ESOL PATHFINDER PROJECT
Festivals and Celebrations
Materials produced by
Liverpool Community College
Written and illustrated by Maureen Langley
Months and Seasons of the year
In Britain, most celebrations and festivals are in particular months or seasons. Look at the calendar below and read out the months. Listen to your teacher to help you with the pronunciation.
The Calendar
Write the names of the months under the correct season:
Spring
/Summer
/ Autumn /Winter
Remember! The names of the months always start with a capital letter.
Festivals and Celebrations in Britain.
Read about some of the important days in Britain. Match the text and pictures.
New Year’s Day
This is the first day of the new year.
It’s on 1st January.
Valentine’s Day
This is a day for people in love.
It’s on 14th February.
Mother’s Day
Children give presents to their mothers.
It’s in March.
Easter
Children get chocolate eggs.
It’s in March or April.
Father’s Day
Children give presents to their fathers.
It’s in June.
Hallowe’en
Children dress up as ghosts and witches.
It’s on 31st October.
Guy Fawkes Night
There are firework displays and bonfires.
It’s on 5th November.
Christmas Day
People give presents to each other.
It’s on 25th December.
New Year’s Eve
People go to parties and drink champagne.
It’s on 31st December.
Rt/E1 1a 2.
Festivals and Celebrations in Britain
Task 1 Write the name of each festival under the correct season.
Winter
/Spring
Summer
/Autumn
Task 2 Pair work. (Speaking practice)
Ask your partner questions about special days in Britain.
Example:
Task 3 Match the festivals with the correct information
Christmas Children dress as ghosts
New Year’s Day Mothers get presents
Guy Fawkes Night People give presents
Hallowe’en It’s on the 1st of January
Mother’s Day People let off fireworks
Festivals and Celebrations
Think of some important days and festivals this year in your own country. Tell other people in the class about them and then write them in the correct season box. Ask your teacher for help with spelling.
Winter / SpringSummer / Autumn
New Year
New Year’s Eve is on the 31st December. People often go to parties. At midnight, they hold hands and sing a Scottish song called “Auld Lang Syne.” They usually go into the street and wish their family, friends and neighbours a “Happy New Year.” Some people let off fireworks to celebrate.
Read the invitation and then answer the questions below.
Sue and Tom invite you to aNEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY
on
Sunday 31st December
(7.30 p.m. onwards)
at
17 Forest Close
Liverpool
L16 OBQ
Tel: 0151 643 2814 R.S.V.P.
1. When is the party?
______
2. Can you go at 6.30 p.m.?
______
3. Where is it?
______
4. Who is the invitation from?
______
Rt/E1 1a Ws/E1 1a 5.
New Year
Mona writes a note to Sue to say she and her husband want to go to the party. Read the note.
Dear SueWe’d love to come to your New Year’s eve party.
See you there.
Love Mona and Sam
Now you write a note to Sue to say you want to go to the party.
Wt/E1.1a 6.
New Year
Task 1 Sue’s friend Mona wants to go to the party with her husband Sam. She phones Sue to tell her. Listen and fill in the gaps.
Sue Hello.
Mona Hi Sue. ____ Mona.
Sue Hi Mona. How are____ ?
Mona ______thanks. How are you?
Sue I’m fine thank you.
Mona Thanks ____ the invitation to the _____. Sam and I
would love to ______along.
Sue That’s great! See you ____ Sunday ______then.
Mona ______you Sunday. Bye.
Sue _____ Mona.
Task 2 Greetings
Match the greetings with their correct responses.
Good Morning I’m fine thanks.
How do you do? Hello.
Nice to meet you. Good Morning.
How are you? Nice to meet you too.
Hi. How do you do?
Task 3 Practice
Walk around ask greet other people in the class.
Lr/E1.2c Sd/E1.1a 7.
New Year
Listening.
Mona and Sam go to the party. Listen to their conversation and fill in the gaps with the words below.
meet glass husband welcome fruit
New like food don’t wine
Sue Hello Mona. Happy ______Year!
Mona Happy New Year Sue! This is my ______Sam.
Sue Hello Sam. Nice to meet you.
Sam Nice to ______you too.
Sue Would you ______a glass of ______Mona?
Mona No, thank you. I ______drink wine.
Sue Would you like some ______juice?
Mona Yes, please.
Sue How about you Sam?
Sam I’d like a ______of fruit juice please.
Sue Please help yourselves to______. It’s over there.
Sam Thank you.
Mona Thank you.
Sue You’re______! Enjoy the party!
Lr/E1.2c 8.
New Year
Mona and Sam go to the party. Read the dialogue.
Sue Hello Mona. Happy New Year!
Mona Happy New Year Sue! This is my husband Sam.
Sue Hello Sam. Nice to meet you.
Sam Nice to meet you too.
Sue Would you like a glass of wine Mona?
Mona No, thank you. I don’t drink wine.
Sue Would you like some fruit juice?
Mona Yes, please.
Sue How about you Sam?
Sam I’d like a glass of fruit juice please.
Sue Please help yourselves to food. It’s over there.
Sam Thank you.
Mona Thank you.
Sue You’re welcome! Enjoy the party.
Speaking
Practice the dialogue. Read it again and change the underlined words.
Sd/E1.1a 9.
New Year
Task 1 To invite a person, you can say:
Would you like to………………………?
To say yes I’d love to.
To say no Thanks but I’m afraid I can’t.
Invite other learners in the class to go swimming?
come to a birthday party?
go to a Hallowe’en party?
have a cup of coffee?
go to the cinema?
Think of other ideas!
Task 2 You are at a party. Someone asks you if you want a drink.
Would you like a glass of wine?
You can say: Yes, please. or No, thanks.
Ask other people if they would like food or drink. Use the words below to help you.
a piece of cake a glass of beer
some cheese some meat curry
a samosa a hamburger
a sandwich some apple pie
a glass of orange juice some fruit
some pizza some ice cream
a piece of chicken a cup of tea
Sd/E1.1a Lr/E1.2b, 5b 10.
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is the day before the start of the Christian festival of Lent and is in February. It is also called Pancake Day. On Shrove Tuesday, some people make pancakes and eat them with sugar and lemon juice.
Pancakes
Before you make pancakes, you need to know the names of some kitchen utensils. Match the names with the pictures.
frying pan
sieve
mixing bowl
wooden spoon
whisk
jug
Rw/E1 2a 11.
Shrove Tuesday
Listening.
Jelena and May decide to make pancakes. Fill in the gaps.
May I’m hungry! Let’s make______!
Jelena That’s a ______idea!
May What do we ______Jelena?
Jelena We need sugar, ______, oil and______.
May Anything else?
Jelena Yes. We also need ______and eggs.
May What have we got?
Jelena We’ve got milk and_____.
May Have we got______?
Jelena No. We’ve only got oil and milk.
Make a shopping list of the things they need.
Lr/E1 5a/5b Wt/E1 1a 12.
Shrove Tuesday
Look at the recipe for pancakes and put the instructions in the right order.
Ingredients100g flour
1 egg (beaten)
300ml milk
2 x 15ml spoons oil
sugar
lemon juice
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add a little of the mixture.
Turn it over and cook for 15 seconds.
Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Slowly add the milk and oil.
Cook until it is brown underneath.
Whisk until smooth. Pour it into a jug.
Make a hole in the centre. Add the egg.
Put on a plate. Add sugar and lemon juice.
Rt/E1.2a 13.
1 / 2 / 3 / 45 / 6 / 7 / 8
Shrove Tuesday
Task 1 Speaking
Tell the class about a favourite recipe from your country. It might be a national dish or something that you eat only on special days.
Task 2 Writing
Write down how you make special food from your country.
Ingredients
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
6. ______
Sc/E1 .4d Ws/E1.1a 14.
Guy Fawkes’ Night
Reading
Guy Fawkes’ Night is also called “Bonfire Night” and is always on the 5th of November. Children make a large figure of a man with old clothes and then put newspapers inside. This is a guy. They sit outside shops with the guy and collect money to buy fireworks. They say ‘Penny for the guy’. They then go to a field or park and make a big fire called a bonfire. They put the guy on the fire.
In the evening, the children go with their parents and light the bonfire. Often, they eat baked potatoes or sausages and have a party. Parents light the fireworks or they go to a park and watch the fireworks display.
Many people don’t like Bonfire Night because they think it is dangerous. Sometimes children burn themselves on the fireworks.
Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false sentences.
1. Bonfire Night is always on the 5th of November. T
2. Children say ‘Sweets for the guy.’ F
3. Children put new clothes on the guy.
4. They light the bonfire in the day.
5. They make the bonfire in a field or park.
6. Often they eat turkey and rice.
7. Many people don’t like Bonfire Night because it is cold.
8. Sometimes children burn themselves on the fireworks.
Rt/E1.1a, 1b 15.
Guy Fawkes’ Night
Fireworks are dangerous. There are rules for using them. Read the sentences below and put the words in the correct order.
1. animals in keep the house
…………………………………………………
2. close to fireworks stand don’t
…………………………………………………
3. light the fireworks should adults
…………………………………………………
4. box keep in a fireworks
…………………………………………………
5. throw fireworks never
…………………………………………………
Remember to use capital letters and full stops!
Rs/E1.1a, 1b 16.
Christmas
Task 1 Work in pairs. Match the words with the pictures.
candle sleigh stocking turkey
reindeer tinsel holly present
Task 2 Reading
Read the text below and talk about it with your teacher.
Christmas is always on 25th December. People in Britain visit their families, give presents and eat a large meal of turkey and Christmas pudding. Some people go to church on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Families put up a Christmas tree with coloured lights in their homes. They also decorate their houses with holly, tinsel and candles. They send cards to friends and neighbours.
Children put stockings by the side of their beds on Christmas Eve. They believe that Father Christmas comes during the night on a sleigh pulled by reindeer and puts presents in the stocking.
In Britain, the 26th of December is also a holiday. It is called Boxing Day.
Rw/E1.1a Rt/E1.1a 17.
Task 3 Look at the Christmas text again. Match a question from column A with an answer from column B.
A B
Do people eat turkey on 24th December? No, he doesn’t.
Is Christmas always on 25th December? Yes, they do.
Do people decorate their houses? No, they don’t.
Is 26th December a holiday? No, they don’t.
Do children put stockings in the living room? Yes, it is.
Is Christmas Eve on 26th December? Yes, it is.
Does Father Christmas come in the day? No, it isn’t.
Task 4 Fill in the gaps
1) At Christmas, people ______their families.
2) They ______presents.
3) They ______a large meal of turkey and Christmas
pudding.
4) Some people ______to church.
5) People ______cards to friends and neighbours.
Rs/E1 1b Rt/E1.1b 18.
Christmas
Task 1 Listening
Put the sentences in the order you hear them.
Samira What do you do then?
Jenny Turkey with roast potatoes and vegetables.
After lunch, we have Christmas pudding.
Samira What do you do on Christmas morning Jenny?
Jenny At about 3 o’clock. My parents and my brother and
his family eat with us.
Samira What do you do after lunch?
Jenny I get up very early at about 6:30. My children wake
up and open their presents.
Samira What kind of food do you make?
Jenny I make breakfast and then prepare Christmas lunch.
Samira What time do you have Christmas lunch?
Jenny We sit around the Christmas tree and open
presents.
Task 2 Answer the questions below.
1. What time does Jenny get up?
2. What kind of food does she make for Christmas lunch?
3. Who eats with Jenny’s family?
4. What do they do after lunch?
Christmas
Task 1 Speaking.
Talk to another student about an important day in your country. Ask him/her about a special day in his/her country.
What do you wear?
What do you eat/drink?
How many days is the festival?
Do you stay at home?
Do you visit friends/family?
Do you give presents?
Do you go to a temple/mosque/church?
Is it in the day or the evening?
Task 2 Writing.
Make sentences about the important day. Use these phrases to help you.
This festival is called ______.
We wear ______.
We eat ______.
We visit ______.
We give ______.
We go to ______.
We ______.
Ws/E1.1a Sc/E1.4a, 4b 20.
Hallowe’en
Task 1 Vocabulary and pronunciation. Match the words and the pictures.
pumpkin chocolate lantern cloak ghost candle mask witch
a / b / c / de / f / g / h
Task 2 Now read the text about Hallowe’en
Hallowe’en is on the 31st of October. Children dress as monsters, ghosts and witches and go from house to house. They say “trick or treat” to get sweets, chocolate and money. Some people go to Hallowe’en parties and play games like ‘duck apple’. Children make pumpkin lanterns and put them in front of their windows.