Esl class on Food and Culture - Mother's Day -Strengthing the Bond among People

The movie Eat Pray Love is sweet and brings lots of cultural aspects an EFL/ESL teacher could explore. 

Speaking / movie activity

Recipes - culture - Stereotyping - Food
Older teens or adults

1 -What do these sayings mean? Do the say anything about the people's culture?

My favorite animal is steak. ~Fran Lebowitz better with soup. 

Worries go down better with soup ~Jewish Proverb

Rice is born in water and must die in wine. ~Italian Proverb

Eat little, sleep sound. ~Iranian Proverb

2 - Talk to a partner and find the odd one out in each set of words.

Beef / steak /pork/ lamb / garlic

Garlic is the odd one out because the others are all type of meat.

a) Mango / rice /pear/raspberry

b) Butter / cottage cheese/ yogurt / brocolli

c) Turkey/cauliflower/pepper / spinach

d) Lamb / chicken / turkey / Duck

e) Pasta / sauce / pie / grapes

f) Chocolate/chickpeas/syrup / jam

g) Brown bread / brown rice / chocolate / sugar

h) Beef / steak /pork/ lamb / garlic

3 - Where are these dishes from?

a) Roast turkey, roast potatoes, two or three kinds of vegetables, plus a meat-flavored sauce called gravy.

b) A paste made from chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. You eat it with pitta bread.

c) Apple pie ( a sweet dish people eat as a dessert)

d) Pancakes with maple syrup- a thick, sweet liquid that comes from inside some kinds of tree in that country.

e) Fresh fish cooked in dende oil and coconut milk.

4- Discuss with a partner the following questions. How many things do you have in common?

What words spring to mind when you hear the word Italy?

What role does eating play in your life?

Do you have any memory related to food?

How open are you to try different coisines?

If you were given the chance to travel to a place to experiment the cousine, where would you go? Why?

How often do you take your time to enjoy your meals?

5 - Before you watch a scene from the movie Eat Pray Love, complete the sentences with your own ideas.

Generally speaking, Italian people know how...

If you want to learn Italian you should...

In Italy, body language is...

When you are in Italy you shouldn’t...

At a restaurant you must...

6- After watching the movie complete the sentences below. Who is the most attentive student?

Generally speaking, Italian people know how...

The hairdresser told the woman that...

The woman said that the hairdresser's description of the Americans was not...

According to the young man, Italians are masters of...

The hairdresser said that you don't speak Italian with your mouth. You have to use...

If you want to learn Italian you should...

In Italy, body language is...

When you are in Italy you shouldn’t...

7 - Group discussion

What gestures used in the movie do you remember? What do they mean?

Do you use a lot of body language? Why?Why not?

What do you think of the man's description of the American people and the Italians?

What is a generalization for you?

How do you feel when someone stereotypes the people where you come from?

What do people say about people in your country?

What is the typicall food in your country?

Do you think that food defines a culture? Why? Why not?

It is said that sharing food has always been a way for people of all cultures to bond with others. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

___________________________________________________________________

Homework

You will host a couple of foreigners next week. You want to impress by making a meal that represents your country.

What will you make? Think about the appetizer, first and second dishes, and

a delicious dessert.

______________________________________________________________

Follow up

Use a web2.o to make a presentation. What's your favorite recipe? What kind of pie could you bake to give to you mom as a Mother's Day gift? What's the secret one should know to make the dish very well?

Example:

Answerkey

Odd one out

a)

Rice - all the others are fruit

b)

Brocolli. All the others are dairy products

c)

Turkey. All the others are vegetables

d)

Lamb. All the others are kind of birds

e)

Parsley. All the others are ready food

f)

Chickpeas. All the others are sweet

g)

Sugar. All the others are brown

h)

Fish. all the others are kind of red meat

Where are these dishes drom?

a) Great Britan and The US

b) Middle East

c) The US

d) Cana da

e) Brazil

Eat Pray Love - Reported Speech - Digitalizing Homework

This movie provides teachers with the great opportunity of dealing with cultural differences in a light, fun way. When the main character goes to Italy, she starts comparing the customs and the way of life to her own, and she learns from it. I hope our students get to learn a bit more about themselves too.

________________________________________________________________

Topic Cultural differences

Language Reported speech

Type of activity Practice

Level Intermediate

Age group Adults

webtool ESL video

Materials Movie scene, worksheet, ESL video (downloadable)

___________________________________________________________________

Before you watch the scene complete the sentences with your own ideas.

a) In Italy you should…

b) To learn Italian one must …

c) In Italy, body language is...

Watch the scene and take notes of any unfamiliar words you see.

Read the transcript and find seven mistakes. Who is the most

attentive student in class?

I feel so guilty. I’ve been in Rome for two weeks, and all I’ve done is learn a few Italian words and eat.

You feel guilty because you are Portuguese. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself.

I beg your pardon?

It’s true. Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure.

This is Luca pizza, by the way, you know.

Your name is Luca spaghetti?

Yes, that’s what our family is called. We invented it. I’m serious. Listen to me. You want to know your problem? Americans.You work too hard. You get burned out. Then you come home and spend the whole weekend in your shorts in front of the TV.

That’s not far off, actually.

But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you earned it. You see a commercial that says, “ It’s Miller time” and you say, “ That’s right. Now I’ll go to buy a ten-pack.”And you drink the whole thing and you wake up the next morning and you feel wonderful. But an Italian doesn’t need to be told. He walks by a sign that says. “You deserve a break today.” And he says “yeah, I know! That’s why I’m planning a break at noon to go to your house and sleep with your wife.”

We call it “Dolce far niente.” It means the bitterness of doing nothing. We are masters of it. He ‘s right. “ You can’t learn Italian like this.” You don’t speak the language just with your mouth, speak it with your hands.

Like this?

Complete the questions using the reported speech.

a) She woman said she ________( be) In Italy for three weeks.

b) The Italian man told her she ______ ( feel) guilty because she

_______ ( be ) American.

c) The Italian man told she ________( not know)how to enjou herself.

d) The Italian man said that his family ____ ______ ( invent) spaghetti.

e) The Italian man said Americas ______ ( work) too hard and

got burned out.

f) The man said that an Italian ________________( need) to be told.

g) Her friend told her that it _______( mean) the sweetness of life.

h) The Italian guy said that they ____________ masters of it.

Group discussion

1. What do you think about the movie?
2. Do you agree with what the Italian guy said?
3. How do you feel when people stereotype people from from country or city?
4. How do you enjoy life?
5. Is your life well balanced? Why? Why not?

Homework

Find a movie scene and prepare a quiz using reported speech to challenge your classmates.

Movie scene, worksheet, ESL video (downloadable)

Answerkey

I feel so guilty. I’ve been in Rome for three weeks, and all I’ve done is learn a few Italian words and eat.

You feel guilty because you are American. You don’t know how to enjoy yourself.

I beg your pardon?

It’s true. Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure.

This is Luca spaghetti, by the way, you know.

Your name is Luca spaghetti?

Yes, that’s what our family is called. We invented it. I’m serious. Listen to me. You want to know your problem? Americans. You work too hard. You get burned out. Then you come home and spend the whole weekend in your shorts in front of the TV.

That’s not far off, actually.

But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you earned it. You see a commercial that says, “ It’s Miller time” and you say, “ That’s right. Now I’ll go to buy a six-pack.”And you drink the whole thing and you wake up the next morning and you feel terrible. But an Italian doesn’t need to be told. He walks by a sign that says. “You deserve a break today.” And he says “yeah, I know! That’s why I’m planning a break at noon to go to your house and sleep with your wife.”

We call it “Dolce far niente.” It means the sweetness of doing nothing. We are masters of it. He ‘s right. “ You can’t learn Italian like this.” You don’t speak the language just with your mouth, speak it with your hands.

Like this?

Complete the questions using the reported speech.

She woman said she had been in Italy for three weeks
The Italian man told her she felt guilty because she was American
The Italian man told she didn’t know how to enjoy herself
The Italian man said that his family had invented spaghetti
The Italian man said Americas worked too hard and got burned out
The man said that an Italian didn’t need to be told.
Her friend told her that “ Dolce far niente.” meant the sweetness of life
The Italian guy said that they were masters of that.