Holidays: Talking about Halloween — ESL lesson

Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, is a fun and engaging topic for language learners, offering a rich opportunity to explore vocabulary, phrases, and cultural traditions. This lesson plan introduces essential Halloween-related words and practical phrases to help learners confidently discuss costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky festivities.

Designed for beginner to intermediate learners, the material includes a structured vocabulary list, useful sentence structures, and example conversations that progress from simple to detailed exchanges. With a step-by-step teaching strategy, interactive activities like “Halloween Guess,” and tips for addressing common mistakes, this lesson fosters speaking, listening, and cultural awareness.

Visual aids, role-plays, and personalization ensure an engaging and inclusive experience, adaptable for various learning levels and settings. Whether learners celebrate Halloween or are new to the holiday, this plan equips them to describe its traditions with enthusiasm and clarity.

Basic vocabulary

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

Vocabulary list

• Halloween: A holiday celebrated on October 31st, often with costumes and candy.
• Costume: Clothes worn to look like someone or something else (e.g., a witch, a superhero).
• Pumpkin: A large orange vegetable used for decorations, like jack-o’-lanterns.
• Jack-o’-lantern: A carved pumpkin with a light inside.
• Candy/sweets: Sugary treats given out on Halloween.
• Trick-or-treat: An activity where children ask for candy at houses.
• Ghost: A spooky spirit of a dead person.
• Witch: A magical person often depicted with a broomstick.
• Skeleton: A figure of bones, often used as a Halloween decoration.
• Spooky: Scary or eerie, in a fun way.
• Party: A gathering to celebrate Halloween.
• Haunted: A place with ghosts or spooky vibes (e.g., haunted house).
• Carve: To cut a pumpkin to make a jack-o’-lantern.
• Mask: Something worn over the face as part of a costume.
• Decorate: To add festive items, like pumpkins or cobwebs.

Vocabulary words for extension

• Vampire: A mythical creature that drinks blood, often a Halloween costume.
• Spider/cobweb (web/spiderweb): A creepy crawly or its web, used in Halloween decorations.
• Monster: A scary creature, like a werewolf or Frankenstein.
• Broomstick: A stick witches are said to ride, as part of their costume.
• Candle: A light source, often used inside jack-o’-lanterns.
• Scary: Something frightening, like a haunted house or ghost story.
• Treat: A reward, like candy given during trick-or-treating.
• Trick: A prank or playful act, part of trick-or-treating.
• Lantern: A light holder, often referring to a jack-o’-lantern.
• Festive: Related to celebration, like Halloween decorations or events.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of pumpkins, costumes, or Halloween decorations to connect vocabulary to the holiday.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “jack-o’-lantern” (JAK-oh-LAN-tern) or “spooky” (SPOO-kee).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and images or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing Halloween. These phrases should be versatile, easy to adapt, and relevant to common Halloween activities.

Key phrases

1. Talking about Halloween
   • “I like Halloween because [reason].”
   • “On Halloween, I wear a [costume].”
   • “I go trick-or-treating with [friends/family].”
   • “We carve a [pumpkin/jack-o’-lantern].”
2. Describing activities
   • “I decorate my house with [pumpkins/cobwebs].”
   • “We eat [candy/sweets] on Halloween.”
   • “I go to a Halloween [party/haunted house].”
   • “Trick-or-treating is [fun/exciting].”
3. Expressing preferences or opinions
   • “My favorite costume is [costume].”
   • “I think Halloween is [fun/spooky].”
   • “I don’t like [ghosts/haunted houses] because [reason].”
   • “The best part of Halloween is [activity].”
4. Asking questions
   • “Do you celebrate Halloween?”
   • “What costume do you wear?”
   • “Do you go trick-or-treating?”
   • “What’s your favorite Halloween activity?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “On Halloween, I wear a ghost costume. It’s fun!”).
• Have learners substitute their own preferences (e.g., costumes or activities) into the phrases.
• Practice question forms to encourage interactive conversations.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about Halloween. These examples progress from basic to more detailed, focusing on common Halloween traditions.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Do you celebrate Halloween, Tom?
Tom: Yes, I like Halloween! I wear a superhero costume.
Anna: Cool! Do you go trick-or-treating?
Tom: Yes, with my friends. We get lots of candy.
Anna: Nice! What’s your favorite candy?
Tom: I love chocolate!

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, what do you do for Halloween?
Juan: I usually go to a Halloween party and wear a skeleton costume.
Sara: That sounds fun! Do you decorate your house?
Juan: Yes, we carve pumpkins and put up spooky decorations.
Sara: Awesome! Is it scary?
Juan: No, it’s just fun and a little spooky!

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! What’s your favorite thing about Halloween?
Lisa: I love trick-or-treating with my little brother. I dress as a witch.
Mark: That’s great! Do you make a jack-o’-lantern?
Lisa: Yes, we carve pumpkins every year. It’s messy but fun!
Mark: Do you like haunted houses?
Lisa: Not really, they’re too scary for me, but I like the candy!

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 Halloween experiences or imagined activities.
• 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 Halloween? What’s one thing you think of?” (e.g., costumes, candy) to spark interest.
• Show a picture or short video clip of Halloween activities (e.g., trick-or-treating, carved pumpkins) to introduce the topic.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of Halloween-related images.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “jack-o’-lantern” or “haunted.”
• Play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “costume”), and learners name something related (e.g., “witch”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “I like Halloween because it’s fun. I wear a ghost costume.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “On Halloween, I wear a ____ costume.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently as they practice.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

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

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

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about Halloween (e.g., “I like Halloween because I eat candy. My costume is a cat.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about a Halloween activity or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that Halloween may not be celebrated in all cultures, and some learners may be unfamiliar with or hesitant about it. Allow flexibility to discuss similar holidays or focus on the fun aspects (e.g., costumes, candy).
• Visual aids: Use images, videos, or props (e.g., a small pumpkin, a costume mask) to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of people talking about Halloween to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “I wear a costume.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “I decorate my house with pumpkins because it’s spooky.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with Halloween images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I go trick-or-treat” instead of “I go trick-or-treating.” Emphasize the gerund form.
• Pronunciation: Terms like “jack-o’-lantern” or “spooky” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify terms like “costume” (worn on Halloween) vs. “clothes” (everyday wear).

Example activity: “Halloween guess”

For group classes, try this interactive activity.

• Give each learner a card with a Halloween word (e.g., “witch,” “pumpkin”).
• Learners describe their word without saying it (e.g., “It’s a spooky person who flies on a broom”), and others guess the word.
• Alternatively, play a “Find Someone Who” game (e.g., “Find someone who likes spooky costumes”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about how you celebrate (or would celebrate) Halloween.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing your favorite Halloween costume or activity.
• Research: Find a picture or video about Halloween and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.