How to Teach Restaurant and Food English Vocabulary | Blair English

Topics to teach:

Topic Levels

• Elem

  : Elementary

• Low-Int

  : Lower-Intermediate

• Int

  : Intermediate

• Upp-Int

  : Upper-Intermediate

• Adv

  : Advanced

There are numerous things you can teach your students on restaurant and food vocabulary. Which you choose or start with depends on the their level. I would recommend that you follow an order to introducing the vocabulary with them (see the below topic order). This will not only help them to use and remember the vocabulary they have learnt in previous classes on the topic, but also make the classes easier to teach.

Teaching the vocabulary

As everybody eats food and eats in restaurants and drinking in bars/pubs, they will already use the vocabulary in their own language. This makes teaching this vocabulary easy in class. Instead of telling them the names of the different vocabulary or phrases, give them printed texts or do online exercises where they have to work out the meaning of vocabulary themselves from the context (better for understanding and remembering).

Practising the vocabulary

There are many methods that you can use to get the students to practise the vocabulary they have learnt. The method you should use depends on the type of vocabulary they are learning.

Food & Drink Vocabulary (names, tastes and textures)

Use photos (either from images on the Google search engine or by bringing in photos) and get the students to name the food, dish and/or describe it.

Getting the students to write down and describe the different courses they have recently had or what their favourite 3 course meal are very good for reinforcing this vocabulary.

Restaurant Vocabulary and Phrases

To reinforce this vocabulary, get them to do as many role plays as possible on the vocabulary topic you are teaching them (e.g. ordering food, complaining etc…). Explain to them the situation and then give them roles (e.g. customer, waiter/waitress).