Exploring English: Food and Culture
Improve your English language skills and learn how to cook some classic British dishes while exploring modern UK culture.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Exploring English: Food and Culture
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Explore British food and culture to develop your English language skills
This four-week course from the British Council will help you practise your English language skills while you learn more about modern culture in the UK.
Explore traditional British food
When you think about British food you might think about roast beef or fish and chips, but this course will show you how food from all over the world has also become part of British culture. You’ll even learn how to cook chicken tikka masala, sometimes described as ‘Britain’s national dish’.
You’ll also see the international influence on modern British eating habits by looking at the exciting restaurant culture in the UK and finding out what kind of takeaway food people prefer to order.
Improve your listening skills by listening to authentic British voices
At every point in the course you’ll hear English from British people describing what they eat, who cooks their meals, and where they go to shop for food.
They will also welcome you into their kitchens to show you around and cook with you. The course videos will help you to develop your listening skills as you watch authentic examples of people speaking English.
Discover new trends in British culture
As well as traditional British eating habits, you’ll hear about how things are changing.
You’ll learn about the rise in vegetarianism and veganism and discover that many people are growing their own food in gardens and allotments.
Improve your English and cooking skills
This course gives you a great opportunity to practise your English and improve your ability to talk about food and cooking as well as how to cook some tasty British dishes!
What topics will you cover?
The course looks at the role food plays in UK culture.
- What is ‘traditional’ British food and what do people in contemporary UK actually eat?
- UK restaurant culture. Explore the vibrant UK restaurant scene and look at the link between immigration to the UK and changing food culture.
- Changing eating habits. Healthy eating and the rise in veganism and vegetarianism
- How to cook some traditional British dishes
- Regional variety. Some traditional foods from the different parts of the UK
- Special occasions. What do British people eat at special times of the year?
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explore contemporary UK food culture
- Experiment with some recipes from the UK and beyond
- Develop your listening skills as you watch authentic examples of people speaking English
- Reflect on language in use
- Develop language skills and practise using new language
- Discuss UK eating habits from traditional dishes, to multicultural influences to veganism
Who is the course for?
This English language course is aimed at intermediate students, at B1 on the CEFR or equivalent.
It would particularly suit learners who want to know more about the UK and British culture.
Who will you learn with?
I'm a teacher and online learning specialist for the British Council and I manage the development of all of our FutureLearn courses.
Who developed the course?
British Council
The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.
We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million people overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
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Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join: