Role plays
Students
play a part (their own or somebody else’s) in a specific situation.-Give
student information about who they are, and what they think and feel.
Features:
Ø Student(s): Alone,
in pairs, groups.
Ø Teacher a
facilitator-avoid too much participation
Ø Short or long.
Ø Open or tightly
controlled.
Ø Defined by
teacher/students.
Ø Types of roles:
a) Useful for
real-world needs
b) Roles from TV,
newspapers, books…
c) Fictional roles
Ø Language already
acquired
Ø Language practice
(rather than learning)
Ø Fluency over
accuracy.
Ø It is a low
input-high output technique. (The
presentation by the teacher is very short).
Ø CAN be performed
for other students or recorded in a video (extrovert students).
Ø no audience
Ø Minimum information for
students to understand what to do.
Ø Memorised or read.
Ø Structures: already
studied or very simple.
How to…
Ø No over-complex emotional
or psychological features (inhibition, acting). Emotion should arise
naturally.Choose subjects that are safe. Emphasis on “play” rather than “role”.
Ø Begin with pair work
rather than group work (less self-conscious).
Ø Short activities until
students get used to it.
Ø Make sure the students
have understood the situation and the role cards before you start.
Ø If they use Spanish,
start with pair work and easy information-gap role-plays.
Ø Always have a follow-up
activity for those who finish soon.
Ø Set a time limit and
stick to it.
Advantages:
Ø Improve speaking skills.
Ø Promote interaction.
Ø Practice all language
aspects: structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, …
Ø Train for real specific
situations in a safe context.
Ø Help shy students by
providing them with a mask.
Ø Includes the outside
world (vs. Activities based on tasks).
Ø Small talk.
Ø Expressions to start a
conversation.
Ø Important in social
relationships Missing in traditional teaching.
Disadvantages:
Ø Time-consuming.
Ø Noise, chaos.
Ø Use of mother
tongue.
Ø Difficulty of
assuming somebody else’s personality:
l Allowed to choose
their own roles.
Ø Shyness.
