So one of the exercises that I generally enjoyed as a student, and that I think actually was good for learning about language use, was the sort of exercise wherein you’ve got to write a skit. A scene.

So last week (two weeks ago? yeah.) I had some of my students write a skit that I called “The Bad Waiter.” In one group, two boys wrote a ridiculous scene in which a waiter was really rude (the grammar was awful); in another the three kids didn’t quite get the assignment, or maybe were just lazy, and wrote a terribly short skit where the waitress simply mixed up two people’s orders. But my best group was, well, the two ten-year-old girls I tutor on Monday evenings, who are in a bilingual school and speak pretty good English. Unsurprising, I know. Their skit is also the only one I collected on paper. Here it is; I’ve corrected nothing beyond what I corrected in class:

The Bad Waitress

Helena: Bad morning! What are you going to eat today?!
Carmen: Well, let me think…
Helena: Quickly!
Carmen: I want fish with potatoes.
Helena: What are you thinking?! We haven’t got this strange food.
Carmen: What?! That is the most normal food!
Helena: Yes! But I don’t want to give it to you.
Carmen: Why?!
Helena: Because you haven’t got money. Look at your clothes.
Carmen: OK, I want a pizza.
Helena: No, I don’t want to give that to you, either.
Carmen: OK, what have you got in this restaurant?!
Helena: Nothing for you, but for other people all of this. Bye bye!!
Carmen: OK, I don’t want to come back again to this restaurant!!
Helena: OK. The money, ten euros. For the service.
Carmen: Aaarghh!!