When Is Your Birthday? ESL lesson thumbnail
Book 3 · Unit 6Elementary · Ages 8–11

When Is Your Birthday?

This dates and birthdays ESL lesson helps learners sequence the days, months and ordinal numbers. Students ask classmates 'When is your birthday?', complete a class survey and use a calendar to identify important dates. They create a birthday crown and poster before taking part in a classroom birthday-party roleplay.

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Lesson format

2 × 45 minutes

Level

Elementary

Age group

Ages 8–11

Main focus

Speaking first

What students will learn

• Recite and sequence days of the week and months of the year
• Ask and answer birthday-related questions
• Use ordinal numbers in a calendar context
• Express dates through crafts and games
• Make a birthday crown and poster craft
• Practise a class birthday survey

Lesson flow

Children chant days and months with clapping actions, sing days-and-months songs pointing to a calendar, and race to order scattered flashcards. The second lesson surveys classmates asking 'When is your birthday?', makes a birthday crown and poster writing their age and month, and roleplays a classroom birthday party wishing a 'birthday star' happy birthday.

Target language

  • • 'What day is it?'
  • • 'When is your birthday?'
  • • Ordinal numbers (first, second, third)
  • • Months of the year

Key vocabulary

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October

Speaking questions students answer

  • • What's after Wednesday?
  • • When is your birthday?
  • • What's the 5th month?
  • • What month is Christmas in?
  • • How old are you?

Recommended teaching contexts

• Elementary ESL and EFL classes• Ages 8–11• Primary school classrooms• Language schools• Private and small-group lessons• Teaching time vocabulary• Pair and whole-class speaking• Interactive whiteboards and online teaching

Why this lesson works

The lesson follows a clear progression: Chant days and months in order, survey classmates about their birthday month, make a birthday crown/poster and roleplay a party. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.

This lesson includes

• Interactive lesson slides
• Teacher guide
• Printable worksheets
• Speaking practice: "What's after Wednesday?"
• Classroom games
• Videos
• Vocabulary practice
• Pair work
• Extension activities

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