Language

EATING OUT

1. SCENARIO OVERVIEW

GOAL OF THE SCENARIO

The goal of the learning scenario, Eating Out, is to enhance learners’ language experiences by engaging them in a variety of listening, reading, writing and oral interaction activities associated with going out to eat at a restaurant. It is authentic in the sense that learners can follow through with the scenario in their personal lives, should they so desire, and actually extend their opportunities to use English in a real-life context outside the classroom. Furthermore, while the scenario is designed to be undertaken in the classroom through realistic role-plays and simulations, it can also incorporate a more authentic goal, such as planning and preparing for a class outing to a real restaurant.

The scenario consists of three learning situations:

Preparations for Going Out to a Restaurant

Ordering a Meal at a Restaurant

Customer Satisfaction

CLASS OF SITUATIONS:

Using language for enjoyment and personal interests

TARGETED REAL-LIFE SITUATION:

Going to a restaurant

BROAD AREA OF LEARNING:

Environmental and Consumer Awareness

LENGTH: 12-15 hours

LOCATING THE SCENARIO IN A PROGRAM OF STUDY

SUBJECT AREA:

LANGUAGE

PROGRAM OF STUDY: ENGLISH, LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

LEVEL: LITERACY

COURSE: LEISURE AND PERSONAL INTERESTS (ENG B125-4)

SCENARIO FRAME

DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENARIO

The learning scenario constitutes an excellent preparation for learners who are or will soon be on the job market, since the proposed learning activities are similar to the steps involved in a job search. When they follow through with the scenario and gain some experience as a volunteer, this experience can be added to their résumé when they are applying for a job.

In each of the activities, learners engage in several categories of actions and thereby develop their proficiency in reading, writing, speaking or listening in an integrated fashion. In addition, in the process of reading, writing, speaking and listening in a new situation, they exercise and develop their operational competencies, extend and refine their language knowledge, develop more positive attitudes, and make use of a variety of social and material resources

TABLE OF LEARNING SITUATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Scenario: Finding Volunteer WorkCourse: Stepping Out – ENG-P105-4

The scenario is organized into three situations, each of which contains two activities. The six activities are organized sequentially so that each activity builds upon the previous one(s) and leads into the following one(s).

Preparing the GroundResearch OpportunitiesApplying for a Volunteer JobActivity 1: Getting involved in the learning situation (link)

Activity 2: Becoming informed about volunteering (link)Activity 3: Clarifying interests and personal goals (link)

Activity 4: Finding, exploring and narrowing down possibilities (link)Activity 5: Writing a résumé or letter of introduction (link)

Activity 6: Having an interview (link)

STEPS IN CARRYING OUT THE LEARNING SITUATIONS IN THE SCENARIO

Note to the Teacher

This section provides a detailed outline of how to carry out the activities developed for the scenario. It is intended to facilitate the reader’s comprehension of the scenario and the rationale for the selection and sequencing of the activities. However, when teachers create their own scenarios, they do not need to provide this much detail. In addition, the scenario is not intended to limit the activities to the ones presented, but rather it provides the teacher the freedom to select and/or adapt them: certain options are identified, and of course, the teacher can create other options of his/her own, according to the needs and interests of the adults in the class.

2. PROCEDURE

DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENARIO

In each of the activities in this scenario, learners engage in several categories of actions and thereby develop and enhance their experiences of reading, writing, listening and oral interaction in an integrated fashion. In addition, in the process of reading, writing, speaking and listening in a new situation, they exercise and develop their operational competencies, extend and refine their language knowledge, develop more positive, constructive and confident attitudes to language learning and to the restaurant experience in general, and make use of a variety of social, material and technological/electronic* resources.

TABLE OF LEARNING SITUATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Scenario: EATING OUTCourse: LEISURE AND PERSONAL INTERESTS ENG B125-4

The learning scenario is organized into three situations, each of which contains two or more activities.

SITUATION 1: PREPARATIONS FOR GOING OUT TO A RESTAURANT

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SITUATION 2:

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SITUATION 3: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

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Andragogical Intention

To help adult literacy learners identify their restaurant habits and preferences, choose a restaurant in line with their preferences and budget and make a reservation.Andragogical Intention

To help adult literacy learners read a variety of different menus, choose items from a menu in line with their tastes and preferences and order a meal. Andragogical Intention

To help adult literacy learners to express a complaint or dissatisfaction, request some form of appropriate compensation, and evaluate a restaurant along selected categories.Activity 1: Identifying restaurant habits and preferences (link)*Activity 2: Choosing a restaurant (link)*Activity 3: Making a reservation (link)*Activity 4: Surveying the menu (link)*Activity 5: Ordering a meal (link)*Activity 6: Complaining at a restaurant (link)*

Activity 7: Evaluating a restaurant (link)**All links are listed in the Resources & Handouts folder.

STEPS IN CARRYING OUT THE LEARNING SITUATIONS IN THE SCENARIO

NOTE:

This section provides a detailed outline of how to carry out the activities developed for the scenario. It is intended to facilitate the reader’s comprehension of the scenario and the rationale for the selection and sequencing of the activities. However, when teachers create their own scenarios, they do not need to provide this much detail. In addition, the scenario is not intended to limit the activities to the ones presented, but rather it provides the teacher the freedom to select and/or adapt them: certain options are identified, and of course, the teacher can create other options of his/her own, according to the needs and interests of the adults in the class.

3. RESOURCES & HANDOUTS

NOTE:

Not all the resources listed below are intended for the learners. Some are references for the teacher alone while other resources may be used by both learners and teachers. It is up to the teacher to decide which ones may be helpful for the learners as well, depending on such factors as the level of their proficiency, availability of computers, access to the resources, etc.

COURSE: LEISURE AND PERSONAL INTERESTS ENG B125-4 SCENARIO: EATING OUT

LEARNING SITUATION 1: PREPARATIONS FOR GOING OUT TO A RESTAURANT

Activity 1: Types of Restaurants

Activity 2: Researching Restaurants

The following website provides listings of Montreal restaurants: http://www.qdg.ca/restaurants.aspx . Readers can narrow down their search by selecting a location, type of cuisine, price range and other special features, click on “submit” and find a list of pertinent restaurants with a short description.

Alternatively, the teacher can provide each group with a copy of the Yellow Pages (restaurant section).

Activity 3: Listening to Recordings of Supper Reservations and Recording Details

Step 1: Listening to telephone reservations

Audio recordings of people making reservations at a restaurant can be found at the following websites:

http://esl.about.com/library/listening/bllis_reservation.htm

http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=3599568

http://www.eslfast.com/robot/topics/restaurant/restaurant02.htm

Alternatively, two teachers, acting in the roles of host and customer, could also make a few recordings of their own.

Step 1: Recording details

A sample information transfer exercise in which learners can record the significant details of each of the conversations is provided on the following page.

*NOTE:

The purpose of integrating technology or electronic resources in learning activities should always be to engage learners in critical thinking that contributes to their overall learning.

When designing learning activities that consist of technology or electronic resources, teachers should ask themselves two questions:

1. How will this resource contribute to the learners’ overall learning and development in a way that traditional means cannot?

2. Does the use of this resource in this learning activity stimulate learners to discover new ideas and concepts in a manner that can eventually further develop competence in other real-life situations?

somewhat embarrassed. Is he allowed to do this?

LEARNING SITUATION 2: ORDERING A MEAL

Activity 4: Listening to server-customer exchanges

Step 1:

Step 2

3.1 RESOURCES & HANDOUTS (cont’d)

Activity 3: Role-play of Making a Restaurant Reservation

Step 2: Role-play cards

Sample role-cards for host and customer are provided on the page following the information transfer exercise.

LEARNING SITUATION 2: ORDERING IN A RESTAURANT

Activity 4: Surveying the menu (Authentic menus)

Some restaurants give copies of their take-out menu to customers who ask for them. Menus can also be obtained from the Internet. The following lists some useful sites for teachers:

restaurantrow.com ( http://www.restaurantrow.com/index.cfm ) is a site that allows readers to search for restaurants by city or type of cuisine, and many of the restaurants that appear on the list have a “view menu” option.

A variety of printable menus for American restaurants can be obtained from: http://ohio.cafecourier.com/menus.asp

Menus of New York restaurants can be obtained from allmenus.com: http://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/. The following is an example:

- All Star Café: http://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/251098-alices-tea-cup-chapter-ii/menu/

A list of Montreal family restaurants can be obtained at http://www.bar-resto.com/family-e.htm Clicking on any of them will take the reader to the restaurant’s website, which often has an English option and a link to their menu in English. See the list below for some specific examples:

- Moe’s: http://www.moeswestisland.com/menu-e.htm

- Baton Rouge: http://www.batonrougerestaurants.com/page.asp?intNodeID=31221

- La Fine Pointe: http://www.bar-resto.com/finepointe/alacarte-e.htm

- Cage aux Sports: a pdf menu can be downloaded from: http://en.cage.ca/our-menu

- Nickels: a pdf menu can be downloaded from: http://www.nickelsrestaurants.com/page.asp?intNodeID=7153

- Dunn’s: http://www.dunnsfamous.com/en_menu.htm

Realistic menus (simplified and adapted for ESL learners)

http://www.englishadvantage.info/lesson-plans/restaurant/menu

http://www.ielanguages.com/lessonplan.html : Scroll down to the category “culture” and click on “American Restaurant Menu” to download a menu in Word.

Activity 4: Sample worksheet on menus

A sample worksheet to guide learners’ reading can be found on the following page. The questions on the worksheet are generic, but can be easily adapted to the specific menus chosen by the teacher.

3.2 RESOURCES & HANDOUTS (cont’d)

Activity 5: Ordering a Meal Step 1: Listening to server-customer exchanges (AUDIO/VIDEO Recordings) Teachers can find a few recordings (including transcripts) of people ordering in a restaurant on the Internet.

http://video.about.com/esl/English-Restaurant-Vocabulary.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/listening/blrestorder.htm

AudioEnglish.net has two recordings, one for a breakfast menu and one for a lunch and dinner menu: http://www.audioenglish.net/english-learning/efl_restaurant.htm

If these are unsuitable, teachers, acting in the roles of server and customer, can record themselves ordering food at a restaurant, basing their exchange on one of the menus that learners have looked at in Activity 4.

Activity 5: Ordering a Meal (cont’d) Step 3: Role-play

(For sample menus, refer to the list of resources for Activity 4.)

For the role-play, two role cards are provided on the following pages: one for servers and the other for customers. The guidelines are generic and do not have to be strictly followed, since some of them may not apply (e.g. appetizers are not normally part of a breakfast menu). They are there simply to encourage learners to elaborate, but even in a relatively predictable exchange, there is always a certain amount of unpredictability and learners have to be prepared to respond “on the spot”.

LEARNING SITUATION 3: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Activity 6: Complaining at a Restaurant

A list of 10 common restaurant complaints can be found at the following site:

http://www.londoneats.com/news/default.asp?PressID=26

For ways of formulating complaints to a server or restaurant manager, see the following site, which also includes a matching exercise:

http://2ndnature-online-eikaiwa.com/Expressions/Module-6/Unit-6.4.htm

4. PROGRAM COMPONENTS ADDRESSED BY THE LEARNING SCENARIO

CLASS OF SITUATIONS

Using language for enjoyment and personal interests

TARGETED REAL-LIFE SITUATION

Going to a restaurant

CATEGORIES OF ACTIONS

Interacting orally for enjoyment and personal interests: Group discussions; role-plays of host-customer and server-customer exchanges

Listening to informative discourse for enjoyment and personal interests: Listening to recordings of customers making a restaurant reservation and ordering a meal

Reading informative texts for enjoyment and personal interests: Reading restaurant descriptions, questionnaires, menus

Writing informative texts for enjoyment and personal interests: Filling out a questionnaire on habits and preferences; noting details of a restaurant reservation; designing and filling our a restaurant evaluation form

OPERATIONAL COMPETENCIES

Communicates: Establishing a purpose for communicating; conveying and comprehending factual information; sharing preferences; responding appropriately to interlocutors; adapting language to the interlocutor/audience and degree of formality of the situation

Acts methodically: Collating and summarizing responses to a questionnaire; following an appropriate listening process; using effective reading, listening and oral interaction techniques; following a writing process; respecting linguistic conventions; filling out a questionnaire systematically

Thinks logically: Using the structural organization of texts to make meaning; choosing an appropriate format for a questionnaire; organizing questionnaire items into categories

Cooperates: Negotiating to reach a group consensus (choice of restaurant; design of questionnaire)

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

Informative discourse and text types (oral and written): group discussions; restaurant descriptions; questionnaires; restaurant ads and listings; telephone reservations (customer-host); menus; customer-server exchanges

Strategies and techniques:

Oral interaction: Repeating; rehearsing; reformulating; active listening; observing turn-taking rules and social conventions; using formulas and routines; referring to models

Listening: Predicting; recording; reviewing; re-listening; confirming; attending to keywords and phrases; using written material to support oral comprehension; using body language; adjusting volume, tone, pace

Reading: Predicting; guessing from context; using illustrations; consulting a dictionary; researching; skimming and scanning; recognizing keywords; using discourse cues; verifying predictions

Writing: Using models; listing; outlining; organizing; editing and revising

NOTE:

The program components addressed by the learning scenario Eating Out are listed below. Those that are compulsory are bolded. The specific essential knowledge targeted is italicized in green. Other elements that are pedagogically valuable but not subject to evaluation are also identified

4.1 PROGRAM COMPONENTS ADDRESSED BY THE LEARNING SCENARIO (cont’d)

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE (cont’d)

Language functions: Asking for, obtaining and giving information; expressing tastes and preferences; recommending; suggesting; requesting; comparing; requesting

Grammar, spelling, punctuation: Present simple tense to express habitual actions and preferences; adverbs of frequency; interrogative and declarative sentences; use of different forms to express a particular function; adaptation of conventions to a questionnaire

Sociolinguistic features: Polite, relatively formal oral discourse between strangers (role-play activities) Vocabulary related to types of restaurants, menus, food, preferences, restaurant complaints and

evaluations, etc.

ATTITUDES

Tolerance of ambiguity (in reading and listening)

Curiosity (about different restaurants, types of food, tastes and preferences of others)

Self-confidence and willingness to take risks (speaking)

Concentration and attention to detail

Respect for others; politeness; flexibility Critical sense

MATERIAL AND SOCIAL RESOURCES Material: see Resources and Handouts folder for resources pertinent to the learners. Social resources: Restaurant servers and hosts; teacher and other learners

END-OF-COURSE OUTCOMES

See “Expected Learning” for each activity (Activity folder “STEPS IN CARRYING OUT THE LEARNING SITUATIONS IN THE SCENARIO”)

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Interacts orally at a functional level in routine situations, using basic common discourse Understands basic, common oral discourse at a functional level in routine situations Reads predictable, basic, common texts at a functional level Writes short, basic common texts at a functional level