A MATTER OF TASTE

 

Shared by Inés Miguel Castañeda:

SCHOOL YEAR: Vocational Studies

SUBJECT: English conversation for VET.

TOPIC: Food & beverage tasting.

Estimated TIME/SESSIONS: 2 hours / 2 session

LESSON OBJECTIVE: Acquiring vocabulary on adjectives to describe food and beverages.

CONTENTS/SKILLS:

UC1051_2: Communicate in English in hospitality services.

UC1052_2 & UC1046_2: Develop food and beverage service processes.

DESCRIPTION:

 

The activity is designed for first‐year Vocational Education and Training (VET) students following a Higher Technician in Kitchen Management cycle. These students have enrolled in a bilingual scheme including a CLIL module on “Pre‐processing and Preservation Processes in Cooking” plus a non‐compulsory two‐hour a week module on EFL conversation on top of the compulsory English module. The activity is to be developed in said conversation module as an expansion of the basic vocabulary on food and beverage description provided by their English module.

The activity takes place in the sensory library of CIFP La Flora (see images) and develops as follows:

 1^st session (50’): The eleven students are divided into mixed‐ability groups (4 + 4 + 3). Then, each student is given a worksheet (see annexes) with a grid containing the following information in each column:

•      Vocabulary: English adjectives to describe taste and texture.

•      Meaning: blank space to be filled in with a synonym or brief description for the student information.

•      Description of food (F), drink (D) or both (B): to decide on adjective rightness to describe one or both of them.

•      Ingredient: blank space to be filled in with the name of a raw material item from the library contents which exemplifies the described taste or texture.

•      Recipe: blank space to be filled in with a possible elaboration containing the chosen ingredient.

Next, students are instructed to pick and choose from the crystal jars in the library cabinet to see, smell, touch and taste possible ingredients, replacing them to their original location as soon as possible. Group members have to reach an agreement on the best ingredient per adjective and recipe per ingredient.

 

2^nd session (50’): Groups gather together and go briefly through worksheet notes in order to catch up. Afterwards and on a round per adjective basis, each group presents its chosen ingredient and suggested recipe in front of the teacher or, ideally, a panel of experts (i.e. teachers of EFL, prep and/or raw materials). The role of speaker has to be performed by each group member in turn so every student in the class has a chance to practice oral skills. Finally, the teacher or experts rate group performance (e.g. 1 poor – 2 average – 3 excellent) according to ingredient suitability and recipe originality and deliver group scores.

One good thing about this activity is that it contributes to the expected learning outcomes associated to the cycle, being the following especially relevant:

•      Identification of organoleptic characteristics and applications in raw materials selection (“Raw Materials Stock Control” module).

•      Identification of the most representative products and preparations in the Spanish and International gastronomy (“Gastronomy and Nutrition” module). 

RECIPE/s: Student’s own answer. 

VOCABULARY: Provided in the worksheet (annexes). See below

MATERIALS:

 

•      Worksheet (see annexes below)

•      Sensory library contents (see images below) 

NOTES/ PIECES OF ADVICE: The activity can be performed as a contest.

CREDITS:  

 

WordReference list on food tastes and textures

https://lists.wordreference.com/show/Food‐tastes‐and‐textures.26/

 

Biblioteca Sensorial ICULINARIA

http://www.iculinaria.es/

 

Europass Diploma Supplement for Higher Technician in Kitchen Management

https://www.todofp.es/dam/jcr:4b59d6be‐2a51‐4c62‐93d8‐5de50bfb2fd7/n‐tsdireccioncocinaenpdf.pdf

ANNEXES: