Designed by Magda Wojdyło for Pearson Longman

PHOTOCOPIABLE

FESTIVAL WORKSHEETS

Christmas Lesson

Intermediate Worksheet A

BUILD YOUR CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY

What’s the word or phrase?

a special sweet food that contains a lot of dried fruit and is
eaten in Britain at the end of the main meal on Christmas Day
typical of Christmas
a tube of coloured paper that two people pull apart at
Christmas in Britain for fun. It makes a loud sound as it is pulled

apart, and usually contains a small toy
a large deer with long wide antlers (=horns), that lives in cold

northern areas
a character in a children's Christmas song. It is a reindeer which

has a shiny red nose. The other reindeer think his nose looks

silly, but Santa Claus asks him to help the other reindeer to pull
his sleigh on a foggy night, because his bright nose helps them

to see where they are going
a very soft light white or pink sweet, made of sugar and egg

white
a bird that looks like a large chicken and is often eaten at

Christmas and at Thanksgiving
an imaginary old man with red clothes and a long white beard

who, children believe, brings them presents at Christmas
a short novel by Charles Dickens about an unpleasant old man
called Scrooge who hates to spend money. On Christmas Eve

several ghosts visit him to warn him about what will happen if
he does not change. When he wakes up the next morning, he

becomes a happy generous person, especially to his worker Bob
Cratchit and his sick son, Tiny Tim.
a long sock which children leave in their house on Christmas Eve

to be filled with presents
December 25th, the day when most Christians celebrate the

birth of Christ
a national holiday in England and Wales, on the first day after

Christmas Day that is not a Sunday
a Christian song that people sing at Christmas
December 24th, the day before Christmas Day

All definitions come from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English on CD-ROM

Designed by Magda Wojdyło for Pearson Longman

PHOTOCOPIABLE

FESTIVAL WORKSHEETS

Christmas Lesson

Intermediate Worksheet A

Teacher’s Notes

This worksheet can be used independently or before Intermediate Worksheet B.

1. Build your Christmas Vocabulary.
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The Christmas Vocabulary Worksheet can be used to give students practice in reading and
understanding dictionary definitions as well as revise and/or learn Christmas words.

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Depending on the level of the students either ask them to read the definitions and come up either

the words and phrases on their own, or – in case of lower levels- write the words on board first and
ask the students to match them with appropriate deifinitions.

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All definitions come from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, edition 4

!

Answers:

What’s the word or phrase?

Christmas pudding

a special sweet food that contains a lot of dried fruit and is eaten in Britain at the end
of the main meal on Christmas Day

Christmassy

typical of Christmas

Christmas cracker

a tube of coloured paper that two people pull apart at Christmas in Britain for fun. It

makes a loud sound as it is pulled apart, and usually contains a small toy

Reindeer (plural: reindeer)

a large deer with long wide antlers (=horns), that lives in cold northern areas

Rudolph, the Red-nosed

Reindeer

a character in a children's Christmas song. It is a reindeer which has a shiny red nose.

The other reindeer think his nose looks silly, but Santa Claus asks him to help the other
reindeer to pull his sleigh on a foggy night, because his bright nose helps them to see

where they are going

Marshmallow

a very soft light white or pink sweet, made of sugar and egg white

Turkey

a bird that looks like a large chicken and is often eaten at Christmas and at

Thanksgiving

Santa Claus (also Santa or, in

British English, Father

Christmas)

an imaginary old man with red clothes and a long white beard who, children believe,

brings them presents at Christmas

A Christmas Carol

a short novel by Charles Dickens about an unpleasant old man called Scrooge who hates

to spend money. On Christmas Eve several ghosts visit him to warn him about what will
happen if he does not change. When he wakes up the next morning, he becomes a

happy generous person, especially to his worker Bob Cratchit and his sick son, Tiny Tim.

Christmas stocking

a long sock which children leave in their house on Christmas Eve to be filled with

presents

Christmas Day

December 25th, the day when most Christians celebrate the birth of Christ

Boxing Day (British English)

a national holiday in England and Wales, on the first day after Christmas Day that is not

a Sunday

Christmas carol

a Christian song that people sing at Christmas

Christmas Eve

December 24th, the day before Christmas Day

2. Story telling:
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Get students into groups of 4 and ask them to invent a story using the words from the exercise. You

could introduce 3 extra words to help make the story more intriguing (e.g. gun, robbery, polar bear
etc)

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When students are ready, ask the students to tell their stories to other groups; the best/most
intriguing/funniest story can then be selected.

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Alternatively, ask your students to write the story down.

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If you are combining worksheet A with worksheets B and C you may do the story telling activity
after you have done the John Grisham biodata activity.