Lesson 18

Holidays

Objective: I will learn to describe holiday traditions and plans.

Personal Study

Prepare for your conversation group by completing activities A through E.

Study the Principle of Learning: You Are a Child of God

I am a child of God with eternal potential and purpose.

You are a beloved child of God. You have eternal worth and potential. We learn more about this from the Book of Mormon. We read about a time when Jesus Christ was teaching and blessing the people. He took the time to bless each person, one by one. He spent time blessing and teaching their children.

As He blessed the little children, something amazing happened: “[Jesus Christ] did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, … and he loosed their tongues that they could utter” (3 Nephi 26:14).

The little children taught the people great and marvelous things. These little children had tremendous potential, and Jesus Christ helped them see their potential. God can help you see your potential. You have so much to give. You have a purpose, and God can show you what is possible when you seek His help. Just as Jesus Christ gave the children the ability to speak, God can loose your tongue too. He can help you speak. He can help you believe in your eternal potential.

Ponder

• What helps you believe in your eternal potential?

• What fears are stopping you from believing that you can speak English?

• How can you seek God’s help for courage to overcome your fears and speak more often?

Memorize Vocabulary

Learn the meaning and pronunciation of each word before your conversation group. Try learning more words that you can use in the patterns.

Nouns

Christmas
Diwali
Easter
Independence Day
Lunar New Year
New Year’s Eve
Ramadan
Yom Kippur

Verbs

give gifts
go to a party
go to bed early
have a big meal
make a cake
spend time with family
stay home
visit friends
watch fireworks

Adverbs

always
usually
sometimes
never

Practice Pattern 1

Practice using the patterns until you can confidently ask and answer questions. You can replace the underlined words with words in the “Memorize Vocabulary” section.

Q: What do you (adverb) do for (noun)?A: I (adverb) (verb).

Questions

Answers

Examples

Q: What do you usually do for New Year’s Eve?A: We usually watch fireworks.

Q: What does he always do for Christmas?A: He always spends time with family.

Q: What do you never do for Lunar New Year?A: I never stay home for Lunar New Year.

Q: What does she do for Easter?A: She sometimes makes a cake.

Practice Pattern 2

Practice using the patterns until you can confidently ask and answer questions. Try noticing these patterns during your daily practice.

Q: What will you do on (noun)?A: I will probably (verb) on (noun).

Questions

Answers

Examples

Q: What will you do on New Year’s Eve?A: I will probably go to bed early on New Year’s Eve.

Q: What will she do on Christmas?A: She will visit friends on Christmas.

Q: What will they do on Independence Day?A: They probably won’t go to a party.

Use the Patterns

Write four questions you can ask someone. Write an answer to each question. Read them aloud.

Additional Activities

Complete the lesson activities and assessments online at englishconnect.org/learner/resources or in the EnglishConnect 2 Workbook.

Act in Faith to Practice English Daily

Continue to practice English daily. Use your “Personal Study Tracker.” Review your study goal and evaluate your efforts.

Conversation Group

Discuss the Principle of Learning: You Are a Child of God

(20–30 minutes)

• Read the principle of learning for this lesson aloud.

• Discuss the questions.

Activity 1: Practice the Patterns

(10–15 minutes)

Review the vocabulary list with a partner.

Practice pattern 1 with a partner:

• Practice asking questions.

• Practice answering questions.

• Practice a conversation using the patterns.

Repeat for pattern 2.

Activity 2: Create Your Own Sentences

(10–15 minutes)

Look at the list of people below and their favorite holidays. Ask and answer questions about what each person does on that holiday and what they will probably do this year. Be creative! Take turns.

Example: Adriana: New Year’s Eve

• A: What does Adriana usually do for New Year’s Eve?

• B: She usually goes to a party.

• A: What else does Adriana do for New Year’s Eve?

• B: She always goes to bed late.

• A: What will she do on New Year’s Eve this year?

• B: She will probably stay home and play games with her family.

People and Holidays

Nora: Independence Day

Jin: Christmas

Mei: Lunar New Year

Avi: Easter

Activity 3: Create Your Own Conversations

(15–20 minutes)

Ask and answer questions about your plans for upcoming holidays. Say as much as you can. Take turns.

New Vocabulary

Do you usually have turkey?
Yes, we do.
No, we don’t.
buy a Christmas tree

Example

• A: What will you do on Christmas this year?

• B: I will probably visit my family.

• A: Will you buy a Christmas tree?

• B: No, I probably won’t buy a Christmas tree.

• A: Will you have a special dinner?

• B: Yes, we will probably have a special dinner.

• A: Do you usually have turkey?

• B: No, we don’t. We always make tamales.

Evaluate

(5–10 minutes)

Evaluate your progress on the objectives and your efforts to practice English daily.

Evaluate Your Progress

I can:

• Talk about what I and others usually do on holidays.

  

• Talk about what I and others plan to do on a holiday.

  

Evaluate Your Efforts

Evaluate your efforts to:

1. Study the principle of learning.

2. Memorize Vocabulary.

3. Practice the patterns.

4. Practice daily.

Set a goal. Consider the study suggestions in the “Personal Study Tracker.”

Share your goal with a partner.

Act in Faith to Practice English Daily

“Because we are the spirit children of God, everyone has a divine origin, nature, and potential. Each of us ‘is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents’ [“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org]. This is our identity! This is who we really are!” (M. Russell Ballard, “Hope in Christ,” Liahona, May 2021, 54).