back
Activity: Coming Home*
Procedure:
1. Create a "Context Bank". On the board, write the following headings for columns: "people", "environment", "action", and "mood".
2. Elicit examples from students and write them under the appropriate heading. Explain that students will act out someone coming home from work. Think about the following:
a. People: Ask students to think of someone they all know. Elicit people's names and write them on the board under the heading "People".
b. The environment: what does that person’s house look like? Is it neat and tidy or is it a mess?
Big house or small apartment? Elicit examples.
c. Action: What does he do? Does the character change clothes or showers or has a beer first? Does he
eat? If so, what? Microwave dinner, carryout, pizza delivery or cornflakes? Elicit examples.
d. Mood: What mood is that character in? How was work today? Elicit examples.
3. Invite volunteers (one at a time) to come to the front of the room. The "audience" (remaining students) decides who that student is, the environment, the action, and the mood. The student immediately begins to act out how that person would come home from work.
4. Audience can evaluate using the following:
a. did student "get into character"?
b. did student express emotion?
c. did student complete action?
d. what was the best about this student's performance?
e. suggestions for improvement?
*Adapted from Maley, A. & Duff, A. (2005). Drama Techniques in Language Learning. 3rd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.