Some Thoughts on Using Roleplay

Video transcript

Ever tried roleplay in your classroom? If you’re struggling to get your students speaking fluently in class, it’s a secret weapon for language learning!

In this video, I’ll tell you why roleplay is so good, give you some top tips to make it go well and -wait for the end- a great way to generate ideas for roleplay with AI.

If this is the first time we’re meeting, I’m Jo Gakonga, I’ve been teaching for 35 years, and training teachers on CELTA and MA TESOL programmes for 25 of those. I’ve also got a website at ELT-Training.com where I make video-based material for teachers at all stages of their careers. Check it out and don’t forget to like and subscribe if you want to see more – I make a new video every week.

OK - roleplay. It seems to have gone out of fashion a bit but it’s great for several reasons…

It’s a good way to give learners fluency practice in class, maybe in situations they might encounter in the real world but in a safe, controlled environment. Roleplay can help to bridge that authenticity gap and give learners exposure to language they might really need.

As well as that, giving people a role can help to decrease their general embarrassment- their affective filter- in speaking a foreign language and give them CONTENT- something to say when they can’t think of anything.

Pro tip: Roleplay doesn’t always mean acting out a character. Sometimes, students can simply be themselves but with a twist: a role card that gives them an opinion or stance they have to argue. It doesn’t have to reflect their own views, which can make the activity even more engaging and challenging.

To make your roleplay sessions go off well, here are my three top tips:

• Create an Interesting Scenario: Choose situations that are intriguing and have a bit of conflict. A touch of drama always spices things up!
• Ensure Students Have the Language They Need: Make sure they’re equipped with the necessary vocabulary and phrases to navigate the scenario. Teach this beforehand.
• Practice Makes Perfect: Before getting into the full activity, let students practise in pairs who have the same role. This builds their confidence before they switch roles and do the full scenario with others.

And as with any speaking activity, be sure to build in time for repetition and error correction. This is where the real learning happens.

Now, here’s an easy way to generate roleplay ideas… ask AI!

Let me show you an example. Let’s imagine a situation:

Student A is going to a job interview next week but can’t afford a hotel. They have an old friend who lives in the city, but they haven’t spoken in years. Their task? Call the friend and ask if they can stay the night.

Student B, on the other hand, receives the call. The twist? They haven’t kept in touch with Student A because they didn’t really like them. Plus, they live in a tiny flat in London and hate having visitors. But they’re incredibly polite.

Ask AI for the rolecards and it’ll give you something like this… You can even ask it to give you useful language to teach beforehand…

(Rolecards and useful language tips are shown at the bottom of the page)

Here’s how you can set this up in class:

Useful Language Tips generated by AI...