Norman Rockwell, Merry Christmas, Grandma… We Came in Our New Plymouth!, 1950. Oil on canvas. Plymouth advertisement published in Life, 25 December 1950.Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing, Niles, IL. All rights reserved, not in the public domain.
Open the painting above: a family arrives at Grandma's house on Christmas Day, arms full of presents. Who is the happiest person in the picture?
Why this sequence? In Britain, Christmas is a family celebration, and it is also the busiest time of the year for shops. Markets, lights, carols, jumpers and mince pies are everywhere, and behind the counter, staff work very hard to keep the shelves full. In this sequence, you discover British Christmas traditions and you learn how to work in a shop during the Christmas rush.
Key question. How do British people balance festive traditions and professional efficiency during the Christmas rush?
Level. Seconde bac pro, A2 towards B1. Three tiers in every session: Entry A2, Core A2+, Stretch B1.
Organisation. Four sessions of 55 minutes, a quiz and a final task. Each session opens with a recap and ends with Homework. Answer keys are hidden until you click.
Final task. You are an intern in a big London department store. Write the Holiday Survival Guide for the next French intern: traditions to respect, politeness rules at work and what to do in a stock crisis.
