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Office Christmas Party: What to expect and how to survive the holiday season in English

Benvenuti al Conversation Club di MPEC

Christmas at work can be a joyous time but if you’re navigating a new linguistic and cultural setting, it can be quite challenging. The Christmas period brings not only joy but also a series of communicative, interpersonal and behavioural expectations. Not knowing about their existence can be a real blow to our level of confidence. In this session we explore what to expect from Christmas celebrations in English-speaking business world. We share tips on how to not only survive but also thrive during the holiday season. From office parties to gift exchanges, this conversation aims to prepare you for the Christmas events that might unfold in an international workplace.

Prepared for you by: My Personal English Coach



Christmas Idioms

  • Deck the Halls
    🎄🏢 – To decorate a space for Christmas
    • It’s time to deck the halls; the office is looking a bit drab.
  • Trim the Tree
    🌲✂️ – Refers to both decorating a Christmas tree and cutting costs in a business
    • We need to trim the tree before the year ends to meet our budget targets.
  • Elf Yourself
    🧝‍♂️💼 – Taking on more responsibilities, like an elf helping Santa
    • Sarah had to elf herself to get all the reports done before the Christmas break.
  • Snowed Under
    ❄️📑 – Overwhelmed with work
    • I can’t attend the Christmas party; I’m completely snowed under with assignments.
  • Stocking Stuffer
    🧦🎁 – Small but useful gifts or bonuses
    • Management is giving out some stocking stuffers this year, like vouchers and extra leave days.
  • Jingle All the Way
    🔔🛣️ – Going full out in business efforts or celebrations
    • We’ve decided to jingle all the way with our marketing campaign this Christmas.
  • Sleigh the Competition
    🛷🥇 – To outperform competitors significantly
    • With our new product, we’re planning to sleigh the competition this holiday season.
  • The Grinch
    🤬🎄 – Someone who dampens the Christmas spirit, often a boss or coworker
    • Don’t be such a Grinch; a little holiday fun won’t hurt our productivity.
  • Wrap it Up
    🎁🔚 – To conclude something, often a project or deal, also to wrap gifts
    • We need to wrap it up before the holidays so we can start the new year fresh.
  • Light Up the Room
    💡🏢 – To make a significant impact, often during meetings or presentations
    • His innovative ideas really lit up the room during the annual Christmas meeting.

Today, the Rules of the Club are a bit different, pay attention everyone!

Round 1 – Let’s Warm Up

  1. Open one of the Xmas Traditions below, your partner should open the other one.
  2. Give yourself 1 min to read through the card, then take turns to briefly present and explain your Tradition to your partner (1-2 min) Advanced Students: Try not looking at the card at all 🙃
  3. Role play using the Conversation Starters you find on your Xmas Tradition Card. Role Play Set up: You and Your Partner work together. Speak about the Holiday using the Conversation Starters from the card.

Helpful Expressions Round 1

  • To draw names: To randomly select who buys for whom. We’re drawing names for Secret Santa next week.
  • To play it safe: To choose something low-risk or uncontroversial. If you don’t know the person well, it’s best to play it safe with the gift.

  • To let your hair down: To relax and enjoy oneself.
    • The Christmas party is a great opportunity to let your hair down.
  • To be the life of the party: To be energetic and entertaining.
    • Sarah was the life of the party; she even got everyone to dance!

Helpful Expressions Round 2:

  • To go all out: To make a big effort.
    • Wow, you really went all out with that ugly Christmas sweater.
  • Tongue-in-cheek: Meant to be understood as a joke, though often in a way that might seem serious.
    • Wearing ugly sweaters is done in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Round 2: Let’s Explore it!

  1. Open one of the Xmas Traditions below, your partner should open the other one.
  2. Give yourself 1 min to read through the card, then take turns to briefly present and explain your Tradition to your partner (1-2 min) Advanced Students: Try not looking at the card at all 🙃
  3. Role play using the Conversation Starters you find on your Xmas Tradition Card. Role Play Set up: You and Your Partner work together. Speak about the Holiday using the Conversation Starters from the card.
  • Deck the halls: To decorate a space for Christmas.
    • I see you’ve decked the halls—or at least your desk!
  • To pull out all the stops: To do everything possible to make something successful.
    • Jane pulled out all the stops with her desk decorations.

Round 3: White Elephants?

The Rules are the same as in the previous rounds, but… Ho – ho – HOOO! MPEC engaged Neil Patrick Harris to give you a short explanation of what the White Elephant Tradition is – enjoy!

Helpful Expressions Round 3

  • A white elephant: Something that costs more to maintain than its worth, often a gift.
    • I hope I don’t end up with a white elephant during the gift exchange.
  • To get a raw deal: To receive unfair or harsh treatment.
    • I got a raw deal last year; my gift was stolen three times!
  • To give back: To contribute to a community or cause.
    • The charity drive is a good way to give back during the holiday season.
  • To chip in: To contribute something as part of a group effort.
    • Everyone is chipping in for the charity drive, even if it’s just a little.

Remember – there is always more! Here is your Follow Up video:


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