FOOD RELATED

TASKS:

SHOPPING & BEYOND

PLUS AN

ASSESSMENT
SECTION

BY JANET KAN

ACTIVITIES ARE ADAPTABLE FROM CLB 1-6

AND INCLUDES
AN ADAPTABLE PBLA ASSESSMENT SECTION

Other Books By Janet Kan

Listening, Reading & Writing, & Assessment Sheets
Janet Kan
Includes 2 CDs
This book was developed in 3 sections. The first section, Listening Skills, focuses on multipurpose listening exercises. They require time and repetition. The skills that are developed
can then be applied in the various contexts of the second section of the book. The listening
exercises include letters of the alphabet, numbers, names, license plates, postal codes,
phones numbers, addresses, maps, messages, one-sided phone messages & dictations.
The second section, Reading & Writing, incorporates the use of the skills from section 1, but
focuses largely on reading and writing in specific contexts, although there are suggestions for
some oral applications to those contexts as well. The reading & writing section includes Invitations, dates, times, answering an invitation (accepting and refusing), notes, telephone messages, letters, addressing envelopes, forms, and greeting cards (phrases and symbols).
The third section, Assessment, contains 13 assessment sheets. Great for PBLA binders.
The author also includes an 8 week outline on how to use the lessons.
Text 165 pages ISBN 978-1-894799-81-2
$59.95 Includes Photocopy Permission for One Purchasing Site/School or One Purchasing
Teacher
2 CDs Included in Price

Only available at www.eslresources.com

Copyright Notice
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A purchasing teacher is granted permission to photocopy this book for use by his/her ESL/literacy
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If these books will service more than one address, contact the publisher for multi-site permission.
thane@eslresources.com
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ISBN 978-1-894799-85-0

INTRODUCTION
Making the adjustment to TBLT (Task-based Language Teaching),
the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks)
and the PBLA (Portfolio-based Language Assessment).
Perhaps the biggest challenges involved in this type of teaching include the
following:
x Where do I start?
x Where do I get materials?
x How do I pick and choose materials and activities?
x How do I tie everything together so that it makes sense (transition within a
topic and between topics)?
x How do I incorporate the structural knowledge of the language
smoothly? Structural knowledge is necessary, but does not always make for
smooth inclusion.
x With lower levels, what constitutes the foundational skills and content from
which the student's language can grow?
x What language skills do your students need to live in this time and place?
x What do students need, not just to survive, but to thrive?
It is very important that teachers understand the CLB and the competencies for
their level very thoroughly, and can apply that knowledge to their planning. This
understanding is critical to being successful in TBLT and the PBLA. It is not just
a matter of looking for real life activities. It is also a matter of looking at the skills
required to successfully navigate an activity. What differs between levels is the
degree of complexity that the students can manage to cope with.
Although many of these activities have a base in Edmonton, it is necessary to
adapt the materials of the activities to fit the local setting. Students want and
need to become part of their communities. Some activities can focus on being
part of the national community, some provincial and some local. Beginning
levels should be forming foundational skills upon which higher levels will build.
If the teacher has a thorough grasp of the CLB, they can then pick and choose
the activities that will be most readily adaptable to their level. They can plan
based on the language competencies needed to succeed in the activity. The
students can return to class with success stories of how they used those skills
outside the classroom.
An example of this was when one of my students fearfully participated in the

Sandwich Bar activity/assessment. Several weeks later, her daughter took her
on a holiday. The confidence of succeeding in class led to the student attempting to place her own order for lunch without help or translation from their daughter. Succeeding in that real life context outside the classroom provided an
immeasurable increase in confidence and willingness to risk attempts at other
forms of communication.
The activities and assessments in this book are guidelines. They can be
adjusted to greater or lesser degrees to suit a particular class. Even if the same
activity or assessment is used another time, it is highly unlikely it will be used
exactly the same way or have exactly the same results. In many ways this
helps keeps things fresh for the teacher as well as providing very real
experiences for the students.
Whether working with adult literacy or adult English as a Second Language
students, the focus is not so much on the acquisition of totally new knowledge
and/or skills as it is on the transfer or application of knowledge and/or skills to a
new context or format.
Adults already have a wealth of experience related to life and living. With regard
to food, the veteran housewife knows more than the basics of food preparation.
Although she may be unable to read or write recipes or speak the English
language, or may come from a different ethnic focus, this does not invalidate her
experience. The same applies to a person who simply enjoys foot preparation,
a person who enjoys trying new and different foods, or a person who works with
food in their employment. The learning of English as a Second Language or
learning the skills of literacy builds upon and expands the adult learners
previous experience.
This book provides teachers in the areas of literacy and English as a Second
Language with a variety of ideas, activities and tasks that are concrete,
real-life based and can be used to apply to some of the previous knowledge and
experiences of adult learners in the general contexts of food and social culture.
Janet Kan

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE

ACTIVITY

Vocabulary List

What am I Eating?

Portable Picture Dictionary

Grocery Shopping List

10

Grocery Store Map

17

Grocery Store Field Trip

20

K-Days Sampler

25

Menu Choices

32

Ethnic Foods Word Search

34

Mock Cocktail Party

37

The Caf

42

Food in the News

46

Fresh Fruit Pizza

48

The Sandwich Bar

49

On the Map

50

Memory Circles

52

Ice Cream Parlour

54

Bingo

60

Picnic Site

63

Picnic Picnic

68

Lunch Out

72

Simple Recipes

80

Cooking Demonstrations

84

Food on the Wall Gallery

PAGE

ACTIVITY

86

Dialogues

91

Story to Recipe

96

International Cookbook

98

Posters and Book Review

100

Holiday Party

103

Plan the Party

106

Food Festival

115

Find That Restaurant

117

Slurping Soup

ASSESSMENTS
119

Assessments: General Comments

120

PBLA Assessment Template

Activity Specific Assessments

122

Grocery Store List: For Consumers: Food

124

Grocery Store: List For Consumers: Food or Community, Friends &

Neighbours

126

Grocery Store Map: For Consumers: Food

128

Grocery Store Field Trip: For Consumers: Food

131

Grocery Store Field Trip: Employment: Finding Work

133

Mock Cocktail Party: Recreation, Travel & Transportation and/or

Family, Friends & Neighbours

136

Sandwich Bar: For Consumers: Food

138

Ice Cream Parlour: For Consumers: Food

ASSESSMENTS CONTINUED
140

Picnic Site: Canada: Social Culture or Recreation

142

Picnic Site: Employment: On The Job/Recreation/Canada; Social

Culture

144

Picnic, Picnic: Employment; On The Job/Canada; Social Culture

146

Picnic, Picnic: Canada; Social Culture/Recreation/For Consumers;

Food

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Root:/Tuber
potato
carrot
beet
radish
turnip
onion
yam
obok
parsnip
rutabaga

Squash:
pumpkin
spaghetti
zucchini
butternut
acorn

Leafy:

romaine
lettuce
radicchio
endive
escarole
spinach
gailan
Swiss chard
watercress
bokchoy

Grain:

rice
barley
duram
wheat
rye
oats
quinoa
couscous

VEGETABLES

Vocabulary List

pea
bean
lentil
corn

Seed:

broccoli
cabbage
celery
Brussels sprouts
kohlrabi
cauliflower
artichoke
asparagus

Head/Stalk:

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chokecherry
plum
mango
cherry
peach
apricot
date
Nectarine
avocado

Cored:
apple
pear

orange
lemon
lime
tangerine
grapefruit
pomelo
clementine

Berries:

grape
strawberry
currant (red and black)
blackberry
gooseberry
raspberry
loganberry
blueberry
Saskatoon berry
cranberry
boysenberry
huckleberry
dewberry
honeyberry
fig
kiwi
rambutan
papaya
persimmon
guava
mangosteen
pomegranate
lychee
mango
longan
banana
starfruit
durian
pineapple

Tropical:

Pitted:

Citrus:

FRUIT

bark
seed
skin
leaf
pod
stem
core
spear
root
flesh
peel/rind
flower
stalk
tuber
pit
section

Parts:

honeydew
cantaloupe
watermelon
Persian
Crenshaw
Santa Claus

Melons:

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NUTS
pecan
walnut
pistachio
almond
hazelnut
brazil nut
chestnut
cashew

MEATS
beef
pork
chicken
fish
duck
goose
lamb/mutton/goat
steak
roast
fillet
leg/thigh/drumstick
chop
rack
stewing meat

SWEETENINGS

white sugar
brown sugar
molasses
honey
corn syrup
maple syrup

LEAVENINGS

baking powder
baking soda
yeast
cream of tartar

caraway
celery seed
fennel
sesame
poppy seed
mustard
star anise
cumin
sage
marjoram
basil
oregano
tarragon
parsley
bay
rosemary
thyme
dill
mint
chives
chickory
lemon grass
savory
cilantro
lovage

pepper
salt
chili
paprika
garlic
curry
saffron
ginger
cinnamon
licorice
nutmeg
cloves
allspice
turmeric
vanilla
maple
mace

SPICES/SEASONINGS/HERBS

peanut
coconut
mushroom
fungus
tomato
rhubarb
eggplant
cucumber
olive
flour

MISC.

fish
shrimp
clam
oyster
scallop
crab
lobster
abalone

SEAFOOD

WHAT AM I EATING?
Root, Tuber, Stem, Stalk, Flower, Leaf, Seed, Bark, Peel, Fruit, or Berry?
Find as wide an array of pictures of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices as you
can accumulate. Teach the vocabulary for these items and the parts of plants.
The depth to which you go will depend on the level which you teach. You can
add taste adjectives to this as well if you choose, but that vocabulary is not
necessary for the activity. Some of the possible vocabulary is listed in the
vocabulary section previous to this unit.
PHOTO GALLERY
When the students are deemed to be quite certain of the vocabulary, set up a
photo gallery on the walls of the classroom. Identify each picture with a number.
This is a two-layered activity. Each student is given a copy of the chart on the
next page. The chart has columns labelled with the edible parts of plants. The
task is to circulate through the room and put the # of the picture and the word for
it in the corresponding space for the part of the plant. Example: picture #1 is
peas and #2 is potatoes. The student would put #2, potato under the heading
root/tuber and 1, peas under the heading seed.
This can be done as an individual or paired activity. It can be a timed activity
where students must decide quickly and get as many done as they can in a
designated time.
OPINIONS AND PERSUASION
For higher level students, a list can be made of items that many find ambiguous
or disagree on the category. They then work in pairs and practice phrases that
begin with I think , I am sure , etc. This is an exercise in giving an
opinion and persuasion. When agreement is reached, the items are listed.
NO SMART PHONES OR ELECTRONIC DICTIONARIES ALLOWED. This
can be quite interesting with higher level students because they can discuss the
use of spices, seasonings and unusual food items. Students can also bring in
samples of fresh or dried produce to ID and learn the English term for. A good
ingredients picture dictionary is an excellent tool for this.

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Root/
Tuber

Stem/
Stalk

Flower

Leaf

Seed

Bark/Peel

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Fruit/
Berry

fruit
leaf

bark

leaf

seed

flower
stem

roots

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PORTABLE PICTURE DICTIONARY

GROCERY FLYERS AND RECIPE CARDS
This activity can be done over a number of days or even weeks. The teacher
will need to accumulate class sets of grocery flyers over a period of a year in
order to get some of the seasonal items that do not appear regularly. The
teacher then builds a vocabulary list from the flyers they will use in class. This
may entail using anything from 1-4 flyers in a class.
On the day(s) where time is set aside for this activity, give each student the
chosen flyer(s), a pair of scissor and a glue stick. They will also need a
complete set of 100 recipe cards that are blank on one side and lined on the
other.
The teacher writes the words for the target vocabulary on the board. The
students must then find each of the items in the flyer(s), cut the items out and
glue one picture per card on the blank side. They then copy the spelling for
each item on the lined side of the appropriate card. DO NOT ALLOW THE
STUDENTS TO WRITE THE TRANSLATION (OR PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE) OF THE ENGLISH WORD ANYWHERE
ON THE CARD. They are adults and know what the items are from their
experience. They have the conceptual knowledge of what a carrot is. They
need to look at the picture and learn the English word. They do not need to
develop a translation habit.
The cards need to have a hole punched in the top left corner. They are then
held together with a snap ring and new cards can be added to the ring as more
vocabulary is added. Separate decks can be built for different topics.
INDIVIDUAL STUDY
Students can use these portable picture dictionaries for study on the bus, at
home or during a break if they work.
PAIRED PRACTICE
The decks can be used for paired practice when students are finishing another
activity at different rates. This allows those who finish early to be involved in
another activity. There are several variations:
A. One of the pair can simply cue the other with a picture and the partner then
has to identify the item without looking at their deck.

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B. Another variation is for one of the pair to hold their deck out of sight of their
partner. The student with the deck describes the hidden item to their partner,
one sentence at a time until the partner is able to guess what the item is.
C.The partner without the deck asks yes/no questions of the person with the
deck. That person can only answer yes or no. Questions continue until the
student asking questions is able to guess the item. They can take turns in
this version of 20 questions, but in this case it works best if 2 separate or
related deck topics are held by the students, rather than both having the
same deck. An example of this would be to have one student use their deck
for fresh foods (fruit, vegetables, meats, etc.) while their partner uses their
deck for processed foods and packaging (sugar, cookies, ice cream, carton,
bag, bottle, etc.)
Building a solid vocabulary takes time, but setting it into memory seems to work
best for adults when it is used in a context such as shopping. Which segues us
nicely into the next units about real life (context) activities; Grocery Shopping
List, Grocery Store Map, and Grocery Store Field Trip.

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GROCERY SHOPPING LIST

Give each student a flyer for a local store. Using previously practiced vocabulary, put a list on the board. Students must then find each item in the flyer and
the price for that item. This can also be a numeracy exercise, as well as a
reading exercise. Make the list on the board a grocery shopping list with
quantities. The students must then not only find the items and the prices, but
calculate the cost for the desired number of items on the list.
This can also be an assessment task. Each student is given a different flyer
and/or a different shopping list. The task is then to be able to read the flyer, find
the items, write the page of the flyer on which it was found and the cost of a
single item. If numeracy skills are being developed, the calculation of the cost of
however many items are required by the list also becomes part of the
assessment.

GROCERY SHOPPING LIST

Item

Page #

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Cost

GROCERY STORE MAP

In large urban centres, grocery stores can be very large. In some cases, simple
maps are provided to assist customers in their search for those things they want
to purchase. This use of a map allows the teacher to include several activities.
One of these may be to require the students to make up a grocery shopping list.
Once each student has made their list, the teacher collects the lists and passes
them to a different student. The task then is for the second student to shop on
behalf of their classmate. Each student is given the store map and the shopper
must decide where they would find each item on the list.
This activity can be used to teach grocery store departments and the vocabulary
found on packaging and different processed goods. Another thing that can be
taught with this is modals in short inquiry dialogues.
A: I need ________________. (Where can I find _______________? Do you
have any _____________?)
B: That (should, may, might, could, will be ) _______________________.
If the teacher prefers, they can give each student a prepared list of items to find,
rather than require each to make their own list. (See a sample list on page 12.)
This has the benefit of using items the students would be unlikely to include in
their own lists, which in turn, will expand their vocabulary.
Please note included in this unit are sample grocery store maps on pages 13
and 14. One is labelled to correspond to the sample shopping list on page 12.
The other is left blank so you can make your own shopping list and label the
map to correspond to your shopping list. These maps may work better for lower
levels because they are fairly simple.
Also included in this unit is an authentic grocery store map on page 15 and
guide on page 16. These may work better for higher levels because they are
more complex than the sample maps.
Teachers should keep in mind that the authentic map included here is only an
example and that maps such as this are periodically changed as the store
re-organizes or shifts displays, or even whole departments. However, the basic
principles remain and the exercise is useful for the skills it teaches. It can also
be used as a reading assessment.

10

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Grocery Store Field Trip

Assessment Theme: For Consumers: Food

Student Name: _____________________

Date: ______________

Teacher: __________________________
Class Level: ____ CLB 4 ____

Task Description: Each student is given a list at the store entrance.

The
list includes 10-15 items and a size or quantity for each, from at least 5 areas of
the store. The students then must complete the information grid with the brand
name, location and price for each item. Expiry dates, if applicable can be an
additional option. A time limit should be set and prizes may be awarded for
speed and accuracy, at the teachers discretion.
Note: The day prior to the field trip, the teacher should go to the store and make
a master for each of the lists that will be given to the students. Each student
should be given a different list. No electronics allowed.

Task Instructions:
Find each item on your list without the help of your classmates or store staff.
Write down where each item was found. (Aisle number, end aisle, department.)
Write down the price and the brand of each item.
Write the expiry date if that is applicable.
If there are 2 or more options, write down the item with the best price.
Return your completed form to your teacher as quickly as possible.

Skills Assessed:
L 

S 

R 9

W 9

Competencies:
Interacting with Others 
Getting Things Done 9
Comprehending Instructions 9
Giving Instructions 
Comprehending Information 9
Sharing Information 9
Reproducing Information 9
128

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Assessment Criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Identifies type and purpose.

Finds specific information
Compares facts and information to make choices
Copies legibly with no major omissions

B
B
B
B

D
D
D
D

C
C
C
C

Notes:
The teacher should take charge of all electronics for the duration of the assessment. Weighting of the assessment can be in the form of meeting the time allotment. Lists should include items from areas of the store including: produce,
bakery, meat, floral, freezer, deli, dairy, household cleaners, pickles/condiments/
dressings, beverages, pharmacy, ethnic foods, etc. The difficulty of the list is
determined by the level of the class. This can be done orally with CLB 1. In this
case, the teacher takes the class as a whole to an area of the store (example:
produce) and asks each student to show them one item (example: cabbage).
Each student is told a different item. CLB 6 would have lists such as lowest and
highest priced apples, 60% whole wheat, unsliced bread, etc.

See the Sample List on the next page.

Indicators of Ability:

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129