TEFL / TESOL Blog
In the ever-globalizing world, learning about holidays and traditions from around the globe not only enriches students' cultural knowledge but also enhances their language skills. For ESL (English as a Second Language) students, exploring global celebrations offers a fun and engaging way to improve their English fluency while gaining a deeper appreciation for the diversity that exists in the world.
10 ESL Activities To Explore Global Holidays And Traditions
From interactive games to creative writing exercises, here are 10 ESL activities to explore global holidays and traditions:
1. Holiday Vocabulary Bingo
Bingo is a classic game that can be easily adapted to any theme, including global holidays. Create bingo cards filled with holiday-related vocabulary terms such as ‘Christmas tree,’‘Lantern,’‘fireworks,’‘candle,’ and ‘parade.’ These words can represent holidays like Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, or Mardi Gras.
As you call out the definitions or descriptions of the words, students will mark the corresponding terms on their cards. This activity helps students familiarize themselves with cultural symbols while practicing listening skills and vocabulary acquisition.
Tip: Customize the bingo cards with images of the holidays or their associated traditions for a more visual experience.
2. Cultural Show and Tell
Encourage students to share their holiday traditions or those from their culture or country in a ‘show and tell’ format. Students can bring in a holiday item or prepare a short presentation about a specific holiday and its significance.
Whether it’s the Lunar New Year in China or the Day of the Dead in Mexico, this activity fosters intercultural understanding and language practice.
Tip: Give students prompts such as ‘Describe a food you eat during this holiday’ or ‘What games do you play during this celebration?’ to help guide their speeches.
3. Holiday Recipe Exchange
Food is an integral part of many global holidays. Have students research and write down the recipe for a traditional dish from a holiday they celebrate. For example, students can share how to make ‘roast turkey’ for Thanksgiving or ‘roti’ for Diwali.
Afterward, each student can exchange their recipes with others, allowing them to learn about not only new foods but also cooking vocabulary and instructions.
Tip: Encourage students to write the recipes in a step-by-step format to practice sequence words such as ‘first,’‘next,’‘then,’ and ‘finally.’
4. Global Holiday Map
A visual and interactive activity, the Global Holiday Map allows students to explore where specific holidays are celebrated around the world. Provide a world map or an online interactive map and have students pinpoint locations associated with certain global holidays.
For example, students could mark the U.S. for Thanksgiving, Brazil for Carnival, or Sweden for Midsummer. As they place their markers, students can practice describing these locations and the holidays linked to them in full sentences.
Tip: As an extension, students can present their findings in short reports or PowerPoint slides to practice both speaking and writing.
5. Holiday Trivia Quiz
Create a trivia quiz focused on global holidays and their unique customs. For example, students can answer questions like ‘Which holiday is celebrated by lighting a menorah?’ or ‘What animal is associated with Chinese New Year?’
This activity can be conducted in teams to encourage collaboration, and students can keep track of their answers on a whiteboard or paper. Trivia quizzes help improve listening and reading comprehension skills, as well as general knowledge of global traditions.
Tip: Tailor the difficulty level of the questions to the student's proficiency level. You could also create multiple-choice questions for beginners.
6. Comparative Writing Assignment
For more advanced students, a comparative writing assignment is an excellent way to practice writing skills while learning about different holidays. Ask students to select two global holidays and compare and contrast them in terms of their history, rituals, foods, and symbols.
For example, students might write about the differences between Halloween in the United States and Diwali in India. This activity helps students practice the use of comparative and contrastive language while learning about different cultures.
Tip: Provide a graphic organizer with categories to help students organize their thoughts before writing.
7. Holiday Role-Play
Role-playing offers a fun and interactive way for students to practice language in context. Have students role-play scenarios based on global holidays, such as acting out a Christmas dinner, a New Year's Eve party, or a Diwali festival.
By putting themselves in different cultural settings, students can practice greetings, gift-giving, and other common holiday-related interactions. This activity can be done in pairs or small groups, encouraging communication in a low-pressure setting.
Tip: Prepare holiday-specific vocabulary lists to help students with expressions commonly used during these celebrations.
8. Holiday Pictionary
In this creative activity, students draw pictures related to different holidays while their peers guess the holiday or tradition. For example, a student might draw fireworks to represent the Fourth of July or a dragon for Chinese New Year.
This game is excellent for vocabulary practice, as students must think quickly about the key symbols of different global holidays. It also enhances creativity and teamwork.
Tip: Use an online drawing tool if you're teaching virtually, so all students can participate in real time.
9. Holiday Storytelling
Storytelling is an essential part of many global holiday traditions. In this activity, students can share stories related to specific holidays, such as the tale of Santa Claus during Christmas or the story of the great pumpkin at Halloween.
Students can either read a short holiday story aloud or create their versions, practicing speaking and listening skills. The activity also helps students with pronunciation, intonation, and public speaking.
Tip: For younger students, you could provide a list of sentence starters or prompts to guide them in creating their stories.
10. Holiday Song Lyrics Analysis
Many holidays are associated with specific songs that are often sung during celebrations. For example, ‘Jingle Bells’ during Christmas or ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve. Have students listen to holiday songs in English, and then analyze the lyrics.
Discuss the meaning of the words, unfamiliar vocabulary, and the context of the holiday. Students can also learn about the cultural significance of the songs. This activity combines listening practice with an understanding of cultural expressions through music.
Tip: After the discussion, students could write a short reflection or even perform the song together as a class.
Bottom Line
Exploring global holidays and traditions in an ESL classroom offers a unique and enriching opportunity to practice language skills while deepening cultural understanding. By integrating these fun and interactive activities into your lessons and by pursuing courses like Master of Arts in Education with TESOL, you can make learning English both enjoyable and meaningful for your students.
Whether it’s through games, creative writing, or storytelling, these activities will help your students not only improve their English fluency but also develop a broader perspective of the world around them.
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