French people love to prioritize the enjoyment of their food and so do your students. So why not teach French food vocabulary? Even during workdays, we take our time, often times taking 2-hour lunch breaks to enjoy our meals. We can take hours of our evenings for dinner, sitting and chatting with friends and family, sharing in delicious food.
Why teach french food vocabulary?
Not only is French cuisine at the heart of French culture, it is also talked about A LOT by French people. Learning French food vocabulary thus provides an important access point for students to connect with the French community. Luckily, there are many fun ways to teach it!
For students outside of French-speaking countries, the most engaging way to practice French food vocabulary would be to go to a French restaurant, where servers speak French, and order their food in French. Should there be such a wonderful opportunity within your community, I would highly recommend you try it!
The next best thing would be to simulate a restaurant experience in your classroom. By assigning roles such as waiter and patron, students can practice their communication skills and learn how to properly order food in a restaurant setting. Additionally, students can get creative and design their own menus, adding an extra layer of excitement to the activity. Plus, this activity is cost-effective, making it a great alternative to an actual restaurant visit.
a french food vocabulary resource you might use:
getting started with the resource:
Of course, students will need lots of practice before they’re ready for these culminating activities, so to scaffold, introducing them to French vocabulary activities full of colorful images is a great start. Here’s a set that works quite well!
This mini unit is great for your French beginner/ Core French class. No prep, just print the vocabulary worksheets and you’re ready to go! The activities are the perfect addition to any French Food Vocabulary lesson.
Through different reading, writing and drawing activities, your students will learn or review French food vocabulary! Includes:
- Vocabulary list
- Regarde les images, puis écris les aliments que tu aimes et ceux que tu n'aimes pas dans les rectangles ci-dessous.
- Écris ce que mange Julie pour le petit-déjeuner chaque jour de la semaine.
- Dessine ce que chacun aime manger et boirepour le déjeuner.
- Écris le nom de chaque produit.
- Rupert revient des courses. Regarde sa liste et ses achats et aide le a trouver ce qui manque.
- Vrai ou faux.
games to use french food vocabulary:
Once students have familiarized themselves with the French food vocabulary, they are ready for some games. An example would be a simple, yet effective, game of “I Spy”. All they need to do is read the French word for the foods they need to look for, find the image to match, and check it off. You can find my “I Spy” game here!
storytelling and reading stories about french food vocabulary
Mastering individual French food vocabulary words is not the end of this learning journey - like any language, students must be able to recognize the words and understand them within the context of complete sentences. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect people with language, and so reading short stories with French food vocabulary embedded within the text is a great next step. I have found that breakfast foods are the most accessible, and so here’s a set of stories about breakfast to share with your students. There are comprehension questions to go with these stories, so your students can practice writing the vocabulary as well.
extension activities for early finishers
Now, what about your early finishers? As the rest of the class continues with their work, there will inevitably be some kids who have completed all the fun activities you’ve provided. What can they do to continue practicing and engaging in French food vocabulary? Well, for those who love drawing, here’s a Food Doodle Journal for them to… well… doodle in! There are plenty of opportunities for them to use their newly acquired French food vocabulary, such as doodling what is in their fridge, doodling their favorite French recipe, doodling a typical French breakfast, and so on. It’s a great extension to your already-rich unit plan.
And with that, your students are just about ready to simulate a French restaurant in your classroom - or better yet, go to a French-speaking restaurant! Don’t forget to have them practice everything orally as well, as oral fluency will help their knowledge stick. Let me know how your lessons go; I would love to hear about your students’ successes. Any excuse for me to talk about food :)