TEACHER’S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Shopping Around
Activity Type Introduction
Listening and speaking In this engaging role-play activity, students act as customers and
activity, group work shop assistants and practice buying and selling items in a shop.
Procedure
Language Focus
Before you begin the activity, pre-teach or revise language for
Shopping
buying and selling items in a shop with the class.
Next, divide the class into six groups and have each group sit
Aim around a table.
To practice language for
buying and selling items Give each group a shop name card and a corresponding numbered
in a shop. shopping list.
Have the students fold the card along the line and stand it up
Preparation on the table to show the name of their shop, e.g. bakery. Also,
give each group a set of corresponding picture cards showing the
Make one copy of the shopping items they have for sale.
cards and cut into
shopping lists, shop Explain that the aim of the activity is to be the first group to buy
names and shopping all the items on their shopping list.
items as indicated.
To do this, each group sends out one student (the customer) from
their group to buy the first item on their shopping list.
Level
Tell the students that only one student can go shopping at a time
Elementary
and that the students left waiting at the table take it in turns to
be the shop assistant for their shop.
Time
The customer then goes to what they think is the right shop and
30 minutes begins a conversation with the shop assistant, e.g. 'Hi, have you
got...?'
If the shop assistant has the item, they sell it to the customer and
hand over the shopping item picture card.
If the shop assistant doesn't have the item, the customer should
go and find the right shop.
When the customer has the shopping item, they return to their
group and the second customer goes off in search of the next item
on the list.
The first group to buy all the items on their shopping list wins.
When everyone has finished, have the groups swap their materials
and play a second round and so on.
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SHOPPING
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Shopping Around
Shopping lists
Shopping list 1 Shopping list 2 Shopping list 3
three lamb chops two bottles of cola a bottle of aspirin
two packets of potato chips a chicken four chocolate chip cookies
a watermelon five croissants two steaks
two cartons of yogurt asparagus a newspaper
a tube of toothpaste 200 grams of cheese four bananas
lip stick a loaf of bread some sweetcorn
Shopping list 4 Shopping list 5 Shopping list 6
a carton of milk three carrots a chocolate bar
a bottle of vitamins 500 grams of bacon some grapes
two chocolate doughnuts a packet of razors a packet of coffee
six sausages a loaf of French bread some plasters
a magazine 300 grams of ham four muffins
five bottles of water ten eggs a packet of sweets
Shop names
1 2 3
BAKERY PHARMACY SUPERMARKET
4 5 6
GREENGROCER'S NEWSAGENT'S BUTCHER'S
Teach-This.com © 2018 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
SHOPPING
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Shopping Around
Shopping items
Bakery Pharmacy Supermarket Greengrocer's Newsagent's Butcher's
Teach-This.com © 2018 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
