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Showing posts with label speaking activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label speaking activities. Show all posts

Monday, December 14, 2015

ESL Christmas Listening Quizzes and Activities

I have posted a variety of Christmas listening and speaking activities for you.  Listen as often as you need to before you answer questions. Discuss the questions in the speaking activities with your friends, families and classmates. 

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

  

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)



Poinsettias 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 winter. Find out about the history of this colourful plant and why it is so popular in America.  (Source:  learning English TV  VOA environment and Science) 

The Million Dollar Christmas Tree


Jingle bells, jingle bells... Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Watch this video to see how a shop is getting ready for Christmas. -  Includes quiz, vocabulary and transcript. Part of  Word on the Street series. - Source: learnenglishteens.uk British Council  

If you walk into many London shops, you might find it difficult to believe that Christmas is still several 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)





 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 man in the red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas. Radio Broadcast with transcript "
(Source: : learningenglish.voanews.com)
How to Host a Christmas Dinner New
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)





Christmas Speaking Activities 


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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

ESL How the Grinch Stole Christmas

One of the most loved Christmas stories of all time in North America is the story How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  

 Although Dr. Seuss, a well-known children's writer, originally wrote the story for children, it has messages for young and old. 

 The story and the animated video that is now shown on television every year  at Christmas time continues to delight millions of of people whether they are watching it for the first time, or the 30th time. 

 Since many of you have time off from classes, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to watch an important  piece of North American culture.  

 It doesn't matter if you live in Australia, Europe, Asia or  the Middle East, you will still enjoy learning a little about a series of Christmas messages that apply to every culture or religion. 

If you plan to live in North America, or if you already live here, it is even more important  that you know about this  story by Dr. Seuss. The more you can mention about it in casual conversation, the more Canadian or American you will seem.

Watch the video as many times as you need to know and answer the comprehension questions below. 

 
Part 2:  Speaking Activity: Acting out the Story  

Readers Theatre How the Grinch Stole Christmas
This is an easier version of the story written like a small play. It is perfect for students to use as a play in the classroom. The roles are broken down so that everyone can have  one , two or even three parts.
  1. Assign roles to different students and have the practice in groups. ( If you have a large class, you could divide them into two or three groups) 
  2. Start with having them read their lines normally, but fluently, without hesitating or stumbling. 
  3. Go over the pronunciation of different words.
  4. Now, have the students put the maximum amount of expression in their voice. Practice as often as they need. 
  5.  Have them memorize their lines and be able to repeat them in the correct order. 
  6. Perform the mini play in class


 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Transcript 
This is the complete transcript of the whole cartoon. It is an excellent way to practice speaking, while watching the movie. 

 Activity 1: Individual Practice 

  1. Click on the link and print out the transcript.
  2. BEFORE you speak, watch the cartoon again and mark all the stressed words, pauses and complete stops.
  3. As you listen, whisper along with the speaker and try to enunciate every word and syllable the speaker stresses.  If you have problems, stop the player and do it as many times as you need to. 
  4. Finally, read along loudly as you listen to the cartoon. 
  5. Make sure you open your mouth as wide as you can in order to let your tongue get the right place in your mouth to make the correct sound. 
  6. Try not to go too fast.  Fluency does not mean speaking fast. It means being able to sound natural and comfortable about saying the words, phrases and sentence


 Activity 2: Classroom Practice 

  1. Follow the same procedure as with the play above. 
  2. Set up three or four groups.
  3. Assign roles or sections of the transcript to different students in the group.
  4. Follow the procedures in activity 1 or the play activity so that students become comfortable with the rhythm and stress  and with speaking the lines. 
  5. Have students add expression in their voices, just as the speaker in the transcript does. 
  6. Perform the whole story to the class. 

Part 3: Speaking and Writing Questions: 

1. Dr. Seuss wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas to point out how the media and 
    marketing  have created a holiday focused on spending money to buy things.  

   Discuss how has the media changed holidays such as Christmas, New Years, Chinese 
   New Year, Valentine's Day, Mother;s Day etc.   and how they are celebrated. 

2. What role does Cindy Lou play in the story?  What does she do to change the Grinch? 

3. The Grinch has many  negative  characteristics.  He experiences a crisis and then     changes for the better. Discuss how he changes. 
    
4. What is the message of the story? 

5.  Would you write a different ending to the story? Explain why or why not. If yes, how 
     would you end it? 

6.   Do you know anyone who had some bad personality characteristics, but who  became a 
     better person after something happened to him or her. This could be you, or anyone 
     you know. Tell what happened, and why this person chang

 Part 4: 

1.  Listen to the song without  looking at the gap fill. Try to write down all the negative
     words that describe Mr. Grinch. 

2.  Listen as many times as you need and fill in the gaps. 

3.  Sing-along . This is a great song to practice enunciating. Make sure you open your 
     mouth as wide as you can in order to let your tongue get to the right place. Sing as 
     slowly as the singer. 





MORE TO COME 

 Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

 This  will include discussion / writing questions as well as other fun activities aimed at adults and children. 



Share the love ! 

If you enjoyed this post, invite your friends and family to join in the fun, or post this to Facebook or any other social site you belong to in your own country.    


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

Leave a comment and I will try to post them.  




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