Questions · ESL food

ESL food questions that make the whole class hungry

Everyone eats, and everyone has opinions about it. Food questions are the easiest way to get a mixed class talking, and they come with built-in vocabulary: dishes, tastes, restaurants, cooking.

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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Just for fun№ 28

Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?

Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?

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A note

A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.

Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.

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The questions

17 food conversation questions for ESL

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Favorites and orders

6 questions

Quick answers with lots of food vocabulary.

  1. What food is hard for you to say no to?

    Anong pagkain ang hirap mong tanggihan?

    Back of the card

    Food answers can be light, but they usually carry a little story: comfort, habit, craving, or someone who introduced it.

    Light lang ang food answer, pero madalas may kasamang kuwento: comfort, habit, craving, o taong nagpakilala nito sa'yo.

  2. If you were too tired to think, what would you order?

    Kapag pagod ka nang mag-isip, ano yung o-orderin mo?

    Back of the card

    The no-thinking order is its own kind of comfort. It is the choice that carries you when your brain is done.

    May comfort din sa order na hindi mo na kailangang isipin. Siya yung choice kapag ubos na utak mo.

  3. When your brain is tired, what is your go-to order?

    Kapag pagod na utak mo, ano yung go-to order mo?

    Back of the card

    The reliable order deserves respect. It shows up when decisions are too much and hunger is already making a case.

    Respect sa reliable order. Lumalabas siya kapag ayaw mo nang mag-decide at gutom na rin ang nagsasalita.

  4. What flavor of ice cream would you invent?

    Anong lasa ng ice cream ang iimbentuhin mo?

    Back of the card

    Give your invented ice cream a name if you like.

    Kung gusto mo, bigyan mo ng pangalan ang ice cream na inimbento mo.

  5. Would you rather have someone cook or clean for you?

    Mas gusto mo bang may magluto o maglinis para sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Picture doing something you enjoy while they handle the task.

    Isipin ang masayang gagawin mo habang sila ang bahala.

  6. Which would you want free for life: breakfast or dessert?

    Pumili ng libreng pagkain habambuhay: breakfast o dessert.

    Back of the card

    Make your first order. You can choose something familiar or invent a dish.

    Piliin ang unang oorderin mo. Puwedeng paborito mo na o pagkaing iimbentuhin mo.

Food at home

5 questions

Household rules, leftovers and the people who cook.

  1. Choose one food that tastes better when it’s left over for the next day.

    Pumili ng isang pagkain na mas masarap kapag tira siya hanggang kinabukasan.

    Back of the card

    Some food needs an overnight plot twist. Leftovers can be humble, practical, and somehow better than round one.

    May pagkain talaga na mas gumaganda kinabukasan. Simple lang siya, practical, pero minsan mas panalo pa.

  2. Share one food rule your household still follows.

    Mag-share ng isang food rule na sinusunod pa rin sa bahay niyo.

    Back of the card

    House rules around food can be funny, practical, or oddly sacred. They carry the flavor of how people grew up.

    Yung food rules sa bahay, minsan funny, minsan practical, minsan oddly sacred. May flavor siya ng kinalakihan natin.

  3. Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?

    Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?

    Back of the card

    A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.

    Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.

  4. Who do you enjoy eating with, even if the food is simple?

    Sino yung masarap kasamang kumain kahit simple lang ang pagkain?

    Back of the card

    The company can change the meal. Some people make even ordinary food feel warmer.

    Iba ang pagkain kapag okay ang kasama. May mga taong kahit simpleng meal, gumagaan yung moment.

  5. What food do you and a friend disagree about?

    Sa anong pagkain magkaiba ang opinyon ninyo ng friend mo?

    Back of the card

    No need to settle this food debate. You can both keep your favorites.

    Hindi kailangang matapos ang pagtatalo sa pagkain. Puwedeng pareho pa rin ninyong piliin ang gusto ninyo.

Meals worth remembering

6 questions

Drinks, messy food and meals out: stories about food and the people around it.

  1. Tell us about a food that reminds you of someone taking care of you.

    Ikuwento yung pagkain na nagpapaalala sa'yo ng alaga ng isang tao.

    Back of the card

    Food can carry care without needing big words. Sometimes the simple act of feeding someone well becomes a memory by itself.

    Kayang magdala ng care ang pagkain kahit walang malaking salita. Minsan yung simpleng pag-alaga sa pagkain, nagiging memory na.

  2. Pick one drink that makes an ordinary day feel a little special.

    Pumili ng isang drink na nagpaparamdam na medyo special ang ordinary day.

    Back of the card

    A drink can turn an ordinary pause into a tiny celebration. Sometimes that small upgrade is the whole point.

    Minsan isang drink lang, parang may small celebration na sa ordinary day. Yun na yung tiny upgrade.

  3. What meal with a friend became memorable for something besides the food?

    Anong kainan ninyo ng friend ang tumatak dahil sa nangyari, hindi lang dahil sa pagkain?

    Back of the card

    If this meal's story had a title, what would it be?

    Kung may pamagat ang kuwento ng kainan na ito, ano iyon?

  4. When you try a place to eat, what makes it feel worth visiting again?

    Kapag may tinry kang kainan, ano yung nagpapaisip sa'yo na worth balikan ito?

    Back of the card

    It could be taste, comfort, price, people, or memory. Places become favorites for different reasons.

    Puwedeng lasa, comfort, presyo, tao, o memory. Iba-iba yung dahilan kung bakit may places tayong binabalikan.

  5. What food is too messy for you to eat while chatting with friends?

    Anong pagkain ang mahirap kainin nang maayos habang nakikipagkuwentuhan sa friends?

    Back of the card

    This meal may need a pause button for the conversation.

    Baka kailangan munang i-pause ang kuwentuhan habang kinakain ito.

  6. You and a friend want different snacks. What would you do?

    Magkaiba kayo ng friend mo ng gustong snack. Ano ang gagawin mo?

    Back of the card

    Same choice every time, or would it depend on the day?

    Pareho ba ang gagawin mo palagi, o depende sa araw?

How to use them

Before you ask

Food is the friendliest topic in any English class: every student has a favorite dish, a strange combination they love and a meal they still remember, so nobody runs out of things to say.

In a multinational class it does even more. A question about household food rules or a leftover that tastes better the next day turns into a small culture exchange, and students start asking each other questions without being told to. The danger is only that answers stay at the level of “I like pizza.” Push for the details: how it tastes, who makes it, when you eat it.

Use the first group with a vocabulary sheet of tastes and textures (spicy, sour, crispy, sticky). The second group works well in pairs. Save the last group for the end of a food unit, when students can tell a short story about a meal with the past tense.

Good for

  • Food and restaurant units
  • Multicultural classes and culture exchange
  • Lunchtime English clubs
  • Online lessons with students in different countries
  • Vocabulary review of tastes and cooking verbs

Tips

  1. Teach six taste words first; students will use them in every answer.
  2. Ask students to describe a dish so clearly that a partner could guess it.
  3. Let students show a photo of the food they’re talking about, if they have one.
  4. Be careful with diet and weight topics; keep it about taste and memory.
  5. End with a class menu: one dish from each student, written in English.

Decks for this

ESL food questions

Frequently asked questions

What are good food questions for ESL students?

Questions about favorite orders, comfort food, household food rules, leftovers and memorable meals. They use everyday vocabulary and every student has an answer.

How do I teach food vocabulary through conversation?

Pre-teach taste and texture words, then ask students to describe a dish in detail to a partner. Guessing games make them use more words.

Are food questions good for a multicultural class?

Very. Students learn about each other’s cuisines and habits, which gives them real reasons to ask follow-up questions.

Bring a better question to the table.

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