Top 10 Christmas Songs for ESL Classes

In the northern hemisphere, there are lots who dream of a white Christmas, whereas in the south of the world the holiday season is best enjoyed by the pool while sipping cool drinks. No matter where we are in the world for the holidays, two things remain the same: we all look forward to getting together with family and friends, and we sing Christmas songs.

Some Christmas carols have become so popular and so well-loved, they’ve been translated to several languages, and are sung in countries where snow and hot chocolate have nothing to do with Christmas. For students of English as a second language, there are songs that are timeless classics, which should definitely be taught as another way to make students more familiar with English-speaking cultures.

Here are the Top 10 Christmas songs for ESL classes.

Here you'll find some classic, traditional carols and some modern favorites. We’ve provided some background information on each song, which you may share with your students, together with lyrics and some suggestions for activities.

How To Proceed

1. Jingle Bells
   This is probably the single, most popular Christmas song ever, although it was originally written for Thanksgiving. Bogglesworld offers a short version that is perfect for ESL classes.
2. Silent Night
   This classic carol was actually originally written in German, but is now sung in over 44 languages. About.com offers the lyrics and a short list of vocabulary you might want to go over before listening to the song in class.
3. Joy to the World
   And what a joy indeed it is to lead your class in this happy hymn! For lyrics and list of recommended vocabulary words, go to About.com.
4. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
   This 16th century English carol has stood the test of time and remains a very popular Christmas song to this very day. Lyrics also available at Bogglesworld.
5. O Christmas Tree
   This song was originally a traditional German carol called “O Tannenbaum” (fir tree in German). Although the best known version is from the 19th century, the original melody dates back to the 16th. Lyrics in both English and German are available at SongsforTeaching.com.
6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
   Who can name all of Santa's reindeer? Few probably can, but there’s one name that stands out among young and old: Rudolph, the reindeer that was at first ridiculed for his big, red nose, but later saves the day as he deftly leads Santa's sleigh through the fog. Lyrics are available at About.com, but don’t forget to try the activities recommended at ESLKidStuff; there's a pin the tail on the reindeer game that is sure to provide lots of holiday fun for the little ones.
7. White Christmas
   When we think “White Christmas”, we think “Bing Crosby. The song written by Irving Berlin has actually made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the all time best-selling single. Here is a wonderful worksheet for beginners, guaranteed to put their listening comprehension to the test.
8. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
   This fun song reached the number one position on the charts in 1952. The story is as endearing as any Christmas tale: an unsuspecting child endeavors to sneak up on Santa Claus and finds him (presumably his father) kissing his mother underneath the mistletoe. Here's a great worksheet based on the cover recorded by the Jackson 5.
9. All I Want for Christmas Is You
   One of the most recent additions to the list of holiday classics, this song was released in 1994 in Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas album. Lyrics and activities are available in this worksheet.
10. Do They Know It's Christmas
    This is the perfect song to raise awareness among your students of the hardships others may face in other parts of the world. In 1984, Bob Geldof wrote this song and put together a group of English and Irish artists, called Band Aid. All proceeds from this song went towards relief for the famine in Ethiopia. The video and lyrics are available at Engleo.com.

Some of these songs are great lead ins for discussion, others are simply fun to sing. Whether you make your own worksheets or use the ones we've provided, make sure you give your students plenty of new things to learn with these wonderful holiday classics!