Describing a typical meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) in a culture

Culture Talks

by Fulya Kurtulus |

This is a speaking activity for culturally diverse classes. The level of the activity is between A1 and A2 (CEFR). However, teachers can adjust the activity considering their students' levels.

Students are required to prepare a short presentation about the food culture in their country or culture. The activity can be held as a group or whole class activity. The target language is food containers and quantifiers, yet more complex structures can be used for upper levels.

Resource Type: Activities

Audience: Elementary, Secondary, Adult, University

Audience Language Proficiency: Intermediate

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials And Technology:

The teacher reflects on the board (or on her screen if online teaching)

1) a group of pictures of the food and containers 

2) a picture of a traditional Turkish breakfast (teachers can choose any meal of any culture considering the diversity of their group)

3) If students have internet access on their mobile devices or PCs, they will find a picture of a meal from their own culture (if not, they can just draw a simple picture of it on paper)

Objective:

For A1 level groups, students will be able to talk about a meal in their culture for 1-2 minutes by using the food containers or quantities. 

For upper levels, teachers have the opportunity to adjust the target language or vocabulary. 

The main focus of the presentation is talking and learning about different cultures in groups.

Outcome:

At the end of the activity, students will gain awareness of other cultures, know much more about their classmates and their cultures and hopefully gain an understanding of respecting each other no matter what the origin of a classmate is.

Activity Description:

This is a culture talk activity for diverse classes which hold students from diverse cultures.

Before the activity, in order to activate students' vocabulary and target language, the teacher shows some pictures to elicit the words and structures. 

To encourage students to talk about their own culture in the main activity, the teacher shows the students a picture of a meal from her own culture. The teacher asks for the similarities and differences between the students' cultures and the picture she shows. 

Later, the teacher arranges the class in groups and asks each student to think about a meal from their culture and find a picture of it on the internet. Then, the teacher asks students to prepare a short presentation about the meal they have chosen. When students are ready, they talk about their cultural meal to their groupmates by showing the picture they have found. At the end of the activity, the teacher asks the groups about the differences and similarities between cultures as a post-speaking activity. 

Useful Link:

Supporting Files:
Culture Talks.pdf

TESOL Interest Section: Elementary Education, English as a Foreign Language, Higher Education, Intercultural Communication

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