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Activity: Role-Play*
Procedure:
1. Choose a script that fits your students' level (age and proficiency!). Choose a script so that there are three to four times as many students as characters in the script, ideally.
2. Students choose (or teacher assigns) each student a role.
3. Students with the same role get together. This is the character group.
4. In character groups, students read through lines, with the goal of understanding the story. Students discuss key words, making sure that everyone understands the character and how he/she contributes to the story. Distribute Defining your Character sheet (one copy to each student). In character groups, student fill out this worksheet.
5. Move into groups so that each group has one of each character. This is the play group.
6. In play groups, fill out Defining Your Scene sheets.
7. Next, students practice acting out the play twice as a group.
8. Last, students perform once in front of another group or the whole class.
9. Students may evaluate based on the following:
a. did group successfully act out the play?
b. did actors "get in character"?
c. did actors remember their lines?
d. did actors move appropriately?
e. suggestion for improvement?
f. what did group do very well?
*Adapted from Chang, K.Y. (2008). Drama for Second Language Learners. AZ-TESOl Conference, Tucson, AZ.