Out with the old, in with the new

Title separator

Speaking
class

New Year worksheet

photo of the author Justa |

LESSON OVERVIEW

This New Year worksheet contains a lot of speaking activities. Students also watch a video about New Year’s traditions and discuss the celebration in different cultures.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
C1 / Advanced45 min
60 minSpeaking ClassUnlimited Plan
Unlock these lesson worksheets with the Unlimited subscription

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP & DISCUSSION

The lesson starts with students reading some common captions (e.g. New year, new me; Cheers to 365 new chances; 9 p.m. is the new midnight; etc.) that people add to their social media posts before New Year. Students discuss what attitude towards New Year people who write these captions have. After that, students talk more about New Year’s celebrations, traditions, and reasons why some people might hate this holiday. In this New Year worksheet students also get to express their own attitude to it and choose the captions that sum up their opinion. 

VIDEO & SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

This part of the New Year worksheet includes a video about New Year’s traditions in Mexico. After watching the video, students discuss a number of questions. They talk about the traditions from the video, share the traditions from their own cultures, talk about special food and making wishes. Then, they read about more traditions in four different countries all over the world (e.g. In Denmark people greet the New Year by smashing old plates against the doors of family and friends.) and discuss them. Students share whether they think these traditions are unusual or surprising and what their origins might be. Students also discuss the title of the lesson (Out with the old, in with the new) and brainstorm the situations in which people might use this idiom. As a wrap-up activity, students imagine that they can spend one New Year’s Eve with no financial limitations. They have to describe what they would do for 24 hours. 

WORKSHEETS

 

3

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. nijattino

    Such a useful and practical lesson plan, especially for speaking sessions. Thanks a bunch!😊

    1. Justa

      Happy to hear that and good luck with your classes 🙂

  2. Oana

    I really appreciate this lesson and the one about Christmas, as I believe it is something necessary every course in this season. Thank you so much!

    1. Justa

      Thanks for taking the time to comment! I also think that a bit of fun and relax will do everyone good during the holiday season 🙂

  3. pauline.stuart

    This is just what I need to end the year with an class that has been working so hard for their FCE exams
    Thank you very much
    And Happy New Year to all

    1. Justa

      Thanks for the comment! Happy New Year 🥳

  4. HiImMikeEnglish

    The acting is horrible in this. I felt embarrassed using this for my one class. It’s interesting in other areas but the material itself in my own opinion is cringeworthy at best.

    1. Stan

      Thanks for your feedback! It is created by amateur YouTubers and we liked the content, but you’re right these are not professional actors 🙂 I personally didn’t feel it’s sooo cringy.

  5. Helen Pearce

    Awful video! Sorry!

    1. D R

      They have over 2 million subscribers Helen on YT. How many have you got? Jeez, some people are so negative… It’s not meant to Tom Cruise… Maybe go and make your own oscar winning video…

      1. Helen Pearce

        Entitled to my opinion, DR. My students are adults. They’d be cringing if they had to watch this.

  6. AlexF

    A nice and fun lesson to get the new year started. One thing though, Danish people do not smash plates on New Years, despite what you may read on the internet

    1. Stan

      So it’s an outdated tradition, right? Or maybe a completely made-up story? I know that such weird country facts or traditions are sometimes very uncommon or outdated but I wonder whether in this case it’s just a total fake.

      1. AlexF

        I’m not sure how fake it is to be honest, but none of my family there (nor other Danes I have spoken to) know anything about this tradition

  7. Luiza Marinho

    Great lesson! Thanks!

  8. Lucia K.

    I have done this lesson with a few students of mine and I really like it. There is plenty of material to pick and choose from. Definitely great for speaking!

    1. Justa

      Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
speaking lesson on Thanksgiving
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Challenging historical narratives

General

In this speaking lesson on Thanksgiving, students think about the history of the celebration and its modern-day customs. They watch a video featuring Native Americans’ feelings about the holiday and have a broader discussion about challenging dominant historical narratives.

Unlimited Plan Show
collocations to describe appearance
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Does anyone else look like you?

General

With this lesson, students talk about facial features! They practise collocations to describe appearance, watch a video on the concept of doppelgängers and discuss people who look alike.

Premium Plan Show
speaking lesson on guilt
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Should I feel bad about it?

General

In this speaking lesson on guilt, students discuss guilty pleasures and varied opinions on the emotion. They also watch and discuss a video about ‘vacation guilt’. Students have an optional vocabulary activity with expressions related to guilt.

Unlimited Plan Show
talk about supernatural phenomena
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Do you believe in ghosts?

General

Engage in talking about supernatural phenomena! With this lesson, students practise vocabulary related to mysterious and supernatural events, watch a video on why people claim to see ghosts and discuss their beliefs. They also play a quest game!

Unlimited Plan Show
ESL lesson about animal abilities
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

How smart are animals?

General

Students discuss animal abilities with this lesson! They talk about differing opinions on animal intelligence, learn about animal skills and hear some fascinating animal stories. They watch a video, think about an animal’s point of view, and discuss lots of questions.

Unlimited Plan Show
C1 / Advanced
Critical Reading Club 30 min / 45 min
Loading

Gen Z’s penchant for sad music

General Lifestyle

Students read and discuss an article about Gen Z’s preference for sad music and learn vocabulary for describing sad music and listener behaviour. They also talk about changes in music trends, analyse comments, and share opinions on the topic.

Unlimited Plan Show
talk about uncertain situations
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Uncertain times in business

Business General

In this lesson, students talk about attitudes towards difficult situations. They revise useful vocabulary and watch a video about VUCA, a framework to interpret challenging circumstances. Students also talk about how some difficult situations were handled in real life.

Unlimited Plan Show
vocabulary on challenges and achievements
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

In a league of your own

General

In this lesson, students discuss awards and famous individuals, and learn vocabulary on challenges and achievements. They explore Olympic Games quotes, watch a video about an athlete, and engage in discussions on success.

Unlimited Plan Show
advanced prepositions
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Advanced prepositions

General

Work on prepositions with this lesson! C1 students practise advanced prepositions in various contexts, discuss personal experiences and explore prepositional phrases. They also study verbs with dependent prepositions and prepositions in binomials.

Premium Plan Show
Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Don't have an account? SIGN UP