A selection of English ESL christmas stories printables

Merry Christmas, Little Critter! listen and number is a listening worksheets for your Christmas lessons audio https://english-portal.com.ua/worksheet/Little_Critter#topadv 

Merry Christmas, Little Critter! listen and number

This is an activity for those who enjoy the biblical Christmas story, working on vocabulary and reading about the elements of the setting of Jesus' birth. Perfect towork with children.

Christmas - Biblical story

This Christmas worksheet features a reading about the origin of Christmas and its traditions. The activities include True/False questions, multiple-choice questions, and comprehension questions to help learners understand the text. Students will learn about winter solstice festivals, the story of Jesus’s birth, and modern Christmas customs. This engaging resource is perfect for practicing reading skills and learning new vocabulary during the holiday season!

The Origin of Christmas

Use this worksheet while listening to the song (eg. version of Burl Ives) and let your students put the boxes into the correct order.

Combine it with asking about the story of Rudolph (speaking), describing Santa Claus and his "job" and talking about Christmas in English speaking countries.



[first page is the solution, ie. the complete lyrics]

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

This is a great story about how the song "White Christmas" was the start of the end of the Vietnam War with the USA evacuating Saigon. The story is interesting because of the way it was carried out and the importance this day holds in history. 

The reading is covers Pre-intermediate to advanced levels. Advanced levels can extend the discussion about the history of the war or maybe a war they were personally involved in closer to their country. 

Its a 30 to 40 minute lesson. 
Listen to the story at https://youtu.be/25baP7X1ReA


White Christmas Song and the End of the Vietnam war

The story of the First Christmas, I have a couple of similar worksheets for A2 - B1 levels. I simplified this one. There is also one multiple choice exercise, one vocabulary exercise and questions about the story. 

The First Christmas, Nativity, Past Simple A1

Here you will find the lesson plan, a picture dictionary and a matching exercise to help understand and memorise the story of Thomas & Friends "Last Train for Xmas". 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUkiMcuX6kc



Thomas & Friends - Last Train for Christmas

This is a short listening comprehension on the origin story of the famous character Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. NPR interviews Robert L. May's daughter, who talks about her father's story and how Rudolph came into being. Two short vocabulary activities, listening comprehension questions, and a short gap-filling activity on a summary of the story. You can access both the audiofile and transcript for the listening on the following link: https://www.npr.org/2015/12/25/461005670/the-history-of-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer

Rudolph's origin story

This worksheet is a picture story for young learners. The students have to write a story following the pictures by answering all the questions. More advanced students can write more, even if it's not shown in the picture.

Picture story - december 24

This booklet uses the poem by Leanne Guenther to work with vocabulary in the nativity story. The pupils will learn vocabulary and reading the rhyme. They can draw pictures for each stanza, and then work with the rhytm and rhymes. At the end they can recite the poem in small groups.

Nativity Story  - English Vocabulary

I make use of a similar worksheet as a writing prompt for creative writing.  Inhibited writer feel more comfortable when exposed to ideas.  I start with exposing it to my students as a reading sheet.  We brain storm sentences by using the word bank and then they may work in pairs in order to make up a Santa Story.

a busy and a jolly Santa

Simple exercises for student that read "Short necked giraffe" story( Units 1 & 2). Some exercises also check tecognising adjectives and verbs from the text.  Plus a word search task with different names of Santa Claus. 

Short necked giraffe 1 & 2

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

101 Christmas stories English ESL worksheets pdf & doc