Ordering from the Menu

In English class the students have been practicing ordering from the menu.  I found a diner menu on line, with breakfast and lunch choices, that is perfect for practicing.  There were a few foods that were new to them – poached eggs and pink lemonade among them.  There was at least one thing that I didn’t know either – corned beef hash.  I had heard of it and was pretty sure it didn’t involve corn, but I had to look up what it was. After I told them it was chopped up meat and potatoes, no one ordered it.

In groups of three, two customers and a waiter, they first practiced having the customers order and the waiter take down and repeat the order. They took turns being the waiter.  I like having them work in pairs or small groups so that they get more practice speaking and listening.  They can also correct each other this way. Last week the customers asked for and the waiters gave recommendations on what to order.  This week the waiters will give reasons for the recommendations, such as this is my personal favorite, or the ingredients are fresh, or it’s a special price today.  I’m sure they will come up with some interesting reasons for the recommendations.

I pulled out the beaded Lee canvas to work on again. This is a project I can work on while listening to an audio book or a Japanese lesson.