Shopping at Harrods

Introduction

WELCOME TO OUR WEBQUEST!

Have you ever thought about shopping in London? London is one of the most lively shopping cities in the whole world. Within just a few minutes' walk you can find both wast department stores, with glittering window displays, and tiny, cluttered rooms where one customer almost fills the entire shop. Many of the most famous shops are in Regent, Oxford or Knightsbridge street.

Harrods, the most important shopping centre in England, is at Knightsbridge street. It is not only well-known because of its huge variety of quality brands and products, but also due to the hidden history behind this building.

Probably, if you are wandering in any department at Harrods, the shop assistant of this department will offer his/her service, help or advice to you. Consequently, you will have to accept or refuse his/her offer not just by saying 'yes', 'no' or a few words. Unlike Spanish customer-assistant conversations at shops, English people tend to be more considerate towards the others. They make, refuse or accept offers graciously since politeness is crucial for them in this social context.

So, if you want to learn offers' formulas to be engaged in a shopping conversation as well as know some intersting facts about Harrods, do not hesitate to do this entertaining webquest! Click on the task button to find out what you need to do!

Task

NOW, IT IS YOUR TURN!

In this Webquest, you are going to work in groups of FOUR members. Everyone will have an assigned role to answer some questions about making, accepting and refusing offers in the pre-task stage. Moreover, in the task stage you are expected to create an audio record recreating a shopping situation dialogue at Harrods. You will have to utilise the offers' formulas learnt previously for your dialogue. Each member will also play his/her role in this task. Have fun!

Go to process to continue.

Process

Let's continue....

It is very IMPORTANT to know that this final task will be done in a collaborative way in which each member has to choose a role. Remember that you have to meet all together in order to reach an agreement to do the final product.

PRETASK:

1- In order for you to have a good knowledge of The King of London's department store's tradition, watch the following video:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiYYue1RQC8]

2- After watching it, the four group member must comment some aspects about the video such as the number of departments, the number of floors, the products for sale, the owner of Harrods, the Egyptian scalator and so on.

3- It is necessary to establish the role of each of the four group members. Every member has to work on a text, which appears beneath. The roles in this stage will be the following:

Making offers reader: one team member has to read the text to find out and highlight those patterns or expressions used for making offers.
Accepting offers reader: another member has to read the text to find out and highlight those patterns or expressions used for accepting offers.
Refusing offers reader: one team member has to read the text to find out and highlight those patterns or expressions used for refusing offers.
Scrambled sentences organiser: one team member must read the text to organise it since it is completely disorganised in scrambled sentences.

HARRODS, WORTHY REFUNDING

Anne: I’d like to have a refund on a Burberry’s coat which I bought last week. Can I do that here?

S: We haven’t had problems to sell the brand’s clothes. In fact, it has been the most successful brand in the department store. You look quite young, how about trying on this colourful skirt? It will really suit you!

Susan: May I help you?

S: Yes, that’s right. Why don’t I let you see the waistcoat which matches this skirt? Sometimes, I’m a bit absent-minded! I’m sorry.

A: That’s very nice of you, but it is okay. I’ll buy the whole package. It really suits me.

S: I know what you mean, but it is not so expensive. If you buy everything, I can make a discount on you.

A: That would be very kind of you. I really appreciate your favour.

S: Could I show you another one which I love? It is a striped skirt which is quite trendy.

A: Well, I am afraid not. In my case, I don’t really like clothes with lively colours.

S: Might I put this round-neck blouse inside the fitting room? In my opinion, you would be amazing with these clothes all together with the teacher if you were at the disco at night.

A: Ooh, it looks very elegant and tight. I like it!

S: Yes, of course. Shall I show you some fashionable outfit which came yesterday? Maybe, you are interested in buying some new clothes.

A: No, thank you. I can’t spend so much money on clothes. I don’t have a high salary.

S:Anne, I could help you if you want. In case you have any problem with the size.

A: Yes please, I would like to try on these two pieces of clothing in the fitting room. Don’t worry. It always happens to me when I’m a bit stressed-out.

S: It is fine.

A: Yes please, I’d love to see it. I’m very keen on skirts,: specially, when I go out at night.

S: You are a medium-sized person. Here you have.

A: That would be great, I would love seing the last collection models

4- Every member must copy and paste their answers and send them to my email. Afterwards, click on the following button to check your work in the Class blog. The answers appear under the heading Webquest: https://learningenglishonline62.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/webquest/

5- All group members must be arranged to discuss the aspects of structure, meaning and context while circling the correct answer in this fill in the gaps activity. Remember that only one answer is correct and that politeness is essential in a shopping competence.

- Can I help / May I helping you? I think you are lost...- Yes. / Thank you, that would be great. I am trying to find a fashionable coat.- Yes, I see... How about try on / trying on this shiny leather coat?- Well, I am not very sure... no, I'm afraid not / yes please, I'd like to.- Okay. I have many, it is not a problem. Can I show / Might I showing you one from the new collection?- No, thankyou. / That's very nice of you, but it is a present for a friend of mine. So, I know her quite well and I know that she will not consider it stylish.- I know what you mean. I can / I shall show you good quality but chic coats. - No, thanks. / That would be very kind of you. To be honest, her clothes are quite old-fashioned, so she's running out of good pieces of clothing.- How about / Why don't this woollen coat? It is very elegant. She will look very nice.- Yes please, I'd love to buy it / Yes please, I'd love to buy it. It will really suit her! Good job!

TASK:

1- After doing the previous activities, you must establish the roles for each group member to develop the task. There are four assigned roles with the following functions:

SCRIPT WRITER: 1 memeber will be in charge of writing a script using offers' formulas such as making, accepting and refusing offers. The dialogue cannot last more last more 10 minutes. You have to access to the following page: Harrods online shopping website . In the shopping conversations two customers want to return their bought items and buy new stuff. Consequently, the shop assistant should be as much helpful as he/she can. Furthermore, you have to utilise the vocabulary related to clothing learnerd throught the unit. These webpages can be very helpful for the elaboration of your script: Clothes & accessories and Clothes vocabulary. You can also watch the following video about a scene of the film Pretty Woman to have a general idea about how to write the script:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT5rMvo3Clc align:center]

CHARACTERS: 3 members of the group will perform the dialogue using the web resource Voicethread. One of the characters has to open a Voicethread account. Two of the group members will be the customers and one will be the shop assistant.They must read and memorise the script to practise their role several times in order to perform it properly.

2- Students, after doing your job, your final task is done!

Evaluation

ASSESSMENT

All the group members are going to be assessed taking into consideration the different roles of the pretask and task. Furthermore, the final project will be also evaluated. Finally, Cooperative Learning skills and Cooperative Language Learning skills will also be assessed. Click on each rubric to see how the evaluation works.

Collaborative Work Skills : Cooperative Learning skills

Collaborative Work Skills : Cooperative Language Learning skills

Group members' assessment

Voice recording assessment

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have finished your task!!

You have managed to record a shopping dialogue with Voicethread utilising expressions related to making, accepting and refusing offers!! You have enjoyed the task for sure!

Through this webquest you have learned the importance of using these expressions connected to offers in a specific social context as a way of showing politeness. Moreover, you have practised communication in English in a real life situation and learned several interesting facts about Harrods!

Students, we hope that your knowledge about making, accepting and refusing offers has improved and don't forget to use these formulas in certain social contexts! Remember that the done thing is to be respectful towards the others!