Sucess Stories

Fashion, Food and Fun - All in a Day’s Work

by Kathleen Simmons
Literacy Council of Tyler

As a teacher, I’m always looking for ways to energize and excite my students about learning English. Of course, this is true for any teacher of any age student, child or adult and for any subject. I think sometimes we forget that children are not the only ones who like to have fun while learning. It’s very easy to fall into the hum-drum routine of books, lectures and worksheets. These are all well and good, and for the most part they will have the desired effect, but motivating students to try new things and encouraging them to think outside the box will not only help them to discover their own creativity, but do amazing things for their self-confidence. Two thematic units that I really have fun with and that my students really seem to enjoy are food and fashion.

Clothing is one of those subjects that you can do a lot with anyway, from describing outfits in fashion magazines to creating a department store in your classroom, the list of fun activities goes on and on. I incorporate all of these things in my day to day teaching of the unit but our grand finale is a full-blown, no holds barred fashion show. My classroom is currently all women but I think with a little tweaking and maybe some cajoling and compromising, men could easily get involved. Students are paired up with someone and the first step is thinking about and writing a description of the outfit they plan to wear for the show and sharing it with their partner. (This is something they have in their closet at home.) The next few days are spent practicing the dialog, organization and rhythm of the show. While one partner is walking the runway, the other is giving a short commentary of their outfit. (I use a karaoke machine) This partnership requires some real coordination and focus from the students.

On the day of the performance, the students are naturally somewhat nervous but very excited. Everything is ready, the overhead lights are dimmed, the runway is lit up (strings of Christmas lights), the music is cued (pre-recorded CD with appropriate fashion show music), a microphone is set up and ready and the audience is in place. (I invite other students, classes and teachers.) Ten minutes later the show is over but what an accomplishment! This event has always been a huge success and a great favorite of my students. Most language learners as a rule are very self-conscious and introverted and this activity really helps them come out of their shell, try something new and get their first taste of public speaking.

Food is also a great thematic unit to teach. I use the same approach and strategy as with fashion, making sure students have successfully managed the vocabulary including nouns, verbs, measuring terms, etc. Once again, so many fun activities can be utilized here – restaurant ordering and role play, grocery store shopping, cookbooks, etc. I like to finish up this unit with a big bang also, letting students participate in their own cooking show and brunch. They will prepare a specified recipe, ala cooking show style using dialogue while working. I have a cooking show video that I bring and show so that they have an idea of what will be required. (The video includes both male and female chefs so the students can see this activity is not gender specific.) I then separate them into small groups and assign each group a recipe. (I choose no cook recipes that can be prepared and eaten without a stove or oven and also simple recipes with just a few ingredients.) Each group prepares a “cooking show” presentation which also includes a poster with the ingredients listed and preparation instructions on it for the class to see. On the day of the brunch, each group presents their cooking show segment which includes displaying their poster, reading the list of ingredients and preparing the recipe while explaining each of the steps. When each group has finished their presentations, we all sit down to a delicious brunch prepared by the students themselves. I also like for each small group to serve the others what they have prepared and then compliment one another on the different dishes.

This has been a huge success each time we’ve done it with lots of fun and laughter. The activity can be modified to fit different levels, for example allowing beginner students to use note cards or read their scripts, etc. to make it a little less stressful for them. Some of the simple recipes I’ve used include tuna fish/spinach roll-ups, cherry cheesecake tarts, deviled eggs, and all types of salads.

These activities may sound complicated but they are really quite easy to implement and will get your students up and out of their normal routine. They will also bring a real sense of community to your classroom.

About the Author

Kathleen Simmons works for the Literacy Council of Tyler and is the Adult Education Supervisor at the Family Learning Center of Tyler. She currently teaches an ESL beginner class. She’s been in adult education for three and one-half years. She has a B.S. degree from The University of Texas at Tyler. She also has her ESL teaching certification from UT Tyler.