St. Patrick’s Day is a great time for ESL teachers to teach their students about idioms. Not only will your classroom enjoy a cultural lesson, but it will also provide an opportunity for English learners to learn some new phrases. Idioms can help ELs practice their English and enrich their understanding of the language.
Introducing St. Patrick’s Day
A great way to introduce St. Patrick’s Day idioms is by telling stories or reading books that involve them. For example, “The Leprechaun Who Couldn’t Find His Gold” by Liz Curtis Higgs is a delightful story. It includes plenty of Irish sayings. By providing context about the characters in the story, it is easier for students to understand and remember the idioms.
Get Students Excited About Learning
Get your ESL students excited about learning St Patrick’s Day idioms by hosting a “guess the idiom” game. Begin by introducing the idioms. Give some examples. Consider “a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” or “the luck of the Irish”. Then hand out cards with specific idioms written on them to each student and have them guess what they mean. The first one to guess correctly wins a small prize, like a candy or sticker! This game will get your students engaged while they learn to recognize common St Patrick’s Day idioms.
Another idea is to create a St Patrick’s Day-themed story that incorporates multiple idioms into it. Begin by explaining that everyone in the class will help create a story together. Each student will add one idiom at a time until you reach the end of the story. Make sure to review each idiom before it is added. Make sure that all of your students understand what it means and how it should be used in context. This activity gives your ESL students an opportunity to practice using these St Patrick’s Day idioms in conversation.
Don’t Forget to Review
Finally, as with any language learning activity, follow up with some review games! This could involve an assessment quiz where each student must correctly use one of the idioms they have learned in a sentence; alternatively, you could create bingo boards where students need to use specific words in order to win prizes. As an extension activity, ask your class to come up with their own St Patrick’s day idiom and have them share it with each other!
In conclusion, teaching ESL students about St Patrick’s day idioms is a great way to get them engaged while practicing their English language skills at the same time. With some careful instruction and creative activities, elementary ESL teachers can make this festive holiday fun for everyone in the classroom!
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