An English Lesson about Sneezing

A fun English lesson about sneezing for ESL students to learn customs and cultural awareness, English grammar, vocabulary, and expressions. Get the downloadable and printable ESL worksheets and lesson plan, digital flashcards, listening and reading exercises, and everything you need for the perfect digital and remote English lesson when you subscribe.

Discussion Warm Up

1. What do you do when you sneeze?
2. What is a taboo? Can you think of any taboos in your culture?
3. Are you superstitious?

ESL Video on Sneezing

Watch the YouTube video and answer the questions:

Listening Questions on Sneezing

Matching

Match the words on the left with words or expressions on the right that are closest in meaning.

Words in Context – Fill-in-the-blanks

Use the words from the vocabulary box to complete the following sentences. You may need to modify the tense or word form.

1. Do you know the ________________________ of the word “Halloween?”
2. What was his ________________________ when you told him the news?
3. I feel a cold ________________________.
4. Don’t forget to ________________________ your mouth when you sneeze!
5. Don’t worry, I will ________________________ you from those terrible people!
6. He is a very ________________________ young man. He pulled out her chair when she sat down and he opened the door for her.
7. Little Tommy is like a little ________________________. He set his toys on fire!
8. It’s ________________________ rude for a man to enter some place before the woman in many countries throughout the world.
9. Seven years bad luck for breaking a mirror is a well known ________________________.
10. He ________________________ six times. I think he’s catching a cold.
11. It is  ________________________ for people to shake hands when they meet in Canada.
12. Please say a ________________________ for Emily. Her Mother just passed away

ESL Conversation and English Lesson on Sneezing

Sneezing – Customs and History

When you have to sneeze, you have to sneeze!

If you feel a sneeze coming on, make sure to cover your mouth.
That is important in every country.
I think!

When somebody around you sneezes many people say, “bless you!”
This is a common (and considered polite) custom in many English-speaking countries.

There are many stories and superstitions regarding the origins of this expression.

Some people say it started because people used to believe that your heart stopped for a second when you sneezed.
Saying “bless you” was a short prayer to God that the person would not die!

Don’t worry, it actually isn’t true that your heart stops when you sneeze.

Another popular theory is that people used to believe that a sneeze lets demons out of your body.
So saying, “bless you” was a way to protect the person sneezing from demons!

Other languages have different words for the sound that you hear when someone sneezes.
We say, “atchoo”
The Japanese say, “hakushon,” the Chinese say “hatchee” and Filipinos say, “ha-ching!”

Haha! Interesting, isn’t it? What do you hear when someone sneezes?

Other countries also have different responses for sneezing.
In Japan, people don’t say or do anything at all.
“Bless you”
or “gesundheit” as they say in Germany!!

Do you say something when a person sneezes or do you ignore them?
Do you know of any other stories or superstitions regarding sneezing?

Tell me about your culture!

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Reference: WC3