Cooking & Recipes
This B1 intermediate lesson introduces students to practical cooking vocabulary and recipe instructions through engaging video content and hands-on activities. Learners explore common kitchen verbs, ingredients, and cooking techniques while watching Jamie Oliver demonstrate simple recipes. The lesson builds confidence in discussing food preparation and following recipe directions in English.
Lesson overview
- Practice essential cooking verbs like slice, chop, grate, and season
- Learn ingredient names and kitchen vocabulary for everyday cooking
- Develop listening skills by watching authentic cooking demonstrations
- Discuss personal cooking experiences and cultural food traditions
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| B1 / Intermediate | 10 words | 3:17 and 3:12 | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- Slice
- Season
- Give a toss
- Sprinkle
- Cut
- Squeeze
- Chop
- Grate
- Grill
- Smash
Contents
- Lead-in
- Vocabulary
- Vocabulary Practice
- Discussion
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Speaking
- Quote
Start with the warm-up questions on page 2 to get students talking about their cooking habits. About 5 minutes here is plenty. Most intermediate learners know basic food words but trip up on specific cooking verbs, so this conversation shows you what they’ve already got.
Move to the vocab section on page 3 where students identify eight common ingredients. Give them 3-4 minutes to name stuff like chili peppers, sweet potatoes, basil, and garlic. Then hit page 4, which introduces ten cooking verbs. Students make sentences using these verbs with the ingredients shown. Do the first example yourself, then let pairs work together for 8-10 minutes. Walk around and help with pronunciation on tricky ones like “squeeze” and “grate.”
The practice exercises on pages 5-6 check if they’re getting it. Students pick the right verbs to complete eight sentences about cooking tasks. This takes about 10 minutes. Go over answers as a class and clear up any confusion about when to use each verb.
Before you show the first video on page 8, talk through the three questions about Jamie Oliver and cooking shows. This gets them ready for what they’re about to watch. Play “Jamie’s Ultimate Tomato Salad” (3:17). Students write down ingredients and then retell the recipe in pairs. Do the same thing with the second video on page 9, “Lemon Chicken with Smashed Sweet Potato” (3:12). Budget around 20 minutes total for both videos, including discussion time.
Wrap up with the Recipe Exchange activity on page 10. Pairs brainstorm six ingredients together, then create their own recipe with step-by-step instructions. They name their dish and present it to another pair. This creative task usually takes about 15 minutes and lets them use everything they learned. Close with the inspirational cooking quote on page 11 to end things on a positive note.
