Why Use Plays?
When students are asked to take a role in a play, they can imagine and plan how to act in situations for which they do not yet have the language skills. This gives them the confidence to try their newly acquired language outside the classroom. After all, preparing students for the real world should be a major (if not primary) goal of language instruction. Moreover, it gives them the chance to recite the same lines repeatedly, giving them the opportunity to practice pronunciation. Lines can be written (or chosen) to focus on particular aspects of pronunciation that are difficult for the student or the class as a whole.
There are many purposes for introducing role-play scripts into the ESL classroom. Students can read for the main idea, read for details, read to write a different ending, read to understand character’s motivations, read to find grammar points, or learn vocabulary in context, among other purposes.
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