It's December again...or already...or it's finally December, however you want to look at it.
That magical time of year when family and friends come together, eat far too much food, and make memories that last a lifetime.
But did you know that your holiday gatherings can also be the perfect opportunity to inspire your child’s English learning?
Yes, really! Whether you have multilingual family members, English-speaking friends, or just a mix of ages and interests, the holidays are packed with chances to sprinkle some English into your celebrations.
Even if you don't have a super close family member who speaks English (or another language), I bet you don't have to look far to find some connection with someone who does, be it someone's partner, girlfriend or boyfriend, high school or university friend, work friend, etc., and you can use this person to your advantage, at Christmas and always, to show your child that learning English (or any other language) definitely looks a bit different (and much more fun) than it often does at school.
So, let’s look a bit more into why these holiday encounters can inspire your child to speak more English.
Curiosity is the best teacher
So many of my students tell me that they have family (sometimes close, sometimes extended) who live in or come from other countries (usually in Europe, but sometimes from even further away!).
These family members often get together during the holidays, and even if the whole family speaks Italian (or whatever your first language is), just the fact that they had to travel from another country to visit them for Christmas opens the door for so many questions!
Questions about anything and everything in that country, from school or work to food, routines, activities, sport, you name it. Take advantage of your child's innate curiosity to get them imagining how life might be in that other country, and what language/s they might want to learn if they want to visit.
Geography doesn't have to be boring
I hear so many kids and teens say that they hate geography, which is so sad! Geography is so interesting, but I guess it's not taught in a way that pique's kids' interest. Anyways, in my lessons I love using geography to get kids asking questions and thinking about how life might be similar or different in other countries.
If you have an encounter with friends or family from another country, ask your child to do a bit of investigating! Tell them to ask about the climate, what monuments to visit, what natural parks to visit, what kind of wildlife they might see, and what famous rivers, seas, lakes or mountains that country has. Use pictures to bring the country to life for your child, and of course, ask them if they would like to someday visit this friend or relative there!
Food brings people together
Food is the most important part of any family gathering, no? My students love talking about food, and they also love asking me if I know how to cook pasta and things like that, because of course, they've been taught that Americans don't know how to cook (can't blame them 🤪). Around the holidays, they always ask me if I prefer Panettone or Pandoro, and what my family likes to eat on Christmas. They love imagining that I make a huge stuffed turkey that doesn't even fit in my oven, while my kitchen is overflowing with Christmas cookies and pies (the reality is that I love eating tortellini just as much as the Italians do on Christmas 😉).
If you have guests from other countries, ask your child to ask them what they usually eat for the holidays, and if you're lucky, maybe they'll even bring some of the food from the country that they live in for you to try! Ask your child if they like it, or if they would like to try it, and why or why not!
Recipes are a great language teaching tool, so if you're feeling inspired, why not pull up a recipe in English and try to make it with your child? Even if you can't get them cooking with their exotic family members, you could try making a recipe from another culture, just to get them thinking about that big world out there, waiting to be explored.
Holiday Traditions
I enjoy asking my students about their holiday traditions, and they're just as curious to know about mine! If you meet with friends or family who live in another country, why not ask them to share some of their family traditions with your family this year?
Maybe they have a special game they play during the holidays, or do a special activity together that you could recreate in your house with your family. Ask your child to ask why they started enjoying the tradition, and what other holiday traditions they have in their country.
You could also ask your child to explain what are some of their favorite holiday traditions are, and why they enjoy them!
It's the small things that count
All of the above activities can be done in any language, the point isn't to teach your child English at these gatherings, but is rather to expose them to the fact that there is a big world out there, and that by speaking other languages, they'll be able to create relationships with more people. So if you have some family who come to visit from France that speak Italian but also speak English, you can get them to teach some Christmas words and expressions in both languages to your child.
The point is to show your child that perfection doesn't matter, what matters is communication, and that even if they think they don't speak English or whatever other language your relatives speak, they can probably communicate with them better than they think, even if just through very simple words and gestures.
At the end of the day, holidays are about connection, joy, and creating shared moments. By weaving English or other languages into these moments, you’re showing your child that learning isn’t just about sitting in a classroom—it’s about exploring, trying, and having fun.
So, this holiday season, enjoy your national and international relationships, and let English words pop up here and there. Who knows? These little steps could spark a lifelong love for the language.
Christmas Fun, in English!
And if you're looking for something fun and creative to get your child doing something fun and festive, but also productive over the next few weeks, check out my Christmas Advent Bundle - it's an Advent Calendar, complete with 25 activities, one for each day of the month, and it includes everything that your child will need to complete the activities. If you're looking for a way to make English part of your child's daily routine, this is the perfect way to introduce it - kids love Christmas, and it doesn't matter what language they get to celebrate it in!
If the Christmas Advent Bundle isn't for you, but you'd like to receive my weekly tips, stories and free resources to get your child speaking more English in a fun and natural way, you can always sign up for my newsletter here!
Happy Holidays! 🎄✨
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