ESL WORKSHEET - Saint Patrick

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

SAINT PATRICK

LinguaHouse
Mar. 15, 2016

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Celebrations and Special Events; Celebrities and Historical Figures; Vocabulary Lesson
Publication date: 03/15/2016

In this quick lesson filler, students learn and talk about Saint Patrick’s Day. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking.

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet (British English).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan (British English).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

St. Patrick’s Day is an annual celebration of the patron Saint of Ireland. It’s held on March 17th, which is believed to be the date of Saint Patrick’s death. This day is a national holiday in Ireland, but it’s celebrated by Irish communities and many other people in countries around the world. The festival commemorates the time when Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. On this day, it’s custom to wear something green or shamrocks. This is because, according to legend, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Christian idea of the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans.
There are traditional Saint Patrick’s Day parades all around the world. In Dublin, there’s a huge parade that attracts nearly a million people and it’s 5 days long. The biggest parade is in New York City, which is attended by over 2 million people. St. Patrick’s Day is also known for being a "drinking holiday". Drinking alcohol, especially Irish Guinness, has become an important part of the celebration. The color green isn’t only worn on people’s bodies. For example, in Chicago the city authorities dye the river green. Famous landmarks around the world are lit up in green lights. Many people also celebrate the day by eating green food and drinking green beer.
In recent decades, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have been criticized, particularly for their association with drinking alcohol. Some people argue that the festivities have become too commercialized, and that the original idea of the festival has been lost.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/saint-patrick. Accessed on March 14, 2022. LinguaHouse.com © 2008 - 2022. All rights reserved.