Some experiences in using role- Plays in teaching speaking - School year: 2015 – 2016

THANH HOA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
THANH HOA CITY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
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INITIATIVE
SOME EXPERIENCES IN USING ROLE- PLAYS IN
 TEACHING SPEAKING
 Writer: Nguyễn Xuân Thuỷ
 Position: Giáo viên
 Place of work: Minh Khai secondary school
 Initiative : English
School year: 2015 – 2016
I. REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC:
Speaking skill is one of important parts of learning English. Everyone who learns English always want to use this skill as well as they can. Speaking English fluently is the key that lets people can be easier to communicate with foreigners, accept the advance of technology and get success. However, sometimes, speaking is also the obstacle that obstructs them to reach to their aims. In fact, a lot of learners study English grammar very well, but they cannot master it just because they get difficulties in their speaking. This problem leads to disheartenment for learners so they lose their interest in learning speaking. 
 In Vietnam, especially in many countryside schools, speaking skill usually is neglected. Teachers spend almost all class time for teaching grammar; therefore, students lack the chances to practice speaking. In others case, speaking classes are the time for learning by heart dialogs or practicing repetition of drills. Students cannot cavalier this drills in their real conversations. The result is more and more students lose their belief in their ability of speaking English.
 	To improve students’ communicative skills, increasing students’ interest in speaking is very useful. The more interesting atmosphere the teachers create the more effectiveness in oral skills the students get. Role- play activity is one of the best ways that can help teachers carry out this. Since teachers apply role- play activities in class, students are activated because they are set into an interesting speaking environment.
 	For these reasons above, I decide to carry out the thesis “Applying role-play in speaking English for grade 7 students at Minh Khai school. Through this thesis, I hope that it helps all students in my school.
II. SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM:
A. SOME PRINCIPLES OF USING AND MANAGING ROLE PLAY:
- 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. 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. 
- Role-plays can range from 30 minutes to one hour. 
B. STEPS IN CARRING OUT ROLE- PLAYS:
1. Outside the classroom:
_ Choosing the topic, based on the topic of the lesson or the main grammar point of that lesson.
_ Preparing materials, especially role-play cards (Teachers can make up the cards themselves, or search for them on the Internet)
2. Inside the classroom:
_ Providing students with enough language to be used in their role-plays.
_ Setting up the scene for role-plays.
C. SAMPLE LESSON PLANS:
 Friendship 
Version 1
Finding a Perfect Roommate/Flatmate Role-play
1. Materials: 
Ranking Roommates: Vocabulary Warm-up
Room Ads: Listening Reading Comprehension Warm-up
Rooms for Rent Role Cards
Friends Looking for Rooms Role Cards
Students with Rooms for Rent Activity Sheet
Students with Friends Needing Rooms Activity Sheet
2. Purpose and Audience:
The purpose of these materials is to get the students to practice talking about the qualities of good and bad roommates.  
3. Target Language:
           Describing people and their habits. 
4. Warm up: 
a) Group Discussion
Where do you live?
Do you live in a dormitory or with your family?
Do you live with your family?
. + Who do you like best?
What do you think about parents?
What are the pros and cons of shared accommodation?
b. 2 groups divided into Pros and Cons, then pair up Pro and Con to discuss
c) Which would you choose?
In groups of 3, put Shared Accommodation Ads in pile face down. Students turn 1 up and explain to the group.
This accommodation is in (area).
It’s a (flat/house/townhouse)
There are (number) people living there.
It costs $____ a week.(other information)
 Would you like to live there? Why or why not? – Discuss
After going through all six ads, choose the best one for you and explain why.
The Perfect Flatmate
What kind of person is good to live with? Why?
Ranking Exercise:
In groups, students circle the ideal qualities of roommates using the Ranking Exercise Vocabulary Sheet and then rank them in order of importance. 
5. Role-play 
Set-up:
The class is divided into two groups:
Group 1: These students have a room for rent at their house because a roommate has just moved out. They will need a Room for Rent Role Card and a Room for Rent Activity Sheet.
Group 2: These students have a friend who is looking for a place to live. They will need a Friends Looking for a Place to Live Role Card and a Students with Friends Needing a Room Activity Sheet.
The students should be given some time to read their role cards, ask questions about vocabulary and then write down the concerns (from the role cards) into the table headings (on the activity sheets).
Divide the class chairs into two lines facing each other (or if you like, have an inner circle and outer circle). One line is for students with rooms to rent (Group 1)and the other line is for students who have friends who need a place to live (Group 2). 
Group 1 students approach group 2 students and ask them if the group 2 students know anybody who needs a place to live. Group 2 students tell them they have a friend who is looking for a place. Group 2 will then ask questions to make sure that their friend will be happy in the shared accommodation. Group 1 students then ask questions about the friend to make sure that the friend is compatible. 
Wrap up
Students discuss which friends were compatible with which houses. 
Shared Accommodation Ads
Room to rent in a townhouse complex. Neat, tidy and very relaxed. Complex has pool, spa and tennis court. Nice area, central to everything. 2 guys living there already, seeking a relaxed, easy going, reliable guy or girl. Rent is $100 a week plus $200 bond + electricity. For any questions or an inspection contact Ryan on 0413 418 290
Flat to Share! $110 - Room with built in wardrobes in a spacious chic apartment! We are two fab chicks looking for a third chic in her early twenties to share our 3 bedroom apartment. We'd like someone who is chilled, laidback, up for a laugh, tidy, clean and loves to party.... If your interested give me a call on 0424426577 Xx Nix
Room For Rent, Student Accommodation, fully furnished room, swimming pool, gym, close to Griffith University Campus, bus transport available This would suit mature male International student (Asian welcome) or working person 130.00 AUD per week, non smoker. Close to university area, available now, Ph 55-7447700 or text 0402-90-5215
Shared Accommodation in 2 bedroom /1 bathroom unit to share unit with one other. Centrally located 5 minutes walk to the town centre and public transport. 25years+ Female- Asian Student, Non-smoker, quiet, clean, neat and tidy to share with friendly working Australian professional. Rent $130 per week (incl bills)-4weeks bond. Enquiries to Virginia.
Unfurnished Bdrm with own bthrm avail. in 3brm furnished townhouse to share with working female. Looking for someone to take over lease in late April. Townhouse has converted garage, which could be used as storage. Pool and BBQ area in complex. $140/week
Looking to share luxury large unit 5 mins to University. Will have own bathroom, security parking and pool. I am a 21 student and would like to share with female around my own age. Must be clean and reliable. Rent $160 p.w. $480 Bond. Please give me a call Vanessa 0416678485
When trying to find a compatible roommate, what qualities are the most important for you? Circle the qualities of your ideal roommate. Finally, in groups, rank them below. (1 being the most important and 12 being least important).
messy (is a slob)
good cook
can’t cook
Outgoing
Shy
Easygoing
argumentative/high strung 
Boring
humorous, interesting
Smoker
non-smoker
Heavy drinker
social drinker non-drinker
Friendly
grumpy/mean 
Quiet
Noisy
Considerate
selfish 
has a car
doesn’t have a car
broke 
has enough money
How are you as a roommate? How many of the above ideal qualities do you have?
In your group, find out who is the most compatible roommate for you:
Students With Friends Who Need Housing
Your friend Susan is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Susan
She is an outgoing person who likes to party. And so she can be quite noisy, especially on the weekends. She is a heavy drinker but she doesn’t smoke. She has a dog. She has a job so she has lots of money.
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
Are pets ok? (She has a dog)
Are the other roommates friendly outgoing people? (Her last roommate was a bore so she moved out).
Does anybody smoke? (She’s allergic to cigarette smoke).
How much is the rent?
How far is the apartment from the school?
Your friend Bill is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Bill
He is easygoing and gets along well with other people. He is a bit lazy and somewhat messy.
He plays in a band so he often practices the drums at home. He doesn’t smoke. He is a social drinker. He’s a little broke so he wants to find a place with cheap rent. 
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
Will it be Ok if he practices the drums from time to time? (He plays in a band).
Are there any cats or dogs at the apartment? (He’s allergic to animal hair)
How much is the rent? 
How far is the apartment from the school?
Are the other roommates easy to get along with? 
Your friend Brenda is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Brenda
She is a med student so she studies very hard. She has a scholarship so she has no problems with money. She doesn’t drink. She doesn’t smoke. She has a cat. She is very tidy. 
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
Is it a quiet house? She’s a med student so she needs to study hard.
How much is the rent?
Does anybody smoke? (She’s allergic to cigarette smoke).
How far is the apartment from the school?
Are pets ok? (She has a cat)
Your friend John is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about John
He is very shy, so he doesn’t have many friends or go out a lot. He is clean. He is quiet. He smokes, but he rarely drinks. He has a job so he has lots of money.
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
Is smoking allowed in the house?
How much is the rent?
Are there any cats or dogs at the apartment? (He’s allergic to animal hair)
Is the apartment clean? (He is a bit of a neat freak).
How far is the apartment from the school?
Students With Friends Who Need Housing
Your friend Jane is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Jane
Jane is hardworking student who likes to ‘let loose’ on the weekends. She’s very clean. She doesn’t smoke and only drinks a little on weekends. Her parents are rich so she has no money problems. 
Concerns (Questions to Ask) 
How much is the rent?
How far is the apartment from the school?
Are there any cats or dogs at the apartment? (She’s allergic to animal hair)
Is the apartment clean? (She’s a bit of a neat freak).
Is the place quiet during the week?
Your friend Mike is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Mike
Mike is a very shy guy working on his doctorate. His family is very wealthy. He is quiet and doesn’t smoke or drink. He’s a bit of a slob though. 
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
How much is the rent?
How far is the apartment from the school?
Does anybody smoke? (He’s allergic to cigarette smoke).
Are there any cats or dogs at the apartment? (He’s allergic to animal hair)
Is the place quiet? (He is working on his PhD so he needs a quiet place to live an study)
Your friend Christy is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Christy
Christy is an outgoing person who smokes a lot and is a heavy drinker, but she is very tidy. She is a little broke since she just got fired from her job. 
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
How much is the rent?
How far is the apartment from the school?
Are there any cats or dogs at the apartment? (She’s allergic to animal hair)
Is smoking OK? (She is a smoker).
Are the other roommates friendly outgoing people? (Her last roommate was so boring she couldn’t stand it).
Your friend Jeremy is looking for a place to live. 
Facts about Jeremy
Jeremy is a professional musician who is doing his masters degree at the university. He is easygoing but a little messy. He has a scholarship so money is not a problem for him.
Concerns (Questions to Ask)
How much is the rent?
How far is the apartment from the school?
Does anybody smoke? (He’s allergic to cigarette smoke).
Is it OK if he practices his trumpet? (He’s a musician). 
Are the other roommates easygoing? (He would prefer to live with some sociable, easygoing people)
Students Looking for Someone to Share Housing
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate. 
Facts about the current roommates:
The people living at the house now are sociable, outgoing students at the university. They have parties or go out on the town at least once a week. There are no smokers at the house and no pets. The rent is $300 per month. The house is about 10 minutes from the university by foot.
Concerns about potential roommate:
Is _________ sociable? (They like to have fun now and then).
Does _________ smoke? (One of the current roommates is allergic to smoke).
Is _________ clean? (The last roommate was a slob).
Can _________ afford to pay rent? (The last roommate still owes them about 2 months rent).
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate. 
Facts about the current roommates:
The people living in the house are easygoing. They like to make a lot of noise in the evening either playing guitars or listening to music. There are no pets in the house. Everybody in the house smokes. They rarely drink. The rent is about $200.00 and the house is about 20 minutes from the university by subway.
Concerns about potential roommate:
Does _________ have a pet? (The landlord doesn’t allow cats or dogs at the apartment).
Is _________ easy to get along with? (The last roommate caused many fights).
Is _________ a heavy drinker? (The last roommate drank a lot and caused problems).
Does _________ mind noise? (The other roommates tend to make a lot of noise in the evenings)
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate.
Facts about the current roommates:
They are quiet, clean hardworking students. Most of them are on scholarship so they don’t like to party much. The rent is about $450. The apartment is about 15 minutes from the university by bus. 
Concerns about potential roommate:
Is _________ quiet? (The last roommate was way to noisy so it was hard to study).
Does _________ smoke? (One of the current roommates is allergic to smoke).
Is _________clean? (The last roommate was a slob).
Does _________ have money problems? (The rent is quite expensive).
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate. 
Facts about the current roommates:
They are mostly studious, but like to have fun from time to time. There are no pets in the house, but several roommates smoke. The place is clean. The rent is $300 per month. The house is about 10 minutes from the university by bus.
Concerns about potential roommate:
Does _________ have a pet? (One of the current roommates is allergic to cat hair).
Is _________ quiet? (The other roommates are serious students).
Is _________ clean? (The last roommate was a slob).
Does _________ mind smoking? (Several of the roommates smoke).
Students Looking for Someone to Share Housing
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate. 
Facts about the current roommates:
The people living at the house now are sociable, outgoing students at the university. They like to do a lot things together such as go to the movies or cafes together. There are no smokers at the house and no pets. The rent is about $400.00. The house is about 5 minutes from the university on foot. 
Concerns about potential roommate:
Does _________ drink a lot? (The last roommate was a drunk and caused a lot of problems). 
Does _________ have a pet? (The landlord doesn’t allow cats or dogs at the apartment).
Is _________ clean? (The last roommate was a slob).
Does _________have enough money to pay rent? (The rent is quite expensive).
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate.
Facts about the current roommates:
This is a quiet house of mostly law and engineering students. There are no pets and no smokers. The roommates are mostly shy, quiet guys without much of a social life. The rent is $300.00 per month and the house is about 15 minutes from the university on foot.
Concerns about potential roommate:
Does _________ have a pet? (The landlord doesn’t allow cats or dogs at the apartment).
Is _________ quiet? (The other roommates are serious students).
Does _________ smoke? (One of the current roommates is allergic to smoke).
Does _________ have enough money to pay rent? (The last roommate left without paying the rent).
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate.
Facts about the current roommates:
The people living at the house now are sociable, outgoing students at the university. They like to do a lot of things together such as going dancing or going to the movies. Everybody in the house smokes. There are no pets. The rent is about $390. The apartment is about 20 minutes from the school by subway. 
Concerns about potential roommate:
Does _________ have a pet? (The landlord doesn’t allow cats or dogs at the apartment).
Is _________ sociable? (They like to have fun now and then).
Does _________have enough money to pay rent? (The rent is quite expensive).
Is _________ tidy? (The last roommate was a slob).
One of your roommates has recently moved out so you need to find a new roommate.
Facts about the current roommates:
The people living in the house are easygoing. They like to sit around and play guitars and chat in the evening. They have two cats. Nobody in the house smokes. They drink occasionally. The rent is about $200.00 and the house is about 20 minutes from the university by subwa