Gastrodiplomacy (with food idioms)

Title separator

Vocabulary - food idioms

Flipped

food idioms

This is a standalone lesson but it can also be used as part of the set titled:

LESSON OVERVIEW

This food lesson plan is prepared for B2 students and it concerns a phenomenon called gastrodiplomacy. Sounds weird but basically it means promoting one’s country through food. It’s an interesting concept to strike up a conversation about food and culture and how they build relations.

The worksheet is based on a video (8 min) which explains the term and gives more details about it. The in-class part should take around 45/60 minutes depending on how much your group of students will be engaged in answering questions from the last exercise.

B2 / Upper Intermediate45 minFlipped LessonFree / Unlimited Plan

This is a Flipped Classroom lesson plan. In a nutshell, it means that the first part of the lesson needs to be done by students at home. Learn more about flipped classroom and how we implement it in these lesson plans in our post.

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

There are just two things that your students must do at home: study new vocabulary and watch the video.

First of all, at home students need to learn some vocabulary that appears in the video. It will be easier for them to understand the concept and answer comprehension questions. Therefore, they need to read 8 sentences and match words/phrases in bold with their meanings. The second task is listening comprehension. Students watch the video and find answers to four questions.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

In the classroom, the lesson should start with a discussion based on what students have watched and what they remember from the video. There are four questions which also concern students’ opinions about gastrodiplomacy. Next, they should think of some dish they like (from their country or other), work in pairs and describe it to their partner. They should also explain why they have chosen that dish.

As this lesson plan is about food and cuisine, the next task includes a lot of food idioms. Students have to study food idioms/expressions and their meanings, and then complete them with correct words from the list. These include such food-related idioms as turn sour, have a lot on one’s plate, have a bun in the oven, sell like hot cakes, etc. Finally, students work in pairs and answer questions which contain idioms from the previous task to practise using them. Try to monitor whether they use and understand all these idiomatic expressions correctly.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Lidia Marta Miller

    Very well planned with useful information that motivates communication. Thank you!!

    1. Justa

      Happy to hear that 🙂

  2. Joanna

    Wow, I love this lesson, brilliant and beautifully done! Great job guys and thanks for sharing! :))

    1. Stan

      Enjoy! We’re glad you like it!

  3. Alice

    Do you have also B1 worksheets?

    1. Stan

      Sure! A few of them actually. Use the top menu to see lesson plans for different levels. You can actually find all B1 worksheets here: https://eslbrains.com/esl-lesson-plans/b1-intermediate/

  4. Nazar Marko

    Guys, you are life savers! Thanks a lot.

  5. Magda Zun

    Wonderful worksheet and very interesting topic! My students and I loved it! Thanks a lot guys <3

    1. Justa

      Thank you 🙂

  6. Isom

    Hello!
    Great lesson! I just wanted to point out that the idiom you referred to as:
    ❌ “to take smth with a pinch of salt” is more commonly referred to as
    ✅ “a grain of salt” and not “a pinch”.
    A pinch, on the other hand, it’s a great expression used for when referring to recipes and dishes
    – i.e. add a pinch of salt.

    Thank you for all your great work!!

    1. Justa

      Hi there! I think that both of them are fine. The phrase “with a pinch of salt” is typically used in British English and “with a grain of salt” in American English. See this dictionary entry.

  7. Reamaral

    wounderful theme and development for speaking production.
    Thank you

  8. jobun17

    This really made an interesting lesson for myself and my students. Food is always a winner!!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
talking about digital parenting
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Digital parenting

Lifestyle Technology

Engage in talking about digital parenting with this lesson! Students practise phrases to express opinions, watch a video about digital parenting and discuss how to manage children’s online behaviour.

vocabulary for extreme environments
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

An unusual place to live

Lifestyle

This lesson invites students to talk about unusual places around the world! They practise vocabulary for extreme environments, watch a video about living underground and share their perspectives on the effects of living under extreme conditions.

ESL lesson on parenting
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Mommunes

Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about family structures and shared parenting. They explore vocabulary to talk about parenting and watch a video about single mothers and children who share households.

B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Food is more than just fuel

General Lifestyle

With this lesson, students discuss the impact of food on health. They practise vocabulary on nutrition, watch an informative video about the effects of foods on sleep and talk about specific food labels and food philosophies.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
Critical Reading Club 30 min / 45 min
Loading

Rule of three: third spaces

Lifestyle

Encourage students to read a fun article about third spaces! Students will also consider different types of third spaces, discuss questions, take a quiz and practise vocabulary.

talking about fitness trends
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

When exercise meets cosy…

Lifestyle

With this lesson, students discuss health and fitness trends and self-care rituals. They watch a video about ‘cosy cardio’, a new exercise practice, and share their personal experiences. Students can also do a vocabulary activity at the beginning of the lesson.

structures with ‘It’
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

It’s never too late to dream big

Grammar Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about dreams and ambitions, practise structures with ‘It’ to give opinions and watch a video about a man who pursues two careers. They also discuss balancing multiple careers versus focusing on a single goal.

ESL lesson about subscriptions
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Members only! Subscription models

Business Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about subscription models, explore vocabulary and discuss their personal experiences and opinions. They also watch a video featuring advice on how to manage subscriptions and discuss real-life services.

ESL lesson about music festivals
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Music festivals and other outdoor events

Lifestyle

With this speaking lesson, students talk about festivals and other outdoor events. They read short texts, discuss music festival tips and watch a video about it. Students also talk about the use of technology and brainstorm useful gadgets for such events.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with