Languages › English as a Second Language Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes Share Flipboard Email Print Westend61/Getty Images English as a Second Language Resources for Teachers Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Writing Skills Reading Comprehension Grammar Business English By Kenneth Beare Kenneth Beare English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on March 05, 2019 To use these Christmas Carols in English class, first, listen to a recording (or two) which you can easily find by searching on YouTube or other video sites with the title of the song. Print out the words, and follow along with the song. As you become more familiar with the words, start singing the along with the recording. Finally, sing the song as a class to bring in some Christmas spirit into the classroom. Another Christmas tradition is the reading of by 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. Classic Christmas Songs Jingle BellsSilent NightJoy to the WorldThe First NoelWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasOh, Come All Ye FaithfulHark the Herald Angels SingWhat Child Is This?We Three KingsAuld Lang SyneAway in a MangerDeck The HallGod Rest You Merry, GentlemenHave Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasLo, How a Rose E'er BloomingO Christmas TreeRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerLullay Thou Little Tiny Child Singing Carols in Class: Suggestions for Teachers Find a good recording of the Christmas carol and play it for the class twice without any text. Just let the students listen and do their best to understand.Provided a printed version of the lyrics with gaps for keywords. Practice together as a class as a listening gap fill exercise. As a class, brainstorm the words that are difficult to pronounce. Isolate the words and practice as minimal pairs with similar sounding words to help students understand differences in vowel sounds. Choose a specific carol a few weeks before Christmas. Spend five or ten minutes in each class understanding, practicing and perfecting your carol. For larger classes, have students break up into smaller groups and learn different carols.If you are teaching young English learners, put on a small concert for the parents of children in your class. Choose three to five carols and perfect them as a class. After the last class before Christmas, put on a mini-concert for the parents.If your students are outgoing, have a recital. Each student can choose a favorite carol and the class can sing for each other. It's fun, but a challenge! Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Beare, Kenneth. "Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/classic-christmas-carols-for-esl-classes-1211201. Beare, Kenneth. (2020, August 28). Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/classic-christmas-carols-for-esl-classes-1211201 Beare, Kenneth. "Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/classic-christmas-carols-for-esl-classes-1211201 (accessed June 9, 2023). copy citation