Bahraini Halwa
WORKSHEET
1. Suggested Use
Culture and traditions focus, followed by closed practice A1-level vocabulary and grammar activities.
2. Suggested Activities
A. Project-based learning
Students create one page for a class recipe book called ‘Sweet Treats from Our Families.’ They write about a traditional or favourite sweet/dessert from their home or region using language from the video.
They include:
the name of the sweet
three or four ingredients
why people like it or when they eat it (e.g. during celebrations, weekends)
a photo of the dessert
When complete, collect all pages into a class recipe book. Alternatively, stick the recipes on the wall and have students say which treat they’d like to try and why.
B. Mediation task: Processing text (+ note taking)
Have students imagine they’re asked to talk about a sweet treat they’ve tried from the video called Halwa. They watch the video again, or read the audioscript if you prefer to do a reading task, then make notes or highlight the main ideas, including:
what it is made of
who makes it
why people buy it
how people can get it
They then work in groups to use their notes and write or say a collaborative summary of Halwa.
C. Pronunciation task: /s/ and /ʃ/ (‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds)
Elicit, practise and drill the two different ‘s’ sounds that appear in the video. Elicit / explain the difference between the sounds, e.g. /s/ - sweet, saffron, sticky, started, son; /ʃ/ - sugar, shops. You can add a small tongue twister to practise the sounds, related to the video, e.g. Showaiter sells sweet Halwa.
3. Vocabulary
Food adjectives
Thick
Sticky
Popular
Old
New
Sweet
Collocations
Sweet treat
Open a business
Run a company
Work hard
Use a recipe
Sell in shops
Sell online
Food
Sugar
Nuts
Saffron
Dessert
Sweet
4. Grammar
Present simple (for facts and routines):
They mix sugar, nuts, and saffron; They sell Halwa in shops; People buy it as a gift; People can purchase our products …
Subject-verb agreement:
One family is…; It is a popular…; Hussain’s sons and grandsons run…; The company still uses…
Past simple (for history):
The family started making Halwa a long time ago; Hussain Showaiter opened the business in the 1850s.
TRANSCRIPT
Bahraini Halwa
NARRATOR:
In Bahrain, one family is famous for making a sweet treat called Halwa. In their factory, workers mix sugar, nuts, and saffron to make the thick, sticky dessert. It is a popular gift.
SOUNDBITE - Muhanna Fuwad Showaiter:
“We want people to come to Bahrain, to visit Bahrain, and to take a piece of Bahrain with them - that’s buying the Halwa - from Bahrain.”
NARRATOR:
The Showaiter family started making Halwa a long time ago. A man named Hussain Showaiter opened the business in the 1850s. Now, 170 years later, Hussain's sons and grandsons run the company. They work hard to continue the family traditions. The company still uses old family recipes. But they also use new machines and tools to help them make more Halwa. They sell Halwa in shops. They also sell it online so more people can enjoy it.
SOUNDBITE - Muhanna Fuwad Showaiter:
“People all around the world can purchase our products via our website.”
NARRATOR:
Halwa is more than just a dessert. It’s a taste of Bahraini culture and a sweet way to bring people together.