The Chinese Year of the Snake starts tomorrow, Sunday 10th February 2013 – but what does this slithery creature have in store for EFL? The snake is an intellectual and quietly adventurous animal in the Chinese calendar, so this could be the perfect year for those looking to start their TEFL career. It is also a good time to pursue intellectual or academic ambitions, so for EFL students this could be the year for you to make great strides forward in your studies.

Chinese Year of the Snake Highlights Intellectual and Academic Pursuits

2013 is not only the year of the Snake it is the year of the Water Snake. The years all take elements in the Chinese New Year calendar, in the same way Western astrology uses elements to give a closer reading of people’s birth charts and more accurate predictions.

The water element this year means even greater emphasis will be placed on academia and scholarly activities, so according to the Chinese calendar, EFL students should find it easier to make progress and improve their English language skills.

Superstitions of Chinese New Year 

As far as superstitions for Chinese New Year go, there are plenty of activities that should traditionally be avoided, including eating meat, lighting fires, cutting hair, cleaning the floor and buying books.

The luckiest activity on Chinese New Year’s Day is visiting family. So perhaps steer clear of the new English grammar book you were thinking of buying and pop round for a roast dinner at your parents’ instead!

For EFL teachers, the animals of the Chinese New Year make great teaching tools. So this the perfect opportunity to incorporate some history of the Chinese New Year into your EFL lessons.

Say hello to the snake, ox, rat, pig, dog, rooster and all the other Chinese animals for a seasonal EFL class!

Check out our blog tomorrow – the first day of the Snake – when we’ll be posting some great EFL teaching ideas for Chinese New Year.