The holiday season is a magical time to bring festive cheer and rich cultural traditions into your English language classroom. Classic holiday stories and poems not only capture the spirit of the season but also provide excellent opportunities for language learning. In this blog post, we'll suggest some timeless holiday literature and explore how they can be effectively used in the classroom to enhance your students' language skills and allow you to make the most of these festive texts.
This novella tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Through these supernatural visits, Scrooge learns the importance of kindness, generosity and the true holiday spirit.
How to use in the classroom:
Discussion questions:
- What are the main reasons for Scrooge's initial behavior?
- How do the visits from the ghosts change Scrooge’s perspective on life?
- What lessons can we learn from "A Christmas Carol" about the true meaning of Christmas?
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This short story revolves around a young couple, Jim and Della, who are very much in love but also very poor. They each sacrifice their most prized possession to buy a Christmas gift for the other, only to find that their gifts are now useless. Their acts of love and sacrifice highlight the true meaning of giving.
How to use in the classroom:
Discussion questions:
- What do Jim and Della’s sacrifices tell us about their relationship?
- How does the story illustrate the concept of irony?
- What is the true gift that Jim and Della give each other?
This classic poem describes the magical visit of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve. Its vivid imagery and rhythmic verses make it a delightful read for students of all ages.
How to use in the classroom:
- How does the poem create a sense of anticipation and excitement?
- What details does the poet use to describe Santa Claus and his reindeer?
- How does the poem reflect the traditions and customs of Christmas?
While not everyone will celebrate the holiday season, there are other stories and poems that reflect the mood of the season that you could look at as part of your English language lessons instead.
This poem describes a quiet, contemplative moment in which the speaker stops to watch snow falling in the woods. The serene and reflective mood captures the peacefulness of winter.
How to use in the classroom:
Discussion questions:
- What images does Frost use to create a sense of peace and quiet?
- How does the rhyme scheme contribute to the overall mood of the poem?
- What might the speaker be contemplating as he stops to watch the snow?
It tells the story of a young boy named Nicki who loses one of his white mittens in the snow. As the mitten lies on the ground, various woodland animals, one by one, find the mitten and squeeze inside it to stay warm. The mitten stretches to accommodate each new animal, growing larger and larger. Eventually, a bear sneezes, causing all the animals to tumble out and Nicki finds his mitten again.
How to use in the classroom:
Discussion questions:
- Which animal surprised you the most when it entered the mitten and why?
- Can you describe a time when you lost something important? How did you feel and what did you do?
- How do you think the mitten changed after all the animals were inside it?
Incorporating festive literature into your English language teaching can make the holiday season more enjoyable and educational for your students. By using classic holiday stories and poems, you can help students improve their language skills while also exploring important themes and traditions. These timeless pieces of literature offer rich opportunities for reading comprehension, vocabulary building, creative expression and cultural exploration. We hope these suggestions inspire you to bring some holiday cheer into your classroom this December.
See our blogs on Creative writing exercises for English language learners and 12 games and puzzles to level up your language learning for some more hints and tips on English language learning.
Ever wondered why Monday is called Monday or how Wednesday got its name? The names of the days of the week in English have fascinating origins, rooted in ancient history and steeped in mythology. Understanding these origins not only enriches our language ability but also provides intriguing insights into cultural heritage.
In previous blog posts, we discussed why the CASAS test changed into the CASAS STEPS and what the parameters are for the new test. Now let’s take a closer look into the improvements to the new assessment and what they mean to you. The changes brought about in the STEPS series were fostered with you and your students in mind and are sure to provide an overall better experience for test takers, test admins, and teachers.
Both Reading and Listening STEPS now offer tests at five levels (A-E), instead of the four levels for reading (A-D) and three levels for listening (A-C) in the previous Life and Work series. Each STEPS level overlaps with two - and only two - NRS levels, one above and one below it.
Because the tests cover fewer NRS levels, there is no longer a chance for a student to “Christmas tree” or guess their way into a much higher skill level because of a very high score on an easy/low test form. In other words, there is no chance of a level 2 (low beginning) student testing into a level 5 (high intermediate) class in one attempt.
Although the change in number of questions and time allotted is minimal, the CASAS STEPS series contains more rigorous questions and provides shorter testing time for most levels. While there might be fewer test questions per level (33-39 items), there are more test levels, which allow for greater skill assessment precision.
It allows for more detailed analysis and reporting, more accurate scores and placement, more opportunities to make MSGs (measurable skill gains), and less retesting due to scores falling outside of range and students receiving black diamonds.Test administrators do have to pay very close attention to the new test numbers; they are now the same for both listening and reading and are only differentiated by the letter R or L after the test number. (See charts 4 and 5).
The feedback about CASAS test reports from teachers often involved the words confusing, overwhelming, and intimidating, and objections about the amount of data to sift through. The goal of the new STEPS series is to provide simplified reports about student skills, making it easier for teachers to see how the test functions.
The item-by-item reports from the previous test were replaced by clean, colorful, and easy-to-interpret visual representations of data. (See charts 6 and 7). Though simplified, the new reports still provide enough data to draw meaningful conclusions about the student’s skills and learning needs.
The STEPS series provides culturally and professionally relevant questions, shorter testing times, and fewer questions per level. Students experience less retesting due to out-of-range scores, raising their confidence and minimizing test fatigue. Less retesting and simplified testing levels also benefit test administrators. The simplified reports improve teachers' understanding of the data and allow for more accurate test-related instruction.
Click here to download a printable version of the charts and tables below, to browse our textbook selection, including our FUTURE Series. If your program is not yet using FUTURE, or if you would like tutorials and tips as a current user, click here.
Have you ever wondered which world languages are spoken by the largest number of people globally? Whether you’re a language enthusiast or someone looking to learn a new language, understanding the most spoken languages around the world can be incredibly insightful. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top languages by number of speakers, shedding light on languages with the most native speakers and widely spoken languages globally.
Spoken languages are a vital part of human communication, culture and identity. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each language has its unique characteristics, nuances and significance. Understanding the most spoken languages globally provides valuable insights into geopolitics, economics and social dynamics. In this article, we will explore the top languages spoken in the world, their distribution and use.
Knowing which languages are most popular worldwide can influence your language learning decisions. Enhancing your language skills in these widely spoken languages can significantly boost your communication abilities and cultural understanding. It can open up opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Additionally, understanding global language popularity can give you a broader perspective of the world’s linguistic diversity.
Measuring language popularity is a complex task that involves various factors, including the number of native speakers, global influence, and use as a second or foreign language. The criteria for measuring language popularity include:
Number of native speakers: This refers to the number of people who speak a language as their first or native language. Languages with the highest number of native speakers often have a significant cultural and historical impact.
Global influence: This measures the extent to which a language is used in international communication, business, science and diplomacy. Languages with a broad global influence are often used as lingua francas in various regions.
Use as a second or foreign language: This considers the number of people who speak a language as a second language or foreign language. Languages that are widely taught and learned around the world tend to have a larger speaking population.
By considering these criteria, we can better understand why certain languages are more prominent and widely spoken globally.
Here’s a closer look at the ten most spoken languages by number of speakers:
When evaluating these languages, it's important to consider not just the number of native speakers but also the total number of language speakers, including those who speak it as a second language.
Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion
Native speakers: Around 360 million
Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.
Speakers: Over 1.1 billion
Native speakers: About 920 million
Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore
Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.
Speakers: Around 600 million
Native speakers: Approximately 341 million
Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal
Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.
Speakers: Approximately 560 million
Native speakers: About 460 million
Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States
Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It’s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.
Speakers: Around 280 million
Native speakers: About 77 million
Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland
Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.
Speakers: Approximately 270 million
Native speakers: Around 310 million
Regions: Middle East and North Africa
Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.
Speakers: Around 265 million
Native speakers: About 230 million
Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India
Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It’s known for its rich literary tradition.
Speakers: Approximately 220 million
Native speakers: Around 220 million
Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa
Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.
Speakers: Around 258 million
Native speakers: Approximately 154 million
Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.
Speakers: Approximately 128 million
Native speakers: Around 128 million
Regions: Japan
Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.
Understanding the most spoken languages in the world can provide valuable insights for language learners. Developing strong language skills in these world languages can open up numerous opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Whether you’re looking to enhance your travel experiences, broaden your cultural horizons, or improve your career prospects, learning one of these widely spoken languages could be a significant advantage.
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