Merry ChristmasMerry ChristmasA: Are you excited about Christmas?B: Yeah, but I think my kids are more excited than me.A: Did you get them something good? B: Well my son really likes Star Wars so I got him some toys and we got my daughter some clothes she really wanted. A: That’s sweet. I’m sure they’ll be so happy. B: I really hope so. Money is tight this year so we couldn't buy a lot. A: That’s ok. What matters is just having a good time together. B: Yeah that’s true. What are you going to do for Christmas? A: Our family tradition is having a big dinner at my parents’ house. My mom makes a big ham and lots of side dishes. B: That sounds fantastic.

A: What do you want for Christmas this year?B: I don’t know. Maybe some clothes? A helicopter would be cool.A: A helicopter?B: Not a helicopter, one of those helicopters with four blades.A: Oh! A quadcopter! Yeah, those things are really neat. B: Yeah that’s it. I’ve always liked remote controlled cars. So one of those would be really fun. A: That’s a really cool idea. I really want a skateboard. B: But you already have a skateboard. A: Yeah, but it’s all beat up. I want a new one. B: Did you tell your parents? A: I tell them every day but I don’t know if they are going to get it or not.

Money is tight this year. Every year my family . . .

My skateboard is all beat up. We don’t have a lot of money.

One of those . . . I think . . . is important.

What matters is . . . a / an

My family tradition is . . . It’s getting old.

Merry ChristmasMerry ChristmasA: Are you ready for Christmas?B: Yeah, but my kids are more excited.A: Did you buy them Christmas presents?B: Yeah. I bought my son some toys and my daughter some clothes.A: That’s sweet. I think they will be happy. B: Me too. What are you going to do for Christmas?A: Every year we have a big dinner at my parents’ house. My mom makes a big ham and lots of side dishes. B: That sounds fantastic.

A: What do you want for Christmas this year?B: I don’t know. Maybe some clothes or a helicopter.A: A helicopter?B: Yeah. I want a toy helicopter. They have four motors.A: Oh! A quadcopter! Yeah, those are really cool.B: Yeah. I really like remote controlled cars. A: Sounds great. I really want a skateboard. B: But you already have a skateboard. A: Yeah, but it’s old. I want a new one. B: Did you tell your parents? A: I tell them every day.

Christmas?

What are you going to do your birthday?

for New Years?

What do you want (to do) winter break?

the holidays?

About the worksheetChristmas is one of a hundred holidays throughout the year that are popularly celebrated in a lot of English speaking countries. Most of the students I work with don’t celebrate the religious side of it but still enjoy the secular version. When talking about holidays there are two general successful patterns I look for. People talk about the holiday and enjoy it as at least one person in the group celebrates it. The other is if they don’t celebrate it, and quickly change the topic. A: Are you excited about Christmas?B: Actually my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas.A: Oh, okay. Cool. Do you have time off at the end of the year? B: Yeah actually I’m going to go skiing with some friends. A: That’s awesome! Where are you going to go?What matters is that students are able to smoothly make that transition. I didn’t focus on that in this particular worksheet but it’s something to look out for in every conversation. Using the worksheetGive a general topic like winter. You should already know a bit about your students but if it’s a new class this will give you a chance to see what they say about it. Read the first conversation and ask some comprehension questions. It should be pretty easy for higher level students but a challenge for lower level students. Don’t worry too much about the details but try to get a few good phrases or patterns from the dialogue. I’ve selected a few from each version to do as a matching activity. Give students a new topic related to the conversation. It doesn’t have to be Christmas. It could be shopping, December, holidays in general, or even Star Wars. It’s more important that students talk a lot than talking specifically about Christmas. NOTE: Before you print, remember pages one and two are targeted at different levels. Make sure you pick the one that’s appropriate for your students. Like what you see? Have a question, comment, idea or feedback? Get in touch!www.myenglishimages.com

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