Learning a language is a complex and long process as anyone who has tried will agree. One of the most difficult and frustrating things is making the transition from the classroom to the 'real' world. In the classroom, everyone knows you are a student and mistakes are allowed, and the environment is contained and safe. Speaking another language outside the classroom is completely different and often students are lost at sea as soon as they step outside the door. Lists of memorized vocabulary are suddenly useless when ordering in a restaurant.
Role-plays, or simulations are one of the ways ESL instructors can ease students' transition into using English in real world situations. A simulation is where students act out a real-life situation, for example checking into at a hotel, but do not act out a different personality. Role-plays are where students take on different personalities. In a role-play, for example, one student may be asked to take on the role of "an angry neighbor" which is out of character for the student.
Role-plays require more imagination by students and teacher and can be difficult to manage because they are unpredictable. The initial scenario develops from the students interacting with each other and can literally go in any direction. This gives students practice in a non-threatening environment, and gives the motivation and involvement where they have to think in English. Role-plays are interesting, memorable and engaging, and students retain the material they have learned. In their assumed role, students drop their shyness and other personality and cultural inhibitions, making them one of the best tools available for teaching a second language.
Here are a few pointers and suggestions to assist ESL teachers using and managing role-plays:
-The more engaging the better. The value of role-plays come from students immersing themselves in the material. - Choose a 'hot' topic and stage a debate. Assign students positions on the topic (for/against). This will get students out of their personality and into the role where they do not have the same inhibitions. - Preparation is very important to success. Give students 'personality cards' which sketch out their personal characteristics or scenario.
Divide students into groups and give them time to sketch out various scenarios, and go over extra or special vocabulary ask them to discuss how they will act, think about the character and plan what they will say. For example, what are possible responses/replies for the angry neighbor? - The teacher, as facilitator of the role-play must support students in their role, i.e. they 'are' in the backyard arguing over the fence. Don't do anything to interrupt the pretend environment. Leave grammar correction to the end. Correcting students in the middle of an argument interrupts the pretend environment. Make notes and do a debriefing after. - Exaggeration is good! Encourage students to exaggerate their actions, opinions and movements.
Exaggeration helps students immerse themselves in the role. - Stage a rehearsal first. Have students practice their role in small groups with coaching from the other students. - While the role-play or debate is in progress, have other students suggest vocabulary first, and act as backup if they do not know.
Role-plays are unpredictable which makes them both a valuable learning tool and at the same time difficult to manage. Sketch out the various routes the role-play can take from the initial scenario. This will give you some idea what to expect and avoid any surprises.
Suggested topics for role-plays:
- Lovers problems (He has to move away to get a new and better job) Spending money (Government, United Nations etc. spending money, who gets what)
- Traveling (where would you go? what would you do?)
- Debates on current affairs/politics. Extreme opinions or opinions at the opposite ends of the spectrum work well (i.e. left wing/right wing etc.)
Role-plays can range from 30 minutes or one hour to a year-long corporate simulation for business English. Staging role-plays can be challenging for an instructor, but is also great fun. After you have done a few, you will know what to expect and feel more confident.
My experience is students love them retain what they learn, and often leave the classroom laughing and still arguing all the way out of the building!
Role In A Play
When role playing games were first introduced in the mid-1970s, they had a relatively small market, just small groups of high school students meeting in the cafeteria with pencils and dice in hand. Today, with the increased popularity of computers, participation in role-playing games has exploded with literally millions of people all over the world and from all walks of life enjoying the excitement of RPG's.
Role Playing Game Basics
Simply put, an RPG is any game where players take the roles of fictional characters and organize to tell a story together. Of course, this is an admittedly broad definition. Nonetheless, it captures the idea that storytelling is what role playing games are really all about.
Not surprisingly, given how broad the above definition is, and the natural flexibility of RPG's, there are many different types of games covering a host of genres. The very first role-playing games centered around fantasy stories with wizards and dragons, knights and elves roaming across of mythical landscape. They quickly expanded to include science fiction stories with aliens and ray guns. Today, RPG's centered around historical situations, espionage, military actions, and horror can be found.
Different Role Playing Games
There are three broad types of role playing game: traditional RPG's, live action RPG's, and computer RPG's.
In traditional role-playing games, participants sit around a table and act out the story verbally, with one person taking on a role similar to a narrator. Usually dice are used to determine the outcome of specific actions.
Taking the game away from the tabletop and into the wider world, many adherents believe that the best way to really inhabit another character is to get up and try to be that person. Thus the development of live action role-playing games, some with rules as strict as traditional role-playing games, but most with a more flexible structure. Whereas traditional role-playing games can be thought of as story telling, live action role-playing games more closely resemble theater.
Role-playing games made the jump to computers relatively early. At first, however, computer role-playing games just tried to simulate traditional role-playing games; in a sense, the computer was just used to make things easier for the players. With the development of network technology, computers allowed participants to play with each other regardless of physical distance. Live action role-playing gamers have also used computers to help develop a flexible rule-free style of play.
Role Playing Games and MMORPGs
The increasing popularity of massive multiplayer online role playing games, commonly known as MMORPGs, has been the most significant development in role playing games in the last decade. Today it is estimated that as many as 15 million people worldwide are playing MMORPGs. In MMORPGs, participants, as in all other role-playing games, take on the role of a character. What makes MMORPGs significant, however, is that thousands of participants can interact in a virtual universe, a universe that keeps going whether an individual user is in the system or not. Like traditional role-playing games, MMORPGs are situated in a variety of universes, from fantasy to science fiction.
Both George Stocker & Stephen Dolan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
George Stocker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education. . George Stocker's top article generates over 27100 views. Bookmark George Stocker to your Favourites.
Stephen Dolan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acupuncture Chiropractor, Gardening and Ideas for Remodeling. Steve Dolan is a veteran gamer of more years than he cares to admit. RPG's of all types are his favorite past time. Click Role Playing Games, (RPGs) and MMORPGs. Stephen Dolan's top article generates over 40500 views. Bookmark Stephen Dolan to your Favourites.
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