may be.  

Canada is a country full of immigrants, many of whom have left family and friends back in countries such as China, Korea, Poland, Columbia, Peru....It is common for them to feel lonely and homesick at this time of year. 

Here are a few songs that focus on some of the deep emotions that being away from our loved ones bring out in us.  

Home 
This is a new version of Home sung by Blake Shelton and Michael Buble that focuses specifically on how much would like to be home for Christmas. The original song by Michael  Buble shows the same emotion, but stresses how hard it is to be away from people you love at any time.  This is an easy song to sing along to because it is clear and slow and full of emotion. Try to sing along with it as many times as you can, and put as much emotion into your voice as possible when you sing it. It will definitely help your pronunciation.





Song for a Winter's Night 
This song written by Canadian singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot is not really a Christmas song, but it has become popular at Christmas because makes people think of all the people at Christmas. It is one of my personal favourites all year long.

I'll Be Home For Christmas 
Even a beginner can sing this song which communicates the feelings of anyone who wants to be home for the holidays. If you can't be home in reality, you can go home in your dreams. What a lovely idea. This is a slow song that doesn't have many difficult words. Enjoy! 

MORE TO COME 
 
Come back tomorrow for more Christmas songs, vocabulary, videos, readings, games and other activities. 

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What are some of YOUR favourite Christmas songs that you would like to see here? Why do you like them?  

Leave a comment and I will try to post them.