Issue #50

Learn English Here!

Tips and Tricks for Business English Language Learners (B.E.L.L.)

Photo by Raspopova Marina​

Christmas Traditions

Each week I will send out some handy tips and useful exercises for adults learning to navigate and use the English language. Please feel free to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues. For more in-depth language coaching, use the link below to schedule a 1:1 consultation.

Are you someone who celebrates Christmas? If so, do your celebrations happen on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Do you give gifts or attend a church service? Do you watch movies or sports? With Christmas around the corner, this edition will look at Christmas traditions around the world.

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Vocabulary

Let’s practice English vocabulary by looking at the titles of the top ten Christmas movies. There are a lot of different lists of the “BEST” Christmas movies, and since there is no general consensus, here is my personal eclectic list of Christmas movies that I think are the best.

You can practice writing by emailing me your top ten list at [email protected].

​The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (with Jim Carrey) – Ron Howard brings the Dr. Seuss story to life in this fun family film.

​Bad Santa – This is NOT a family film, but it is a hilarious and raunchy tale of holiday criminals. (*Warning – there is a lot of bad language here).

​Love Actually – This is also NOT a family film, but it is heartwarming, sweet, sad, funny, and international. One of my all-time favorites.

​The Year without a Santa Claus – This is one you can watch with the kids. It’s my favorite childhood claymation movie.

​The Last Holiday – Sweet story about an introverted woman who finds a zest for life in an exclusive European resort.

​It’s a Wonderful Life – I watch this every year on Christmas Eve, and it never gets old. The beautiful story reminds me of what is truly important.

​Home Alone – Who can resist Kevin and his creative ways to fend off the stupid criminals trying to break into his home? Not me. Family fun for everyone with this movie.

​Elf – Will Ferrell is fantastic as a lovable elf from the North Pole on a mission to meet his real father in New York.

​Long Kiss Goodnight – I love a good action film with a badass woman (NOT a family film). I think it’s way better than “Die Hard.”

​The Man Who Invented Christmas – I love Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol, although I haven’t found a film version I love yet. However, this movie is a delightful tale about Dickens writing the novel.

Grammar

Schoolhouse Rock was a cartoon series that aired on television when I was a child. The videos taught me a lot about grammar, numbers, history and how our government is supposed to work. Here’s one of my favorites:

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Reading Practice

Advent Calendars were created in Germany; a Mexican legend gives us the story of the Poinsettia, and two countries claim to be the first to decorate fir trees to celebrate Christmas. Read the article below for interesting Christmas traditions from around the world:

​https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world​

Weekly Challenge

Correct the errors in the sentences below:

1. I can’t finish wrapping presents by the end of the day. Even though I spend all day on it, I won’t finish on time.

2. Probably, I’ll go to the basketball game with friends on Saturday.

3. A Christmas Carol was written for Charles Dickens.

4. Yesterday, he told me that he will order the supplies, but he didn’t do it.

5. My schedule often changes, but I normally nap since one hour in the afternoon.

6. Could you tell me what time is it?

7. I’m not pretty sure about what we should do while visiting Orlando.

8. I was working this morning but stopped running some errands.

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