ESL:What Do You Know About Mother's Day?

A Reading/Scanning Activity 

Mother's Day has been around for a long time, so it has generated a lot of numbers over the years.  The following infographic contains many interesting facts and details about mothers and Mother's Day. 

Scan through the information to see how quickly you can find the answers to the questions below.  Remember, this is a scanning activity - not a reading one. 

Go to the bottom, read the questions and find the answer. Time yourself to see how fast you can work.   GOOD LUCK!  

5 Mother's Day Songs, Speaking and Listening Activities

Many people don 't completely appreciate just what a mother is and does until they become parents themselves.  

Over the years many songs have been written to celebrate and praise mothers for the major roles they have and continue to play in our lives. 

Here are five songs  that focus on the different roles mothers play in our lives. All of them include a variety of listening, reading, writing, and discussion activities. Some songs even include a few grammar activities.  Enjoy them on your own or with your class.  

Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer: The Movie

Rudolph Qui Provide your own an swers
Rudolph Quiz 10 questions
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httpTrivia questions Rudolph

ESL Remembrance Day Song Gap Fills

A Pittance of Time 

On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the stores PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

ESL Remembrance Day: Why the Poppy

In Flanders Field 

by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

between the crosses, row on row  

that mark our places, and in the sky 

the larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard  amid the guns below.

ESL Nativity Story Listening Activities

Christmas has become a fun filled holiday for people all over the world - regardless of whether they are Christian or not.  As a result many people are very familiar with the idea of Santa Claus, gift giving, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Jingle Bells and Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. 

However, some people are not familiar with the reason practicing Christians celebrate this special day. 

The following video tells the story of Christmas that comes from the Bible.  It does not matter if you believe the story or not, but IS is important to know the story itself if you want to understand Christian beliefs and culture.

Instructions: 

• Try to listen to the story several times WITHOUT reading the subtitles. 
• Then, try to answer the questions. ( Do NOT check your answers)   
  
• Next, go back and listen to the story while you read the subtitles.  
• Answer the questions again.  Check the answers. 
• Read along WITH the speaker - at the same time, NOT after him. When you speak at the same time as the speaker, this is called shadow speaking. 

 Read about the Nativity Story 

The Nativity Story ( easy) aimed at Children
 The Nativity Story: A Reading ( medium) 
The Christmas Story Comprehension: Source BBC
A Christmas Story Quiz 
A more difficult Nativity story quiz
A more difficult Christmas quiz  


An animated Version of the Christmas Story with words   
The Very Fast Version of The Christmas Story (Video)
The Christmas Story Comic

The Christmas Story Song
The Digital Nativity Story

Fun with Christmas Vocabulary

Christmas Vocabulary Quiz 
Christmas Vocabulary Quiz ( in context) SOURCE English Page  
Funny Christmas Sayings and Expressions  

Traditional Christmas Carols: 

I'm including some traditional Christmas carols  that focus on the real meaning of Christmas.  People have sung these carols for hundreds of years, so it is useful for you to know some of them. 

Silent Night

Silent Night ( German Stille Nach, heilige Nacht) is the best known Christmas carol in the world.  It has been translated into more than 140 languages and sung by every singer who has ever released a Christmas album.  Composed in 1818 in Austria, it was declared an intagible cultural heritage by UNESCO in March 20111. 

In 1914,during World War 1,  soldiers on both sides called a Christmas truce for one night when one side heard the other singing silent night.  All soldiers on both sides began singing the song in their own language as it was one song they all knew. That night, the enemy troops spent the evenig celebrating Christmas together singing, getting to know each other and talking about their loved ones.  The next day, they went back to shooting and killing each other. 


Silent Night and the Seven O'clock News 

In 1966 Well known singers Simon and Garfunkel  recorded two contrasting recordings: a simple arrangement of the Christmas carol "Silent Night", and a simulated "7 O'Clock News" bulletin of the actual events of 3 August 1966.

                                          

Breath of Heaven

This song focuses on how frightened Mary was and her hopes that she could live up to the responsibilities she was going to have as the mother of God. The video features scenes adapted from the 2007 film "The Nativity Story" by New Lines Productions Inc. 

O Holy Night 

This song was originally written in French and is often sung at Christian services on Christmas eve. More than 100 artists have recorded this song,  This version by Canadian singer Josh Groban is very powerful.  


Do You Hear What I Hear?

This song  focuses on what the shepherds in the field heard and saw on the first
Christmas when Jesus was born.





What Child Is This 

"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol  written in 1865.  At the age of 29, English writer William Chatterton Dix became very sick and almost died. He had to remain in bed for several months. He became very depressed during his illness, but after alomost dying he wrote the song What Child Is This set to the traditional English tune of Gleensleeves.  

Sarah McLaugllin  version is a little different, set to different music using the same words and could almost be a lullaby sung to a baby. .  

The next two songs focus on the joy Christmas is supposed to bring and reminds us that we need to remember to keep some of that joy in our heart even when things in our life are bad. 
 

Try to sing along with this next song as loudly as you can. Make sure you really open your mouth wide. It will help with your pronunciation, your phrasing and your speaking fluency. 

ESL: Charlie Brown Christmas Listening Speaking Activities

50 years after it was created, the animated cartoon  "A Charlie Brown Christmas continues to be one of the most beloved Christmas holiday TV specials. "  

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  the Christmas season can bring anxiety and a feeling of being alone and unloved for many people

 "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 Charlie buys for the school play represents all the world's underfed, unseen, unloved, ( trees, animals, people...) .However, it can still be rescued. 

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

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

Can you figure out what it means?

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. 

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

O

Read and Listen  Charlie Brown Christmas Transcript 

PRACTICE THE VOCABULARY  New 

• Vocabulary Practice and quizzes from charlie Brown Christmas 
• Vocabulary Charlie Brown Christmas 
• Vocabulary Quiz Charlie Brown Christmas Quiz
• Quizlet Vocabulary Quiz with pictures 

The True Meaning of Christmas:  A Listening Quiz 

More Comprehension Quizzes to Try

• Charlie Brown Christmas Quiz 1 (easier) 
• Charlie Brown Comprehension Questions
• Quizlet Trivia flashcards New 
• Charlie Brown Quiz  New 
• 25 Charlie Brown Chrismas questions New 
• Timed Charlie Brown Quiz

Now, try this song.

VIDEOS: New

The Making of a Charlie Brown Christmas  a 15 minute documentary on the story behind the making of A Charlie Brown Christmas featuring interviews with the people involved in the special.  

       

Celebrating 50 Years Canadian jazz musician Jerry Granelli opens up about recording the now-iconic score to the beloved TV special

It's Your 50th Birthday Charlie Brown  In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved tale, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Kristen Bell will hosts a 30 minute TV special. which includes live performances, from the memorable music of Vince Guaraldi, to Kristen Chenoweth singing “Happiness” from the “Peanuts” Broadway hit, and a performance from Matthew Morrison of an original song, “Just Like Me.” Other guests are Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, Pentatonix, David Benoit and The All-American Boys Chorus. D

ABC Celebrates 50th anniversary of Charlie Brown Christmas radio
National Public Radio ( NPR) explores what makes this ageless special endure in interviews with experts. 

READING: NEW 
Find out more about the history and little known facts about Charlie Brown's Christmas. Read opinions for its success as well as about recent controversies surrounding its "religious" tone. 

• Charlie Brown Christmas at 50: the Making of a Classic Soundtrack 
• Factors Why Charlie Brown Christmas is So Well Loved : 
• Charlie Brown Christmas: The Flop That Wasn't
• Five  Things You Don't  Know About Charlie Brown Christmas
• 50 Years Later Charlie Brown Christmas Turns Out to be a Winner After All 
• Re Think review Charflie Brown Christmas True Meaning of Christmas
• 14 Blockheaded Facts ab out Charlie Brown's Christmas
• 29 Moments of Charlie Brown
• Kentucky School District Censors Charlie Brown Christmas
• Dear-lexington-editors-if-Linus-Doesnt-Say-You-Know-What-then-What-Does-He-Say?

Discussion Questions

   1    What did you enjoy most about the special?

   2.    Why is it that Charlie Brown as well as ourselves feel like we should have a certain 
          type of feeling at Christmas? 

   3.   Why  is there more pressure on us to feel happy during the Christmas season than 
        at other time of year? Why is it we feel that there is something wrong  with us if we 
        don't  feel this way? 

  4.    Studies show that a lot of people get depressed during or just after holidays like
          Christmas ? Why do you think this happens?  

  5.  What should depressed people do about this " depression" or sadness?

  6.  According to Charlie Browns' friend Linus, what is Christmas all about? 

   7.  Do you think Christmas has become too commercial? Explain. How could they make
         it more  meaningful? 

   8.  Charlie Brown refused to "go along  with" ( agree with what everyone else thought
        was  normal when he was sure there was something better or more meaningful 
        available. When is it good to go "along"  with everyone  around you and when is it
        better to make your own way?