Holidays: Talking about Easter — ESL lesson

This lesson plan is designed to teach English language learners about the Easter holiday through targeted vocabulary, practical phrases, and engaging conversations. Easter, a significant Christian holiday celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, also includes cultural traditions like egg hunts and family gatherings, making it a rich topic for language practice.

The plan introduces essential words and expressions in a clear, respectful way, ensuring accessibility for learners of varying levels. By combining visuals, interactive activities, and culturally sensitive strategies, this lesson fosters language skills while encouraging learners to share their own perspectives or traditions comfortably.

The following sections outline vocabulary, phrases, example dialogues, teaching strategies, and activities to create an effective and inclusive learning experience.

Basic vocabulary

Start with essential words related to the Easter holiday. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily understand and apply.

Vocabulary list

• Easter: A Christian holiday celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. This is also known as
• Resurrection: Jesus rising from the dead.
• Jesus: The central figure in Christianity.
• Church: A place of worship where Easter services are held.
• Service: A religious gathering, like an Easter Sunday service.
• Cross: The symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
• Egg: A symbol of new life, often decorated for Easter.
• Bunny: A rabbit, associated with Easter traditions.
• Basket: A container for collecting Easter eggs or gifts.
• Hunt: An activity to find hidden Easter eggs.
• Chocolate: A common Easter treat, often shaped like eggs or bunnies.
• Spring: The season when Easter occurs, symbolizing renewal.
• Family: People who gather to celebrate Easter together.
• Holiday: A special day, like Easter, often with no work.
• Prayer: A way to communicate with God during Easter.

Vocabulary words for extension

• Lent: The 40-day period of preparation before Easter.
• Palm Sunday: The Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
• Good Friday: The day commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion, before Easter.
• Hymn: A religious song sung during Easter services.
• Resurrection Sunday: Another name for Easter Sunday, focusing on Jesus’ resurrection.
• Decorate: To adorn items like eggs or baskets for Easter.
• Feast: A large meal shared with family or friends on Easter.
• Chick: A baby chicken, often associated with Easter as a symbol of new life.
• Sunrise Service: An early morning Easter church service.
• Gift: A present given during Easter, like chocolate or toys.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of Easter eggs, a church service, or a bunny to connect vocabulary to the holiday.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “resurrection” (rez-uh-REK-shun) or “Easter” (EE-ster).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and definitions or images on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing Easter. These phrases should be clear, adaptable, and respectful of the holiday’s significance.

Key phrases

1. Describing Easter
   • “Easter is a Christian holiday.”
   • “Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.”
   • “We go to church on Easter Sunday.”
   • “Easter is in the spring.”
2. Talking about traditions
   • “We decorate Easter eggs.”
   • “Children go on an Easter egg hunt.”
   • “I eat chocolate eggs at Easter.”
   • “My family gathers for Easter dinner.”
3. Expressing thoughts or feelings
   • “I like Easter because [reason].”
   • “Easter is important to me because [reason].”
   • “My favorite Easter tradition is [activity].”
   • “I think Easter is [joyful/special].”
4. Asking questions
   • “Do you celebrate Easter?”
   • “What do you do for Easter?”
   • “Do you go to church on Easter?”
   • “What’s your favorite Easter tradition?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection. I like decorating eggs.”).
• Have learners substitute their own traditions or feelings into the phrases.
• Practice question forms to encourage discussion while respecting diverse perspectives.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about Easter. These examples progress from basic to more detailed, keeping the tone respectful and focused on language practice.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Do you celebrate Easter, Tom?
Tom: Yes, I go to church on Easter Sunday.
Anna: Nice! Do you do anything else?
Tom: We have an Easter egg hunt for kids.
Anna: That sounds fun! Do you eat chocolate eggs?
Tom: Yes, I love them!

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, what do you do for Easter?
Juan: My family goes to church for a special service.
Sara: Oh, cool! What’s the service like?
Juan: We sing and pray to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.
Sara: Do you have any Easter traditions?
Juan: Yes, we decorate eggs and eat a big family dinner.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! Do you celebrate Easter?
Lisa: Yes, it’s important to me. Easter is about Jesus rising from the dead.
Mark: That’s interesting! What do you do to celebrate?
Lisa: We go to church and have an Easter egg hunt for my little cousins.
Mark: What’s your favorite part of Easter?
Lisa: I love the church service and spending time with family.

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 Easter traditions or thoughts, while respecting their comfort level with the topic.
• 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 Easter? What’s one thing people do on Easter?” to spark interest, while being sensitive to learners’ backgrounds.
• Show a picture or short video clip of Easter activities (e.g., decorated eggs, a church service) to introduce the topic.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of Easter-related images.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “resurrection” or “bunny.”
• Play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “egg”), and learners describe it or use it in a sentence (e.g., “We decorate eggs for Easter”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “Easter is a Christian holiday. I like the egg hunt.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “I like Easter because ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently, ensuring clarity and respect for the topic.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

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

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

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about Easter (e.g., “Easter is in the spring. I like eating chocolate eggs.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases, keeping the tone positive.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about Easter or a tradition, or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that not all learners celebrate Easter or may have different traditions. Focus on language goals and allow flexibility for learners to share only what they’re comfortable with, including secular traditions like egg hunts.
• Visual aids: Use images, videos, or props (e.g., a decorated egg or bunny picture) to make the lesson engaging and clear.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from a language app or YouTube) of someone describing Easter to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “Easter is a holiday.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “We go to church because Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with Easter-related images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “Easter celebrate Jesus” instead of “Easter celebrates Jesus.” Emphasize verb forms and agreement.
• Pronunciation: Words like “resurrection” or “service” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify terms like “egg” (for Easter traditions) vs. “bunny” (a symbol, not food) to avoid confusion.

Example activity: “Easter tradition match”

For group classes, try this interactive activity

• Create cards with Easter terms (e.g., “egg,” “bunny,” “church”) and descriptions (e.g., “decorated for Easter,” “place of worship”).
• Learners match the term to its description or example.
• Alternatively, play a “Find Someone Who” game (e.g., “Find someone who knows an Easter tradition”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about Easter or one Easter tradition.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing what you know about Easter or a related activity.
• Research: Find a picture or video about Easter and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.