Positive and Negative Responses- Restaurant Language Games

Positive and negative responses to restaurant language games

Choose one of the questions below and ask it to your partner. They will flip a coin and respond positively if heads is top and respond negatively if tails (the side with a number) is top.

Ask about any questions below that you don’t understand or aren’t sure how to answer.

 

Brainstorming stage

Without looking below, brainstorm questions which each of these people might ask:

Server/ Waiting staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Host

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look below for more ideas. Some phrases can go in more than one place, but none of the questions can go in all three sections.

 

• Are you allergic to anything?
• Are you okay with chopsticks/ with…?
• Are you ready to order?
• Can I have another spoon/…?
• Can we smoke here?
• Can you recommend a main dish/…?
• Can you send me a recipe for this one? I’d love to cook it when I get back home.
• Do people usually share?
• Do you come here often?
• Do you eat meat?
• Do you have a reservation?
• Do you know how this one is cooked?
• Do you know what wasabi is/ what… is?
• Do you know where the bathroom is?
• Do you like spicy food/…?
• Do you need an ashtray/…?
• Do you recommend the fish/…?
• Do they have anything vegan/…?
• Does… go well with…?
• Does it come with chips/ with…?
• Does this have… in it?
• Have you been to this restaurant before?
• Have you heard of okonomiyaki/ of…?
• Have you tried the stew/ the…?
• How about coming to…?/ Why don’t we… together?
• How’s your meal/ your steak/…?
• Is everything okay?
• Is it spicy?
• Is it too spicy for you?
• Is there anything you can’t eat/ don’t like?
• Is this a typical… restaurant?
• Is this available in your country?
• Is this popular/ traditional/ common?
• Is this similar to…?
• Is this table okay?
• Is this the one called…?
• Please, let me pay.
• Please order anything you like.
• Shall I bring the bill/ another jug of water/…?
• Shall I order for all of us/ pour you another drink/…?
• Shall we split the bill?
• This one is on me.
• What do you think about the smell/ about…?
• Would you like a dessert/ a starter/ anything to drink/ any side dishes (with that)?
• Would you like to see the wine menu/ dessert menu/…?

Functional language brainstorming

Without looking above, brainstorm useful language for doing each of these things:

Inviting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asking for information/ Requesting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offering

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look above for help, then brainstorm more.

Which function above does “Please + verb” have? Why isn’t it suitable for requests?

How can you respond positively and negatively to each of those functions?

Work in groups of three or four with one server, one host, and the other person or people as guests. Roleplay a whole restaurant conversation, flipping a coin each time a positive or negative answer is possible to decide how you will respond each time.

Do the same, but this time rolling a dice to decide if you will respond negatively (1 or 2), respond positively (3 or 4) or reply later after thinking about it, after asking for advice, etc (5 or 6).

Do the same but with your own real responses without a coin or dice.