Buying Food at the Market (Intermediate)

Practice on Your Own

Imagine you are in a country where the language is spoken and you want to buy food from the market. Figure out exactly what you want to buy.

• Before going to the market, make a shopping list of the things you need in the language you are learning.
• Find out the types of markets available and what is sold there. If you are not sure, prepare questions for your conversation partner about the best market(s) where you can buy all your food.
• Plan ahead for what you need to say to the sellers at the market. Think about how you will greet them, how you will indicate what you need and the amount, and the questions that the sellers might ask you in the process. Figure out whether the prices will be fixed or if you can bargain. Recall bargaining phrases that you have learned.
• Practice how you can tell your conversation partner the types of food that you are buying.

Practice in Conversation Session

• Be prepared to tell your conversation partner and fellow students the kinds of food you are going to buy. Your conversation partner and fellow students may follow up with questions about the food and the market(s) where you intend to shop.
• Discuss with your conversation partner about the best market(s) to get your food and ask about the types of food sold there and their prices. Ask about whether the prices are fixed or if you can bargain.
• Be prepared to role play situations in which your partner plays the role of the seller and you interact with the person. Greet the person in a culturally appropriate way, ask for what you need and let the person tell you they have all you need and you pick what you want. Role play the conversation, including bargaining for prices if appropriate. Switch roles with your partner and repeat the conversation.
• After the role plays, talk about the food found in your home country and the food in the host country. Also discuss the differences in the shopping procedure in your home country and in the host country. Are prices fixed? Is bargaining allowed? Do you pick what you want or does the seller pack things? Converse in the language you are learning and see how much vocabulary you have to express yourself.