How to Talk About Food in English
Discussing healthy eating, describing a favourite dish, ordering from a menu or being able to say, ‘I have never eaten snails’ are just some examples of why you might need to talk about food in English.
Usually, that’s as far as it goes...
Why? There’s so much more you can learn when talking about food.
Being able to talk about food in English, or any language for that matter is so much more than just being able to answer questions in a speaking exam, understand a random listening exercise about fast food or explaining to a host family that you don’t like kale.
If you can express yourself in English through the language of food – you will gain a whole new insight into the culture, the customs and traditions of a country.
That’s because…..
Food and language are intertwined – you don’t get one without the other. No occasion is complete without a snack, drinks, a picnic, lunch or nibbles.
If you can talk to someone about their food, it breaks down barriers and makes connections.
When you share a meal with someone, you share a piece of their heart, you learn something.
People love talking about food, it’s the next best thing to eating it!
Getting together around a table, to share a meal with the local people is the best way to gain an insight into their lives and learn about their culture.
Everyone has a recipe to share, a story to tell, they want you to share something they’re proud of. If all you can say is, ‘that’s nice’ then you’ll miss out!
Think about this…
I spoke to a well-known chef, who was at the top of his game in his native country – he trained with the best but when he arrived in the UK he was put on breakfast duty for six months because he didn’t speak any English, more importantly, no kitchen English. Being confident in this aspect of language would have helped him progress faster.
A friend of mine had a master’s level in English when she first moved to the US but spent 3 months of feeling embarrassed when she went out to eat because the customs were different to that of her home country. Being confident with the language of food will help you thrive in social situations, you can enjoy the enriching experience that eating out together brings without feeling embarrassed or worse – avoiding it all together!
One of my students was living in Ireland when we started working together and it took her a long time to adjust to the meal times there and the different food that was eaten because she wasn’t prepared. If you are prepared before you go then you can immerse yourself into the culture much faster and not waste any time worrying about what you are going to eat and when you are supposed to eat it. Sitting down to a meal should be an enjoyable experience, not something to stress you out!
If you can learn to embrace the language of food you will…..
Acquire some amazing language. Chefs never describe their dishes simply as ‘nice or tasty’ imagine how much language you can learn just from watching a cooking show.
Gain confidence in social situations. You can improve speaking skills, and practice grammar in a practical way.
Practice a whole range of other skills and vocabulary. Learn those associated with food and cooking that can be transferred to other areas such as measurements, times and following instructions.
Using recipes, watching cooking shows, reading menus and looking at restaurant blurb are such rich ways to develop so many skills in English.
Everyone loves to eat and some people even love cooking so using this approach which is niche, yet accessible, relevant and fun takes the usual talking about food to a whole other level.
I love food, cooking it, eating it and talking about it! Expressing yourself through your love of food is one of the best ways to express yourself in any language – that’s why it is important to talk food!
Why not sign up for my FREE GUIDE to British meals and meal times. Learn when and what us Brits eat on a daily basis and wet your appetite! Get it here.
You can also contact me here to book a free taster session.
Gayle from Appetizing English.
https://www.appetizingenglish.com/
https://www.facebook.com/appetizingenglish/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC58Zaly25t4v3nIcRz2e6wg
I hope this blog was useful. If you think your friends would like it, please send it to them or share it on Facebook. Thank you.
Would you like my WhatsApp number and like to exchange WhatsApp voice messages with me about English? To get it, join my video courses here. I hope to become your teacher and talk to you on WhatsApp!
You can also get my free phrasal verb mini-course and my free speaking skills mini-course here.
Make sure you follow me on Instagram where I post daily videos and join my free Facebook study group where I set daily tasks and give you corrections.
I also provide Skype classes for children and adults. Email me for more information.
If you have any questions at all, contact me at info@teatime-english.com
Good luck with your English!
Sarah x