Spanish Level 2, Activity 03: El arte de regatear / The Art of Bartering (Online)

Activity Instructions

Activity Title (in your target language)

El arte de regatear / The Art of Bartering

Description:

In this activity, students are going to practice asking for the cost of something and practice purchasing items. Students are also going to be exposed to the concept of bartering and how to do it with a vendor. 
 

Proficiency Level:

Novice Mid

Keywords:

Price, Money, Cost, Store, Barter, Purchase, Vendor, Spanish

World-Readiness Standards:

Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can participate in the act of bartering with someone from a Spanish speaking country.
  • I can ask how much something costs.
  • I can use rehearsed behaviors when shopping in a familiar type of store.
  • I can share with a friend what I purchased at a market.

Materials Needed:

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and talking about bartering. 

  • “Hoy vamos a practicar "el arte de regatear." En español, regatear significa pedir un precio más barato por un objeto. Por ejemplo, si el precio es 80 pesos, puedes pedir el objeto por 70 pesos. El vendedor puede responder, "Puedo darte el objeto por 75 pesos." 

2. In the Google Slideshow, there are various clips embedded from Youtube. These clips are interviews of customers and a vendor talking about bartering. The first clip talks about what the vendor is selling. 

  • “Ahora, vamos a ver un clip breve. Presten atención a lo que ofrece el vendedor." 

3. Ask the students what the vendor is selling. The vendor is selling rags, the answer will show up on the slide after when you click on it.

  • “¿Qué ofrece el vendedor?" (toallas y trapos para la cocina) 

4. Show students the next clip, in which a few people from Mexico are going to talk about how they barter. 

  • “Ahora en este clip, algunas personas de México van a charlar sobre cómo les gusta regatear." Presten atención a las frases útiles. 

5. The next clip that the instructor will show has a vendor talking about bartering and whether it benefits him or not. 

  • “En este último clip, el vendedor va a charlar sobre el acto de regatear." 

6. Ask students what the vendor explains happens when people try to barter with him. 

  • “¿Qué pasa con el vendedor cuando alguien regatea? (Recibe menos dinero, pero todavía gana un poco)" 

7. Click to the next slide which provides useful phrases for bartering. 

  • “En esta diapositiva hay algunas frases útiles que pueden usar para regatear." 

8. Now you will do a short bartering practice with students. The example involves the selling of handmade, traditional Mexican skulls. 

  • “¡Ahora vamos a practicar el arte de regatear!" 

9. Welcome your students to your imaginary vendor stall 

  • “¡Hola y bienvenidos a mi puesto! Vendo calaveras muy bonitas. ¿Quieren comprar una calavera?" 

10. Students should pretend that they are interested in buying an item. 

  • "Estudiante: ¡Sí! 
  • Asistente: ¡Perfecto! ¿Qué calavera quieres?" 
     

11. Now students should ask how much the skull costs. You (the vendor) would say a very high and unrealistic price. 

  • “Estudiante: ¿Cuánto cuesta? 
  • Asistente: ¡Cuesta _$______!" 

12. Students should use the useful phrases the assistant went over with them on the slideshow. The assistant can return to the slide that has all of them to help guide students. 

  • “Asistente: Ahora van a regatear el precio. 
  • Estudiante: ¿Cuál es lo más bajo?" 

13. Once a deal is made at a lower price, seal the deal (hecho). 

  • “Hecho!" 

Main Activity

1. Put students in groups of two, one student will be the vendor and the other student will be the customer. 

  • “Vamos a tener dos grupos de dos. Un estudiante va ser cliente y el otro va ser un vendedor." 

2. The vendors are going to have a lot of objects to sell to their clients. The clients are going to pick a card from the powerpoint 

  • Los vendedores van a tener muchos objetos para vender a los clientes. Los clientes van a escoger una tarjeta con una situación que deben tener en mente para comprar cosas. Por ejemplo, una situación es el cumpleaños de un novio/a y el cliente debe comprar un regalo para el/ella." 

4. Use this model for example: 

  • Have a student start with one item, they should describe and present the item in detail. After, have them give a starting price and invite other students to begin bidding. 
  • Por ejemplo, si hay una tarjeta que tiene audífonos, pueden decir: son audífonos que cancelan el ruido para que puedes estudiar en silencio, son inalámbrico y de el nuevo modo.. el precio para empezar es $200 dolares. 
     

5. After students have sold a few items have students switch roles (the vendors become the customers and the customers become the vendors). 

Wrap-up

  • ¿Qué compraron en el mercado?
  • ¿Cuál fue la cosa más cara?
  • ¿Cuál fue la cosa más barata?
  • Tienes la oportunidad de tender un puesto en el mercado de aire libre en boise, ¿Qué quieres vender? 
     

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. (Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation. 
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs! 
 

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can participate in the act of bartering with someone from a Spanish speaking country.
  • I can ask how much something costs.
  • I can use rehearsed behaviors when shopping in a familiar type of store.
  • I can share with a friend what I purchased at a market.