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Lesson Description
Date: This 60-minute lesson takes place in the third or fourth week of the term.

Course area: It is a course designed for intermediate ESL learners in Penn State. It emphasizes

skills in real-life communication in English context and aims at helping them adjust to life here

more quickly.

Topic: This lesson is about how to order food in English.

Goals and Objectives

General goal: The students will learn how to order food in English in a polite and natural way on

different occasions.

Specific objectives

1. The students will master the common English vocabularies of food and drinks.

2. The students will grasp useful English expressions of food ordering.

3. The students will learn the difference between ordering fast food and ordering at a

restaurant.

Materials and Tools

Instructional resources

1. Handouts

(1) Common English vocabularies of food and drinks

(2) Useful expressions of food ordering

(3) Two sample dialogues of food ordering (one about fast food order, one about formal

dinner)
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2. Visuals

(1) Online video clips

How to order fast food http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhd-Slio6yc (2 minutes)

How to order at a restaurant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRVfTY3D84I (2

minutes)

3. Technology and tools: Overhead projector, Computer, Microsoft PowerPoint

Lesson’s Procedure
1. Introduction(10 minutes)

First, the teacher will ask the students to share their experiences of ordering food in English.

The students will have 5 minutes to talk about their unforgettable moments of food ordering,

whether embarrassing or successful. Then, according to the experiences of the students, the

teacher and the students will work together to summarize the common difficulties ESL

students encounter in food ordering.

2. Content Presentation(20 minutes)

With an understanding of the students’ real experiences, the teacher will present the new

materials from simple to complex, from part to whole.

(1) First, it is important to introduce to the students where to eat first. The teacher will briefly

introduce several main places where the students can order food, such as fast food chains

(McDonalds, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Dunkin Donuts, etc), refreshment stands, snack bars,

restaurants, coffee shops and as well vending machines.

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(2) After introducing where to eat, the teacher will introduce common English vocabularies

of food and drink. This information is indispensable in learning how to order food.

According to the handout of vocabulary list, the teacher will explain those words briefly.

It is as follows:

Cheeseburger hamburger bacon burger bacon cheeseburger

Chicken nuggets French Fries ketchup quesadilla

Burrito taco hotdog bagel

Muffin pizza topping salad

Spaghetti steak garlic toast side dish

Mashed potato syrup milkshake combo

Latte mocha espresso cappuccino

Tall Grande Venti Iced tea

Crispy grilled Coke Sprite

(3) Only knowing words are not enough. Useful expressions are important, too. The teacher

will give the students the handout of useful expressions of food ordering. The students

will have three minutes to read through them. Here is the handout.

The waiter

What can I do for you?

Can I help you?
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Can I take your coat?

Have you booked a table?
How many are you?
Would you follow me, please?
Can I take your order, sir/madam?
What would you like to start with?
What would you like to drink?
What would you like for dessert?
How would you like your steak? (rare, medium, well done)
Do you want a salad with it?
What kind of dressing?
Anything to drink?
Do you want a dessert?
The burgers are very good.
Sorry, the hamburgers are off.
Is everything all right?
Did you enjoy your meal?
Are you paying together?
May I show you to a table?
If you wait, there'll be a table for you free in a minute.
Do you want vegetables with it?
Why don't you try the pizza?
It'll take about 20 minutes.

The guest

A table for two, please.

May we sit at this table?
The menu, please.
What's on the menu?
Do you want fish?
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What's Irish Stew like?

We're not ready yet.
The steak for me, please.
Can you bring me the ketchup, please?
A salad, please.
I'll have the same.
That's all, thank you.
Can I have the bill (AE: check), please?
This is on me.
Here you are.
The rest is for you.
Have you got wine by the glass?
I'd prefer red wine.
Please bring us another beer.
Could I have chips (AE: French Fries) instead of salad?
What can you recommend?
Please bring me the bill (AE: check) with my coffee.
I think you've made a mistake.

(4) More importantly, the students need to learn to use these words and expressions in real

situations. Therefore, then the teacher will show a clip about how to order fast food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhd-Slio6yc (2 minutes) The teacher and the students will

discuss the main points in the clip and write down the results on the blackboard. It is as

follows:

a. First select a number if it applies.

b. Sometimes there are sizes for the meals or “combos” as they are called. Say the size

first if it applies.
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c. There are usually two things in the combo such as the fries and drinks. Pay attention

to what kind of fries and drinks there are.

Besides, the teacher will also give the students a sample dialogue of ordering fast food.

Darren and Belinda are in a fast food restaurant. They are ordering food.

Waiter: May I take your order, sir?

Darren: Yes, I would like a hamburger, please.

Waiter: Would you like something to drink?

Darren: Yes, I would like coffee, please.

Waiter：What will you have, ma'am?

Belinda: I would like a cheeseburger and French fries.

Waiter: Would you like something to drink?

Belinda: Yes, I will have ice tea, please.

Waiter: Will that be all?

Belinda: Yes, thank you.

Waiter: Your total is $7.25.

Belinda: Here's $10.00.

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Waiter: Your change is $2.75. Thank you and have a good day.

(5) Ordering at a restaurant is different from ordering fast food. The teacher will move on to

introduce how to order at a restaurant by showing the students an online video clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRVfTY3D84I (2 minutes) Also, a sample dialogue

of ordering at restaurant will be provided.

Waitress: Good evening. Do you have a reservation？

Wilson: Yes. The reservation is under Lin.

Waitress: Very good, Mr. Lin. Do you prefer smoking or non－

smoking seating?

Wilson: Non－smoking, please.

Waitress: If you follow me, I will Show you to your table.

Wilson: Thank you.

Waitress: You're welcome. Your server will be with you right away to take your drink

order.

Waiter: Awfully sorry, there are no vacancies left now. Would you like to wait for a

moment？

Anne: How long a wait do you think there'll be?

Waiter: About eight minutes, I think.

Anne: OK, we will wait for a while.

(Ten minutes later)

Waiter: I'm sorry for making you wait for so long. Now there is a table available in non-

smoking section. Please follow me.

Anne: Thank you.

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Waiter: This is menu. Are you ready to order now?

Anne: Sorry, we haven't decided yet. Could you please give us a little longer?

Waiter: No problem.

Waitress: Have you had time to look over the menu?

Wayne: Yes. I would like the beef steak.

Waitress: How would you like your meat cooked？

Wayne: Well done, please.

Waitress: Would you like a side salad？

Wayne: No.

Waitress: Anything else to drink？

Wayne: Yes. A glass of your house wine.

Waitress: Very good. I will bring your appetizer immediately.

Richard: What do you recommend？

Waitress: We have a daily chef's special of fried chicken.

Richard: What side dish comes with the special?

Waitress: A side salad and your choice of a baked potato or steamed rice.

Richard: I will have the special with a salad and the potato.

Waitress: Anything else?

Richard: Yes, a glass of iced water.

3. Students Activities (20 minutes)

After presenting all the materials and giving the instruction, now it is time for the students

to practice.
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(1) Activity description: It is a role play activity. The teacher will make a series of cards with

pictures on each of the card to indicate the place of eating and the identity of the student,

such as McDonald, Chili’s, waiter, customer and so on. The students will be divided into

groups, with three or four people in each group. Every student picks one card and then

they will do role play to order food in their groups. If time is enough, they may have

several rounds of role play. When the students are doing their role plays, the teacher will

walk around to observe the performance of every group.

(2) Activity aims: This activity gives the students an opportunity to practice what they

learned in the above sections, such as the words, the expressions and the communication

mode in food ordering.

4. Assessments (5 minutes)

After the role play activity, the teacher will use five minutes to summarize the merits and as

well flaws he/she finds in the performances of the students in their role play activities. Also,

he/she will offer some advices to the students to improve their skills in food ordering.

5. Assigning homework as the closure (5 minutes)

The teacher will use the last five minutes to give the students an assignment. He/she asks the

students to find a restaurant and try to use the skills learned in this lesson to order food. Also,

The students need to write a journal entry about this experience as a reflection.
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