The Michelin Guide
This engaging B2 lesson explores the fascinating history of the Michelin Guide and its connection to the famous tire company. Upper-intermediate students discover how a clever marketing strategy became the world’s most prestigious restaurant rating system. Through video content, vocabulary practice, and lively discussions about fine dining and food critics, learners develop their speaking skills while exploring culinary culture. The lesson includes ranking activities and debates about what makes restaurants truly exceptional.
Lesson overview
- Learn vocabulary related to restaurants, cuisine, and fine dining establishments
- Explore the surprising origin story of Michelin stars through video
- Discuss restaurant quality standards and the role of food critics
- Practice ranking and justifying opinions about dining priorities and preferences
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| B2 / Upper-Intermediate | 8 words | 2:32 min | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- Cuisine
- Gas station
- Inspector
- Consistency
- Fine dining
- Establishment
- Detour
- Ingenious idea
Contents
- Lead-in 1
- Lead-in 2
- Vocabulary match
- Vocabulary practice 1
- Vocabulary practice 2
- Video
- Comprehension questions
- Discussion
- Video comments
- Question
Start class with the warm-up questions about dining preferences and restaurant experiences. This gets students talking about food and their own experiences with fancy dining or checking out reviews. Push them to share memorable restaurant visits or explain how they pick where to eat.
Move to the ranking activity where students prioritize restaurant factors like ambience, value for money, food quality, hygiene, and service. Have pairs compare their rankings and defend their choices. This builds vocab naturally and sets them up for later discussions about Michelin standards.
Introduce the eight vocab terms through the matching exercise. Words like cuisine, inspector, establishment, and fine dining are key for understanding the video. After matching, have students practice using these by rewriting sentences on the practice slides. Go over answers together to make sure everyone’s got it.
Play the short video about where the Michelin Guide came from. Students should watch for specific info to answer the comprehension questions. The video shows how a tire company created a restaurant guide to get people driving more. After watching, discuss the answers together and clear up anything confusing.
Use the discussion section to dig into the five criteria Michelin inspectors use when rating restaurants. Students fill in the missing criteria and argue about whether these standards make sense. This naturally gets people talking about restaurant quality and food criticism.
The video comments section brings in real opinions about the pressure Michelin stars put on chefs. Students read these perspectives and share their own thoughts about restaurant rating systems. This gets them thinking critically about how reviews impact the food industry.
Wrap up with the creative question about opening their own restaurant. Students describe their ideal cuisine and concept, using the new vocab from the lesson.
