June is for dads, too! In many English-speaking countries, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. It’s a special time to express love and appreciation — and a great opportunity to create thoughtful, real-life language learning activities in your English classroom.
🎬 The Origins of Father’s Day
Father’s Day in the U.S. dates back to 1909, when Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington state proposed a day to honor her father, a widower who raised six children alone. After years of advocacy, Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday in 1972. Today, it’s widely celebrated in countries like the U.K., Canada, Japan, and the Philippines.
🌏 Cultural Insight: Why is Father’s Day in Taiwan in August?
In Taiwan, Father’s Day is observed on August 8, as the number “8-8” sounds like “爸爸” (bàba) — “dad” in Mandarin. This cultural difference offers a great chance to guide students in comparing global traditions, and enrich their intercultural understanding alongside language skills.
📚 Try these with your students:
- Compare how and when different countries celebrate Father’s Day
- Ask students: How does your family celebrate Father’s Day? Can you describe it in English?
🎓 5 Meaningful English Activities for Father’s Day
1️⃣ Thank You, Dad! — Speaking Task
Learning Goals:
- Practice expressing gratitude in simple English
- Build speaking confidence and emotional expression
- Use common sentence patterns for personal storytelling
Sample Sentence Starters:
- Thank you for always being there for me.
- I remember the time when you took me to the zoo.
- You taught me how to ride a bike.
- I feel safe and happy when I’m with you.
👉 Try creating an open-ended speaking exercise in Sensay. Let students record a 30-second message to thank their dads, and practice multiple times before submission.
2️⃣ Describe a Photo of Fatherly Love
Learning Goals:
- Describe people and actions using the present continuous tense
- Apply adjectives and connect to personal experience
- Improve observation-based description skills
Sample Sentence Starters:
- A father is tying his son’s shoelaces.
- The boy looks happy and excited.
- They are getting ready for school.
- This reminds me of when my dad helped me get dressed.
👉 Use Sensay’s “Reading with Image” exercise type to encourage students to describe photos through speaking or writing.
3️⃣ Mini Interview: Understanding the Role of a Father
Learning Goals:
- Practice asking and answering open-ended questions
- Develop interview and presentation skills
- Deepen understanding of family values and intergenerational dialogue
Interview Question Examples:
- What was your dream when you were my age?
- What is the hardest part of being a dad?
- How did you feel when you became a father?
- What advice would you give to young parents?
Sentence Starters for Reporting:
- My dad said that his biggest challenge was…
- He told me that being a father is…
- I learned that my dad really values…
👉 Students can record a “My Dad’s Story” speech on Sensay after the interview, or use the Question exercise type to respond to prompts like: “What is something you’ve learned from your dad?” — perfect for training both content organization and speaking fluency.
4️⃣ My Dad, My Hero — English Presentation
Learning Goals:
- Organize ideas using images and descriptive sentences
- Practice using positive adjectives and story elements
- Build confidence in public speaking and self-expression
Task Description:
Ask students to prepare a 2–3 slide English presentation introducing their dad (or a father figure in their life such as a grandfather or uncle).
Sample Sentence Starters:
- My dad is my hero because he is hardworking and kind.
- He always helps me with my homework and cheers me up when I’m sad.
- One special memory I have is when we built a model car together.
- I admire him because he never gives up and always supports our family.
👉 Students can present in class or record a video to share. This is a great chance to showcase their English and appreciation together.
5️⃣ Sensay Father’s Day Practice Pack
🎁 Sign up as a Sensay teacher to get the Father’s Day Practice Pack sent straight to your inbox!
Learning Goals:
- Practice intonation, fluency, and pronunciation through themed reading tasks
- Strengthen vocabulary and sentence comprehension
- Transition from reading input to speaking output
📦 What’s inside:
- 📖 Reading tasks
- 🖼 Reading with Image tasks
- 3 proficiency levels: Beginner (A1–A2), Intermediate (B1–B2), Advanced (C1–C2)
- Topics include:
- A father’s everyday contributions
- Expressing gratitude through simple sentences
- Describing emotional and warm scenes
👉 Teachers can assign these tasks as classroom activities, speaking assessments, or even optional bonus work. It’s a flexible resource for students to get extra practice and show their expressive skills.
❤️ Speaking from the Heart is the Best Gift
Father’s Day is more than cards and gifts — it’s a beautiful chance for students to practice meaningful English and connect language with love. Whether it’s through a short thank-you speech or a creative presentation, each activity helps students express themselves while improving fluency.
We invite teachers to explore Sensay’s speaking tools and themed content packs to design personalized tasks and empower every student to speak with confidence — from the heart.
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