Unit 3 Table Manners

Section 1. Warming-up

1. Manners are the cornerstone of British society and table manners are no exception. The British generally pay a lot of attention to good table manners. Even young children are expected to eat properly with knife and fork. Do you find table manners important? Do you always follow them when you are having your meals?

2. Do you know much about table manners accepted in Great Britain? Are they similar to Russian table manners? Restore the missing part of the instructions using the lexical units from the list below. Compare English and Russian table manners.

Table manners

1. If you are a guest, it is polite …(1)… until your host starts eating or indicates you should do so.

2. Hold your utensils properly. The fork goes…(2)… with the tines pointing down, and the knife goes …(3)….

3. Hold a soup spoon in your right hand and scoop the soup …(4)….

4. Keep your …(5)…off the table.

5. Butter …(6)…that you have broken off from a roll rather than buttering the whole roll at one time.

6. Avoid opening your mouth while…(7)…, as well as …(8)… with food in your mouth.

7. Don’t leave … (8)… in your cup, when drinking tea or coffee.

8. Don’t … (9)…the table - simply say – “Would you pass the salt?”, etc.

9. Bring the food to you rather than leaning …(10)… the food.

10. To indicate that you have had enough, place knife and fork together, not …(11)….

1. in the left hand

2. away from you

3. to wait

4. talking

5. crisscross

6. reach across

7. a piece of bread

8. the spoon

9. in the right hand

10. elbows

11. chewing

12. leaning forward

Section 2. Reading

2.1 Are table-manners really necessary? Or probably they just restrict our freedom and don’t allow us to feel comfortable and relaxed at the table?

Read British people’s opinions about table-manners and choose for each opinion the most suitable statement from the list.

1. One can’t use mobile phone while eating.

2. Children can be taught table manners.

3. By ignoring good table manners one demonstrates disrespect to the food he/she eats.

4. We need table manners to make the process of eating more aesthetic.

5. Good manners make you feel at-ease in any situation.

1. Victoria Mather, social commentator

Eating is not an attractive function. Manners make this process a little more attractive. This American habit of stabbing food, cutting around it, then throwing it into your mouth is awful! I definitely don't think you should speak with your mouth full. I'm afraid to say I do sometimes put my elbows on the table but this is fine if you're having supper with a friend and you're having a good conversation. I wouldn't do it at Buckingham Palace.

2. Dylan Jones, editor

The big no at the moment is using a mobile when you're having lunch or dinner. Why can't people just turn it off? Behaving as if you constantly need to be in touch with people makes you look a bit desperate, especially in business. And as for eating with only a fork in your right hand - that's only acceptable if you're eating risotto or pasta.

3. Sean Davoren, butler

I run classes on table manners for children but parents should teach their children manners. I've got five children so I know how difficult this can be, but it can be done. My children, who are now in their 20-ies, like going to a restaurant and not being embarrassed about which cutlery to use. You can see people who don't know and you feel embarrassed for them. With good manners, you can go anywhere.

4. Alexis Gaulthier, restaurant owner

We started our first classes to get children used to eating food properly in restaurants. We discovered that not only were children excited about it, they actually behaved really well in the restaurant. Parents started saying to us that they wanted us to teach their children correct manners, because a lot of the time, they weren't sure themselves. So, now when we're serving children, we treat them like adults and they behave like adults. They're very receptive and not afraid to ask which spoon they should be using.

5. Rose Elliot, vegetarian chef

People should feel comfortable and relaxed when eating - I often entertain in the kitchen and loved eating with my fingers when I was in India. However, it's important to teach children table manners so that they won't feel ill-at-ease when they're in certain social situations; if they hold cutlery in strange ways and their elbows are on tables this shows a disrespect for food.

Language Work

1. Find English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations.

Говорить с набитым ртом, класть локти на стол, быть на связи с людьми, вести занятия, быть смущенным (сконфуженным), столовые приборы, обслуживать, относиться как к взрослым, восприимчивый, есть руками, чувствовать себя неловко, держать столовые приборы, демонстрировать неуважение к чему-либо.

2. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Хорошие манеры за столом позволяют человеку чувствовать себя «в своей тарелке» в любой ситуации.

2. Соблюдая хорошие манеры человек демонстрирует уважение к окружающим людям и пище, которую он ест.

3. Невежливо говорить с набитым ртом и класть локти на стол.

4. В дорогих ресторанах так много столовых приборов, что некоторые чувствуют себя сконфуженными когда видят бесчисленные ножи и вилки.

5. Невозможно произвести хорошее впечатление на людей, если ты не можешь должным образом пользоваться столовыми приборами.

6. Официанты не любят обслуживать посетителей, которые игнорируют хорошие манеры.

7. Дети восприимчивы ко всему новому, поэтому их можно научить хорошим манерам в юном возрасте. В некоторых ресторанах проводятся специальные занятия по столовому этикету.

Section 3. Writing