I absolutely love Christmas, and all the festivities that come with it, and all these are great for language learning! And because Christmas is a time for families and lots of time spent together, there are lots of reasons to use these relaxing and fun times for language learning.
So let’s takes look at my top 5 reasons to why
Reason 1: Festive Experiences
Christmas Markets
Who doesn’t love a Christmas market? Christmas markets are filled with so many language learning opportunities. The people, food, music and selection of handmade crafts are all really good talking points for language learning.
You can ask them to name some foods, ask about people’s clothing, talk about some of the crafts and also sing along to some of the Christmas songs.
Link some of the vocabulary and simple sentences not just to the things that they see arou d them but also to the level of english or topics they are currently learning at home or in school. So for example for primary school children it could all be about the colours, clothing and food items. For older children it could be about describing people and crafts that you see in more detail.
Christmas Films
I can honestly say that Christmas films start in our house around the end of November and it is pretty much a marathon watch until Boxing Day. However they are also a great way for language learning. Watching Christmas films in your target language can help reinforce learning.
My tip is to take a Christmas film that your child really enjoys and knows the plot to, to then watch it in language that you are learning and although it may be a little difficult at first purely due to the speed at which the actors and actresses are talking, as they know the film it is not so frustrating.
Traditions
Take a look at the country or countries that use your target language as their native language and learn about their Christmas traditions. See if there are any traditions that you would want to add to your Christmas activities.
Reason 2: Learning Resources
Christmas-Themed Websites
Have a good search through the internet for language learning websites that offer Christmas related activities. These could be as simple as word searches to download or even some recipes for you to try. have a scan through and see what catches your eye.
You could also check out the English Activity Vault on this website and download the December Freebie that has some bilingual activities for you to do. or check out the Instagram page for some bilingual Christmas Crafts.
Christmas Stories and Books
Having a selection of Christmas books at home in both your native language and target language is in my eyes a must. They can boost vocabulary and are usually basic enough for younger children to also understand.
We also have some books that we love in both languages!
Christmas Songs and Carols
Listening is a great way to learn languages and singing along to well known christmas carols and songs is a great way to help pronunciation. The melodies are usually very catchy and therefore easy to learn.
Reason 3: Increased Motivation
Holiday Goals and Resolutions
Many people set goals during the holidays. Why not make language learning one of them? Setting a clear, achievable target can boost your motivation to study.
Connecting with Familiy and Language Learners Globally
It’s usually not ideal but very much the reality of communicating with Skype with family members over the Christmas period. we Skype for example with my family on Boxing Day and it gives Emily our daughter a great opportunity to talk in her target language (english) with the rest of our family.
Christmas Cards or Emails
Sending holiday greetings in another language adds excitement to the season. It’s a great way to impress your friends and loved ones while practicing your skills.
Reason 4: Memory and Recall
Emotional Connections
To me Christmas always brings out more emotions than the rest of the year. Try talking about these emotions and even using the feel of these emotions in order to reinforce some of the vocabulary that is being learnt.
Children tend to link learning with enjoyment and happiness. I think you know the scenario, the child does not enjoy a specific subject due to the teacher or the methods used and the learning, motivation and retention of the subject just goes down the sink. So remember to try and link language learning with happy and positive emotions.
Repetition in Christmas Traditions
Yearly traditions create opportunities for repetition. You’ll find yourself hearing the same phrases, making it easier to remember them over time.
Christmas Activities
Activities like baking or decorating a tree in another language can turn fun tasks into engaging learning experiences.
Reason 5: Real-World Practice
Communicating with Family and Friends (who speak another language)
Providing a chance to speak with relatives or friends who communicate in another language can definitely improve confidence when speaking the target language.
Traveling
It is also very common now for families to travel abroad for Christmas or in the Christmas holidays either to visit families or well known cities.if this is you then use these experiences for language learning and also learning about the culture and traditions based around Christmas.
Conclusion
Christmas offers many advantages for language learning. With festive experiences, plenty of learning resources, and increased motivation, this season creates an excellent opportunity for language learning.
So start by thinking about what activities you could be doing as a family and jump into the Christmas spirit and into language learning.
