Temples are everyday landmarks in Taiwan, and your student knows them well. In this lesson, you sit back and let them give you a friendly tour of the customs, festivals, and family traditions they grew up with.
⏱ About 60 minutes🎯 All levels (questions are leveled)📋 No prep — tap 🔊 to hear any phrase
Before you start tutor prep
This lesson runs itself — no slides, no printing. Skim it once, then let your student lead. They are the expert today; your job is to listen, ask, and keep them talking.
Open this page in your browser and share your screen, or just keep it on the side for yourself.
Have the student turn on their camera if they're comfortable — gestures help when describing customs.
Tap the 🔊 button next to any word or line to hear clear English pronunciation.
Keep a simple notes area open to jot down new words your student teaches you.
Don't worry if you know nothing about Taiwanese temples — genuine curiosity is the whole point.
Mindset: Treat every custom as something worth learning, never something to judge. Describe and ask about practices; stay neutral about beliefs. When your student explains a tradition, your warm "Oh, that's interesting — tell me more" is the best teaching tool you have.
1 · Warm-up 5 min
Start gently. These easy questions get your student talking and show you how much English they have today.
Is there a temple near your home? Can you see it from your street?
Have you ever been inside a temple? When was the last time?
Do you go with your family, or sometimes alone?
Is the temple near you big or small? Quiet or busy?
What does a temple smell like or sound like to you?
Tip: Let small answers grow. If the student just says "Yes, near my home," follow up with "How near? Could you walk there in five minutes?" Keep your own talking short so they get the practice.
2 · Key words & phrases 8 min
Read each word together, tap 🔊 to hear it, and have the student say it back and use it in their own sentence.
templeThere is a famous temple in the center of my town.
incensePeople light incense and the smell fills the air.
to prayMy grandmother goes there to pray every morning.
blessingWe ask for a blessing for health and safety.
offeringMy mother brings fruit as an offering.
lanternDuring the festival, red lanterns hang everywhere.
fortuneYou can draw a paper that tells your fortune.
traditionVisiting the temple at New Year is a family tradition.
customIt is a custom to bow before you enter.
festivalThe temple holds a big festival once a year.
respectWe stay quiet to show respect.
make a wishSome people make a wish for a good school year.
Tip: Don't drill all twelve at once. Pick the words your student stumbles on and have them build a real sentence about their own town or family — that's where the language sticks.
3 · Read & talk 8 min
Read this together — you take A (the tutor), the student takes B (the local expert). Then swap roles and read it again.
A:
This temple is beautiful. What is that smell?
B:
That is incense. People light it when they come to pray.
A:
I see fruit on the table. Why is it there?
B:
It is an offering. We bring food to show respect.
A:
Can anyone come in, even a visitor like me?
B:
Yes, of course. Just dress nicely and stay quiet inside.
A:
What are those small papers on the wall?
B:
You can draw one to read your fortune. It is a fun custom.
A:
That is wonderful. Do you come here often?
B:
Mostly at New Year. It is a tradition for my whole family.
Tip: After reading, close the script and ask the student to retell it in their own words: "So, what would you show me first if I visited?" This turns reading into real speaking.
4 · Let's talk 12 min
Pick questions that match your student's level. Stay on each one as long as they're talking.
BEGINNER
What is the name of a temple you know?
Who do you go with — family or friends?
What can you see inside a temple?
Do you like going? Why or why not?
INTERMEDIATE
What do people usually do when they visit a temple?
Is there a custom you always follow with your family?
What is your favorite festival, and what happens during it?
How do you feel when you walk into a temple?
ADVANCED
How would you describe the role of temples in everyday life in your town?
Which family tradition means the most to you, and why?
If a friend from abroad asked, how would you explain why people make offerings?
Are there customs you keep even if you're not sure where they came from?
Tip: Echo back the student's own words with small upgrades. If they say "We go temple New Year," you reply "Ah, you go to the temple at New Year — nice." They hear the correct form without being interrupted.
5 · Going deeper 10 min
Now stretch the student into explaining and comparing. These invite longer, more thoughtful answers.
BEGINNER
Teach me one easy temple custom. What do I do first?
What is one tradition your family does every year?
Is anything different now from when you were small?
INTERMEDIATE
Imagine I'm visiting Taiwan. How would you explain one tradition to me?
Why do you think these traditions are important to people?
Have any customs changed because of phones or busy lives?
ADVANCED
How do you think customs change as a country grows more modern?
What is gained, and what might be lost, when traditions fade?
Do you think you'll pass these traditions on one day? How?
Tip: "Why do you think...?" questions are gold for speaking practice. Give the student silent thinking time — a few seconds of quiet is fine, and they'll usually produce a much fuller answer.
6 · Activity — explain a custom 10 min
The student becomes the teacher. They pick one custom or tradition and walk you through it step by step while you play the curious newcomer.
The student chooses one custom (visiting a temple, a New Year tradition, a festival, lighting incense).
They explain it to you slowly, step by step, as if you've never seen it.
You ask at least three real questions: "What do I do first? Why this? What happens next?"
At the end, you retell the custom back to them — and they correct any mistakes.
Swap topics and do a quick second round if time allows.
First, you should ___ before you go inside.
People do this because ___.
After that, the next step is ___.
The most important part is ___, so don't forget it.
One thing visitors often get wrong is ___.
Tip: Stay in character as the friendly newcomer. Your slightly clueless questions force the student to explain clearly and in order — exactly the skill that builds confident speaking.
7 · Wrap-up 5 min
Close warmly and leave the student feeling they taught you something real.
Ask the student: "What is one thing you taught me today?"
Share two or three new words they used well — say them out loud together once more.
Gently note one phrase to polish, with the corrected version.
Give a small take-home: "Next time, tell me about one festival you love."
Thank them sincerely for being your guide to Taiwanese customs.
Tip: End on their strength, not their errors. "You explained that custom so clearly — I really understood it" sends the student off motivated for the next lesson.
🧭 Tutor notes
Quick reminders for steering the lesson by level, so everyone leaves having spoken a lot.
WITH A BEGINNER
Keep your questions short and one idea at a time.
Accept single words and help build them into full sentences.
Use the 🔊 buttons often so they hear models before speaking.
WITH AN INTERMEDIATE
Push for reasons: "Why?" and "Can you give an example?"
Recast errors gently instead of stopping the flow.
Let the student carry most of the talking time.
WITH AN ADVANCED STUDENT
Ask them to compare, predict, and reflect, not just describe.
Introduce a few richer words and have them reuse them.
Challenge them to explain a custom to an imaginary newcomer.
Most important: The student is the expert on their own culture today. Stay curious, stay respectful, and keep beliefs neutral — your warmth and good questions matter far more than getting every fact right.
