MAPA – LET – LÍNGUA INGLESA II – 51_2025

Connecting Food, Earth, Culture, and Language in the Classroom
by Bernadette Musetti, Iliana Chen | 20 Nov 2024
 
Language and food connect us universally, while also being place and culture specific, which makes food an ideal topic for both language and ecoliteracy study. Food is important culturally and holds special meaning for families, religions, nations, and celebrations of all kinds.
 
Classroom Activities to Connect Food and Earth Study
 
Here are a few fun ways to begin discussing food with your multilingual learners of English:
 
Talk about special food: ask each student to name and describe a special dish from their culture and where the main ingredient is grown. Is it grown locally? Is it possibly imported from another region or country? (Ideally the actual dishes could be shared as part of a class or school celebration).
 
Create a recipe book: have your class compile a recipe book of all of the students’ favorite dishes, with each student receiving a copy of the booklet. This gets students thinking about the importance of food to them and their traditions. From there, students can begin to understand some of the issues surrounding food, which include challenges regarding growing, transporting, accessing, and consuming food.