English Lesson (Listening and Speaking, B1): "Talking about Food"

Vocabulary

A. known worldwide – famous around the world
B. strange – unusual, odd, weird
C. goat's head – animal's head, goat skull
D. cow's eyes – eyes of a cow
E. gross – disgusting, unpleasant, awful
F. appetizing – looks tasty, appealing
G. vegan – plant-based, no animal products
H. give up – quit, surrender, stop trying
I. gain weight – put on weight, increase
J. thin – slender, not thick, lean

The Chinese,  French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese translations are below the videos.

 


Guide Questions
1. What did the speaker say about eating, France and French cooking style?
2. What does the speaker want and doesn’t want to eat?
3. What did the speaker say about being vegan?
4. What is one disadvantage of food?

American accent

British Accent

TRANSCRIPT

Most people enjoy eating. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it. I'm lucky to be French because France is known worldwide for its great food. French cooking style is used in different places. I like all kinds of food, not just one. I enjoy being surprised by something special to eat. But I don't want to eat very strange things, like a goat's head or cow's eyes.

People have different tastes. Something might be gross in one place but delicious in another. Some foods don't look appetizing, but they taste great when you eat them. Sometimes, I think about being a vegan because it's good for nature, and I love animals. But I don't think I can give up cheese and meat, especially fish and seafood. In my opinion, the only disadvantage of food is that you can gain weight. But I would rather be fat and happy than thin and sad. (153 words)

Discussion questions are below the translations

Translations

CHINESE (Simplified)

• known worldwide – 举世闻名 (jǔ shì wén míng)
• strange – 奇怪 (qí guài)
• goat's head – 羊头 (yáng tóu)
• cow's eyes – 牛眼睛 (niú yǎn jīng)
• gross – 恶心 (è xīn)
• appetizing – 开胃 (kāi wèi)
• vegan – 素食主义者 (sù shí zhǔ yì zhě)
• give up – 放弃 (fàng qì)
• gain weight – 增重 (zēng zhòng)
• thin – 瘦 (shòu)

FRENCH

• known worldwide – connu dans le monde entier
• strange – étrange
• goat's head – tête de chèvre
• cow's eyes – yeux de vache
• gross – dégoûtant
• appetizing – appétissant
• vegan – végétalien
• give up – abandonner
• gain weight – prendre du poids
• thin – mince

KOREAN

• known worldwide – 전 세계적으로 알려진 (jeon segyejeog-eulo allyeojin)
• strange – 이상한 (isanghan)
• goat's head – 염소의 머리 (yeomso-ui meori)
• cow's eyes – 소의 눈 (so-ui nun)
• gross – 역겨운 (yeokgyeoun)
• appetizing – 식욕을 돋우는 (sigyog-eul dotuneun)
• vegan – 비건 (bigeon)
• give up – 포기하다 (pogihada)
• gain weight – 체중이 늘다 (chejung-i neulda)
• thin – 마른 (maleun)

JAPANESE

• known worldwide – 世界的に有名な (sekai-teki ni yūmei na)
• strange – 奇妙な (kimyō na)
• goat's head – 山羊の頭 (yagi no atama)
• cow's eyes – 牛の目 (ushi no me)
• gross – 気持ち悪い (kimochi warui)
• appetizing – 食欲をそそる (shokuyoku o sosoru)
• vegan – ヴィーガン (vīgan)
• give up – 諦める (akirameru)
• gain weight – 体重が増える (taijū ga fueru)
• thin – 細い (hosoi)

PORTUGUESE (BRAZIL)

• known worldwide – conhecido mundialmente
• strange – estranho
• goat's head – cabeça de cabra
• cow's eyes – olhos de vaca
• gross – nojento
• appetizing – apetitoso
• vegan – vegano
• give up – desistir
• gain weight – ganhar peso
• thin – magro

SPANISH

• known worldwide – conocido mundialmente
• strange – extraño
• goat's head – cabeza de cabra
• cow's eyes – ojos de vaca
• gross – asqueroso
• appetizing – apetitoso
• vegan – vegano
• give up – rendirse
• gain weight – aumentar de peso
• thin – delgado

VIETNAMESE

• known worldwide – nổi tiếng toàn cầu
• strange – lạ
• goat's head – đầu dê
• cow's eyes – mắt bò
• gross – ghê tởm
• appetizing – ngon miệng
• vegan – thuần chay
• give up – từ bỏ
• gain weight – tăng cân
• thin – gầy

Questions:
1. Do you like to cook? Example: Yes, I do. Cooking helps me feel relaxed after long hours working.

2. Is there any kind of food you don’t like? - Example: I don’t really like fried chicken, which is very high in fat.  

3. Do you eat out or cook at home? - Example: I usually cook at home, sometimes when I’m busy, I go out to eat. 

4. How often do you cook? - Example: Just when I have free time. My mom is often responsible for preparing meals. She’s the best cook ever.

5. What do you think about fast food? - Example: I don’t really like fast food. It’s not healthy at all.

6. Would you say that you have a healthy diet? - Example: Yes, I have a healthy diet. I prefer eating food rich vitamins, minerals and protein. I avoid eating fatty food.

7. What’s your favorite French dish? - Example: I have many favorite French dishes and one of them is coq au vin.

8. How do you like eat it? What goes well with that food? - Example: I usually eat spaghetti with garlic bread and just a glass of water.

* What drink goes well with ___? - Example: A good Bordeaux red wine goes well with ___.

9. Is it easy to make your favorite food? - Example: Yes, I guess. The recipe is quite simple.

10. What ingredients do you need to make that food? - Example: I would need rice, eggs, meat, seafood, and vegetables.

11. How does it taste? - Example: Coq au vin tastes rich and savory. It is a bit sweet. The meat is tender, juicy, and has a rich sauce but not too spicy or pungent.

TASTE:

• Delicious
• Sweet
• Salty
• Sour
• Bitter
• Spicy
• Tasty, savory
• Rich
• Pungent

TEXTURE:

• Soft
• Crunchy
• Greasy
• Fatty
• Tender (used for meat)
• Tough (used for meat)
• Dry
• Creamy
• Hearty
• Juicy

How _____ is it? (How sweet is it?)

• It is not sweet.
• It is a little (a bit) sweet.
• It is kind of sweet.
• It is very sweet.

Keywords:
Food Vocabulary for English Learners: Exploring Tastes and Textures
English for Foodies: How to Describe Tastes, Textures, and Food Preferences
Mastering Food-Related Conversations in English: A Guide for Learners and Teachers
Delicious English: Learn How to Talk About Food Like a Native Speaker
English Lessons on Food: Describing Tastes and Cooking Styles in Simple English