Teacher Edition
Starter • Unit 2: People & Things

Can I Have a Coffee, Please?

Order food and drinks at a cafe, ask about prices, and understand ordering expressions (Anything else?, Here you are, Here's your change).

50 min
(recycling) How much + Can I have...? + ordering expressions
14 words
1

Reading

10 minutes
Say to student:

"Now let's listen to someone ordering from this menu!"

Reading

Can I Have a Coffee, Please?

Read the text aloud. Then discuss the questions below.

CAFE MENU

FOOD: Cheese sandwich — $4.50 Burger — $6.00 Toast — $2.00

DRINKS: Coffee — $3.00 Tea — $2.50 Orange juice — $3.50 Water — $1.50 Coke — $2.00

Key Words from the Text

sandwich — A cheese sandwich, please.
burger — How much is a burger?
coffee — Can I have a coffee, please?
tea — A tea, please.
juice — An orange juice, please.
water — A water, please.
Coke — A Coke, please.
menu — Can I see the menu?

1. How much is a burger?

2. How much is a coffee?

3. What's cheap? What's expensive?

4. What do YOU want?

2

Language Focus

12 minutes

Dialogue: A cafe. A customer orders food and drinks from the menu.

Server and Customer

Server
Hi! What can I get you?
A cheese sandwich, please.
Customer
Server
Anything else?
And a coffee, please.
Customer
Server
That's $7.50.
Here you are.
Customer
Server
Thanks. Here's your change.

Click any speech bubble to hear that line!

Comprehension:

1. What does the customer order?

2. How much is it?

3. Does the customer say 'please'?

Grammar Discovery: (recycling) How much is/are + Can I have...? + ordering expressions

Look at these ordering expressions. When does the customer speak? When does the server speak?

Customer: Can I have a sandwich, please?

Server: Anything else?

Customer: Here you are. (giving money)

Server: Here's your change.

Expected answer: Customer: 'Can I have...' + 'Here you are' (paying). Server: 'Anything else?' + 'Here's your change.'

Explain:

How do you ask for something politely?

Can I have a coffee, please? — Can I have + item + please

A sandwich, please. — Or just: item + please (shorter)

Quick Check (oral):

1. Say: "You want a coffee. You say: 'Can I ___ a coffee, please?'"

Expected: have

If wrong: 'Can I HAVE...' is the polite way to ask.

2. Say: "The server asks if you want more. He says: 'Anything ___?'"

Expected: else

If wrong: 'Anything else?' = 'Mais alguma coisa?'

3. Say: "You give money to the server. You say: '___ you are.'"

Expected: Here

If wrong: 'Here you are.' = 'Aqui esta.'

Common Errors

I want a coffee. Can I have a coffee, please?
'I want' is too direct. 'Can I have...please?' is more polite.
Explicação (PT-BR):
Can I have = Posso pedir. Anything else? = Mais alguma coisa? Here you are = Aqui esta (dando algo). Here's your change = Aqui esta o troco.
3

Practice

15 minutes
Watch for:
- 'Can I have' vs 'I want': Brazilian tends to say 'I want a coffee.' Correct but too direct. Teach: 'Can I have a coffee, PLEASE?' is more polite.
- Prices with cents: '$7.50' = 'seven fifty' (short form, most used) or 'seven dollars and fifty cents' (complete). In practice, 'seven fifty' is what students will hear.
- 'Anything else?': fixed expression the server ALWAYS says. Student needs to recognize and respond: 'No, thanks.' or 'And a ___.'
- 'Here you are' — 2 uses: (1) Customer giving money. (2) Server giving the product. Same expression.
- Math check: sandwich ($4.50) + coffee ($3.00) = $7.50. If student notices, praise: 'Good math!'
- Real menu: if possible, bring a real cafe menu and practice. 'How much is a cappuccino at Starbucks?'

Prices

Match the price to the words.

Column A

$2.50
$3.00
$4.50
$6.00
$7.50
$1.50

Column B

three dollars
six dollars
two fifty
one fifty
seven fifty
four fifty

Ordering Phrases

Complete with words from the box.

havepleaseelsechangeHere
1. Can I a sandwich, ?
2. Anything ?
3. you are. (giving money)
4. Here's your . (getting change)

At the Cafe

You have $10. Order food and drinks from the menu.

Scenario:

You are at a cafe. You have $10. Order from the menu.

Useful Expressions

Can I have a ___, please?Anything else?How much is it?Here you are.Thanks!

Round 1 — You are the customer ($10 budget)

TEACHER: Hi! What can I get you?
YOU: Can I have a ___, please?
TEACHER: Anything else?
YOU: And a ___, please.
TEACHER: That's $___.
YOU: Here you are.
TEACHER: Thanks. Here's your change.

Round 2 — You are the server

YOU: Hi! What can I get you?
TEACHER: (orders 2-3 items)
YOU: Anything else?
TEACHER: No, thanks.
YOU: That's $___. (you calculate!)
TEACHER: Here you are.
YOU: Thanks. Here's your change.
4

Let's Talk

13 minutes

Let's Talk!

Use what you learned today to answer these questions. Elaborate as much as you can!

Ordering at a cafe.

1. What do you usually order at a cafe?

Follow-up: Do you prefer coffee or tea?

Target: I usually have a coffee. / I like tea.
Expected answer: Coffee. / A coffee.
Tip: Model: 'I usually have a cappuccino.' Accept single word, build to 'I have a coffee.'

2. How much is a coffee in Brazil?

Follow-up: Is it expensive or cheap?

Target: A coffee is about ___. / It's ___ reais.
Expected answer: Five reais. / It's cheap.
Tip: Connect to real prices. Recycle expensive/cheap. Bridge to dollars vs reais.
Extension activity: Aluno rapido: criar seu proprio menu (restaurante brasileiro) com precos em dolares. Professor pede, aluno serve e calcula.

Self-Assessment

How did you do today?

  • I can order food and drinks: Can I have a ___, please?
  • I can ask: How much is it?
  • I can understand: Anything else? and Here's your change.

Great work today!

Next class: Next class: family! This is my sister. Her name's Maria.