Do you have to deliver one more lesson this week? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
Last December, I stumbled across a little musical treasure: “Christmas on the Beach” by Bera. Its dreamy bossa nova vibes, beautiful lyrics, and summery scenes perfectly capture the warm, unique atmosphere of a South American tropical Christmas. Naturally, I used it in a lesson!
In this post, I’ll explore:
why and how the festive season can feature meaningfully in didactic materials;
the specific aims of the lesson “A Merry Tropical Christmas”;
and how best to use the provided resources.
Shall we? Let’s go!
Are ELT materials a good platform for discussing Christmas traditions?
I’ve often found myself musing over the abundance of snowy Christmas decorations in my hometown—ironic, given the sweltering heat of the season. cof coloniality cof
But how, then, should English language teachers and materials designers approach Christmas in their lessons? I hold the conviction that fostering dialogue and promoting the principle of alterity are central to learning an additional language.
In essence, students ought to feel empowered to share their own cultural narratives while simultaneously expanding their linguistic and cultural horizons. This approach might include the exploration of globally recognized Christmas traditions but should also leave ample space for local customs to shine.
How can you use this lesson?
I designed this material with three core objectives in mind:
introducing vocabulary associated with Christmas;
creating opportunities for students to use key expressions when describing Christmas traditions and gatherings; and
providing a platform for students to share their unique holiday customs.
Besides, the activities are designed for adult intermediate learners (just a heads-up: the song mentions an alcoholic drink, so I’d suggest keeping it for grown-up classes).
Click here to access the complete lesson material—it’s free to use and fully customisable to suit your teaching context. Whether you opt for the PDF or the Google Slides version, the latter allows students to type their responses directly into the document. Moreover, they can engage with matching activities by dragging and dropping vocabulary boxes.
A few quick notes
This resource is intended solely for educational purposes.
Please ensure proper credit is given and that the sources of the selected texts are clearly cited.
If you use this material, I’d love to hear your feedback! Sharing ideas and experiences is what keeps our teaching community thriving.
And to everyone reading, whatever your faith or traditions, I wish you a festive season filled with hope, love, and joy.
Love,
Iza.
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