Updated 8th February, 2021
When teaching a topic like food, eating and restaurants, it is great to have a smorgasbord of activities at the ready. A mix of vocabulary, listening, speaking, brainstorming and grammar exercises can help create a successful lesson.
This is a fun way to start a class and introduce the language for talking about food and eating to English language learners. Dictate the vocabulary on Page 2 of the PDF and tell the students to find the appropriate picture and to write the expressions on the picture. Dictate the words randomly. Alternatively, if the students are quite weak scramble the words on the whiteboard. The exercise includes the food phrases and expressions below.
Vocabulary and expressions for talking about food (PDF)
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Another vocabulary and common expressions listening exercise.
Talking about food dictation 2 (PDF)
Students can listen to the audio dialogue and complete the conversation. They can practice the conversation or create their own conversation.
Food conversation dialogue (PDF)
This is a vocabulary, listening and speaking activity for using common expressions to talk about food and eating. Students match the sentences the pictures and answer the questions. The listening activity could be done first or last. The students listen to the short conversational exchanges and match the letter of the item to the pictures.
Common expressions for talking about food (PDF)
For this exercise students listen to the conversations and match the items (A-I) to the pictures. Then they listen to the short exchanges again and try to complete the speech bubbles. This kind of exercise encourages students to expand their vocabulary and improve their listening skills.
Restaurant troubles vocabulary and speaking exercise (PDF)
This is a fun “Ordering in a Restaurant” gap fill speaking activity for an English language class. Students listening to audio and complete the conversation. Then the students can practice the conversation, perform role plays and/or write their own “Ordering in a Restaurant” dialogues.
Ordering in a restaurant dialogue (PDF)
This is an English language exercise to help students prepare to work in a restaurant or just learn about common restaurant exchanges so they are prepared to travel abroad or eat out with English language speakers. Students attempt to complete the dialogues. Then they can listen to the conversations and compare their answers.
Asking for information: restaurant dialogues (PDF)
Create a food conversation (PDF)
Types of food sorting sorting (PDF)
This is a more advanced icebreaker or introductory activity for teaching about food and ingredients. Students have to sort the types of food by their flavor. This is an easy brainstorm activity that quickly engages students with the topic of food. Students sort foods into the appropriate categories.
Taste and flavor vocabulary sorting (PDF)
Food and restaurant classroom survey speaking activity (PDF)
This is an English language exercise introducing basic food and eating vocabulary. It is a fun way to introduce the language and vocabulary for talking about food and eating to English language learners. Pictures help to stimulate students’s minds and engage their interest quickly.Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures.
Elements of food and eating (PDF)
This is a fun way to introduce the language and vocabulary for talking about food and eating to English language learners. Pictures help to stimulate students’ minds and engage their interest quickly. This English language exercise introduces basic cooking ingredients vocabulary. The teacher can dictate the words from Page 2 of the PDF in random order or give the students Page 3 and tell them to try to match the vocabulary for the ingredients to the pictures. The vocabulary included in this exercise is listed below.
Basic vocabulary for ingredients (PDF)
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This is another challenging exercise that can be used to review and assess students’ knowledge of the language and vocabulary for talking about food and eating. In this ESL speaking exercise students have to be able to talk about problems or complaints in a restaurant. First, students try to match the vocabulary at the bottom of the page to the pictures. They can then use that vocabulary to answer questions about the pictures. Vocabulary included in this exercise is listed below.
lipstick, glass, angry, man, bill, laughing, overcharge, service, expensive, teen, eating, restaurant, menu, spilling, mess, coffee, pizza, fly, soup, cigarette, smoke, shocking, coughing
Restaurant problems vocabulary and speaking exercise (PDF)
Thanks a lot! You really help us save time. Thank you again!!!
Hi
Yes, I do a lot of experimenting using pictures …….which always makes the class more interesting. Really glad that it’s useful.
Thanks so much. Very helpful resources. Really appreciate it.
This is a big help. Thank you so much. My tutee requested this topic and I have no time to get ready the next day. God bless you more!
This is really good stuff. Thank you
My pleasure. Really appreciate the comments.
Great material! Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I like it very helpfull and needed in class especially for speaking…
Thanks a million.