UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES - Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

English 2 (LENG1152)

SPEAKING PROJECT (Module 1)

Describing The Weirdest Food in the World
OBJECTIVES

 Can use a limited range of fixed expressions to describe objects, possessions, or products.
 Can give simple opinions using basic fixed expressions.
 Can use the simple present and the present continuous.

Speaking Project Description

Imagine that you are invited to a TV program called “World Explorers.” You and a partner are
going to explore the most exotic places and cultural traditions and bring to the TV program the
strangest food in this place. You are going to be competing with other participants to finally find
The TOP 1 of the weirdest food. Use vocabulary from the UNIT 5 Focus on Food.

Step1: Plan (Weeks 1 and 2)

A. You are going to be given a part of the World to research about. Look for special
celebrations in this place and try to find special dishes, food related to it. Write your findings in
the table below.

Group members, explorers: Juan Andres Borrero V

Part of the World: China

Especial Celebrations Food Activities

When?  You can also top cubes of 
 When you go o a
restaurant or you can
bouy in a supermarket.
Where?
 Like cheese, century
eggs are usually
enjoyed in very simple
ways. Most Chinese
restaurants serve
century egg sliced into
wedges and dappled
with shavings of pickled
ginger, whose tanginess
gives a bright boost to
the egg’s earthy flavor.
chilled silken tofu with
chopped century eggs,
pork floss, spring onions,
and a blend of soy sauce,
black vinegar, and sesame
oil. This is one of the most
popular ways to eat
century eggs; the
combination of the mild-
flavored soft tofu with the
creaminess of the egg and
the sweet-salty dryness of
the floss makes for an
unbeatable mélange of
textures and flavors. You
really can’t go wrong with
this dish, though timid
beginners might first like to
try century egg mixed into
If you like eggs and/or
funky cheese and live near
an Asian grocery, you’re
doing yourself a disservice
not taking a century egg
home. Just a warning:
Don’t get century eggs
confused with salted duck
eggs. The coating around
century eggs is made up of
brown clay and rice hulls,
while salted duck eggs are
coated in black ash.
 You don’t need to cook
century eggs, you simply
wash off the coating and
crack the egg open. Do eat
them in slices or wedges—
Why? congee (hot rice porridge), after all, you wouldn’t
 century eggs have been where it blends smoothly swallow an entire wheel of
around as far back as into the porridge and gives Roquefort. In fact, I
the Ming dynasty. A man it an extra richness without suspect that part of the
supposedly found a an overwhelming flavor. reason some people
clutch of duck eggs that dislike century eggs so
had been submerged in  Aside from these classic much is that they’ve
slaked lime and for dishes, you can also get downed them in two or
some reason still century eggs baked into three bites. It’s just too
thought he’d give the pastries with sweet red much egg in one go. I
eggs a try despite their bean paste and pickled don’t usually urge people
appearance. I’m not ginger at some dim sum to eat out of their comfort
sure about the veracity parlors. Thai people like to zone, but century eggs are
of this origin story, as eat fried century eggs with one of the things that I do
this sounds like the stir-fried minced pork or think most people will likely
same man whose pigsty chicken and chilies, and in enjoy, if they just give this
burned down, leading Hong Kong, some little dinosaur egg a
him to discover roasted restaurants cook century chance.
suckling pig. However, egg in the Sichuanese
we can all presume that kung pao style, tossed with
at some point in time, a peanuts, chilies, and
brave soul ate a Sichuan peppercorn. I’ve
suspicious-looking duck eaten it minced with
egg and didn’t die, truffles (delicious) and in
hence leaving us the gift scallion pancakes, to my
of century eggs. mom’s horror. For me, it’s
the equivalent of adding
Brie to a savory crepe.
 A century egg goes by
many names—hundred-
year egg, thousand-year
egg, millennium egg,
pidan, or even stinky
brown egg. Regardless of
the name, a century egg is
not old at all. Instead,
chicken or duck eggs are
normally covered in an
alkaline solution of clay,
wood ash, rice husk,
quicklime, and salt for a
few weeks to a few
months. The process turns
the yolk green and the
whites into a translucent
brown jelly. It also gives
the egg its distinctive
flavour and aroma.
 A. Plan your presentation. Each student will present two different celebrations from the same
part of the world, its activities and food involved.

Student’s name
Celebration 1 Juan Andres Borrero V

Celebration 2

Independently, make sure you practice the presentation of your celebration. The words you
include to express your opinions should make the audience to choose your celebration because
you have clearly shown the food with many examples, specific vocabulary, descriptions and good
visual displays.

UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES - LENG1152 2

 IMPORTANT: Make sure you complete Step 1 before the end of week 2.
Be ready to show your work to your teacher!

Step 2: Practice (Weeks 2 and 3)

B. Practice your presentation individually two or three times. Your presentation must be 60-90
seconds long. Describe your dish using interesting details. You can say the following:

 This dish consists of…  I don’t think people should

 To make this dish, you… eat (dish name) because it
 It looks/tastes… contains….
 For me/to me, (dish name) is too
 You can have it with …
greasy/salty because it has ….
 In my opinion, (dish name) is Personally, I
very strange because…. like (dish name) because it has
I think (dish name) is weird for many vegetables and they are….
….

different festivities of the year where important and exclusive events are celebrated, for example, at Christmas, this dish
is common in the richest society in Mexico

Step 3: Present (Week 3)

Present the local dishes to the class. Bring a colorful and interesting picture of the local dishes
and the ingredients, DO NOT WRITE YOUR OPINIONS ON IT!

Your classmates will listen attentively, and they are always welcome to ask questions at the end.

As a presenter, you should

 have visual-aids (bring a colorful and interesting image, NOT TEXT, just titles or
subheadings!).
 make eye contact.
 talk to your audience, not to your teacher (do NOT read from your notes).

As part of the audience, you must

UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES - LENG1152 3

 UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES - Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura
ASSESSMENT
Your speaking project will be individually assessed using the following criteria:
Goal Good
Providing descriptions Descriptions are for the most
part clear, relevant, and easy
/1.5 to understand. (1.5)
Providing opinions Opinions are for the most part
relevant and well supported.
/1.5 (1.5)
Use of language Grammar and vocabulary are
for the most part used
/ 1.5 effectively. Errors are rare and
do not interfere with the
message. (1.5)
Pronunciation and Pronunciation is generally
fluency clear and delivery is natural for
the level of the course. (0.5)
/ (0.5)
English 2 (LENG1152)
Fair
Descriptions are generally clear,
relevant, and easy to understand.
(1)
Opinions are generally relevant
and well supported. (1)
Grammar and vocabulary are
generally used effectively. Errors
sometimes interfere with the
message. (1)
Pronunciation is sometimes
unclear and/or delivery is
sometimes hesitant. (0.3)
Poor
Descriptions are usually unclear,
irrelevant, and/or hard to
understand. (0.5)
Opinions are usually irrelevant
and/or poorly supported. (0.5)
Grammar and vocabulary errors
are frequent and seriously
interfere with the message. (0.5)
Pronunciation is often unclear
and/or delivery is often hesitant.
(0,1)