Fun holiday activities for your English language learners

Summer break in the northern hemisphere marks a long period where your English language learners may find themselves away from their regular classes and routines. However, this doesn’t mean that the learning process has to come to a stop. In fact, there are many enjoyable summer English activities that students can do to continue developing their language skills in their own environment. 

Here are some fun ways to learn English and keep your students engaged and motivated during the summer break.

Speaking and listening

Activities for young learners

• Ask your students draw pictures of things they’d like to do in their summer break or things they have been doing over the holidays. They can then practise talking about their pictures in English with their family and friends, describing what they’ve included. This summer English activity not only enhances your young learners’ speaking and listening skills but also encourages creativity and imagination.
• Have students watch their favourite shows with family and friends. Then, get them to act out the funny or enjoyable parts in English. This helps improve their fluency and pronunciation.

Activities for teens

• Have students learn the lyrics to their favourite summer songs in English and practise their pronunciation by singing along. For an extra challenge, get them to analyse the meaning behind the lyrics.
• Another fun way to learn English is to have your students create social media videos or posts about what they’ve been doing over the summer, using English. 
• Ask your teen learners to find their favourite online videos that teach different and unique ‘hacks’ in English. Whether it’s life hacks or unique recipes, watching these videos can help improve learners’ listening skills, expand their vocabulary, and acquire useful knowledge in a fun way.

Activities for adult learners

• For adult learners who plan to travel during the summer, or even visit local museums or galleries, getting an audio guide in English can be a fun way to learn English and an excellent way for students to practise their listening skills. 
• Another activity to practise English for adult learners is to use online AI tools or platforms like Google to plan a day out or a trip. Tell them to try speaking into these tools rather than writing. This practises both pronunciation and listening skills. 

Reading and writing

Activities for young learners

• A fun summer activity to practise reading and writing is to encourage your learners to send messages to their school friends in English, checking in with them and sharing their summer experiences. This allows them to practise their writing skills and fosters communication and connection with their peers.
• Have your young learners find and read some online magazines, videos or blogs that they’re interested in, in English. These could be topics such as animals, games, sports or their favourite hobbies. 

Activities for teens

• Have your teen learners read the comments below videos of online personalities they enjoy. Many of these may be in English, which can be an excellent opportunity to practise reading authentic language. They can choose videos related to their interests, such as celebrities, fashion or music, and look at the discussions happening in the comments section. This activity exposes them to various writing styles, slang and authentic language.
• Another way to practise English during the summer is to join forums or find blogs that they’re interested in. They can actively participate by commenting or sharing their thoughts on posts, or they can simply read comments to understand different perspectives and engage with authentic English language usage online.

Are you stuck on how to encourage your students to do more extensive reading? Read our blog for more ideas on how students can develop this skill during their holidays. 

Activities for adult learners

• Reading news articles from around the world in English is a fun way for adults to learn English. They can stay informed whilst improving their language skills. They can explore a wide range of topics, from current events to technology, science or culture, for example. Reading the news in English helps enhance vocabulary, comprehension, and cultural awareness.
• If learners are working through the summer, a practical writing activity is to write some of their work emails in English. Even if they might not have to send them! 
• To combine reading and listening skills, adult learners can find English shows they enjoy on streaming services. They can use subtitles in English while watching, helping them follow the dialogues and improve their reading and listening abilities simultaneously.

Summer break doesn’t have to mean a pause in language learning. By giving your learners suggestions for fun ways to learn English over the summer, students can continue developing their language skills in an enjoyable way. Encourage your students to embrace these activities to practise English, ensuring that their language-learning journey continues even outside the classroom.

Get your students reading in the holidays with Oxford Reading Club, a digital library with hundreds of graded readers. Students of all ages and levels can explore a range of stories for one month or more, with interactive activities to keep them engaged and improve their listening, reading, speaking and vocabulary. Recommend it your learners or their parents today. Go to Oxford Reading Club.

Read our blog to learn five golden rules to help students read English in their free time. 

Know any other fun activities for students to do over the summer break? Share your ideas below!