Yes some of the shops attendants are speaking good english

Perhaps not all of them will be open but many are certain to take advantage of the opportunity.

People start opening stalls around 9 am and starts winding down between 4:30 and 5. By 5:30 it's pretty quiet and most things are closed. However there do seem to be a few shops in the market that stay open a little longer.

A number of the stalls have a few chairs for sitting and eating. Most people stood by the stall where they purchased their food and enjoyed their selection while people-watching.

Ciao alle 18 e tutto chiuso, non si può cenare li.

Please understand that Nishiki has been like a "Marché in Europe" for Kyoto citizens, so not the street for eating. Most of the shops open around 09:00 in the morning and close around 18:00. Closing time depends on each shops. As for Sagano train along the Hozu-Valley,　End Nov is usually one of best timing to enjoy Japanese Autumn. i hope you will see colorful autumn leaves from train window.

In my experience I did not see much in terms of crowd lulls. Pretty steady all the time I was there from mid morning through to after lunch. Hope the crowds don't get your down.

Shijo Station via the Karasuma subway. Look for signage indicating to Shijo Street.

Anytime before they close is fine (6pm) Good place to get food so I'd plan accordingly. You can def shop until you drop here with lots of vendors selling food and lots of non-food items.