What topics do I really want to cover in my ESL lessons in January? In January I always hit the ground running, because even though Christmas break was great and both teachers and students needed it, things need to get done. So what do I do with my students this month?
New Year's Resolutions
I dedicated an entire post to this topic, because the start of the year is always a good time to reflect on the old one and set goals for the new. Read what I had to say about it HERE. I also made two resources that I'll be using in different groups. Check them out here and here.
Chinese New Year
This holiday was traditionally a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. In 2020 it began on 25 January, but in 2021 it starts on 12 February. Get students to find their Chinese Horoscope in this text from National Geographic Kids. According to the Chinese calendar, the year you were born may determine your personality. Ask them whether theirs is correct, and tell them whether you think yours is correct. I also love this text from History about the Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year traditions. This video is also cool, although the guy talks pretty fast.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which means that is on 18 January in 2021. This article from National Geographic kids will tell your students more about this Civil Rights leader's life. This article from History about how this holiday came to be is very interesting too and it's a great discussion starter for older kids. Talk to your students about what he's meant for his country and even the world.
Inauguration Day
The inauguration is the event where the US president-elect and vice-president elect are sworn in. Once he has sworn an oath, enshrined in America's founding document, Mr Biden will take his place as the 46th president. This article by the BBC explains very clearly what it all entails. Discuss with your students how this works in your country and whether they like it or not.
Winter
Besides the important events in January, there's also the topic of winter to cover throughout the month. Regarding this topic, I also wrote a previous blog post, which you can check out HERE.
I hope this article helped you decide what to teach in January! Let me know if you have any questions!
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