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This is a guest post by online language tutor and ELT writer Ned Widdows. Ideal for the first class back after Christmas, it is a B1-B2 lesson with reading, vocabulary and speaking, asking learners to reflect on their experiences of 2020 and to look forward to the year ahead.
Download the teacher’s notes and student handout below:
Warmer
Write New Year’s Eve on the board / in the chat and ask students to share:
- 5 words connected with New Year (in general)
- 5 words connected with New Year 2021
Optional: share this image and ask students to describe what they see.
Briefly discuss how Christmas and New Year this year have been affected by the pandemic.
Procedure:
A – D on Student’s Handout is self-explanatory.
Optional ideas:
- Dictate the questions in A.
- Check the pronunciation of some of the trickier vocabulary in B, e.g. /ˌpɪktʃəˈresk/ /pəˈreɪd/
- Get learners to write new sentences with the verb patterns in C, e.g. I’m trying to learn how to play chess at the moment; She misses spending time with her cousins; etc.
- Share a link for a padlet and ask learners to post their texts on it. They can read each other’s and see what they have in common.
Great plan! Thank you very much, this is really useful for a Post-Christmas/New Year’s first class
Thanks Rose! I’m glad you found it useful!
Thanks for the lovely plan! It is topical and engaging; very much loved by my students!
Hi! That’s great that your students enjoyed it.
Thanks for this! I did it with my B1+ group today and they enjoyed it. Lots of new vocab and some grammar revision for them. Great work 🙂
Hey Katrina! You’re very welcome. Glad it went down well!
Thnks Ned!
My students loved it, very refreshing topic and useful grammas. As good as always! 😉