Chinese Restaurant Roleplay
Chinese food made with dry clay and felt!
Young Students Bring Chinese Restaurant Role-play to Life in the Classroom
This week, at a Mandarin Superstars class, a group of young learners stepped into the delicious world of food and culture with a special classroom activity: roleplaying a visit to a Chinese restaurant!
From the moment “customers” walked through the classroom door, they were greeted by smiling “servers” wearing name badges in Chinese. Students had practiced key vocabulary such as 菜单 (cài dān – menu), 点菜 (diǎn cài – to order food), 饺子 (jiǎo zi – dumplings), and 茶 (chá – tea). Using simple, natural dialogue, they placed orders, asked questions, and even practiced polite expressions like 请 (qǐng – please) and 谢谢 (xiè xie – thank you).
The “restaurant” came alive with colorful props—menus, play food, chopsticks, and table settings—all designed to make the experience immersive. Some students played the role of chef, calling out orders in Chinese and “serving” dishes, while others enjoyed being guests, chatting with friends as they waited for their meals.
Not only was this role-play fun, but it also built confidence, listening skills, and cultural awareness. Students learned that dining in a Chinese restaurant often involves sharing dishes, drinking tea, and using chopsticks - adding cultural context to their language learning.
By the end of the activity, the classroom was filled with laughter, new vocabulary, and the feeling that everyone had just enjoyed a delicious meal, without ever leaving school. Activities like this show how language learning can be both meaningful and memorable.
Have you created a Chinese restaurant in your classroom? Let us know what you did below!