Role-Play for Grammar Practice
Writing and Practicing Role-Plays for ESL Grammar Learning
Aug 25, 2009
Instead of working through uninteresting, or sometimes tedious practice sentences to teach a new grammar structure, teachers can compose role-plays (dialogs, or plays with more characters) to enable repetition and meaning, for learning.
Grammar lessons typically include an explanation followed by exercises for practice. They are necessary of course, but adding role-plays accelerate learning. Role-play scripts encourage students to read aloud, swap roles, repeat and understand grammar in context, and make the sentences come alive. In preparation for class, teachers can write role-plays when preparing to teach a new grammar point. This kind of preparation may seem overbearing in quantity, but the texts can be used again and again for other classes, review, practice, and pre-test revision.
Students Write Role-Plays
Students in pairs or small groups can also be given the task of writing a role-play script. After they have learned rules and done some practice, they can undertake the work of creating a “play” using the newly learned structure. Copies of these can also be collected by the teacher who will then be able to use and keep them for future classes. Styles of writing are different, so student-produced scripts offer a good variety that will complement a teacher’s collection. Teachers will be able to offer an assortment of work in following teaching sessions.
Writing Grammar Role-Play Texts
Here is an example of a grammar role-play dialog for practicing the irregular past tense.
A: What did you do last night?
B: We went to a movie.
A: What did you see?
B: We saw The Matrix. I didn’t understand it completely but I thought it was really fantastic. What did you do?
A: I ran on my exercise machine. I felt that I should start exercising more.
B: Oh! You were energetic! Did you have fun?
A: It was difficult but I had a good time. I felt really full of energy afterwards. Then Sue and I went to the café and drank a milkshake. We met at 8 o’clock, and spoke till 11. We had a great time.
A: That’s nice. I’m pleased you saw her. She felt very sad last week, so she must feel better now.
Instead of simple straightforward role-plays, abstract dialogs can also be used in the same way. These are more intriguing but not difficult to prepare by the students. An abstract dialog role-play is one in which the words of the text do not contain clear messages to show what is happening; the action takes place between the words of the text. Ready prepared dialogs are also available.
Vocabulary Expansion Activity
Teachers can also combine the grammar structure with a list of new items of vocabulary. The combination of both new structure and vocabulary is more challenging but equally worthwhile. Likewise, the students can insert the new vocabulary into their own scripts.
Grammar Practice Role-Play Writing as an Alternative to Testing
As an alternative to regular testing, students can write a script with the grammar section that is supposed to be tested, and produce a role-play dialog using the test material, instead of answering regular grammar test questions. This creative writing that includes the new grammar will really show if the students understand the recently completed material.
Grammar Revision in a Presentation
To review a complete section of grammar, students can be put in pairs or small groups, receive a script form the teacher’s collection, and prepare to perform the little scene. The teacher can ensure that each of the scripts covers a different section of the grammar that was taught. In this way, through a fun presentation for the class, the structures from the whole grammar course can be employed, practiced and enjoyed by all.
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