Do you fancy getting into the Christmas spirit, using your English? How about improving your English through falling in love with the magic of Christmas? Excited already? Let’s start 🤗
You choose what activities bring you joy this Christmas, boosting your language skills in the process… 🥳🎄
Your cosy Christmas reads
If you love your books and reading is how you get into the spirit of the holidays, check out my Christmas books recommendations along with their suggested levels. Tuck in, get a cup of tea or hot cocoa, and enjoy the cold evenings boosting your vocabulary 😉
Do you know how to keep up with all the new words? Here are my suggestions on how to collect and learn new vocab, step by step. Choose the option that suits you the most for best results.
Christmas-themed podcasts
If you are into listening rather than reading, or if you are looking for an activity on the go, these holiday-themed podcasts share stories, history, and global perspectives on Christmas. Listening will improve your comprehension and cultural knowledge.
Christmas Past – This podcast delves into Christmas traditions from different times and places.
The History of Christmas – Great if you are interested in the evolution of Christmas customs globally.
12 Days Pod – Podcast for those interested in holiday movies.
Just like with your reading, don’t forget to write any new, cool words down to practise them later. 💪🏆
Watch a holiday movie in English
Throughout December, try watching a holiday-themed movie in English. Some well loved suggestions:
📽️“Home Alone” – classic comedy, perfect for vocabulary around family and the holidays
🎬“The Grinch” – a great mix of holiday words and expressions
🍿“Elf” – a light-hearted holiday comedy filled with festive idioms, family vocabulary, and everyday expressions
🎞️“It’s a Wonderful Life” – classic phrases and older English expressions
🎥”Klaus” – modern holiday animation with unique vocabulary related to storytelling, traditions, and kindness
🎬“Love Actually” – a holiday romantic comedy with multiple intertwining love stories, beloved in the UK
🍿“Die Hard” – While it’s not a traditional holiday story about Santa or festive cheer, “Die Hard” checks enough Christmas boxes to earn its spot as an unconventional Christmas movie and is definitely appreciated in the USA during the holiday season. So if you’re in the mood for a Christmas movie with action and one-liners, “Die Hard” might be perfect!
Pick one, grab some popcorn, and enjoy! Try keeping a notebook to jot down new vocabulary, phrases, or questions about what you hear.
Watching and listening: Christmas around the world
Explore Christmas traditions worldwide to expand cultural understanding and listening skills:
Christmas Around the World – Ever wonder how exactly Christmas is celebrated in other countries? Check it out for yourself 😉🎄
The History of Christmas – Want to know more about where the holiday came from? Watch this short video or type ‘the history of Christmas into YouTube search and watch one of the many videos that go into more detail.
Christmas cooking & baking
Baking traditional Christmas cookies or holiday foods is a hands-on way to practice English. Recipe websites and videos offer great learning tools and there are SO MANY of them available! Google your own or check out some of my suggestions.
Traditional Christmas dishes from around the world – Wondering what is eaten at Christmas in other countries? Wonder no more after watching this intriguing video.
Best Christmas Cookies Recipes – Festive recipes with clear step-by-step instructions.
BBC Good Food Christmas Recipes – This web page includes recipes for gingerbread, shortbread, mince pies, and more.
Holiday Baking Championship – Fancy a bit of Christmas drama? Well here it is, all the baking drama you can take in one day, in English 😅😉
Try out one of the traditional recipes from around the world 🤗🍽️ Find a recipe in English and get cooking or baking! Enjoy your meal 😋
Festive Vocabulary Challenge
Explore all the exciting Christmas vocabulary and make a list.
Do you know all these words: Yuletide, jolly, evergreen, merrymaking, stockings, snowbound?
✏️ Check out this Christmas vocabulary list for some inspiration on the traditional Christmas words.
✏️ Interested in curiosities? Have a look at these weird and wonderful Christmas vocabulary
✏️Alternatively, check out these holiday words with surprising histories in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Create Christmas cards with personal messages in English
Making Christmas cards is a fun, creative way to practice informal English and festive expressions. It is a must do tradition in England. People are not happy if they think you were friends but they didn’t receive a Christmas card from you! Create a card for a friend, family member, or yourself 😉
Here are some phrases to get you going:
“Wishing you joy and peace this holiday season!”
“Happy Holidays to you and your family!”
“May this season bring you warmth and happiness!”
If you’d like to personalize your message, try including a few specific wishes, like hoping for good health, joy, or success in the new year. Need many more inspiration? Check it out 😉
Virtual museum tours & holiday exhibits
Many museums offer virtual tours, often with special holiday exhibits. These are great for listening and cultural exploration. Will it be your holiday pick?
The Smithsonian – Check for online exhibits related to holiday customs.
Google Arts & Culture – Search for Christmas exhibits or artifacts; the platform includes a vast collection of holiday-related displays from around the world.
“Christmas traditions from my country” storytelling
If you were to describe to a foreigner how you celebrate Christmas in your country or family, how would you go about it?
Write it down, talk to yourself, tell someone… Figure out all the vocabulary that you don’t know and look it up. Practise, practise, practise. I assure you, the opportunity will come when you will need to tell someone 😉
Christmas journaling
Keep a holiday journal for daily language practice. To practise your English, you could write about things such as:
✏️ “Describing your ideal Christmas.”
✏️ “Writing about a memorable Christmas from your childhood.”
✏️ “What does Christmas mean to you?”
✏️ “What are your favourite winter activities?”
And whatever else you like… 🤗
Christmas carols singing
Enjoy singing? Christmas is the perfect time for you to join your passion with your English learning 🤗
Explore carols like Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, or any other modern or old fashioned Christmas song that takes your fancy and learn English without even noticing 🥰
Devise your own Holiday Bucket List
Get into the magical Christmas atmosphere with your own bucket list of things that make you warm and cosy… in English 😉
What could be on your list? Things such as:
❄️ Getting (matching) Christmas themed pyjamas
❄️ Making a handmade ornament for you tree
❄️ Trying specialty coffees from your local cafe (e.g. gingerbread latte)
❄️ Baking Christmas cookies
❄️ Trying a special holiday cocktail
❄️ Attending a ugly sweater Christmas party
❄️ Organising a Secret Santa present exchange with your friends
❄️ Sitting by a fireplace, preferably sipping on hot chocolate…
❄️ Going ice-skating – always on my bucket list ⛸️🥰
… and whatever else makes you feel like Christmas! A sample family Christmas bucket list is below but you adjust it to whatever makes you personally happy 🤗🎄
