LEVEL: A2-C1
GRADE: any
LENGTH: 15-20 minutes
TOPIC: writing a Christmas letter
HOW TO:
This activity is perfect for December. Even though it is an English exercise, I would suggest addressing the letter to your country’s original Christmas person (for Czechia, it is Ježíšek = Baby Jesus) so they will feel more connected to it than to Santa Claus.
Let them remember when they were small and used to write a letter to your Christmas person. Ask them if they have done it in recent years. Then suggest you should try to write one for them now.
It is more fun when they ask for something ridiculous or silly, you should absolutely endorse bribing, flattering, and other things that will get them what they want.
Go over the formalities of a letter as well as the structure (greetings, introduction, this year’s behavior, expectations, demands, farewell).
It is a lot of fun to share the letters with the whole class.
example:
Dear Ježíšek,
You know it and I know it. I have been enormously fabulous this year – I have gone to work even when I REALLY didn’t want to, I corrected all the homework my students have sent me (and we both know it was HUGE amount of work) and I have just been great.
Can you please give me an amazing pair of socks? I love socks. Socks are the best. But because I am a grown-up now, not many people give me socks and if they do, they are kind of boring. PLEASE please – give me a tremendously wonderful pair of socks.
Love you always (not like the rest of the pretentious bastards who love you only during Christmas time),
Tereza
