New lesson plan: Ordering Food and Drinks in a cafe

SOBHAN TALEB HEMMAT HAGH

Ordering Food and Drinks in a cafe - A2 level

Ordering Food and Drinks in a cafe
A2 level

Description

A 40-minute A2 listening lesson for adult learners on the topic of ordering food and drinks in a café. Main Aim: To develop students’ ability to listen for gist and specific information in a short dialogue about ordering food and drinks in a café. The lesson begins with a contextualised lead-in to activate students’ background knowledge and establish a meaningful context through personalised questions about cafés and ordering food. Essential vocabulary is elicited and clarified using visuals and examples. CCQs are used to check students’ understanding of key vocabulary and functional language, particularly “order”, “bowl” and “bill”. Meaning is checked through simple, level-appropriate questions rather than lengthy teacher explanations. For the first listening task, students listen for gist and identify the general context of the conversation. Clear instructions are given and checked using ICQs before the audio is played. Students compare their answers in pairs before whole-class feedback. For the second listening task, students listen for specific information, including food items, drinks and prices. ICQs are used to check understanding of the task. Students answer individually, compare their answers in pairs, and receive whole-class feedback. The teacher monitors students throughout and replays relevant sections of the audio if necessary. Students then focus on useful functional language from the dialogue, including polite requests with “Can I have…?”, offers with “Anything else?” and questions about prices. CCQs check the meaning and communicative purpose of these expressions. Brief pronunciation practice focuses on polite intonation where appropriate. In the final speaking stage, students work in pairs to role-play a café conversation using a menu. The teacher monitors performance and provides delayed feedback on relevant language errors. The lesson follows a clear receptive-skills framework: lead-in, pre-listening preparation, gist listening, detailed listening and post-listening speaking practice. It incorporates clear staging, concise instructions, ICQs, CCQs, individual work, pair checking, monitoring, student-centred learning, appropriate feedback and ongoing assessment. Teacher Talking Time is kept to a minimum, and all activities are designed to support the main aim, suit A2 learners and fit within the 40-minute lesson.

Materials

Café Ordering Listening Audio

Café Ordering Listening Audio

Main Aims

To provide gist and specific information in the context of A customer orders food and drinks from a waiter in a café and asks about prices.

Subsidiary Aims

To provide gist listening practice using a text about Ordering Food and Drinks in a Cafe in the context of A customer orders food and drinks from a waiter in a café and asks about price

Procedure (32-90 minutes)

Warmer/Lead-in (4-4 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage sTo activate students’ background knowledge, personalise the topic, and establish the context for the listening task.tudents

The teacher shows a picture of a café and asks students personalised questions, such as “Do you often go to cafés?” and “What do you usually order?” Students briefly share their experiences with a partner. The teacher elicits a few answers from the class and uses them to establish the context of ordering food and drinks in a café. The teacher avoids lengthy explanations and does not pre-teach answers from the listen.

Pre-Reading/Listening (4-8 minutes) • To prepare students for the text and make it aTo clarify essential vocabulary and prepare students for the listening tasks.ccessible

The teacher shows pictures or flashcards of key items from the café context and elicits their meanings from students. The teacher focuses on essential vocabulary, such as “order”, “bowl” and “bill”, using simple examples and CCQs to check understanding. Students discuss their answers briefly in pairs before the teacher confirms meaning. The teacher keeps explanations short and avoids pre-teaching information that students need to identify during the listening task.

While-Reading/Listening #1 (6-14 minutes) • To provide students with less challenging gist and specific information reading/listening tasks

The teacher sets the context by reminding students that they are going to listen to a conversation in a café. The teacher gives students a gist question: “What are the customers doing?” Students read the question before listening. The teacher checks the instructions using ICQs: “Are you listening for every word?” (No.) “Are you listening for the general idea?” (Yes.) Students listen to the audio individually and choose the best answer. They then compare their answers in pairs. The teacher monitors the pair-checking stage and conducts brief whole-class feedback, eliciting answers from students and asking them to justify their choices if necessary. The audio is replayed only if students need further support.

While-Reading/Listening #2 (10-24 minutes) • To provide students with morTo develop students’ ability to listen for specific information, including food items, drinks and prices, in a café conversation.e challenging detailed, deduction and inference reading/listening tasks

The teacher asks students to read a short set of questions about the café conversation before listening. Students are asked to identify specific information, such as the food and drinks ordered and their prices. The teacher gives clear instructions and checks them using ICQs: “Do you need to write long sentences?” (No.) “Are you listening for specific details?” (Yes.) Students listen individually and complete the task. They then compare their answers in pairs while the teacher monitors and notes any common difficulties. The teacher elicits answers from pairs during whole-class feedback and replays relevant sections of the audio if necessary.

Post-Reading/Listening (8-40 minutes) • To provide with an opportunity to responTo give students an opportunity to respond to the listening text and extend their learning by using the target expressions in a meaningful, real-life context.d to the text and expand on what they've learned

The teacher asks students to work in pairs and role-play a café conversation using a simple menu. One student acts as the customer and the other as the waiter. Students use expressions from the listening dialogue, such as “Can I have …, please?”, “Anything else?” and “How much is it?” They then swap roles and repeat the activity. The teacher monitors the pairs, provides support when necessary, and notes common language errors for brief delayed feedback. At the end, the teacher invites one pair to perform their dialogue and briefly praises effective use of the target expression.