Topic: Ordering Food at a Restaurant – Role-Playing with Realistic Scenarios.

Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to confidently order food at a restaurant using appropriate vocabulary, structures, and expressions in a simulated real-life situation.

Student’s level: (MCRE)

A2 - B1 (Elementary - Pre-Intermediate)

Target skill:

Speaking and listening

Target vocabulary:

· Restaurant-related words: menu, waiter, bill, order, appetizer, main course, dessert, beverage, tip

· Polite expressions: "Could I have…?" "I’d like…," "Can you bring…?" "May I see the menu?"

· Complaints & compliments: "This is delicious!" "Excuse me, I think there is a mistake with my order."

Student’s age:

12-16 years old

Target gramar:

· Modal verbs for polite requests (Can/Could/May)

· Countable & uncountable nouns (some, any, much, many)

· Present simple for ordering and describing food preferences

Warm-up activity:

·The classroom is transformed into a restaurant (music, menu boards, table setting).

· Students are given mystery role cards (customer, waiter, chef, food critic) without revealing them.

·Quick discussion: “What do we usually do at a restaurant? What expressions do we use?”

· Students brainstorm and predict phrases they might hear in a restaurant.

Material:

· Printed role cards (Waiter, Chef, Customer, Food Critic)

·Background restaurant music

·Small props (tablecloth, plastic plates, cups)

Main activities:

Pre-Stage: "Mastering the Menu"

-Vocabulary Introduction (via an interactive menu with images).

-Listening Activity: A short conversation between a waiter and a customer.

-Mini-dialogue practice: Students repeat and analyze the structure of polite restaurant expressions.

During-Stage: “The Restaurant is Open” -Pair Work:

1.Students receive role cards (customer or waiter).

2.Waiters memorize polite service phrases, and customers prepare their orders.

3.They practice interactions using given structures.

Role-Play Challenge:

1.Waiters take orders.

2.Customers can ask for recommendations, make complaints, or request modifications.

3.After 5 minutes, roles switch.

 Post-Stage: "Restaurant Drama" (Creative Fluency – 10 min)

1. Unexpected Situations: Each pair receives a "restaurant drama" scenario:

· “The customer doesn’t like their meal.”

· “The waiter forgets part of the order.”

· “The bill is incorrect.”

2. Students improvise solutions using learned vocabulary.

3. Feedback Session: Peers and teacher give constructive feedback on fluency and correctness.

Material: (mandatory)

·Interactive menú(Handmade)

·Pre-recorded audio dialogue

·Printed phrase bank

• Fake menus with different restaurant styles (Italian, Mexican, Fast Food, Fancy Dining)

• Fake money for transactions

• Printed dialogues for structure support

• Scenario flashcards

• Rubric for peer feedback

Practice or Assessment

·Students write a short restaurant review based on their role-play experience.

·They describe the service, food, and overall experience, using at least 5 key expressions from the lesson.

·Some students share their reviews aloud.

Material:

·Template for restaurant review

·Whiteboard for collecting expressions

Closure           

·The class votes on the best waiter and best customer based on politeness and fluency.

·Students reflect: “What was the most useful phrase today?”

·Quick summary of key structures and vocabulary.

Material:

·Voting slips

·Summary notes on whiteboard

Homework/Follow-up Activity

·Students must go to a real restaurant or café, order something in English, and record themselves or write a dialogue based on their experience.

DIDACTIC UNIT

Unit Component

Title

¨ ¡We´re hungry, bring the lessons! ¨

Topic

Theme:
This unit is  designed to introduce the students to daily communicative situations in a burger restaurant (or any other restaurant). It´s perfect for developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills while reinforcing key grammatical structures. It can be connected to future units in food routines.

Grammar:

·         Polite expressions

·         Can/Can´t

·         Simple present

·         Countable and uncountable nouns

·         There is / There are

Vocabulary:

·         Food and drink items: Burger, fries, soda, cheese, ketchup, water.

·         Restaurant vocabulary: Menu, waiter, order, table, bill, cup, tip.

·         Adjectives to describe food: Delicious, Cold, Salty, big, small, hot.

·         Polite phrases: Please, thank you, excuse me, ¿I would like, can i have…?

Reading: 

·         Reading graphic organizers: Match menu items with descriptions or categorize food groups.

·         Reading strategy – scanning: Quickly finding specific information (price, ingredients).

·         Reading strategy – predicting: Based on pictures or menu layout, predict what’s offered.

·         Short text and menus: Reading real or adapted menus to identify food items and prices.

Listening:

·         Focused listening: Audio dialogues between customer and waiter.

·         Listening for specific information: ¿What did the customer order? What drink did he choose?

Writing:

·         Using sentence starters and models: Scaffolded writing (I like… / I don´t like...)

·         Dialogue writing: Create a simple waiter- customer conversation.

·         Writing a short food order: (I´d like a burger, fries, and soda)

·         Filling a menu: Complete a blank restaurant menu with favorite items.

Speaking:

·         Mini presentations: (My perfect burger…) Describing ingredients and preferences.

·         Practicing polite expression: (¿Can I have…? I would like, thank you)

·         Asking and answering about food preferences: (¿Do you like…?)

·         Role – plays: Waiter and customer in a burger restaurant.

Time

Unit Objectives 

Main unit objective:

The students will be able to understand and participate in a basic restaurant dialogue, including ordering food and drinks in a hamburger establishment, using appropriate vocabulary, expressions and structures.

Lesson objectives:

Lesson objective 1: 

·         Students will be able to recognize essential vocabulary and expressions used in restaurant dialogues by listening to short conversations between customers and waiters.

Lesson objective 2:

·         Students will be able to understand and obtain information from restaurant menus and simple written dialogues about ordering food.

Lesson objective 3:

·         Students will be able to write simple sentences detailing their request using culinary terms and basic sentence structures.

Lesson objective 4:

·         Students will have the opportunity to simulate a dialogue in a hamburger restaurant, alternating between being a customer and a waiter, using different type of phrases.

Course Learning Outcomes

Think about how the learning outcomes for each unit connect to the overall course objectives. Each should align and connect to each other.

Main unit learning outcome:

·         At the end of the unit, students will have the opportunity to participate in basic restaurant dialogues, demonstrating their understanding of food- related vocabulary and appropriate interaction patterns for ordering food and drinks in English.

Lesson learning outcome:

Lesson objective 1:

·         Listening:
Students will be able to identify specific vocabulary and phrases used in restaurant dialogues and demonstrate their understanding by completing listening comprehension tasks.

Lesson objective 2:

·         Reading:
Students will be able to read and understand simple restaurants and conversations, recognizing essential information such as dishes, prices and phrases used for ordering.

Lesson objective 3:

·         Writing:
Students will be able to briefly write their hamburger order, using food related terms, adjectives and simple grammatical structures.

Lesson objective 4:

·         Speaking:
Students will have the opportunity to participate in a short role – play dialogue, taking on the roles of a customer ad waiter, using expressions for ordering food, and asking/answering questions in a restaurant.

Formative -Assessments

1.      Grammar:

·         Checklists:

 You can create customized checklists to assess any aspect of grammar that students need to master (e.g. use of verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles and prepositions...).

 During the in-class assignment, both you and your students can download the checklist and mark the grammar aspects that the student has already demonstrated mastery of, so you can also give the student written feedback on what needs to be improved and how to do it.

2.      Vocabulary:

·         ABC Brainstorming:

Strategy for teaching vocabulary as it allows students in a lesson to write as many words or phrases as they can in one minute starting from the letter at which the teacher begins the alphabet. convey and demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts/details of the lesson. students' knowledge of the topic/keyword. for future lessons.

3.      Reading:

·         Exit Card: Exit cards are written student responses to questions posed at the end of a class or learning activity or at the end of a day.

At the end of a reading session, the exit card is used to prompt students to write a short response related to what they have read. This could include a summary, a central concept, a question or a reflection. This tool gives the teacher the opportunity to monitor reading comprehension, check whether students recognized the essential components of the text, and identify potential problems that may require attention in future lessons.

- Skill Area: Reading

- Link to presentation:

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAGjs4D2Lro/1DK-MnRRC_CYQldFdWYdzw/edit?utm_content=DAGjs4D2Lro&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

·Oneida Lizeth Guazquillo

- Skill Area: Speaking

- Link to presentation: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGkps8dkMg/VQ0dTyJdJ9BtnjTbJ8W57Q/view?utm_content=DAGkps8dkMg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h808c1d9e72

·Eliana Carolina Gutierrez

- Skill Area: Writting

-  Link to presentation:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGkMsiEkUI/_-S5msmd7m2S2adZqFcIdA/edit?utm_content=DAGkMsiEkUI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

This archive includes presentations of some of the tools researched by each member of the group, innovative teaching programs, a pedagogical unit designed to cover different skills with interactive activities created with digital tools, and an intense reflection on the revolutionary role of the teacher.

Our goal is to promote modern, effective, and cost-effective teaching methods in line with the demands of our students.

·         One Minute Essay:  A one-minute essay question (or one-minute question) is a focused question with a specific goal that can, in fact, be answered within a minute or two:

This task facilitates quick and effective assessment of listening to an audio recording, students answer a simple question that they must complete in one or two minutes. Through this written response, the teacher can monitor individual progress, verify whether students understood the key elements of the audio and determine whether they have achieved the required mastery of the content studied.

5.      Writing:

·         14. Journal Entry

Students regularly write reflective entries on a topic or what they have learned in class.

Objective: To observe the development of critical thinking, organization of ideas, vocabulary use, and grammar.

Advantages:

- Allows students to see progress over time.

- Facilitates self-assessment.

- It is flexible and adaptable to different levels.

This assessment method helps monitor progress by reviewing how ideas, structure, and grammatical accuracy evolve week by week. It shows the student's progress.

6.      Speaking:

·         47. Say Something

Students take turns leading a short discussion about a section of a reading or video in cooperative groups. Each participant must "say something" meaningful: it can be an opinion, a question, a personal connection, an inference, or a prediction. This activity rotates, ensuring equal participation.

Objective:

To assess students' ability to express themselves spontaneously in English, demonstrate understanding of the content, and actively participate in academic conversations. It also promotes the use of language to analyze, reflect, and construct meaning in groups

Advantages:

- Encourages active and meaningful oral participation.

- Develops confidence in speaking in a cooperative setting

- Helps improve reading and listening comprehension through the exchange of ideas.

- Provides ongoing opportunities to practice real-world communication skills.

This allows teachers to observe the use of vocabulary, grammatical structures, pronunciation, and fluency in a natural context.

Key Resources

Include diverse and inclusive resources that will guide and support students.

1.      Grammar:

·         Interactive grammar games and worksheets.

·         Visual grammar charts and graphs.

·         Grammar exercises with dialogues or short stories.

2.      Vocabulary:

·         Flashcards and word walls with illustrations and translations.

·         Lists of topic terms.

·         Games such as bingo, recognition games and word searches.

3.      Reading: 

·         Level- appropriate texts and narratives

·         Books with culturally diverse illustrations and stories

·         Audio readers and reading apps for guided remote support.

·         Activities to learn vocabulary and understand reading.

4.      Listening:

·         Recordings of native and non- native speakers.

·         Videos with subtitles for guided listening.

·         Listening journals for note – taking.

5.      Writing:

·         Writing prompts with visual and thematic support.

·         Visual organizers

·         Checklists and peer view rubrics for writing and editing.

·         Model texts of various genres.

6.      Speaking:

·         Role- playing games, dialogues and letters for dialogues.

·         Conversation prompts and repetition activities.

·         Dialogue games.

·         Audio or video recording tools for self-reflection and practice.

Students’ context

Describe the student’s English level (MCE)

Age range

Grade

Learner’s needs

Aspect

Description

English level (MCE)

A1-Begginner

Students have the ability to understand and use everyday expressions and very basic expressions. They begin to interact in simple ways if the other person speaks softly and clearly.

Age range

10 to 13 years old.

Grade

6^th – 8^th grade

Basic secondary education.

Learner´s needs

·         Strengthen fundamental English skills

·         Engage in meaningful and interactive activities.

·         Promote confidence in both oral and written communication.

·         Develop strategies for understanding short texts and audio clips.

·         Require contextualized and visual support due to limited exposure to English outside of the school setting.

• Identify the Learning Objective:

o   Determine the specific language skill: Listening

o   Clearly define what students should be able to do after completing the activity: My students wil be able to understand and identify key information in short conversations about past events using the simple past tense o talk with the AI.
 

• Activity Structure:

o   Introduction: For language learners to understand spoken English in everyday contexts, listening skills are essential. In this exercise, you will create and listen to short audio stories about previous experiences with ChatGPT. You will then use what you hear to complete comprehension tasks. With this exercise, you can enhance your listening skills through narration and identifying past-tense verbs.

o   Instructions:

1.       Access ChatGPT

·  Go to https://chat.openai.com.

·  Also open a free text-to-speech tool like Natual Readers (https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/) convert the story into audio.

2.       Generate a short story

Paste this prompt into ChatGPT:

"Can you write a short story about someone’s vacation using the simple past tense, including where they went, what they did, and how they felt?"

3.       Copy the story into the text to speech tool

Choose a natural English voice and listen to the story at least three times.

4.       Answer the Listening questions

· Who is the main character?

· Where did they go?

· What did they do?

·  How did they feel?

5.       Repeat

Repeat the activity with a second story from ChatGPT.

6.       Submit your answers

Submit your answers and both texts you listened to, along with a short personal reflection about how you felt doing the activity.

o   Practice:

Task 1

Listen to a story generated by ChatGPT using a text-to-speech tool.

Task 2

Complete a short comprehension quiz (4–5 questions).

Task 3

Listen to another story and repeat the quiz.

Task 4

Write a short paragraph summarizing it

o   Feedback:

Automatic feedback

Immediate correction using an answer key using ChatGPT.

Teacher feedback

Review of student responses and summaries for grammar and comprehension accuracy.

Review with partners

Students share their retellings in pairs or small groups for correction and discussion.

 • Develop Content:

ChatGPT Prompt for Students

"¿Can you write a short story (around 100–120 words) about a person’s vacation using the simple past tense, including where they went, what they did, and how they felt?"

Sample Story (Generated by ChatGPT)

Last summer, Sarah went to the mountains with her best friend. They stayed in a small cabin and hiked every day. One morning, they saw a deer in the forest. In the afternoons, they sat by the lake and read books. At night, they made a fire and told stories. Sarah felt very happy and relaxed during the trip. It was a perfect vacation.

Sample Listening Comprehension Questions

1. Who went on vacation?

2. Where did they stay?

3. What animals did they see?

4. What did they do at night?

5. How did Sarah feel?

   
   

Use of ChatGPT Features

• Story generation: Custom, level-appropriate stories using specific grammar (past tense).

• Student autonomy: Learners can request multiple stories, control vocabulary difficulty, or request new topics (e.g., a holiday, a school trip).

• Integrated technology: Combining ChatGPT with TTS tools supports auditory learners and increases engagement.

On the other hand, the article also addresses important ethical issues that arise when integrating this technology into classrooms. Concerns such as data privacy, potential algorithm biases, and equitable access to these tools are mentioned. These aspects must be carefully considered so that the implementation of AGI does not increase educational inequality. In this context, the role of the teacher must evolve: it is no longer just about transmitting information, but rather becoming a guide, mentor, and learning facilitator who uses technology judiciously, without neglecting essential human skills such as empathy, critical thinking, and sensitivity to the realities of their students.

From my perspective as a future English teacher, I believe that the use of AGI represents a great opportunity to dedicate more time to developing creativity, emotional intelligence, and meaningful communication in the classroom. AGI can support language learning by offering personalized exercises and immediate feedback, but teachers have the responsibility to enrich this process with activities that encourage reflection, cultural exchange, and critical thinking—something that a machine can hardly replace. Ultimately, I believe that AGI should be a tool that enhances our work as educators, without losing sight of the fact that the true value of the classroom lies in the human connection we achieve with our students.

Activity to be developed entitled: "Correcting My Story in the Past with Grammarly." Learning objective:
Students will be able to write a short narrative text correctly using regular and irregular verbs in the past tense and correct their grammatical errors with the help of Grammarly.

Activity structure
Introduction
In 10 minutes
The topic of the simple past tense is presented with basic examples:

Regular verbs such as walk → walked, play → played

Irregular verbs such as go → went, have → had

The conjugation rules and the structure of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences in the past tense are briefly reviewed.

We explain how Grammarly can help identify errors and correct them automatically, showing a brief on-screen demonstration.

Instructions: In 5 minutes
Log in to Grammarly.com (free version is sufficient).

Write a short narrative of at least 80 words and title it: “A Day I Will Never Forget.”

Use at least 8 past-tense verbs (4 regular and 4 irregular).

Copy and paste the text into Grammarly for review.

Read each suggestion the tool gives and decide whether to accept it or not.

Save the corrected version and compare it with the original version.

Write a brief reflection on what mistakes were made and what we learned with the help of Grammarly.

Practice: In a period of 25-30 minutes, do the
Main Activity: Guided Writing + Correction with Grammarly

Students will write their texts in class.

Use Grammarly to correct their texts.

Some students may share the original and corrected texts with the group for collective analysis (optional).

Feedback: A 10-minute feedback session is analyzed.
Grammarly provides immediate feedback on grammatical, spelling, and style errors.

Reflection: Students complete a table with:

Misused verb

Correction suggested by Grammarly

Did you accept the suggestion? Why?

The teacher collects 2-3 texts for personalized written feedback.

Peer Review (optional): In pairs, students exchange their corrected texts and give each other suggestions for clarity or vocabulary.

Content Development
Student Directions:
Each student writes a short story about a memorable or unforgettable day (good things). Use past-tense verbs and organize events chronologically, making sure to include at least 8 past-tense verbs (4 regular and 4 irregular). Then, use Grammarly to proofread your text.

A Reflection Table is created (printed)
Example:

Verb usedCorrection suggested by GrammarlyDid you accept the suggestion? Why?go → goedwentYes, because "goed" doesn't exist in English.

Built-in AI feature (Grammarly)
-Auto-correct and contextual suggestions: Detects conjugation errors, incorrect use of the past tense, and suggests alternatives.

-Style check: Helps improve the clarity and cohesion of your text.

-Progress monitoring: Students can see their "weekly performance" if they use Grammarly regularly.

Name of the Tool: Kahoot! or Quizlet

Identify the Learning Objective:

Language Skill: Grammar and Reading Comprehension

Clearly define what students should be able to do after completing the activity: upon completion of the activity my students will be able to identify and correctly use past tense verbs (past simple and past continuous) in context by completing a Kahoot! quiz based on short reading clues.

Activity Structure:

Introduction:

We are going to review 2 verb tenses in English, past simple and past continuous. Past simple for actions that have already culminated and past continuous for what was happening at the time of the past. They will be practiced with a Kahoot! game where you will ask questions in a dynamic and engaging way to the topic because you have learned.

Instructions

1. Open your device (cell phone, tablet or computer).

2.Go to https://kahoot.it/  or open the Kahoot app.

3. Enter the game PIN.

4. Use your real name as your nickname.

5. Read each question carefully and choose the correct answer.

6. Try to answer quickly and well: that will give you more points!

Practice

Practice on a quiz game with between 10 and 15 questions. Questions include:

- Multiple choice (choose the correct verb form).

- Completing sentences in the past tense.

- Questions with images or situations to interpret.

- Exercises to apply the past simple and continuous in context.

Feedback

- Kahoot! gives automatic feedback by showing the correct answer after each question.

- The teacher will explain the most common mistakes at the end of the game.

- Group discussion will be held on why one option is correct and the others are not.

- Each student will write 2 sentences using the tenses learned.

Develop Content:

Quiz Content: Kahoot! - Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

- Total: 10 questions

-Format: Multiple Choice / Situational Analysis.

Link Quiz:

https://kahoot.it/solo/?quizId=324ab3a0-a2b6-40c1-8b58-c0d85ddd5799&gameMode=nano