Feeding International Students with the Language they Need

Welcome! While you’re waiting, please think about a lesson you’ve taught on food and talk about the following prompts with your neighbor.

• What vocabulary and expressions did you include?

• What were the goals for the lesson? What student needs were you meeting?

• Where did your materials come from? How did you adapt or supplement them?

Feeding International Students with theLanguage They Need

David Royal

University of South Florida

March 21, 2013

TESOL Convention, Dallas, TX

Interchange 1

Interchange 2

World Link 1

Interchange 1

What else do students need to know?

Ideas for Supplementing

• General language for expressing food practices (rather than preferences)

• Specific language for talking about food allergies

• Specific language for talking about religion and food

• Specific language for talking about one’s ethical and environmental food practices

Expressing Food Practices

Top Notch 2

Example Supplement

Food Allergy Facts

• In US, 15 million people have food allergies

• 9 million (or 4%) of adults; 6 million (or 8%) of children

• Food allergies result in > 300,000 ambulatory-care visits a year among children

• Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room, and every 6 minutes the reaction is one of anaphylaxis

• Eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish

• Allergies to milk, egg, wheat and soy generally resolve in childhood, while allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish are generally lifelong

• The eight primary allergens must be declared in simple terms on food labels, but labels reading “may contain” or “in a facility that also processes” are entirely voluntary

foodallergy.org

foodallergy.org

Suggested Supplements

• Handouts from foodallergy.org

• How to Read a Food Label

• Teacher Checklist

• Activity preparing food allergy cards

• Expressions:

• I’m allergic to …

• I can’t eat _____. I’m allergic to it.

• Does this have ______ in it?

• Training @ allergyready.com

• Careful labeling / separation of food at school events

Food Availability on Campus

• In 2010, IFANCA conducted a survey of US colleges and universities to determine the availability of halal food.

Food and Religion

Some questions to think about:

• What religious practices regarding food do your students have?

• What language do they need in order to follow these rules?

• What can we as teachers and as programs do to make things easier for them?

Suggested Supplements

• Information on Islamic Dietary Practices: IFANCA.org

• Shopper’s Guide

• Food Service Kit

• Information on Jewish Dietary Practices: http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

• Information on Hindu Dietary Practices: http://www.faithandfood.com/Hinduism.php

• Information on Buddhist Dietary Practices: http://www.faithandfood.com/Buddhism.php

• Information on various religions and food: faithandfood.com

• Expression:

• I don’t eat ____. It’s against my religion.

Environmental / Ethical Beliefs

Top Notch 2

Full Blast! American B1+

Environment and Ethics• Vegetarian / Vegan

• Which ingredients on labels come from animals and which do not?

• Fair Trade / Free-Range / Natural / Organic etc.

• What do these words actually mean?

• GMO Food

• 50 countries have either banned or restricted the sale of GMO food. These countries include China, Saudi Arabia, the EU, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Brazil. How can students tell which foods contain GMO ingredients?

• Banned Chemicals

• Some chemicals banned in other countries are legal in U.S. -Coloring agents, olestra, brominated vegetable oil / flour, azodicarbonamide, BHA, BHT, synthetic hormones, arsenic

Suggested Supplements

• Food Labeling for Dummies – Legal definitions of the various terms and logos that appear on US labels.

• Non-GMO Shopper’s Guide – Guide to finding products (especially processed foods) made without GMO ingredients.

• List of Animal Ingredients – Definitions of the various ingredients that are derived from animals.

• Banned chemicals article – Short article from Shape Magazine discussing 13 chemicals that are banned in other countries but legal in US.

Take Aways

• Create an awareness among students that some people can’t / don’t eat certain foods for a variety of reasons

• Give students the language they need to make and explain their food choices

• Bring critical thinking and additional interest (motivation) to lessons on food

• Be mindful bringing food to school / class events

• Provide some allergen-friendly, vegan options

• Clear labeling / separation of foods

Materials and Additional Info

For materials and links to resources, please visit this page:

esletc.com/?p=1152

David Royal

esletc@gmail.com

ESLetc.com