The following intermediate/advanced conversation lesson about gift-giving involves lots of partner and class discussion, as well as an interesting Christmas advertisement video.

Step 1: Describe the picture.

Project the following image onto the board. Ask students the following.

1. What can you see?

2. What is happening?

Step 2: Opening Discussion

Discuss as a class these questions.

1. In what situations is it common to give and/or receive presents in your country?

2. At Christmas, children often ask Santa for a present. How can they ask him for a gift?

3. Who is Mrs. Claus? What does Mrs. Claus do?

Step 3: Gift-Giving Discussion in Pairs

Now put students into partners.

Students are going to be given a list of different people. They need to decide what gifts to buy each person. With their partner, they discuss what gift they would buy each person, and why. 

Gift giving phrases
We should get him/her a _____ because…A _____ would be the perfect gift because…I think he/she would like a _____ to…If we got him/her a _____, he/she could…If I were him/her, I’d like a…	Shall we get him/her a _____?How about a _____?
Agree phrases	Disagree phrases
Absolutely! / 100%! Why not? It’d be good because…I couldn’t agree more.That’s genius!	On the other hand, we could…That’s an interesting idea, but…Really? How about…? (informal)No way. (informal)

What gift would you give each person? Why?

Riko (your uncle) -man -40 years old -likes writing historical blogs and canoeing  -dislikes sweet food -shy	Julia (your niece) -girl -14 years old -likes candle making, DIY, and anime -outgoing	Spot (your dog) -dog -2 years old -likes eating socks -energetic
Mr. Lyn (your neighbor) -man -72 years old -likes gardening and woodworking -friendly and talkative	Humphrey (your best friend’s son) -boy -17 years old -likes guitar, skating, and Greek mythology -impulsive	Mrs. Verochka (your boss) -woman -64 years old -likes reading, acting, and the theater -cheerful
Sandra (your coworker) -woman -45 years old -likes coffee and fishing -conceited	Louise (your friend) -woman -29 years old -likes social media and tattoos -dislikes	Adrian (your little brother) -boy -6 years old -likes dogs and drawing -mischievous

Step 4: Compare.

Students join up with another group and compare the gifts they’ve decided on. They should check if any of their gifts are the same. They should also check which gifts they liked and disliked.

Be sure to provide a brief chance to share some of the most interesting answers.

Step 5: Watch the Video and Circle the Pictures

Now we are going to watch a video about gift giving. First, check that students know what each image is in the following table. Then, as they’re watching the video, they circle what they see.

Watch the M&S 2016 Christmas ad video and circle what you see.

Step 6: Check your Answers and Check Comprehension

Everyone should check their answers. (Answer: Only the car and the hot chocolate don’t appear in the video.)

Students answer the following comprehension questions.

1. What did the little boy want for Christmas? 

2. Why? 

3. Did it surprise you? Why or why not?

4. Who gave him the gift? 

5. Did that surprise you? Why or why not?

Step 7: Gift-Giving Discussion Time

Students talk about the following questions in pairs. They should remember to ask their partner for their answers too. 

Good follow up questions for students to ask their partners are: How about you? And you? What’s your opinion? Did the same thing happen to you? Do you know what I mean? Can you relate? Have you ever experienced that?

1. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Why?

2. What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Why?

3. What gift were you the most proud of giving? Why?

4. Is it easier to buy gifts for men or women? Why?

5. Is it easier to buy gifts for kids or adults? Why?

6. Do you think people should buy gifts for their pets? Why or why not?

7. Do you think people should buy gifts for babies? Why or why not?

8. Should people buy souvenirs for friends and family when they go on vacation? Why or why not?

9. Who do you know that is a difficult person to buy gifts for? Why is it hard to buy them gifts?

10. What do you think about giving gift cards as presents? Why?

11. How about receiving gift cards as presents? Do you like it? Why or why not?

12. Is food a good gift? Why or why not?

13. Have you ever received a very surprising gift? What was it? Why was it surprising?

14. Do you buy gifts in advance for events, like birthdays, weddings, and holidays? Or do you tend to buy last minute?

15. Do you prefer to buy gifts online or in person? Why?

16. What’s your opinion on gift registries? Why?

17. Are there any gifts that you would consider rude or thoughtless? If yes, why?

18. What do you think is the most common gift to give/receive in your country? Why?

19. What do you consider to be a useful present? Why?

20. Are you good at writing thoughtful cards and letters? Why or why not?

Step 8: Feedback

As students discuss, walk around listening for grammar, pronunciation, or grammar problems. Be sure to provide feedback at the end of the discussion. Also give students a chance to say some of their answers out loud after the partner discussion.

That’s it! Hopefully your students enjoyed this Christmas and gift-giving lesson. If you want more video conversation lessons try Advanced Conversation Lesson with Video – Passive Voice – 40 minutes.