ACTIVITY 2

RETURNING DEFECTIVE ITEMS TO STORES

Objective: To improve grammar, build vocabulary and develop listening and speaking skills associated with a particular topic or situation & to develop assertiveness techniques for returning defective items to stores.

Situation:

Mrs. Lopez bought a pair of shoes on sale. She wore them one week and noticed

the sewing was starting to come out. She took them back to the shoe store and this is what happened:

Salesman: Can I help you?

Lopez: Yes, I bought these shoes last week and now they are starting to fall apart.

I would like my money back. (x2)

S: Do you have the sales receipt?

L: No, I don't, but I want my money back. (x2)

S: I am sorry, but we have to have the receipt.

L: I understand what you're saying, but I want my money back. If you can't help me, who can? (x2)

S: No one. You have to have your sales slip.

L: I understand what you are saying but I want my money back. If you cannot help me, who can? (x2)

S: Well, the manager. But he will tell you the same thing I am telling you.

L: I want to talk to the manager, please. (x2)

S: Just a minute. Salesman goes through a door in the back of the store, comes back in a few minutes with another man. The salesman points to Mrs. Lopez and the other man comes toward Mrs. Lopez.

Manager: Hello, I am the manager. Did you have a problem with something?

L: I bought these shoes last week and they are starting to fall apart and I want my money back. (x2)

M: Let me see the shoes, please. Oh, this is no problem at all. We can fix these for you again in no time.

L: I don't want them repaired. I want my money back. (x2)

M: It is not our policy to refund money.

L: I understand what you are saying, but I want my money back. (x2)

M: Listen, Mrs. ...?

L: Lopez.

M: Mrs. Lopez, if we refunded everybody's money, we would have a bookkeeping nightmare. We just cannot afford that. Surely you can understand.

L: I understand what you are saying, but I want my money back. (x2)

M: But you have worn these for a week. We cannot give you all your money back.

L: I know I only wore them for a week and they started falling apart and I want my money back. (x2)

M: (Sigh) O.K., come with me and I will see that you get it back.

Instructions to the teacher:

1. Explain the philosophy behind the technique, namely, persistence pays off. Point out to the

student that limited language ability should not be a disadvantage for them with this type of

technique.

2. The teacher first presents a recording of the dialogue and students follow silently.

3. The teacher does the following:

a. Choral imitation in which students all together or in large groups repeat what the

teacher has said. This works best if the teacher gives a clear instruction like "Repeat," or

"Everybody".

b. Elicitation, in which the teacher, using mime, prompt words, gestures, pictures etc.,

gets students to ask questions, make statements, or give new examples of the pattern. For

example, have students tell about times when they were wronged as customers and what, if

anything, they did about it.

c. Substitution drilling, in which the teacher uses cue words (words, pictures, numbers,

names, etc.) to get individual students to mix the examples of the new patterns.

d. Question-answer drilling, in which the teacher gets one student to ask a question and

another to answer until most students in the class have practiced.

e. Correction, in which the teacher indicates by shaking his/her head, repeating the error,

etc., that there is a mistake and invites the student or a different student to correct it.