Shopping, Novice High, English Foundation

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. In other words, the activities are “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country the platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture!

This activity was created by upper-division language students working in the World Languages Resource Center at Boise State University. Our activities seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive listening skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. We recommend using these activities to help reinforce the content students are learning, allowing the students time to feel comfortable using the unit’s vocabulary and grammar structures through application. Further, these activities should be facilitated in approximately 90% (or more) in the target language, per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Using the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for your target language and audience, simply click the “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students and should be changed to the target language. 

Most activities contain a connected chapter, two to three “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, main activity, and a wrap-up. In addition to the instructions, some activities may include a “cheat sheet” containing the target vocabulary and grammar structures emphasized in the activity. Though most of the lab materials are provided, a computer, projector, printer, and laminator may also be needed to fully utilize materials. 

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials. If you would like to adapt these materials for your language, please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

Enjoy!

- Boise State World Languages Resource Center

Shopping Activity

Theme: Shopping

Description: Students will be talking in groups about things they like whether it be sports, food or other interests. They will also participate in a mini shopping experience where they will decide what gift they would like to buy for their partner (in class) and why. This gives the opportunity for students to understand their peer's interests and apply this new knowledge to a shopping experience. 

Relevant Can-Do statements: 

• I can select a gift based on someone's likes and interests.
• I can exchange preferences about which stores, sports, and other interests I like.
• I can interact with a partner to find out their favorite things.

Materials:

Instruction Cards

Object Cards

White boards and markers

Presentation

Warm-up

Hand out one of the object cards to each pair of students and explain: 

“You will chat about the object on the card"

The lab assistant can model with an extra card if needed. 

1. "Which store sells this kind of object?"
2. "What is the “typical” price for this object?"
3. "What kind of person would like this object as a gift (For example: A mother, a child, a student, a worker)?"

The students will then report back to the group with information they have agreed upon. 

Main Activity

1. Hand out an instruction card to each student. Have the students share these things with the whole group (Writing them on the board will be helpful for them to answer): 
1. Favorite store
2. Favorite season
3. Favorite sport or activity
4. Favorite color 
5. Favorite food
6. Your personality in one word- kind, serious, sympathetic, funny, etc. 
2. The students will pretend to go shopping for all the members of the group:
1. Have them get into pairs and they will take turns explaining what presents/gifts they will buy their partner and explain why (keeping in mind their favorite things ). They will also explain what stores they will visit to buy the gifts and what price this item is typically sold for. 
3. After they are done, they will switch partners and repeat the previous steps.
4. Tell your students: 

“You need to buy at least three gifts for your group.”

Wrap-up

Wrap-up questions:

1. Which gift was...
1. the most creative?
2. the most interesting?
3. the most expensive?
2. What is your favorite gift? (You ask every student to answer this one.)
3. What is a gift you would like to get in the future? 
   

End of lab: Can-Do statement check-in... “Where are we?”

• Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with cards 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!
  

Lab assistant notes:

Ideas for cultural integration:

- Locate a map of a shopping mall from the target culture and use stores that students are familiar with to help explain the stores. You may also want to mention a few items the store sells. Students should then mention which store they would go to when purchasing the gifts.