Using role play in teaching english for 10 th graders at nghi son high school

I. INTRODUCTION
Rationale
In the process of industrialization and modernization, learning English is becoming the most concern of students in Viet Nam. With more opportunities to use English in the future jobs, students, especially, at upper secondary schools find that the need to enhancing their language skills is becoming a matter of great urgency. 
In order to meet the need of the learners, teachers are constantly challenged by the matter how to make English teaching and learning more communicative and effective. For students at upper secondary level in Viet Nam, a general English course has been implemented which offers them different language skills including reading, listening, speaking and writing skills. Of four language skills, speaking skills seem to be the most challenging skills for students to master. The goal of teaching speaking skills is communicative efficiency. Learners should be able to make themselves understood, using their current proficiency to the fullest. They should try to avoid confusion in the message due to faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, and to observe the social and cultural rules that apply in each communication situation. 
When teaching English speaking skills for 10th graders at high school, it is noticed that the following skills might be seen as significant:
The ability to agree or disagree
The ability to identify people and places
The capability to express preferences
The skill to express opinions
The ability to ask for and give suggestions
The ability to report on what people are asking and saying
The ability to summarize a conversation
To help students develop communicative efficiency in speaking, teachers can use a variety of activities to promote speaking ability of students. Among the communicative activities using in teaching speaking skills, “role play” is useful for a wide range of purposes in class. 
2. Aims of the Study
The aims of the study are as follows:
	- To investigate the effectiveness of using role play in developing students’ speaking skills
	- To suggest some activities for some lessons in “Tieng Anh 10”.
3.The subjects of studying the issue
This issue is on the subjects of how to memorize the English language in the most natural way like the way a child learn to speak their mother tongue.
4.The studying methods 
To carrying out this work, I use the following methods: 
 4.1.The method of studying and building up theory bases which is proved 
 by language researchers. 
4.2.The method of doing survey, collecting information
 The method of data counting and statistics.
II. CONTENTS OF STUDYING THE ISSUE
1. Theoretical background
1.1. Definitions of Role play
Role play is one of communicative activities which give students the opportunity to demonstrate how to use English in real life situations and make them focus more on communication than on grammar. 
Larsen-Freeman pointed out in her book "Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching", "Role-plays are very important in the Communicative Approach because they give students an opportunity to practice communicating in different social contexts and in different social roles." (p.137, Larsen-Freeman).
According to Brown (2001), "role-play minimally involves (a) giving a role to one or more members of a group and (b) assigning an objective or purpose that participants must accomplish”. Brown suggested role-play can be conducted with a single person, in pairs or in groups, with each person assigned a role to accomplish an objective. (p. 183).
Mc Caslin (1995) introduced role play as having the following characteristics: It (role play) refers to the assuming of a role for the particular value it may have to the participant, rather for the development of an art.Role playing is what the young child does in a dramatic play, but it is also a tool used by psychologists and play therapists.According to Richard Courtney (1974), "Play, acting and thought are interrelated. They are mechanisms by which the individual tests reality, gets rid of his anxieties, and masters his environment." (p.177)(p.10)
In role play activity learners can participate as themselves or as somebody else in specific situation. Students can act in various interaction patterns. Ladousse (1989) supposes that the situation in role play can correspond to:
A real need in the learner’s lives (at the doctor, at the station), the learners may or may not have the direct experience;
The events that few learners will ever experience but which are easy to play (the journalist);
Fantasy roles which are imaginary, absurd and have nothing to do with reality
In short, Role-play is compared as any speaking activity when you put yourself into somebody else’s shoes, or when you stay in your own shoes but yourself into an imaginary situation.
1.2. Types of role play
There are some types of role play activities that teachers should be aware to use in order to figure out which one is the most suitable for their students. According to Littlewood (1994), role play can be divided into some types depending on the nature of information given to learners. 
1.2.1. Role-playing controlled through cued dialogues 
In this type learners are organized to work in pairs. They are given the cues in the separate cards. Each learner must listen to his partner before formulating a definite response
Learners have their cues printed on separate cards.
Each learner must listen to his partner before formulating a definite response.
The cues enable them to predict and to prepare the general gist of their responses.
The teacher can elicit the appropriate forms which help learners later.
The cues control the functional meanings that learners have to express.
The social situation and relationship determine what kind of language is appropriate.
Teachers can prepare the activity by equipping the learners with suitable forms.
Two sets of cues must interlock closely, no cue produces an utterance which
conflicts with what follows.
It limits the amount of creativity.
1.2.2. Role-playing controlled through cues and information
It has a more flexible framework. Only one learner is given detailed cues. The other has information that enables him to respond as necessary.
The main structure comes from one student who can improvise, introduce variations, the other one has to respond.
Mostly situations where one person needs to gather information or obtain a service.
The teacher’s control becomes looser and the learner’s scope for creativity increases.
The teacher is less able to equip the learners with the language forms that they will need. There may be some gaps in the learner’s repertoire.
After the activity there should be the feedback session. Both teachers and learners can see any difficulties that emerged and discuss them.
Learners perform at their own level of ability. They sometimes produce inappropriate or incorrect language which will never be corrected because the teacher has no chance to correct everybody.
The emphasis in these activities is on practising the process of communication rather than on evaluating its product.
 In the pre-communicative language practice the learner’s attention is focused on the forms he/she needs to learn. 
These cued activities enable the teacher to control the interaction and to ensure that learners express a particular range of meanings.
The cues provide learners with a supportive framework.
1.3. Role-playing controlled through situation and goals
Gives learners greater responsibility for creating the interaction themselves.
It is now directed at the higher level of situation and the goals that learners have to achieve through communication.
The learners are initially aware only of the overall situation and their own goals in it.
They must negotiate the interaction itself.
1.4. Role-playing in the form of debate or discussion
The situation is a debate or discussion about a real or simulated issue.
The learners should have adequate shared knowledge about the issue, different opinions to defend.
At the end they have to reach a concrete decision or have to vote.
At first learners must digest the information relevant to the issue, then they must discuss in a small-group.
They must present their ideas in a more public context, higher level of formality is expected.
1.5. Large-scale simulation activities
Consist of more modules, each expected to last three or four hours.
They are suitable for advanced learners.
They provide a realistic and integrated context for foreign language use.
1.6. Improvisation
The last type of role-playing, the least controlled.
Learners are often presented only with a stimulus-situation, which they can interpret and exploit in any way they wish.
They may be asked to adopt particular identities or personality types.
The starting point may be a simple everyday situation into which the learners are asked to project themselves.
For the students at upper secondary school, it seems that the first type of role play is quite boring because the dialogues here are simple and not very creative. However, the second and the third type enable students to develop their creativity. The fact is that teenagers are interested in making up various situations in which they can express their imagination. This can motivate students highly and fully. In addition, the teacher can easily help students with the forms and vocabulary necessary for the particular situation. 
1.7. Principles in using role play
Some principles are suggested as follow: 
1.7.1. Regardless of what type of role-play you intend to do, it is imperative that students feel comfortable with the necessary structures and vocabulary. 
 This makes role-plays ideal for the final lesson on a particular topic. If students perform well, move on to the next chapter and if students struggle, 
any mistakes in the following lesson. The feedback given in any role-play lesson should be primarily positive and focus on pronunciation, acting, and creativity. Role-plays are about encouraging your students and building their self confidence.
1.7.2. Mini-role plays can be done in any lesson as a practice activity.
 Rather than just practice the model dialogue in pairs or groups, encourage students to be creative and use props to better reflect a real life situation. Students should have some space to move about the classroom and be given extra time to practice. If the model dialogue is four to six sentences total, a practice activity in pairs may take five minutes with only two or three demonstrations while a mini-role play of the same length may take ten to fifteen minutes to prepare with about ten minutes for performances. 
1.7.3. Role-plays can also take an entire lesson especially if students are put in groups instead of in pairs.
A lesson such as this would be ideal after several lessons on the same topic. A directions themed role play might be best in groups of three or four where each student must say a minimum of three or four lines. Structuring the activity in this way will give your students some easy guidelines to follow. You can prepare your students by explaining the activity at the end of a class, placing them in their groups, and asking them to think about what they would like to do. Suggest that they bring in any props they would like to use and try to provide some if possible. 
1.8. Steps of using role play
 For the role play activities in the classes, six major steps in the procedure are advised to exploit:
1.8.1.  Decide on the Teaching Material
The teacher must decide which teaching materials will be used for role play activities. The teaching materials can be taken from text books or non-textbook teaching materials such as picture books, story books, readers, play-scripts, comic strips, movies, cartoons and pictures. The material is selected ahead of time by the teacher. The teacher can also create his or her own authentic teaching materials for role play activities. The teaching materials should be decided based on students' level and interests, teaching objectives and appropriateness for teaching.
1.8.2.  Select Situations and Create Dialogs
Then a situation or situations to be role played should be selected. For every role plays situation, dialogs should be provided (by the teaching materials or by the teacher) or created by the students themselves.
1.8.3.  Teach the Dialogs for Role Plays
The teacher needs to teach the vocabulary, sentences, and dialogs necessary for the role play situations. The teacher needs to make sure the students know how to use the vocabulary, sentences and dialogs prior to doing the role play activities, otherwise, the teacher should allow students to ask how to say the words they want to say.
1.8.4.  Have Students Practice the Role Plays
Students can practice in pairs or in small groups. After they have played their own roles a few times, have them exchange roles. That way, students can play different roles and practice all of the lines in the role play. When students are confident enough to demonstrate or perform in front of the class, the teacher can ask them to do so for their classmates.
1.8.5.  Evaluate and Check Students' Comprehension
 Finally, the teacher shall evaluate the effectiveness of the role play activities and check if students have successfully comprehended the meanings of the vocabulary, sentences and dialogs. There are several ways to do student evaluations. Students can be given oral and listening tests relating to the role plays.
2. Practical background
	There are many benefits of using role play. Furness (1976) stated that a child can enjoy and profit from a role play experience "in terms of improved communication skills, creativity, increased social awareness, independent thinking, verbalization of opinions, development of values and appreciation of the art of drama."(p.19). Ladousse (2004) indicated that "role play is one of a whole gamut of communicative techniques which develops fluency in language students, which promotes interaction in the classroom, and which increases motivation." (p.7) In addition, he pointed out that role play encourages peer learning and sharing the responsibility for learning between teacher and student. He suggested role play to be "perhaps the most flexible technique in the range" of communicative techniques, and with suitable and effective role-play exercises, teachers can meet an infinite variety of needs.(Ladousse,2004,p.7). Especially, lack of the teachers' background knowledge and suitable ways to lead their students into the new lesson is one of the important factors that can make students bored and ignore the lesson. 
3. Solutions to the problems
In order to help students improve their listening, speaking and overall communicative skills, I have designed and conducted six role play activities for my students to practice and use English in a more meaningful way as a practical language, and the results of my students’ learning are quite positive. They found it easier to express themselves in English.
Activity 1: In the library
Unit 3: People’s Background (Tieng Anh 10, 2006, p.32, 33)-Reading period
Aim: This activity can be used at post-stage when students have finished their reading tasks, which help them to ask for and give information about a famous scientist.
Patterns of interaction: pair work.
Material: cue card per student
Student A: You need to write an essay about a famous person (Marie Curie). You arrive at a library. In the library, you meet the librarian.
- Ask if there is a book about Marie Curie.
- Ask some information about this scientist such as date, place of birth, her career, her achievement.
- Say what time you would like to pay the book back.
Student B: You are the librarian of a library. You know the information about Marie Curie then offer some information about her using the information you’ve read in the reading passage. 
Time allowed: 10 minutes
Procedure: Get students to work in pairs. Ask them to use the card and set up the conversation. Remind students with the way to open and close the conversation.
Activity 2: At a school
Unit 4: Special Education (Tieng Anh 10, 2006, p.44, 45)- Reading period
Aim: This activity can be used at post-stage when students have finished their reading tasks. It gives learners greater responsibility for creating the interaction themselves and they must negotiate the interaction itself.
Patterns of interaction: pair work.
Material: Offer the situation for students.
Student A: You have a son who is deaf. You are at the school for disabled children, talking to Miss Thuy who is the teacher at this school. You wish to take your son to this school. However, you need some information about the school, class and the result of students’ studying.
Student B: You are Miss Thuy. You see a a man taking his son to your school. You talk to him and persuade him why his son should learn here using the information you have in the reading passage.
Time allowed: 10 minutes
Procedure: Get students to work in pairs. Ask them to use the situation and make the conversation. Remind students with the way to open and close the conversation.
Activity 3: Asking the way
Unit 8: The story of my village (Tieng Anh 10, 2006, p.87 )- Writing period
Aim: To practise vocabulary concerning buildings and prepositions. To be able to give and follow directions, to ask about the way. This activity can be long with some stages and teacher can do this activity in an optional lesson.
Patterns of interaction: Whole class, pair work.
Materials: Strips with split sentences, worksheets ‘Asking the way’, role play cards ‘Asking the way’.
ASKING THE WAY
1. There are a lot of places and buildings in the town. Do you know where to go if you want to:
a) buy some clothes given by other people 
b) watch a film 
c) send letters or buy stamps 
d) leave your car and walk in the town 
e) buy a magazine or a newspaper 
f) get some headache pills 
g) have your clothes cleaned 
h) announce that someone has stolen your car 
i) exchange money 
j) dance and listen to music 
k) buy a pair of trainers 
l) buy different kinds of goods 
m) stay in the town over the night 
n) buy bread and cakes 
o) see the doctor 
p) have some drink and food 
q) buy a dictionary 
r) use a computer and have something to drink 
s) buy some new clothes 
t) have a meal 
the police station
the bank
the hospital
the chemist
the charity shop
the disco
the shoe shop
the newsagent’s
the internet café
the snack bar
the post office
The Chinese restaurant
the bookshop
the cinema
the supermarket
the car park
the baker’s
the dry cleaner’s
the fashion boutique
the Swan hotel
ASKING THE WAY
2. Where is the Tourist Information Centre?
 Student A
Look at the map. There are ten buildings which have not been marked. They are the following:
Your partner has a map too and knows where these buildings are. Ask him/ her
questions to find out. When you know, mark them on the map. Your partner also has missing buildings and will ask you questions. (Note: the Tourist Information centre, the railway station, St. John’s church and the Red Lion pub appear on both maps so you can talk about them when you give directions, e.g. It’s opposite the tourist information centre, etc.)
Take it in turns with your partner to ask and answer questions.
Ask: Where is the ?
Answer: It’s in  It’s the first/second building on the right/ left in 	It’s next to/ opposite/ between  and  etc.
ASKING THE WAY
2. Where is the Tourist Information Centre? 
Student B: Look at the map below. There are ten buildings which have not been marked. They are the following:
the post office
the Chinese restaurant
the bookshop
the cinema
the
supermarket
the car park
the baker’s
the dry cleaner’s
the fashion boutique
the Swan hotel
Your partner has a map too and knows where these buildings are. Ask