Speaking activities

SPEAKING


A shopping role play A shopping role playWorksheet B: ShopkeepersList

1You have a computer shop. You have the following in stock:- Blank CDs to burn music – these are on special offer- You are out of stock of extension leads for MP3 players- Paper for printers – you have low, medium and high quality, but the high qualityis very expensive- Headphones for computers – you have them with a microphone or without- Pens that you can use to write on CDs – you have blue and red onlyYou don’t let people put cards in your window and don’t know what time it is, or wherethe nearest bank is. You do know where the nearest post office is, and you have changefor 10 pounds.

List 2You have a newsagent’s. You have the following in stock:- Newspapers. You only have the ‘Independent’, the ‘Sun’ and the ‘Mirror’- ‘Film Review’ magazine. This week if people pay extra they can get the specialguide to summer films also- Chewing gum. You have peppermint, cherry and banana.- Stamps. You have first and second class, in books of 10 and 20.Somewholemeal bread- Telephone cards to make international calls, at different valuesYou let people put cards in your window but don’t know what time it is, or where thenearest bank or post office is. You have no change.

List 3You have a bookshop specialising in learning languages. You have the following instock:- Bilingual dictionaries for English and Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic.- Guides to English grammar for intermediate levels and below- Vocabulary practice books, but no grammar practice books at the moment- Special dictionaries for idioms and also for phrasal verbs- Monolingual dictionaries, English-English, for all levels but only large sizeeditionsYou don’t let people put cards in your window and don’t know what time it is, but you doknow where the nearest bank is. You have no change.

List 4You have a shop selling fruit and vegetables. You have the following in stock:- Mangos, ripe and ready to eat today- Oranges- Bananas, for both dessert and cooking- Peaches, which you are trying to get people to buy instead of nectarines- Apples, green and crispyYou don’t let people put cards in your window and don’t know where the nearest bank ofpost office is. You have no change but do know what the time is.

List 5You have a small supermarket. You have the following in stock:- Salted butter- Instant noodles, in pots and packets, but only spicy ones- Full-fat and low-fat milk- Black pepper, in powder and as corns- White breadYou let people put cards in your window but don’t know what time it is, or where thenearest banks or post offices are. You have change for 10 pounds.



A shopping role play


Worksheet A:
1Here are the things you need to buy

- a blank CD to burn some music on your laptop
- a newspaper, preferably ‘The Guardian’ or ‘The Independent’
- Some low-fat milk
- Half a kilo of nectarines
- A monolingual dictionary, English – English, but small enough for your pocket
You also need to change a 10 pound note for 10 one pound coins

List 2Here are the things you need to buy
- An extension lead for your MP3 player
- This week’s ‘Film Review’ magazine
- Some wholemeal bread
- Some bananas, but the ones used for cooking
- A good grammar practice book for your levelYou also need to find out what time it is, as you have lost your watch

List 3Here are the things you need to buy
- Some high quality paper for your printer
- Some chewing gum, strawberry flavour
- A couple of packets of instant noodles – you like them spicy
- A kilo of oranges
- A good guide to grammar in English
You also need to know where the nearest bank is

List 4Here are the things you need to buy
- Some headphones for your computer so you can use the internet to maketelephone calls
- A book of first class stamps, preferably 10.
- Four mangos, not quite ripe would be best
- Some black pepper corns for your pepper mill
- A bi-lingual dictionary, English – your language
You also want to put a card in the window of a shop saying that you are looking for aprivate teacher to help with your English

List 5Here are the things you need to buy
- Some unsalted butter
- A black pen that you can use to write on CDs
- a telephone card to make international calls
- half a kilo of apples. You like them red and sweet
- a dictionary of phrasal verbs
You also want to know if there is somewhere to post your letters nearby