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Halloween in the EFL Classroom: Activities & Resources
Halloween in the EFL Classroom: Activities & Resources

Halloween in the EFL Classroom: Activities & Resources

It’s that time of year again. Halloween – or Hallowe’en – is always a great opportunity to mix things up in the TEFL classroom with spooky activities and creative costumes. And from overenthusiastic young learners to teenagers pretending that they’re too cool for Halloween, there are plenty of ways to make the most of this holiday. 

So, here are some fun (and spooky) ideas for integrating Halloween in the classroom.  

Fun Fact : Hallowe’en is an abbreviation for All Hallows' Even, which means the Holy Evening . 

carved hallowe'en pumpkins

1. Study how Halloween is celebrated around the world

    Do you know where Halloween comes from? There’s no single origin, its history draws from Celtic, Christian, and other cultures to form what we have today. 

    Samhain is a 2,000+ year old Gaelic festival that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the year. The word Samhain in Irish Gaelic or An t-Samhain in Scottish Gaelic means November.

    Spain and Portugal have a similar festival – All Saints’ Day – which is a 3-day festival, but customs and activities are celebrated differently. 

    • Day 1: Día de las Brujas (Day of the Witches)
    • Day 2: Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day)
    • Day 3: Día de los Difuntos or Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead / All Souls' Day).

    Depending on where you are and how that country celebrates it, you’ve got plenty of angles to tackle.

    You could also introduce students to different celebrations through short presentations or class discussions, giving them a chance to practise their English while learning about other cultures. Or, assign each group a country and have them research how Halloween there differs from the rest

    2. Elicit information with spooky TV & movie clips

      An easy go-to if your students are struggling to concentrate or are overexcited is to put on a film or TV show. But not just any film or TV show, a spooky one! 

      English lessons that incorporate different forms of media are always a great way to keep your classes engaged. This is especially true when it comes to major holidays, and Hallowe’en is no exception. 

      Whether it’s an English lesson on YouTube which uses Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’, or scene from ‘Macbeth’ or a clip from the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, there are plenty of clips to use to quiz your students. 

      But don’t just hit play and let it run for an hour. Follow a simple structure to keep them engaged and check their comprehension: 

      • Pre-viewing : Teach the students a few key words or themes that they’ll need to keep in mind when watching the video. 
      • Mid-viewing : Pause the video at key moments and ask questions about important details. This will help encourage them to focus on small details later in the video! 
      • Post-viewing : Ask students what happened, have them re-tell the scene or answer further questions about Halloween. 
      Ask them: 

      • What monster is this?
      • When is Halloween?
      • What is a Jack O’ Lantern made out of? 

      Here are some clips you can consider using depending on your student age and level:

      Tip : Make sure that the videos are age appropriate, and don’t pause the video so frequently that they lose interest!  

      children in hallowe'en costumes

      3. Encourage your students to dress up  

        Students can be very creative. Let them show it! Many students would gladly jump at the opportunity to bring their Halloween costumes into school for this special day.

        Bear in mind, not all students have the materials to dress up. But fortunately, you don’t need much to create a costume. Printing Halloween masks on iSL Collective or Twinkl and bringing some string can help students get creative and create their costume in-class.  

        But you don’t need to limit students to one activity. If other prefer drawing or they’re too shy to dress up, encourage them to create a poster of their favourite character. In English, they can tell you all about the character they’ve chosen, or even invented, for the holiday. 

        4. Present a monster or spooky character

          For teenagers and adult learners, turn Halloween into a speaking activity by asking students to choose a monster, horror character or other spooky figure from a film, book, TV show or story. They can give a short presentation introducing their character, explaining who or what they are, what they do and what makes them scary (or fun!).

          Encourage students to use specific vocabulary and grammar structures, like:

          • Describe the character : “It lives in a haunted house.”
          • Explain its abilities : “It can turn invisible” or “It can fly on a broom.”
          • Use descriptive adjectives : “It has sharp claws and a frightening smile.”
          • Explain its origins : “It was created in a laboratory” or “It came from a grave.”

          Want to make the activity more academic? Assess your students on their presentation skills, pronunciation, and so on. For example, ask them why they chose this character,  how popular or famous it is in their culture, and how it fits the theme of Halloween.

          The aim is to get students speaking English in an imaginative way. They’ll feel more comfortable talking about a theme that everyone enjoys. A little spooky storytelling can make for a memorable Halloween lesson!

          Useful lesson plans & resources for Halloween

          There are plenty of great lesson plans and resources already available online for ESL teachers. Here are some we’d recommend:

          a haunted house

          Meet some of our spooky graduates

          Halloween isn’t just a great excuse for a spooky lesson. On our podcast, I Taught English Abroad , Sophie Oliver shares how she worked as a scare actor before becoming a TEFL teacher. But she also goes into detail about how a trip abroad inspired her to teach English in Asia .

          Another graduate, Jamie Gajewski , taught at a haunted castle in France. But her story goes way beyond that. After fleeing revolution in Egypt, she has taught English in France, Spain, and online.

          Halloween and TEFL makes a perfect combination

          Halloween isn’t just a way for teachers to avoid lesson planning or for students to relax during in the classroom. These activities offer a chance for students get creative and do something a little different from their usual English lesson.

          From discussing how Halloween is celebrated in different countries to watching a classic Simpsons Halloween special, exploring Edgar Allan Poe or learning the lyrics to The Monster Mash , there are plenty of ways to turn the season into a meaningful language-learning opportunity.

          The key is to make the activities work for your students. Whether you’re teaching young learners, teenagers or adults, Halloween can inspire imaginative lessons that get everyone practising their English.

          That’s all from our haunted classroom for now! We’ll be back with more TEFL tips and ideas soon. Until then, keep your lesson plans close, your spooky stories ready and an eye out for anything lurking beyond the classroom door…

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