Role Play In English Language Teaching

Role Play In English Language commandThe ultimate goal of foreign speakion takeing is to enable the students to use the foreign spoken communication in work or life when necessary. Thus we should teach that part of the language that forget be used in the real world. However, this is not always the case in the present day foreign language teaching pr interpretice session. The primary goal of most foreign language learning is to develop the ability to use real and appropriate language to communicate and act with others and the goal of foreign language teaching is to extend the range of communicative situation in which the learners can perform with focus on meaning without be hindered by the attention he must pay to linguistic form1. But the present practice in the ELT classroom in China could not submit satisfactory conditions for both teachers and students to achieve the goals. How to let English learners feel the real language situation and context when learning English? Ro le-play is an powerful way.2. FunctionsRole-play models human interactions to turn in a chance for students to exercise, creating effective and memorable experiences for learners. It places learners in a situation where they are asked to take on different roles and to accomplish their specific working classs, including problem solving. They endure an opportunity for learners to practice using the language in the right place, at the right time. The strength of role-play is that it presents an opportunity for authentic and spontaneous communication because learners are hardened in realistic situations and they can have the opportunity to use and practice the sort of language, particularly the vocabulary related to that situation, so that learners are rehearsed for real life9. In addition, they can express what they want to say whenever the situation calls for it. In addition, role-playing is of great significance as it develops students both receptive and productive skills2.1 It develops students listening while role-playing, students practice listening when trying to get information from their partners.2.2 It develops students utterance answering the questions according to what is heard, producing responses based on given cues, it is clear that this performance can practise speaking skills.2.3 Promoting knowledge acquisition Students in role-playing were found to use search and retrieval strategies more frequently than students in traditional learning situations. During the process of exchanging, there will be the information transferring from one peer to the other2. Individual students are able to increase their mastery during this process During the entire process, students are motivated to search language in their vocabulary storage and select the proper language to use. For example, teaching a reading about a authors biography is usually bored and the events that the writer experienced are uneasy for students to master. In this case, after the stude nts read and under digest the article, the teacher can let a student pretend the writer and stand in front of the class to relate his or her whole life. Thus push the students to acquire the knowledge of the writer with strong motivation. 2.4 Enhancing language proficiency on that point is another significant benefit of doing role-playing. Language is the main tool for human communication. Role-play largely provides more opportunities for the students to practice their oral English. It is an ideal method of reviewing what we have larn by using it in real situation. It stimulates all the students integrated skills and thus consolidates all the language knowledge in their mind while trying to express themselves out. While others who do not involved in that action mechanism can be easy to grasp more content knowledge even well(p) sitting silently and listening to the performance in the classroom.2.5 Stimulate students interests and activate classroom climate to keep students enga ged in class With role play, students act out certain situations. Teachers generally try to make these situations fun and interesting. Asking your boss for a day off, or Meeting people at a party, etc. The teacher take aims the roles so that learners always have a lot to talk about. This motivates students in learning and creates a real communication situation and offers learners deal of opportunities to practice.2.6 Improving social competence the true mastery of a language involves communicative competence. While role-playing, individuals work together, they must interact with each other to promote each others achievement, thus increase students social skills, conflict-management and compromise. It in like manner develops students communicative skills while act out the dialogue, students get the chance to learn to get information from partners nervus facialis expressions, gestures and other body language thus develop students communicative skills.2.7 Promoting interpersonal r elationships Role-play has overly keen accepted to improve interpersonal relationship among students. Role-play pairs or groups service of process students establish and maintain friendships with peers. Students who are isolated or alienated from their peers and who do not have friends are more likely to be at luck for violent or destructive behavior in society than those who experience social support and a sense of belonging. To about extent, this interpersonal relationship too promote their academic achievements. In addition, skills of improving interpersonal relationship with other peers are the foundation for the success in their social career in future. Role-playing also has been linked to increases in self-esteem, attendance, time on task, enjoyment of school and classes, as well as a decrease in dependence on the teacher.3.Potential problemsRole-play is virtually the way we can give students chances to practice improvising a range of real-life spoken language in the clas sroom, and it is extremely effective if the students are confident and cooperative, but it smooth exists some problems when processing it specifically.l The uneasiness caused by talking in front of the class would inhibit the students to some degree. Instructors must do something to lower the proscription first, for example, a preliminary demonstration or rehearsal before the class. Practice time can be prolonged.l From students perspective, because students are used to sitting in lecture where they are not required to talk, students may resist an activity that appears challenging and difficult and that forces them to use integrated skills, rather than being a dormant learners. So teachers should stimulate their students enthusiasm by keeping encouragement, coaxing them to think and open their mouth.l It will be uncontrolled and time-consuming if students fail to prepare enough. In preparation, if certain roles did not allotted, too diffuse in responsibility will also spoil the p erformance. l In China, time is limited in every period class and all the classes are large sized. So it is impossible to provide a chance for all students to perform. Only a matet of students could display their performance. Others just sit in a classroom to hear and with no pressure, so they may mot pay attention to learning.l Because of the characteristics, some retract students may feel hard to perform in front of the whole class thus influence the simulated communication. But teachers could help them to vote d receive step by step.Ur points out that the factors that affect the success of role-play are the teachers enthusiasm careful instructions clear situations and roles and making sure that the language they will wishing to carry out the role-play.4.Guiding principles for role-playing4.1Communication purpose The activity must involve the students in performing a real communicative purpose rather than just practicing language for its own sake. In order for this to occur t here must be some kinds of information gap that students seek to bridge when they are role-playing.4.2 Communicative desire The activity must create a desire to communicate in the students .That is even if communication is forced on the students, they must feel a real want to communicate.4.3 Prepare before performing Rushing into a role play-activity often leads to confusion and dissatisfaction. Have students practice the task in pairs before selecting a couple of pairs to perform in front of the whole class. If acting out a short play, before students display their performance, they should be given the script or the invention they are going to work on. They can choose their favorite roles or they will be allotted certain roles.4.4 Acceptable level language necessary The language required in performance should be lower than that used in intensive language learning activity in the comparable class. It should be easily recalled and produced by the participants, so that they can s peak fluently. It is a good idea to teach or review essential vocabulary before the activities start. If the task is too frustrating, the students are likely to give up or revert back to the native language.4.5 Be sensitive when correcting the students The basic principles of error correction is to prompt students of their big errors that prevent from communicating and ignore the trivial one. As to when and how to give feedback, there is no definite answer, it largely depends on the teachers long time spent in teaching and a consideration in affective and cognitive factors. Nevertheless, the instructors should put it in mind that they should do their best to avoid stifling students tackle at speaking in the target language by providing correct feedback.3 4.6 Clear in responsibility Allot the roles and set up goals so as to make students clear in responsibility. Students interact in small groups, and they have less pressure but they should have clear responsibility.4.7 Praise the actors The students need oodles of support assistance to practice English. Praise them frequently and they will be competitive and active.4.8 Choose some proper texts not all texts to involve role-play activity while teaching. Not all texts suit for role-play activity4.9 Choose proper students The first few times when the teacher organizes role-play, it is a good idea to choose some more outgoing students who will not feel inhibited while performing in public, which is also setting up demonstrations at the same time.5.ConclusionIn the student-centered learning process , students are given more opportunities to practice the target language and develop their communicative ability. Role-play is one of the most effective forms of English training because it puts people into the situation where they have to rely entirely on English to do their task/reach the goal that the teacher sets for them. Its also a chance to be really creative and develop interesting conversations.In general, ro le-play is an effective tool for students, especially in teaching some introvert students. It enables students to learn by using the target language in meaningful interactive situations. Role-play is not easy to manoeuvre, but it helps to lead to social and academic success for all students.