Adult ESL Lessons: Food and Beverages (Beginner)

This is Lesson 4, “Food and Beverages,” from our book of beginner-level adult ESL lessons, “ESL Pathways: Foundations”. The lesson starts with a short story about two people eating lunch, followed by a dialogue between these people and comprehension questions. Students then fill in a food chart, answer discussion questions, and complete a grammar review. This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many other adult ESL lessons like this one in our book ESL Pathways: Foundations.

ADULT ESL LESSONS: “Food and Beverages” (Beginner) – Text-Only Version

John and Maria are meeting for lunch.

John and Maria are in the University food court.  The food court has many different choices for students when they are hungry.  There are many different kinds of food stalls in the food court.  There are sandwich stalls.  There are salad stalls.  There are pizza stalls, hamburger stalls, and chicken stalls too.  There are also many different kinds of international food stalls.  There is Chinese food, Japanese food, Thai food, Indian food, and Mexican food.

There are also many different kinds of beverages for students to choose when they are thirsty.  They can choose soda, tea, coffee, milk, mineral water, or juice.  They can buy beverages from a food stall or from a vending machine.  The vending machines also sell snacks, like potato chips or cookies.  

Students can choose many different kinds of food and drink for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a snack.  They eat breakfast in the morning.  They eat lunch at noon.  They eat dinner in the evening.  They eat a snack anytime.  Today, John and Maria will have lunch together.  They are talking about the different kinds of food they like and dislike.

Dialogue:  Maria and John are talking about food.

John:  Hi Maria, how are you doing?

Maria:  I’m fine John, how about you?

John:  Actually, I’m hungry.

Maria:  Well, you came to the right place.  There are many things to eat here.

John:  I know.  But there are so many choices that I don’t know what to choose.  

Maria:  Well, what kind of food do you like?

John:  I like pizza and salad, but I don’t like hamburgers or sandwiches.

Maria:  OK, why don’t you have pizza and salad?

John:  But I had that yesterday.

Maria:  Maybe you can try one of the international foods they have here.

John:  What do you suggest?

Maria:  Well, I like Chinese and Japanese food, but I don’t like Mexican or Indian food.

John:  Why don’t you like Mexican or Indian food?

Maria:  They are too spicy for me.

John:  Oh, I see.  I like spicy food.

Maria:  Then maybe you can choose Mexican or Indian food for lunch today.

John:  That’s a good idea Maria.  I think I’ll have some tacos.  How about you?

Maria:  I think I’ll have a slice of pizza and some salad today.  

John:  That sounds like a good idea.  Let’s hurry up, I’m starving.

Maria:  Me too.  Talking about food always makes me hungrier!

Questions:

1. Where are John and Maria?
2. What can students buy in the food court?
3. What kind of international food can students buy?
4. Where can students buy beverages?
5. What do the vending machines sell?
6. When do people usually eat breakfast?  Lunch?  Dinner?  Snacks?

7. How does John feel?
8. What does John like?
9. What doesn’t he like?
10. What did he have for lunch yesterday?
11. What does Maria like?
12. What doesn’t she like?

13. Does John like spicy food?
14. What does John decide to have?
15. What will Maria have?
16. What makes Maria hungrier?

Discussion Questions:  

1. Do you like sandwiches?  What kind do you like?
2. Do you like salad? What kind?
3. Do you like pizza?  What kind?
4. Do you like hamburgers?  What American fast food do you like?
5. Have you ever had any international food?  What kind?  Where
6. What is your favorite kind of food?  What is your favorite dish?
7. What food do you dislike?  Why don’t you like it?
8. What kind of beverages do you like?  Where do you usually drink them?
9. What kind of beverages do you dislike?  Why don’t you like them?

10. What do you usually have for breakfast?  Where?
11. What do you usually have for lunch? Where do you usually have lunch?
12. What do you usually have for dinner? Where do you usually have dinner?
13. What do you usually have for a snack? Where do you usually have it?
14. Can you cook?  Who usually cooks for you and your family?
15. Do you know anyone who is a vegetarian?  Tell us about him or her.

Grammar Focus:  Sentence pattern: and / but / or.

Write about yourself:

I like to eat _______________ and _________________ , but I don’t like to eat

____________________________ or _________________________________.

 I like to drink _______________ and _______________ , but I don’t like to drink

____________________________ or ________________________________ .

Now write about your classmate:

_________ likes to eat _______________ and ________________ , but _____

doesn’t like to eat ___________________ or __________________________.  

_________ likes to drink ___________ and ______________ , but _________

doesn’t like to drink  _______________________ or ______________________.