Ho, Ho, No!

It’s the holidays again, a time when EFL teachers go scrambling for holiday flavored gift ideas. Well, in the spirit of the season of giving, here’s an emotional intelligence laced speaking task that will also appeal to students with visual and kinesthetic learning styles.

Cracked Gift Exchange: Garbage Gifts

AIMS: Expressing gratitude, adjectives, modals (ex: can, could)
LEVEL: Elementary – Advanced
TIME: 15 minutes
MATERIALS / PREPARATION: Paper

Procedure:

Instruct students to tear a piece of notebook paper in half. These two pieces of paper are then folded in half to create two greeting card like forms. (tip: when giving instructions stress imperative structures: example: “fold the paper”, “tear the paper”, etc.). Tell the students to make 2 cards.

Students are asked to think of 2 things they possess that are old, useless, broken or that really should be thrown out (examples: socks, fruit, shoes, coffee mug, notebooks, etc).

Students are then asked to brainstorm adjectives to describe the condition of the objects they have written on the card. These adjectives can be written up on the board. Examples: rotten, broken, stinky, torn, slimy, disgusting, etc. The more extreme the adjective, the funnier the task will be.

Have the students write the name of their objects, along with a corresponding adjective on the inside flap of each card (1 item per card). Example: stinky socks, rotten fruit, etc. Have them draw a picture of the offensive item, as well.

Important! Students should be advised NOT to disclose the contents of their cards to other students while they are making their cards.

Tell the students to fold their cards over covering the cards’ contents and then to write on the outside

“Happy Holidays! A Gift for You!”

Now the fun begins! Announce to the class that there was a mix-up at the North Pole and some of Santa Claus’s Garbage was accidentally distributed as gifts.

In pairs, students then exchange their ‘gifts’ with each other. Idea: play some holiday music such as “Here Comes Santa Claus” or “Santa Claus is coming to town” during this stage.

Instruct students that when opening their ‘presents’ they should politely thank the giver for the gift so as not to embarrass them and then suggest some useful purpose for the gift. Model the following example for them: “Oh! Stinky Socks, just what I always wanted, my cat will love playing with them” or “Oh! Some rotten fruit, how lovely! This will come in handy when I need to throw something at my enemies.”

Students should then report back to the class, what ‘Santa’ had brought them and what they will do with their lovely ‘gifts’.

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Holiday Bonus Idea: More ‘expressing gratitude’ content for advanced students!

Tip: Here’s something to think twice about before teaching to your students!

HO HO NO! A Scrooge’s guide to what to say for gifts you don’t like:

(For unwanted clothing)

• This will be great for wearing around the basement!
• Boy if I had not recently gained/lost 3 kilos this would’ve fit!
• And to think, the “retro baggy” look is “IN” this year!

(For unwanted foods items)

• What’s a little lactose intolerance between friends?
• Oh Happy Day! It’s truly a gift that will keep giving…indigestion.
• It’s truly gastronomical!

(Thanks but…)

• I really don’t deserve this.
• Sadly, tomorrow I’ll be giving away all my personal belongings to charity.

(General Sarcasm)

• Hey! There’s a gift I never would have thought of!
• Well, well, well … it IS the thought that counts, isn’t it?
• I appreciate the lack of thought that went into this gift.
• Wow, this must have set you back a few cents.
• Oh! How thoughtless of you.
• If the dog buries it, I’ll be furious!
• Gosh, I hope this never catches fire. It is fire season though and there are lots of unexplained fires.
• I love it, but I fear the jealousy it will inspire in others.
• Oh! I got one for you too! Um … I’ll bring it around tomorrow.
• It’s just what I never wanted.

Art Credit: Top illustration created by Georgia Stylou, orginally for the Winter-2005 version of ELT Vista periodical. You can find Georgia’s talented work at: http://www.keepmesweet.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays to you and yours from ELT Vista!

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