Holidays: Talking about American Thanksgiving — ESL lesson

This lesson plan is designed to introduce English language learners to the cultural and linguistic aspects of American Thanksgiving, a significant U.S. holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

By focusing on essential vocabulary, practical phrases, and realistic conversations, this guide equips learners with the tools to discuss Thanksgiving confidently and respectfully, even if they don’t celebrate it. The lesson incorporates engaging activities, visual aids, and culturally sensitive strategies to make the topic accessible and relatable.

From learning key terms like “turkey” and “gratitude” to practicing dialogues about holiday traditions, learners will build language skills while gaining insight into American culture. The step-by-step plan, complete with teaching tips and interactive activities, ensures a dynamic learning experience for students of varying proficiency levels.

Basic vocabulary

Start with essential words related to American Thanksgiving. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily apply.

Vocabulary List

• Thanksgiving: A U.S. holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November to give thanks.
• Holiday: A special day for celebration or rest.
• Thanks: Expressing gratitude or appreciation.
• Family: People related to you, often gathering for Thanksgiving.
• Feast: A large, special meal.
• Turkey: A traditional bird eaten on Thanksgiving.
• Pumpkin: A vegetable used in dishes like pumpkin pie.
• Pie: A dessert, often pumpkin or apple, served on Thanksgiving.
• Gratitude: Feeling thankful for something.
• Dinner: The main meal of Thanksgiving, often in the afternoon or evening.
• Parade: A public event with floats and music, like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Tradition: A custom or habit repeated every year.
• Gather: To come together with others.
• Celebrate: To observe a special occasion with activities or food.
• Harvest: The time of year when crops are gathered, linked to Thanksgiving’s origins.

Vocabulary words for extension

• Gravy: A sauce made from turkey juices, often served with Thanksgiving dinner.
• Stuffing: A mixture of bread, herbs, and vegetables cooked inside or alongside the turkey.
• Cranberry: A tart fruit used in sauces or dishes for Thanksgiving.
• Mashed potatoes: A side dish made from boiled and mashed potatoes.
• Cornucopia: A horn-shaped basket symbolizing abundance, often associated with Thanksgiving.
• Pilgrim: Early European settlers who celebrated an early Thanksgiving in America.
• Native American: Indigenous people who shared the first Thanksgiving with Pilgrims.
• Blessing: A prayer or expression of thanks before the meal.
• Autumn/fall: The season when Thanksgiving is celebrated.
• Football: A sport often watched on TV during Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of a Thanksgiving dinner, a turkey, or a parade to connect vocabulary to the holiday’s context.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “Thanksgiving” (THANKS-giv-ing) or “gratitude” (GRAT-i-tood).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and definitions or images (e.g., a pumpkin pie) on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing American Thanksgiving. These phrases should be versatile, easy to adapt, and culturally relevant.

Key phrases

1. Talking about Thanksgiving
   • “Thanksgiving is a holiday in [November/the United States].”
   • “I celebrate Thanksgiving with my [family/friends].”
   • “We eat [turkey/pie] on Thanksgiving.”
   • “Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for [things].”
2. Describing traditions
   • “We have a big dinner with [food].”
   • “My family watches the [parade/football] on Thanksgiving.”
   • “We share what we are thankful for.”
   • “It’s a tradition to [activity].”
3. Expressing opinions or gratitude
   • “I like Thanksgiving because [reason].”
   • “I’m thankful for [family/food/health].”
   • “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is [food/activity].”
   • “I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but I know about it.”
4. Asking questions
   • “Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?”
   • “What do you eat on Thanksgiving?”
   • “What are you thankful for?”
   • “What’s your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “I celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We eat turkey and pie.”).
• Have learners substitute their own experiences or hypothetical scenarios into the phrases (e.g., foods they’d eat or things they’re thankful for).
• Practice question forms to encourage interactive, culturally sensitive conversations.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about American Thanksgiving. These examples progress from basic to more detailed, keeping the tone inclusive and respectful.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving, Tom?
Tom: Yes, it’s a big holiday in my family.
Anna: What do you do?
Tom: We have a big dinner with turkey and pie.
Anna: Sounds nice! What’s your favorite food?
Tom: I love pumpkin pie!

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, do you know about Thanksgiving?
Juan: Yes, it’s an American holiday in November, right?
Sara: Yeah! We eat turkey and watch a parade.
Juan: Cool! What are you thankful for?
Sara: I’m thankful for my family and good food.
Juan: Nice! I don’t celebrate it, but it sounds fun.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
Lisa: My family gathers for a big feast. We eat turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
Mark: That sounds delicious! Any special traditions?
Lisa: We go around the table and say what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for my health.
Mark: That’s great! I like watching the Macy’s parade on TV.
Lisa: Oh, I love the parade too! What’s your favorite part?

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice asking and answering.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own experiences or knowledge of Thanksgiving, even if they don’t celebrate it.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach this topic effectively (approximately 45 minutes).

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “Do you know about Thanksgiving? What have you heard about it?” or “What’s a holiday you celebrate with food?” to spark interest and connect to learners’ experiences.
• Show a picture or short video clip of a Thanksgiving scene (e.g., a family dinner, a parade) to introduce the topic.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of Thanksgiving-related images (e.g., a turkey, a parade float).
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “gratitude” or “harvest.”
• Play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “feast”), and learners name something related (e.g., “turkey”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. I’m thankful for my friends.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “I’m thankful for ____. We eat ____ on Thanksgiving.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently, ensuring clarity and cultural accuracy.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read one example conversation aloud, emphasizing natural tone and polite language.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging personalization with their own ideas or experiences.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about Thanksgiving.

Step 5: Wrap-Up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about Thanksgiving (e.g., “I like Thanksgiving because of the food. I’m thankful for my family.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases, keeping the tone positive.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about Thanksgiving or what they’re thankful for, or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that not all learners celebrate Thanksgiving or may have different holiday traditions. Allow flexibility for learners to discuss their own holidays or focus on learning about Thanksgiving as a cultural topic.
• Visual aids: Use images, videos, or props (e.g., a picture of pumpkin pie or a parade) to make the lesson engaging and relatable.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of someone describing Thanksgiving to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “We eat turkey.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “My favorite tradition is sharing what I’m thankful for.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with Thanksgiving-related images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I thankful for” instead of “I’m thankful for.” Emphasize the use of “am” with adjectives.
• Pronunciation: Words like “Thanksgiving” or “pumpkin” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Cultural accuracy: Clarify that Thanksgiving is specifically an American (and Canadian, on a different date) holiday, distinct from other harvest festivals.

Example activity: “Thanksgiving Table Talk”

For group classes, try this interactive activity.

• Set up a mock “Thanksgiving table” scenario where learners pretend to be at a dinner.
• Each learner shares one thing they’re thankful for or describes a Thanksgiving food, using vocabulary and phrases.
• Others ask follow-up questions (e.g., “Why are you thankful for that?” or “What kind of pie do you like?”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about how you would celebrate Thanksgiving or what you’re thankful for.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing a Thanksgiving tradition or a food you’d like to try.
• Research: Look up a picture or video about Thanksgiving (e.g., the Macy’s parade) and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.