Teaching English through cookery in Cambodia

Current volunteers have been integrating their English lessons with practical skills by leading cookery lessons at the Children's Home in Cambodia. Read about their experience and find online resources for this activity below.

Volunteers Charlotte, Tiss and Beth are living at the Children’s Home for 4-12 weeks, they have been working hard to create activities that combine different learning styles, incorporating both the practical and theory whilst also developing an important life skills.

“The cooking class is a fantastic teaching method for the older class; it involves practical and theory as they have to write out all the ingredients/method of each dish and then they have the enjoyment of cooking the meal. Writing out the recipes at times can be challenging for them but they are always asking questions and seeking advice with spelling or anything grammar related. I am so happy when they do ask – because it means their engaging with the task and I know they are eager to improve their English.” - Charlotte

So far the children have made:

• Spanish omelette
• Pancakes with bananas (the winner, with honey and chocolate topping!)
• Tomato, vegetable and bacon pasta
• Next week: Fried rice with pork and vegetables

Charlotte has also suggested that the children try to make a recipe book that they can continue to add to over time and other volunteers can contribute too.

Learning English is difficult, particularly for children who don’t often have the opportunity to practice their skills and with very basic education at the village school. Volunteers on site not only arrange educational games and activities but also enable the children to practice their conversational English and build their confidence, a key skill for their future employment prospects and further study.

Resources for volunteers looking to teach through cookery

Teaching English through cookery is a wonderful idea and is hopefully something our volunteers can continue. For tips and ideas of teaching through cookery, why not check out The Travelling Teachers wonderfully helpful article or the great worksheets available on ESL Flow.

Would you like to join this project?

If you would like to volunteer at the Children's Home in Cambodia, please see the project page for full details: https://www.podvolunteer.org/projects/child-care-cambodia

With thanks to Charlotte for sharing her experience (and wonderful photos) with us!