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ROLE-PLAY AND

SIMULATIONS
Eva Fernández Berrios
Jesús Bravo Sánchez
Mari Carmen Valero Sales
DEFINITION OF ROLE-PLAY
 Students play a part (their own or
somebody else’s) in a specific situation.
 Give student information about who they
are, and what they think and feel.
FEATURES OF ROLE-PLAY (1)
 Student(s): Alone, in pairs, groups.
 Short or long.
 Open or tightly controlled.
 Defined by teacher/students.
 Types of roles:
a) Useful for real-world needs
b) Roles from TV, newspapers, books…
c) Fictional roles.
FEATURES OF ROLE-PLAY (2)
 Language already acquired.
 Language practice (rather than learning).
 Fluency over accuracy.
 It is a low input-high output technique.
(The presentation by the teacher is very
short).
 CAN be performed for other students or
recorded in a video (extrovert students).
SIMULATIONS (1)
 The students feel they are real participants of
the situation.
 Simulated environment away from the real
world.
 Simulations must have a structure. The students
do not invent anything. They are provided all the
facts.
 More complex.
 Lengthier.
 More fixed.
SIMULATIONS (2)
 Less open-ended.
 Includes other types of activities:
 Analysis of data.
 Reading.
 Writing.
 Discussion of options.
 Students find themselves in a different
world.
 Enriching experience.
ROLE-PLAY vs. DRAMA
 Drama: they “think like” Mr. Smith. VS.
Role-play: they are Mr. Smith. They
directly experience the unpredictability of
language in use.
 Drama: practised, memorized and
performed for other students.
 Role-play: no audience.
ROLE CARDS
 Minimum information for students to
understand what to do.
 Memorised or read.
 Structures: already studied or very simple.
ROLE-PLAY: HOW TO (1)
 No over-complex emotional or
psychological features (inhibition, acting).
Emotion should arise naturally.
• Choose subjects that are safe.
• Emphasis on “play” rather than “role”.
 Begin with pair work rather than group
work (less self-conscious).
 Short activities until students get used to it.
ROLE-PLAY: HOW TO (2)
 Make sure the students have understood
the situation and the role cards before you
start.
 If they use Spanish, start with pair work
and easy information-gap role-plays.
 Always have a follow-up activity for those
who finish soon.
 Set a time limit and stick to it.
ROLES OF THE TEACHER (1)
 Facilitator:
 Students do not know what to say next →
• Leave them on their own.
• Discrete suggestions without interrupting.

 Participant:
 Help in a hidden way by:
• Introducing new information for the development of
the role play.
• Ensure students’ involvement.
 Do not participate too much.
ROLES OF THE TEACHER (2)
 Feedback provider:
 After the role play.
 1st: positive (creativity, originality, correct
expressions).
 2nd: mistakes:
• Walk round the classroom listening to the students and noting
down the mistakes you would like to deal with.
• Asking the students what can be improved.
• Write them on the blackboard.
• Remedial exercise prepared before hand.
 About the content and language.
AIMS AND ADVANTAGES (1)
 Improve speaking skills.
 Promote interaction.
 Practice all language aspects: structures,
vocabulary, pronunciation, …
 Train for real specific situations in a safe
context.
 Fun, motivating.
AIMS AND ADVANTAGES (2)
 Includes the outside world (vs. Activities based
on tasks).
 Small talk.
 Expressions to start a conversation.
 Important in social relationships
 Missing in traditional teaching.
 E.g.: ‘Beatiful day, isn’t it?’
‘Are you enjoying yourself?’
‘Have you worked here long?’
‘Pretty nice place, huh?’
 Help shy students by providing them with a
mask.
DISADVANTAGES
 Time-consuming.
 Noise, chaos.
 Use of mother tongue.
 Difficulty of assuming somebody else’s
personality:
 Allowed to choose their own roles.
 Shyness.
PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
1. Booking in a hotel.
2. Picture role-play.
3. The Lost Property Office.
4. Igartiburu’s People.
5. Role switching.
6. Simulation: Supermarket magic
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Harmer, J. 1991. The Practice of English
Language Teaching. London: Longman.
 Ladousse, G.P. 1987. Role Play. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
 Ladousse, G.P. 1983. Speaking Personally.
Quizzes and questionnaires for fluency practice.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 Matthews, A. et al. (eds.) 1985. At the
Chalkface. Practical Techniques in Language
Teaching. London: Edward Arnold.

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