A Spanish Buffet Lunch


For this event Taste the Language worked with a group of 20 students, from the Special Chefs course at Leicester College of Further Education.

We decided on a Spanish buffet, partly because it was felt it a variety of dishes could be provided for a reasonable price and partly because Spanish is a popular language in the UK. The students planned and prepared the menu as part of their catering course. A Spanish teacher held several teaching sessions with them beforehand, concentrating on the language they would need when serving the food.  

The event was held in the college training restaurant, which is open to the public. It was publicised in the local media and throughout the college campuses.

The room and tables were decorated on a Spanish theme. On arrival visitors were greeted with a free glass of sangria and a copy of the project booklet in Spanish. They paid a few euros for the plentiful lunch. About 70 people attended, mainly those who came regularly to the restaurant, and interested college staff. 

The room and tables were decorated on a Spanish theme. Lunch was served by students from tables round the restaurant and the students were enthusiastic in using the language they had learned and encouraging the customers to respond in Spanish. Three Spanish teachers were available to help, especially with pronunciation and how to use the booklet, but also to talk about Spain and give information on learning Spanish. The teaching was informal, with small groups working together; people were very keen to join in. Many were reluctant to leave at the end and there was praise particularly for the quality of the food and the relaxed and lively atmosphere.

A Taste of German(y)

This event was held in cooperation with the Goethe Institute in central London. This is the cultural and educational branch of the German Embassy.

German companies in the London area and others with links in Germany were invited to send members of their staff who knew no German, to encourage them to take it up. The aim was to make clear the benefits to management and their staff of being able to greet visitors in their own language. The evening was then further published through several company websites and language organisations and was attended by over 50 people, more than we had anticipated. 

The event was held in the early evening at Hugo’s, the restaurant next to the Institute, whose proprietor was very willing to provide a meal with a German theme. The venue was particularly attractive, which added to the success of the evening. It started with an explanation of the project and then an introduction to the German language by a member of staff from the Institute, including useful vocabulary and a pronunciation guide. Learners were encouraged, before and during the meal which followed, to try out the language in the project booklet. This was assisted by the presence of a number of fluent German speakers, who helped the beginners.

Food included Sauerbraten [sweet and sour roast] and Apfelstrudel, served with Germany wines, and was free-of-charge. It was delicious and presented an example of German cuisine not well-known in the UK.

The general verdict on the evening was that it had been a most enjoyable introduction to German and an opportunity to publicise the opportunities provided for learning the language in the London area.