Teaching Food Words to Children Learning English
English Food Word Activities for the TEFL/TESOL Teacher
Nov 16, 2009
Teaching food words to children learning English as a foreign language is a great starting point because the words are so easily utilized in picture format and because children come across food several times a day, allowing for a lot of practice and association. The easy and low resource activities below are a great way to get children learning food words in English.
Introducing Vocabulary With Flashcards
A useful way of introducing new vocabulary to children is through flashcards. When introducing food words, it is useful to create a number of picture flashcards with food items on them, for example, a card with a picture of an orange on it and another with a picture of spaghetti on it. Then the teacher can give each child in the group a set of these picture flashcards.
To introduce the food words, the teacher holds up one food picture and says the name in English. The teacher then encourages the children to find the same picture in his or her set and to hold it up. When all the children have found the picture the teacher can encourage the group to say the word in English together.
Resources Needed: Sets of food pictures
Food on a Plate
Every child is given a paper plate or medium-sized printed picture of a plate. Every child should also have a set of food pictures.The teacher then calls out a food word and the children have to find the corresponding picture and place it on their plates.This activity can be made more fun by making it a race to see who can get his or her food item on the plate first.
Resources Needed: Sets of food pictures, paper plate or medium-sized printed picture of a plate
"Foods I Like" and "Foods I do not Like"
Once the children have started to become familiar with the food words, they can be asked to separate their set of food words into two groups, one group for foods that they like and one for foods that they do not like. It is useful to have a sheet of A4 paper with a line down the centre and one side with a happy face and one side with a sad face, so that the children can place the pictures under the correct picture.
Once all the children have finished, the teacher can get the children to talk about which foods they like and which foods they do not like. Questions such as "who likes cheese" or "who does not like mushrooms" can be useful for groups that are more shy or who have a lower level of English knowledge.
Resources Needed: Sets of food pictures, A4 sheets of paper with a line down the middle and a happy face on one side and a sad face on the other
Food Bingo
Bingo is a great game to play with children learning English as a foreign language because most children know how the game works. Using bingo cards that have both the written word and a picture of the word is advantageous as it reinforces both the visual and written version of each word. The teacher can further reinforce this by alternating between showing the picture of the word he or she is calling out and just calling out the food word, without showing the picture. When a child does call out bingo, it is always positive to have him or her read back the words that he or she has on the card.
Resources Needed: Bingo cards, markers, one set of food pictures
A good place to start when teaching children English as a foreign language is food words. Different types of food are items that children easily recognize and come into contact with several times throughout the day providing a visual reference, practice and reinforcement of the new vocabulary. Food is also a topic which is easy to create colourful, creative resources and fun activities for, making the lesson enjoyable for both the students and the teacher.
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