Christmas Music from Around the World
As we get closer and closer to Christmas, it seems like we’re hearing the same festive songs over and over again – in shops, in restaurants, everywhere! Everyone has their favourite Christmas song, but how many do you know that aren’t in your native language? Listening to music and song lyrics can be good listening practice for your students, so introduce some festive fun and check out our selection of some popular Christmas songs from around the world.
Please note that the linked videos may contain third-party advertising.
Petit Papa Noël – French
Fun fact: this is France’s best-selling single and their most famous Christmas song! Petit Papa Noel, or ‘Little Father Christmas’ is quite an easy song to listen to and a great excuse to practise verb tenses!
Stille Nacht – German
The German version, and in fact the original version, of the classic carol Silent Night. The world’s most popular Christmas carol was first sung in Austria on Christmas Eve 1818, in a church in Oberndorf. Your students probably already know the tune, so why not give it a go in your classroom?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGA6djLsDgs
La Fiesta de Pilito – Spanish (from Puerto Rico)
From one of the most popular salsa groups of all time, El Gran Combo, this will certainly get you dancing around the classroom with your Santa hat on! It’s all about festive foods, so ideal for developing vocabulary (and will likely get you dreaming of Christmas dinner!)
White Christmas – English
One of the best-known classic Christmas songs in the English-speaking world, White Christmas is a great song for festive vocabulary – and could even be the starting point for a discussion about Christmas traditions. Are your students expecting snow for their own white Christmas this year?
