Anna: Washington, D.C. has great food from all over the world.
Anna: Today I’m having lunch with my boss. Ms. Weaver says we’re going on a trip around the world. But she knows I only have an hour for lunch! Silly woman.
Jonathan: Hi, Anna!
Anna: Hi Jonathan! Hey, we are meeting Ms. Weaver for lunch at noon, aren’t we?
Jonathan: Yes.
Anna: What time is it now?
Jonathan: 11:50.
Anna: 11:50! We have to go!
Anna: So, where is this world food restaurant?
Caty: We’re not eating at a restaurant.
Anna: Where are we eating?
Caty: We are eating at ... food trucks!
Anna: Food trucks … awesome! What’s a food truck?
Caty: These are food trucks!
Anna: Wow!
Jonathan: Whoa!
Caty: Okay, Jonathan, you will buy the first dish. Here is $10. Surprise us!
Jonathan: Okay, I’ll be back in 15 minutes.
Anna: What country do I want to visit?
Caty: Anna, you pick the second country. Here is $10.
Anna: I want chicken.
Caty: The food truck, over there, has great chicken.
Anna: Awesome!
Caty: After you buy your food, meet me here.
Jonathan: Excuse me, I’ll have the shrimp.
Jonathan: Oh, you’re out of shrimp. Okay, I’ll have the beef then.
Anna: Hello. I want the chicken dish.
Truck worker: We're out of chicken.
Anna: You're out of chicken.
Worker: Yep.
Anna: I’ll try another food truck. Thanks!
Worker: You're welcome.
Jonathan: Okay, here is your change. The dish is $7. So, here is 1, 2, 3 dollars back from your 10.
Caty: Great.
Jonathan: Where’s Anna? Is she dancing by that food truck?
Caty: Yes. Yes, she is.
Anna: Ms. Weaver, here is your change. The dish costs $5. So - $5 back.
Caty: Thanks, Anna. But where is the food?
Anna: I’m eating it. The Peruvian chicken is delicious! Try some!
(Caty and Jonathan shake their heads “no”)
Caty: Well, we still have $8! What do you want now?
Anna: We can buy dessert!
Caty: I’ll buy dessert.
Anna: In Washington, D.C., you can travel around the world … with food trucks! And it does not cost a lot.
Anna: Until next time!
Writing
Anna and her co-workers are going out for lunch together. What do you usually have for lunch on a weekday? Describe it and send us a photo if you can! Send us an email or write in the Comments section.
Use the Activity Sheet to practice writing and talking about money and change.
Lesson 23 Activity Sheet
Learning Strategy
Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Respond. In many everyday situations, we have to respond to what we hear. Speaking English as a second language might make it hard for you to respond quickly. The strategy respond is part of listening actively. After listening to what the other person says, you respond on the same topic.
Jonathan at a Food Truck
In the video, Jonathan listens to the food truck worker. She says they are out of shrimp. Jonathan responds. First, he repeats the sentence, "Oh, you're out of shrimp." That shows he understands. Second, he asks for a different dish. "I'll have the beef, then."
When you talk with someone in English, how do you usually respond? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.
Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website.
Each Let's Learn English lesson has anActivity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to learn how to talk about America coins and money.
For Teachers
Lesson 23 Lesson Plan
See theLesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions.
Grammar focus: Using want to express desires
Topics: Asking the time; Counting back change; Time and Punctuality
Learning Strategy: Respond
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Counting change, Reduced form of "out of;" Reduced form, "whaddaya;" Informal agreement using "yep."
Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
