COOKING UP A LANGUAGE LESSON
When I first began teaching Spanish in a small Michigan town in the ‘70s, there were very few Mexican restaurants and Spanish restaurants were non-existent. I started cooking in the classroom as a way to help my students explore a culture through its cuisine. Years later, as Mexican restaurants had become more common, I discovered that students assumed that Mexican and Spanish cuisines were one and the same. So I then began to show my students the differences by preparing typical dishes in the classroom.
Some years later, I found myself teaching in a small, independent school. As the only language teacher on staff, I was teaching Spanish to the same students grade after grade. At the start of each academic year, students would ask, “Are we going to have Quesadillas this year?” and enthusiastically declare, “I can’t wait until it gets cold so we can have Mexican Hot Chocolate.” I realized that I would have to find a way to incorporate meaningful lessons into the actual cooking demonstrations, or else I really couldn’t justify making the same foods and drinks year after year for the same groups of students.
After some brainstorming and review of the curriculum, I found that I could continue to prepare the treats requested by classes by using the cooking demonstrations as a background or tool for the teaching of vocabulary, grammar, writing, and listening lessons.
When I moved to my present school, where I enjoy the camaraderie and talents of my fellow language teachers, I continued to cook and encouraged others to give it a try. Soon there was the aroma of freshly prepared crepes coming from the French room. And when Chinese was added to our language options, it didn’t take long for the Chinese teachers to fill the hall with the scent of Fried Rice.
I remember my grandmother saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” That may be true, but I prefer to say, “The way to motivate students is through their stomach.”
We hope that our examples of meaningful and appropriate language lessons, based on the use of foods in the classroom, will inspire you too to cook up a lesson.
Diane Williams
Spanish Teacher
Cannon Middle School
Some years later, I found myself teaching in a small, independent school. As the only language teacher on staff, I was teaching Spanish to the same students grade after grade. At the start of each academic year, students would ask, “Are we going to have Quesadillas this year?” and enthusiastically declare, “I can’t wait until it gets cold so we can have Mexican Hot Chocolate.” I realized that I would have to find a way to incorporate meaningful lessons into the actual cooking demonstrations, or else I really couldn’t justify making the same foods and drinks year after year for the same groups of students.
After some brainstorming and review of the curriculum, I found that I could continue to prepare the treats requested by classes by using the cooking demonstrations as a background or tool for the teaching of vocabulary, grammar, writing, and listening lessons.
When I moved to my present school, where I enjoy the camaraderie and talents of my fellow language teachers, I continued to cook and encouraged others to give it a try. Soon there was the aroma of freshly prepared crepes coming from the French room. And when Chinese was added to our language options, it didn’t take long for the Chinese teachers to fill the hall with the scent of Fried Rice.
I remember my grandmother saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” That may be true, but I prefer to say, “The way to motivate students is through their stomach.”
We hope that our examples of meaningful and appropriate language lessons, based on the use of foods in the classroom, will inspire you too to cook up a lesson.
Diane Williams
Spanish Teacher
Cannon Middle School