Conversation Topic: Summer Festivals & Summer Vacation ☀️

Summer is a special time in many countries. In this post, we’ll go over some summer festivals in our students’ countries and briefly mention what summer vacation is like for kids in school. 

We’ll also cover questions you can ask as well as words and phrases (bolded) that you can teach when discussing these topics.

July and August are when many summer festivals take place in Japan. The most famous ones are the Gion Festival in Kyoto and Tenjin Festival in Osaka, both known for huge parades. However, there are also many smaller, local festivals that take place at temples. 

• Tell me about some summer festivals near you! 
• What’s your favorite summer festival?
• Have you ever been to one of the biggest festivals in Japan? I’ve heard that the Gion Festival and Tenjin Festival are the most famous.

At festivals, many vendors set up stalls to sell street food.

There are also stalls for games and activities. Some classic summer festival activities are goldfish scooping, ring toss, and yo-yo scooping. You can read more about these activities here.

• What do you eat at festivals? 
• Do you play any games?

Fireworks are also a popular summer event, and people often go many hours in advance to get a good spot.

• Do you watch fireworks in the summer? If so, where?
• I heard that a lot of people go to these firework shows. Do you need to go early to get a spot? Or are there any other ways to avoid the crowds?

For festivals and fireworks, many Japanese, especially women, wear traditional clothing.

• Do you dress up for summer festivals?
• Do both men and women dress up in traditional clothing? What are some differences between men and women's traditional clothing? Can you show me some pictures?

Besides temples, many neighborhoods also have their own festivals that often feature lots of dancing. Here’s one in Tokyo:

You can read more about this festival here.

• Would you ever dance or participate in a festival?

There aren’t as many summer traditions in Taiwan or South Korea. However, Koreans have the Boryeong Mud Festival. The mud in the city of Boryeong is said to be good for the skin, so people go there to play in the mud.

And in Taiwan, there's the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Arts Festival, which features beautiful sculptures made from sand.

Questions

• Have you ever been to the Boryeong Mud / Fulong Sand Sculpture Festival? Would you like to?

Finally, let’s not forget why summer is such a special time for kids: summer vacation (also known as summer break or summer holidays). This is a great topic to discuss if you have students who are parents or are still students themselves. 

• How long is your summer break? 
• What do you plan to do during summer break?

In Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, summer vacation starts in July and ends in August or September. However, students usually get some summer homework and many even take classes at cram schools during the summer. 

• What do you plan on doing during summer vacation?
• What kind of summer homework do you have? 
• How long is your summer vacation? Do you think it is long enough?

There may also be certain days during the summer when students are required to go back to school. For example, in Taiwan, students must return to school to clean it up before the new semester starts.

• Do you have to go back to school during the summer?