‘Tis the season again! Time really flies, doesn’t it? So, I’ve got a fun Christmas gift for all the Cambridge prep teachers out there – Christmas-themed speaking activities for CAE candidates. There’s truly nothing better than relaxing after a busy prep time while still getting ready for that exam, all in a festive vibe!
I always have a blast putting together fun speaking activities for Cambridge candidates. A while back, I made some classic mock exams for B1 and B2 students, and this year, the CAE students can get in on the Christmas cheer too! If you’re interested in seeing what the other two lessons were like, just click the links below and check them out!
You can check out the presentation and the examiner’s notes at the end of the post – no prep work needed!
The class starts with a quick warm-up where we go over some Christmas vocabulary and a fun phrase that everyone needs to name and spell. It’s usually trickier than it seems! This time, I threw in words like Yuletide, mulled wine, and of course, ‘Tis the season because of its unusual way of spelling it.
Once everyone’s warmed up, begin the CAE speaking part 1. It’s pretty similar to what they’ve done in lower-level exams, so they should feel comfortable with it. Just a reminder that this part is more of an ice-breaker, and they should aim to answer in about 2-3 sentences. Since it’s the Christmas season, feel free to give them a bit of extra time to chat about their holiday experiences. You could ask questions like, Have your Christmas traditions changed over the years? How? and What’s your favorite Christmas memory? There’s even a chance they can think about their favorite memories in part 3 of the exam, which could help jog their memories.
In Part 2, students have a look at three Christmas-themed pictures and choose two to discuss. The first set shows different ways people celebrate Christmas, like decorating a tree with family, visiting a Christmas market, or helping out at a homeless shelter. The first student will share their thoughts on how the people in the pictures might feel and any challenges they could be facing. The second student will listen and answer a follow-up question about which activity seems to have the most positive impact on people’s lives.
Next, switch things up a bit. The second student gets a set of pictures showing people having fun outdoors during Christmas time. The pictures show making a snowman, ice skating, and sipping on a hot drink at a Christmas market. The student picks two of the pics and answers questions about how the weather could change their experiences and why some people like to celebrate Christmas this way. Then, ask the first student to share which activity they think really captures the holiday spirit.
It’s time for part 3, where students pair up or form groups of three to chat about a fun topic. This time, they need to brainstorm the most unforgettable way to celebrate Christmas. They’ve got about 2-3 minutes to go over options from the task, like exchanging gifts, hanging out with family, or going to church services. Just like in part 1, I wouldn’t stress too much about the time – it’s all about letting them enjoy the activity and share their ideas on what makes Christmas truly special.
To wrap up the Christmas-themed speaking activity, it’d be great to throw in some opinion questions. You could include things like, Is Christmas getting too commercial? or Do you think tech has changed how we celebrate Christmas? If yes, how? These questions strike a nice balance, being engaging without being too hard, making it fun for students to chat about this festive season.
You can make this lesson a fun one-off, or if you’re crunched for time with exam prep, you could ask the classmates to take notes on each other and give feedback on what’s working and what could use a little improvement. Students are usually really supportive, so they can offer some great motivation to one another.
If you’re still figuring out what to do with your CAE groups this Christmas, I hope you found some good ideas! Check out the links below to grab the Christmas-themed CAE speaking exam.
Wishing everyone a joyful and magical Christmas! 🎄I hope you have an amazing time celebrating!
