Christmas shopping

Reading

Ask the students what they know about Thanksgiving in the USA specifically when it takes place. (It takes place on the last Thursday of November. ) Also ask the students when they first noticed Christmas gifts or themes in the shops in their town and when they or their families started Christmas shopping (or will start if they haven’t already). Tell students they are going to read about Christmas shopping in the USA.

When they have finished, elicit the answers and the students’ reasons for choosing them.

1 – Some people say it is when shops start making a profit, others say it is because of traffic jams, crowds and bad behaviour. 2 – Although there are more people in the shops on that day than on any other, they don’t buy as much as on other days. 3 – After Christmas, the shops are full of people looking for bargains in the sales.

Answers: 1c 2c 3b

Discussion

When the students have discussed the questions in pairs, elicit some ideas from the class as a whole.

Use of English

Answers: 1. many people 2. haven’t bought 3. didn’t arrive early 4. won’t go to the shops 5. isn’t as pleasant

Writing

Tell the students that, in some countries, children write ‘Thank you’ letters to friends and family who have given them presents but who haven’t seen them at Christmas. These are traditionally quite short with news of what the family did, what other presents were received and thanks for the present that was given. The thanks should include some positive adjectives – Thank you for the wonderful / beautiful / generous / interesting present. This can be done in the class or for homework.

Follow up:

It may be useful to give the students more practice of the topic vocabulary used in the lesson by asking them to carry out a speaking activity.

Possible ideas:

Instead of a ‘Thank you’ letter, the student makes a ‘Thank you’ phone call to their aunt or uncle. The student thanks their relation who then asks them questionsabout their Christmas.

Two students are looking for presents for their family. One student doesn’t have any ideas so asks his/her friend who gives suggestions. The first student either accepts the suggestions or rejects them explaining why (e. g. His/Her dad doesn’t use aftershave. His/Her mother doesn’t want chocolates because she’s on a diet etc. ).

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