4 Ideas for New Year lessons in your ESL classroom

English learning is amazing because all the existing topics can be discussed: healthy lifestyle, money & finances, mental health, hobbies & work, workflow & burning out, shopping, conspiracy theories, and many others.

Thematic lessons are not exceptions: Thanksgiving Day, Easter, Halloween, St. Nicolas Day, St Valentine's Day… The New Year is one of them to dive in!

There are certain periods that everyone hits upon. Holidays mentioned above are inevitable parts of life. If someone doesn’t celebrate them, at least they know a lot. So, that is why it is great to apply this knowledge in English, too. 

Teachers get tired of hearing the same thing every year. Not all the students like thematic lessons, that’s true. 

Even though one of the learners doesn’t like one or another holiday (especially talking about it in English lessons), the teacher can say the next:

Anyway, it’s needed to learn at first, and then tell everyone how you hate it, but in English, ha ha.

No jokes, such lessons are highly beneficial. There is already a life hack on how to make the students involved in these lessons. And here are some extended reasons why. 

The more we know, the more knowledgeable we become. It is much easier to maintain a conversation if to know what to talk about. One of such random topics can be the New Year and its celebration in different countries, non-boring gifts for this holiday, etc. It’s always pleasant to share even your own experience.  

So, having lessons like that will prove to the students the natural language context and usage of that.

Thematic lessons help the students to learn about other cultures and traditions, promoting intercultural understanding. They can compare customs, choose which traditions they would like to keep or break. It can even promote intercultural understanding.

Seems like it’s topical, not so frequently used. But it's vice versa. The words from the thematic lessons are everywhere. Celebrating or toasting, preparing and having guests over, buying gifts, a Christmas tree, tinsel and Christmas lights, speaking about your resolutions. All of this is about everyday life.

Each theme introduces topic-specific words and phrases, making it easier to remember because they’re linked to emotions or images. And can be immediately put into practice by celebrating.

Thematic lessons combine reading, listening, speaking, and writing. For example:

• Reading about how people celebrate Thanksgiving
• Writing a postcard for Christmas
• Listening to a St. Nicolas story
• Watching a short film about a St. Valentine's story 
• Speaking about their own traditions

The thematic lessons are underrated, but they have the same benefits as any other topic.

New Year and Childhood Memories

Grammar focus: to learn used to / would / Past Simple

Vocabulary & ideas:

• childhood memories
• to remember / to recall / to remind of
• toys, gifts, family gatherings
• old traditions, winter games, decorations

This is a lesson to feel nostalgic, cosy, warm, and happy. It is dedicated to revising past forms and putting them into practice immediately.

It is to recall one childhood memory and tell it to everyone.

Prompts on the board:

• What happened?
• Who was with you?
• Why do you remember it?
• How did you feel?

(Encourage use of I remember / I recall / I remind of / I used to…)

Then, adding words to the lesson, the students can work on the difference between “to remember / to recall”: give their ideas explaining, and make sentences with them. 

Then, a new portion of vocabulary to learn. The teacher can prepare a list of words and some exercises: 

• controlled practice (choose the correct option)

My parents used to invite everyone for big ______ on holidays.

a) family gatherings b) family meetings c) family events 

• semi-controlled practice (to finish the sentence with their own idea)

I always felt cosy when ____________________________.

My family gatherings were full of ____________________________.

• free practice (discuss it with partners)

What do you remember most about your childhood holidays?

A short audio about the speaker’s New Year. The students listen twice. At first, they get the main gist, then catch grammar constructions about the past: used to / would / Past Simple.

The gradual move to this part. The teacher can prepare some information with grammar and use topical vocabulary for sentence examples.

Then, some exercises to do again.

• controlled practice (underline the correct option)

When I was a child, I (used to / would / use to) believe in Santa.

• semi-controlled practice (to finish the sentence with their own idea)

When I was little, I used to _______________.

• free practice (discuss it with partners)

Who would you spend most time with during the holidays?

How do you feel when you think of those times?

Encourage use of all three forms: used to, would, Past Simple.

New Year Hustle and Bustle

Grammar focus: to be going to + Future Simple (will)

Vocabulary & ideas:

• to prepare for the holiday
• shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating
• to plan, to rush, to get ready
• to make New Year’s resolutions
• to celebrate with family/friends

This lesson about experiencing forthcoming celebration, and its hustle and bustle.