Extra vocabulary
| prong tray | cutlery mat | palm host/hostess |
1. Look at the pictures below. In pairs, discuss the differences between them.
2. Read the following sentences about table manners in Britain. Work in pairs. Tick T (true) or F (false).
1. The knife is held in the left hand and the fork is held in the right hand.______
2. You shouldn't point the prongs of the fork upwards during the meal.______
3. People use the same cutlery to eat the main course and the dessert.______
4. When the meal is finished, you should place the knife and fork on the plate.______
5. You can use your fork to take more food from the serving dish.______
6. You should use your knife to cut the bread.______
7. Guests should start eating before the host starts eating.______
8. You should ask someone to pass you a dish.______
3. Now listen to Nick giving a presentation on table manners in Britain and check your answers.
4. Work in pairs. Discuss if you follow these table manners in your family. Are there other table manners you follow?
1. We sit around a tray on a mat to have meals.
2. We use rice bowls and chopsticks.
3. When chewing food, we shouldn't talk.
4. The host/ hostess invites everybody to start eating.
5. The host/ hostess offers to serve the food for the guests.
6. When we have finished eating, we place our chopsticks on top of our rice bowl.
5. There is a British exchange student in your class. You invite her to dinner at your home. Play the following roles.
You are Minh. You invite your British friend to come for dinner. She asks a lot of questions about Vietnamese table manners.
You are Jessica from Britain. You want to learn about Vietnamese table manners so you can feel comfortable at dinner. You compare these with British table manners.
Start the role-play like this:
Minh: Hey Jessica! My family would like to invite you to dinner.
Jessica: Oh, that's nice but... I don't know anything about Vietnamese table manners.
Minh: Well, what do you want to know?
Jessica: Well, do you eat around the dinner table like in Britain?
Minh: No, actually we sit on a mat with the food in the middle.
Jessica: You're kidding!
Minh:...
