Activity Schedule

This three-day (repeatable) activity proposes the following schedule:

Day 1: Introduce and rehearse the chosen lower level target structures from the text. Perform a dialogue based on the text at the end of the period. Assign a higher level text as reading homework.

Day 2: Discuss reading homework. Debrief. Organize class into small groups to develop dialogues for performance.

Day 3: Perform dialogues and take a short comprehension/usage quiz (optional) on both text levels.

The text-based role-play

To encourage diversity in language usage, first teach the students some basic target structures given in several situational contexts. The Expressways series, 2nd edition, is suggested to best facilitate this. After the students have been given time to practice, have them get into groups of two or three and create a dialogue that is based on the situations they have just practiced. Encourage them to use their imagination and move away from using the text strictly as their sole source. Each member of the group must have at least 30 seconds of speaking time in the dialogue.

Results of the text-based role-play

Generally the higher level students I've encountered in my classes not only use more sophisticated language remembered from their own experiences, but also present for a longer time than required. On the other hand, lower level students use language very similar to that of the textbook examples, and their presentations usually just meet the minimum time requirements. In either case, the students usually construct their dialogues initially in English without any nudging from the teacher. The reasons for this are unclear. It may be that the dialogues they need to construct are based upon examples that are in English, so it would be easier for the students to forego any translation into their native language--the time constraints of one class period may play a role in this.

After giving the students twenty or thirty minutes to construct and practice their dialogues, they are asked to present their dialogue in front of the whole class. While doing this, they may refer to the written script they have composed, but are discouraged from simply reading it. Most do not choose to memorize their dialogues because of time constraints.

The higher level text

After their presentations during the first session, the students are given a reading assignment: a short, half-page story about a topic that is slightly more difficult than that presented in the textbook. At the next class session, students are put into small groups for about 10 to 15 minutes to discuss any questions they may have had about the story. After the students have finished in their small groups, the class is brought together and given a debriefing of the story by the teacher. After the debriefing, the students are then told to get into groups of two or three to create another dialogue based on the story they have read. They are given the rest of the class period to create a dialogue to be presented at the next session.

Results of the higher level text role-play

The inclusion of a higher level story encourages the use of classmates as resources for learning the language; higher level students practice explaining what they know of the background and the situation of the story, while lower level students discover that learning English is not a struggle that needs to be dealt with alone. Some higher level students are motivated to explain the details of the story in English. They may also choose language to adapt to their partners' English comprehension level. Others who are not so motivated explain the story in Japanese. Regardless of the use of Japanese or English as the medium of student-to-student communication, however, useful skills addressing reading, vocabulary, and the communication of English are still attained in this classroom exchange.

The class has fun watching students express themselves while being able to follow the plots of the role-plays because they are familiar with the context. I also find many lower level students incorporate what they have learned from their textbook into their dialogues. Consequently, lower level students enjoy watching the presentations because they are familiar with the context as well as knowing much of the language that is used. Higher level students enjoy them because of the creative and expressive energy that go into them, as well as having the opportunity to show off to their classmates.

Conclusion

If a lower level text were to be solely relied upon without the inclusion of a mixture of higher level stories, then the higher level students would quickly become bored, reviewing target structures and situations which they already have competence for. On the other hand, without a lower level text, lower level students would feel intimidation and decreased motivation. Role-plays based on mixed-level texts create an environment where students feel comfortable in finding a level of discourse that matches their language abilities. It also increases the motivation of the students, as they are encouraged not only to learn the basics, but also to rely on their imagination and their own prior experiences with the language.

References

Molinsky, S., and Bliss, B. (1996). Expressways (2nd ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.

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