Topic: Restaurant
Mode: Interpretive; Interpersonal
Level: Novice
Students will extract information from a menu.
Components of this activity: Multiple choice exercise, answer key, menu sheet
Instructions to the teacher
Below are two activities involving the same menu. In version 1, students read the menu and extract specific details from it. In version 2, students use the menu to engage in various speaking tasks. These activities can be done in sequence so that version 1 scaffolds version 2.
Version 1: Reading
Instructions to students
For each question, read the description and then use information from the menu to decide which dish best fits the description.
- This dish is spicy.
Stir-fried beef and peppers Spaghetti and marinara sauce Caesar salad
- This dish contains meat.
Hamburger Vegetable Lasagna Cheese Pizza
- This is a dish for someone who isn’t very hungry.
Cup of soup Bowl of soup Sweet and sour chicken
- This dessert is a healthy choice.
Fruit cup Triple chocolate cake Ice cream sundae
- This dish is a healthy choice.
Baked fish with vegetables Steamed dumplings Spaghetti with meatballs
- This dish is cheapest.
Chicken Caesar Salad Cheeseburger Grilled Fish with Vegetables
- This dessert is most expensive.
Apple pie with ice cream Ice cream sundae Fruit cup
- This appetizer is least expensive.
Egg rolls Breadsticks Seafood cocktail
Joe’s Family Style Restaurant Menu
| Appetizers Seafood Cocktail……………………..$2.00 Egg Roll (2)………………………………$2.50 Steamed Dumplings (5)…………..$2.00 Spicy Chicken Wings (4)+……….$3.00 Vegetable Soup*# ……………………….Cup $2.00 Bowl $2.50 Chicken Soup ……………………….Cup $2.00 Bowl $2.50 Soup of the Day ……………………….Cup $2.00 Bowl $2.50 Breadsticks…………………..………$2.00 | Main Courses Special of the Day……………………$7.00 Stir-fried Beef and Peppers+….$7.50 Sweet Sour Chicken………………..$7.00 Hamburger……………………………..$5.00 Cheeseburger………………………….$5.50 Spaghetti#………………………………..$5.00 Spaghetti and Meatballs…………$6.00 Vegetable Lasagna#*……………….$6.00 Grilled Fish with Vegetables*…$6.50 Cheese Pizza#………………………….$5.00 Extra Toppings………………………..$0.50 Peppers, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Pineapple, Ham |
| Salads House Salad*#…………………………$4.00 Caesar Salad#………………………….$4.00 Chicken Caesar Salad……………..$7.00 Side Salad*#…………………………….$2.00 | Desserts Ice Cream Sundae…………………..$3.25 (Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate) Three Chocolate Cake……………..$3.50 Apple Pie………………………………….$3.75 (with vanilla ice cream) Fruit Cup*………………………………..$3.00 |
| Beverages Coke………………………………………….$1.75 Diet Coke………………………………….$1.75 Orange Juice……………………………$2.00 Apple Juice………………………………$2.00 Lemonade………………………………..$1.75 Iced Tea……………………………………$1.75 Hot Tea (Black or Herbal)………$1.50 Coffee……………………………………….$1.50 | Key Healthy Choice * Spicy + Vegetarian # |
Version 2: Interpersonal
Instructions to the teacher
- Teach your students all the necessary vocabulary for performing this activity. Then, model a conversation for them between a waiter/waitress and a customer.
- Pair students and ask them to perform the following scenarios using the menu.
Joe’s Family Style Restaurant Menu
| Appetizers Seafood cocktail 3.00 Egg Roll (2) 2.50 Steamed dumplings (5) 2.00 Spicy Chicken Wings (4)+ 3.00 Vegetable Soup*# Cup 2.00 Bowl 2.50 Chicken Soup Cup 2.00 Bowl 2.50 Soup of the Day Cup 2.00 Bowl 2.50 Breadsticks 2.00 | Main Courses Special of the Day 7.00 Stir-fried beef and peppers + 7.50 Sweet and Sour Chicken 7.00 Hamburger 5.00 Cheeseburger 5.50 Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce # 5.00 Spaghetti and Meatballs 6.00 Vegetable Lasagna #* 6.00 Grilled Fish with Vegetables* 6.50 Cheese Pizza # 5.00 Extra toppings: .50 Peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, pineapple, ham |
| Salads House Salad*# 4.00 Caesar Salad# 4.00 Chicken Caesar Salad 7.00 Side Salad*# 2.00 | Desserts Ice Cream Sundae: Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate 3.25 Three Chocolate Cake 3.50 Apple Pie (with vanilla ice cream) 3.75 Fruit Cup* 3.00 |
| Beverages Coke 1.75 Diet Coke 1.75 Orange Juice 2.00 Apple Juice 2.00 Lemonade 1.75 Iced Tea 1.75 Hot Tea (Black or Herbal) 1.50 Coffee 1.50 | *Healthy Choice +spicy #vegetarian |
Scenario 1:
Pretend that you are in the target language country for study abroad. You walk into a restaurant and order food (lunch or dinner). Let one of you be the waiter and the other, the customer. Hold a culturally appropriate conversation (including greetings, ordering food, serving, paying, etc.). When done, switch roles.
Scenario 2:
Pretend that you are in the target language country for study abroad. You decide to call your favorite restaurant and order food (lunch or dinner) because you are too tired to go out. Let one of you be the restaurant staff and the other, the customer. Hold a culturally appropriate conversation (including greetings, ordering food, paying, agreeing on delivery, etc.). When done, switch roles.