Starting off

To introduce the topic, and some vocabulary relevant to it, you might start with some pictures of objects, events or activities related to Christmas and the Christmas season. After introducing the items you can ask the students if they like these things, when they last did them etc. This should lead naturally into the questions, which will further develop the idea of Christmas traditions.

The questions are designed to establish in the students' minds a distinction between more generally shared traditions and individual or familial traditions - eliciting the students' ideas onto the board and getting the students to categorise them might be an interesting way to do feedback as there may well be some difference of opinion as to what constitutes a generally shared tradition.

After the discussion ask the students to compare their ideas with the section of the text on the right, in the green box ('Decorating your tree'). This part of the text focuses only on Christmas tree decorations, but the students are unlikely not to have discussed this element and so they should be able to compare their ideas effectively. It is important that the students do not read the rest of the text at this point, so it would be wise to give them the text folded over, with only the green box visible.

Before you read

This is a prediction task, so the students should be clear that they are expected to guess the answers, not know them. The task will probably work best if done in pairs, to allow for discussion and deliberation together. The reading task - to check answers - is not the next task, however, so be sure to make your instructions clear…

First reading

A relatively straightforward task, aimed at familiarising the students with the organisation of the text so they can do the next (scanning) task more efficiently.

Key:

1. E 2. D 3. F 4. B 5. A 6. C

Second reading

The headings are included on the Teacher's Copy of the text.

Vocabulary 1

Key:

1. E

2. A

3. G

4. J

5. B

6. D

7. I

8. C

9. H

10. F

Third reading

This is a challenging task which requires a number of skills on the part of the student: vocabulary knowledge (understanding the words' meanings), grammatical awareness (knowing how the words would be used in sentences) and reading skills (identifying where the additional information might be inserted). It would, therefore, be a good idea to do the first, and possibly the second as well, example together as a class to be sure that the students know what to do and are able to do it.

The words' positions are highlighted on the Teacher's Copy.

Speaking

The task here is deliberately vague so as to allow the students as much leeway as possible in terms of what kind of changes they decide upon. Some may choose to focus on changes at the individual level, such as everybody being kinder and more patient while driving, whereas others may focus on changes at the administrative level, such as all working people being given an extended Christmas holiday. The more the changes differ from each other, the more possibility there is for discussion and for each student to hear something them would not themselves have thought of, so try to avoid giving too restrictive instructions.

For feedback you will need to consider how formally or informally you wish to organise it, from stand-up presentations with an audience to open class feedback/discussion in a circle. Your choice, of course, will depend on your and the students' preferences.

Extension

The topic lends itself to extension in a number of ways. One obvious direction is for the students to work in groups to put together a project on Christmas traditions and customs in other countries. You could brainstorm a list of countries with the students and then ask them to choose one each (or one per group) which they would like to investigate, using the internet, school library, encyclopaedias etc. If the list of countries includes countries from different continents, with different cultural and religious traditions, then it should be an interesting project for the students. A second possibility is an extended discussion, which would follow naturally from the final speaking activity, on the true nature of Christmas: what is was, what is should be and what it has become, focusing on the increasingly commercial nature of Christmas and how far this can be reconciled with its roots in folk and religious traditions.

Further information on Christmas traditions in different countries can be found in the December 2007 edition of Around English.

Contact

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas for future editions of Around English.

Peter Moran [e-mail]

TEACHER'S NOTES AND KEY

December 2008

© Pearson Education Polska 2008

How Poor and Sad Would Our Christmas Be,
Without Our Beautiful Christmas Tree?

The origin of the Christmas tree

Traditions of taking branches and leaves from trees into the home in the winter are very old indeed - much older, in fact, than Christmas. In ancient times evergreen branches symbolised life surviving through the winter until the spring.

The ancient Egyptians took palm leaves into their houses while the Romans took whole trees and even decorated them with gold and silver - just as we do today.

In Europe there were similar traditions, but at first these were not associated with Christmas. In fact, at first the Church prohibited Christians from decorating their houses with evergreen branches and leaves. It was only around 200 years ago that Christmas trees became popular once again.

Christmas trees today

There is a bewildering choice of trees these days, both real and artificial. For those who like a real tree the most popular kinds are fir and spruce; for those who prefer artificial trees there are thousands of designs to choose from.

Which is better: a real tree or an

artificial one? Most people agree

that a real tree looks much nicer,

but when the needles begin to

to find the best Christmas trees in each region.

In Georgia special Christmas trees called Chichilaki are traditionally made, though western-style Christmas trees are also popular.

Remarkable Christmas trees

There are some famous trees around the world. Each year in London's Trafalgar Square a large Christmas tree, given as a present by the people of Norway, is erected and lit. Thousands of tourists visit the tree every year.

The tree in Trafalgar Square is big, but it is not the biggest! That is probably to be found in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its tree is 85 metres tall and is lit by over 2.8 million lights.

Another amazing Christmas tree is to be found in Singapore. An artificial tree, it has more than 20,000 diamonds on its branches and would cost over $1 million, if anyone ever wanted to buy it, of course!

fall they may change their minds! And, of course, an artificial tree is good for many years, whereas a real tree is only for one Christmas and usually ends up on a bonfire some time later in the year.

Many families who have gardens, do not bring trees indoors but instead decorate a tree in their garden. This may be the best solution - a natural tree which you can use every year and whose needles will never make a mess of your floor!

Christmas trees around the world

Christmas trees are not only popular in Christian countries. All over the world this symbol of the Christmas season is popular, from Korea and Japan, through Brazil and Colombia, to Nigeria and Lebanon.

In Colombia Christmas trees are treated very seriously. Neighbourhoods will organise special displays, with lights on many trees along their streets, and competitions are organised by radio and television stations

… our Christmas trees can be real works of art. But even with such beautiful things, can we have too much of a good thing? When decorating Christmas trees, perhaps it is true that less is more…

Decorating your tree

What we put on our Christmas trees is really a question of taste, but there are many things to choose from.

Christmas tree lights, or `fairy lights', are very popular, but do you prefer coloured or white lights, flashing or steady, large or small? Nowadays there are even musical lights, if you want them.

Once you have your lights, you can choose other things to add. Baubles, usually made of painted glass, are very popular. You can also put brightly coloured tinsel on the branches of the tree.

Not all decorations cost money. Slices of fruit, dried on the radiator, can be a simple and beautiful decoration. Another idea, very popular with children, is to hang biscuits, preferably homemade, from the tree.

Last, but not, of course, least, is the decoration for the very top of the tree. Usually this is a star or an angel, but some people prefer more original ideas.

Whatever you choose, have a very warm and happy Christmas with your family and friends. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lights, Tinsel, Angels Baubles and Stars…

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