One of the best things about being an EFL teacher is the fact that I can do “stupid” lessons and get by with it.
Like singing Christmas carols. Imagine going to math (or “maths” for those who prefer British English) class and the teacher says, “Today, we’re going to sing Christmas carols.” Even in, say, literature class it doesn’t really float.
But in English class, it does. So I teach the kids a few songs. This year:
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Jingle Bells
- Silent Night
Nothing special. I’ve always wanted to do “Jingle Bell Rock,” but they don’t know the melody, and that’s key. It’s a language lesson, after all, not a music class.
I can’t really recall learning Spanish Christmas carols in high school. Perhaps we did, but I have no memory of it…
We sang the French versions of “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas” every year in my high school French class. To this day, every time I hear “Jingle Bells,” I’m mentally singing the French lyrics…
We sung carols in German, even the Jews.