HOW TO USE DIALOGUES AND ROLE PLAYS EFFECTIVELY PEACE CORPS

Today’s objectives Participants will recognize the value of using dialogues and role plays. Participants will learn ways to effectively use dialogues and role plays to enhance student learning.

What are the benefits of using dialogues and role plays?

Benefits of using dialogues: offers an opportunity to practice speaking and listening provides a memorable learning experience is adaptable to multiple levels increases motivation and self-esteem introduces or reviews content helps students become familiar with useful language in context

Planning a dialogue activity: 1. Determine your objective. 2. Select or create an appropriate text that is the right level of difficulty and that will fulfill your objective. 3. Decide the specifics of the activity and include these in your lesson plan.

How to implement a dialogue in the classroom Tell the learners what they will be doing and why. Provide the dialogue. Provide instructions and expectations. Go over relevant vocabulary. Make sure the context, or setting, is understood. Assess the activity with a rubric. Evaluate the success of the activity and adapt if necessary.

Practice: Complete the dialogue Tattoo Todd Chad: Do you want to come to my house and watch a movie? We have cable at our house now. Todd: I don’t want to watch boring movies. I am going to go downtown and get a tattoo on my arm. Chad: A tattoo? Are you crazy? Todd: No, I’m not crazy. I think tattoos look cool. Chad: Maybe you think tattoos look cool now, but in a few years when you are older and smarter, you might regret it. And tattoos are painful. They use a needle, and your skin will be sore for a long time. Todd:

Teaching Useful Expressions Informal English conversations are often chockful of utterances and expressions whose meanings are not defined in a dictionary. Use tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language as necessary to convey the meaning of the expressions.

Utterances and useful expressions Are you kidding? Get out of here! Oh, um, hmm, eww What did he say??? Utterances and useful expressions Nothing much. Woah! Cool. What for? Seriously? No way.

Role plays... Have you used role plays in your classroom? What are the benefits of role plays?

Benefits of role plays improves fluency encourages creativity “…involves the whole person – intellect, feeling, and bodily senses- it tends to be experienced more deeply and remembered longer” (Brookfield, 1990).

Planning a role play activity: 1. Determine your objective. 2. Select or create an appropriate scenario that is the right level of difficulty and that will fulfill your objective. 3. Decide the specifics of the activity and include these in your lesson plan.

How to implement a role play in the classroom Tell the learners what they will be doing and why. Brief them on their roles and the assignment. Go over relevant vocabulary. Make sure the context and expectations are understood. Assess activity with a rubric. Evaluate the success of the activity and adapt if necessary.

E X A M P L E S

GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE Tip: write key phrases on the board (e. g.,“I would like…” “How much are…” “Good morning…”)

Role play A It’s 2 PM, and you are trying to sleep. You have to sleep in the daytime because you work at night. Your neighbor's children are playing a noisy game outside. You don’t know your neighbor's name but you say hello to each other when you meet. You don’t have her or his phone number, so you get dressed and ring the doorbell to complain about the noise.

Role play B It is 2 PM. Your children, ages 6 and 7, have been playing computer games all morning. So, 10 minutes ago, you sent them outside to play. You can hear them playing now. The doorbell rings. When you open your door, you see your neighbor. You don’t know her or his name and don’t see the person very often, but she or he is friendly and says hello when you meet.

Practice: planning a role play Objective: Students will be able to use at least 7 question words in a conversation. Decide on a scenario. Write the instructions for your students. Establish time constraints. Decide how you will assess. What problems do you foresee?