Meals, recipes, restaurants, and the foods you grew up with. 21 questions from A1 to C1, with follow-ups and role plays. Answer out loud in full sentences.
Show questions for
A1Beginner
What is your favorite food?Then: When do you usually eat it?
Can you cook?Then: What can you make?
Is there a food you don’t like?Then: Why not?
What is a popular dish in your country?Then: Can you describe it?
Do you prefer sweet snacks or salty snacks?
A2Elementary
What did you eat for dinner last night?Then: Who made it?
Have you ever tried food from a country you’ve never visited?Then: Did you like it?
Is the food in your country spicier or milder than food in other places you know?
How often do you eat out?Then: Where do you like to go?
What are you going to cook or eat this weekend?
B1Intermediate
What dish reminds you of your childhood?Then: Who used to make it?
What is the best meal you’ve ever had, and what made it special?
If you could take a cooking class anywhere in the world, where would you go?
What advice would you give someone who is learning to cook for the first time?
Do you think people cook at home less than they used to?Then: Why do you think that is?
B2Upper intermediate
How have eating habits in your country changed since your grandparents were young?Then: Are the changes mostly good or bad?
What are the pros and cons of food delivery apps, for restaurants and for customers?
If you had to give up one type of food forever, which would be hardest to lose, and why?
C1Advanced
How much does a country’s food shape its sense of identity, and what happens when traditional dishes go global?
Should governments influence what people eat, for example through food labels or school meals, or is that a step too far?
Where do you think the main responsibility for reducing food waste lies: with farms, shops, restaurants, or households?
Role plays
Work with a partner or a tutor. Read the situation together, then each person opens only their own card. Use the phrases to help you.
A2 Elementary
Ordering with a food allergy
You are having lunch at a busy café. You have a nut allergy, and you need to leave in 40 minutes.
Card A: Customer
Tell the server about your allergy. Ask about two dishes on the menu. You want something safe and quick, and you don’t want to wait long.
Card B: Server
The pasta sauce has nuts in it. The chef can make the salad without nuts, but it takes 25 minutes. The soup is ready now, but you are not sure about all the ingredients. Explain the options and offer to check with the kitchen.
Useful phrases
Does this have any… in it?
I’m allergic to…
Could the chef make it without…?
How long will it take?
Let me check with the kitchen.
I’ll have…, please.
B1 Intermediate
Planning a shared dinner for a group
You and a friend are organizing an end-of-course dinner for ten classmates. Some people don’t eat meat, one person can’t eat gluten, and nobody wants to spend much.
Card A: Organizer A
You want to cook everything yourselves to save money and keep it simple. You are good at rice dishes and stews, but you don’t know much about gluten-free cooking.
Card B: Organizer B
You think a potluck, where everyone brings a dish, is easier. You worry that people will forget about the dietary needs. Agree on a menu and on who does what.