Oral Expression Learning Social Development

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Regarding the role play applied to foreign language learning, highlights the report by TSL Journal. In this, the author said, "As language and culture are interrelated, language cannot be taught without culture, but there are many ways of co-teaching language and culture. One of them is role play." ( Kodotchigova, 2002, p.1)

This means that the Role-play is provided as an ideal tool for teaching a foreign language (FL), allowing the teaching of the subject in context, which is essential in English teaching.

She applied the methodology of documentary research for which they used several books for study, written on the subject.

Another researcher writes the paper Entitled: Role Playing / Simulation. In this article she focuses his work in the idea that role play promotes effective interpersonal relations and social transactions among participants. She adds, "It encourages thinking and creativity, lets students develop and practice new language and behavioral skills in a relatively nonthreatening setting, and can create the motivation and involvement necessary for learning to occur." (Tompkins, 1998, p.1)

According to the Tompkins study we can infer that Role-play helps in English teaching because it creates a favorable environment for children and adolescents, because for them the game and fun are part of their growth and knowledge acquisition. Motivation increases a degree so favorable that it is very easy to learn.

She applied the methodology of documentary research.

Elizabeth Ann Graves is the author of the research: Is role-playing an effective teaching method? She said the following recommendation, "Regardless of their subject area, teachers should use some form of role-playing. While this study strictly focused on high school seniors, other studies have suggested the same benefit of role-playing as early as the seventh grade." (Graves, 2008, p. 39)

Despite the fact that her study was conducted to social subjects, she recommends the use of role-play in any subject from school or college. Many times in her study, she asserts that this technique is one of the most effective strategies of active learning, indeed the student goes from being a reader or passive repeater to be an active player.

She applied the methodology of field research for which took advantage of the work with students in the author´s research area.

Joanna Budden said about the use of Role-play, "If you still feel reluctant to use it in the class I suggest you begin to integrate it slowly. Why not extend an appropriate reading or a listening from a course book and turn it into a role-play?" (Budden, 2004, p.1)

She state that teachers commonly thought that the Role-play could contribute to disorder in the classroom, the noise and laughter can become intolerable, but this may be because maybe we are reluctant to change. Furthermore, this technique can open the opportunity for our students, so they can achieve significant learning and do it with joy.

She applied the methodology of documentary research for which they used multiple sources for study, written on the subject.

Feng Liu & Yun Ding resumes their work about Role-play, in the research paper Role-play in English Language Teaching, they say, " incorporating role-play into the classroom adds variety, a change of pace and opportunities for a lot of language production and also a lot of fun! It can be an integral part of the class and not a 'one-off' event." (Feng Liu and Yun Ding, 2009, p. 143).

This is the sense we want to give this research, we mean that adding a dosage of good humor, peace and creativity in the class, we create a more sustained learning.

They applied the methodology of documentary research for which they used several books for study, written on the subject.

In conclusion, researchers agree this technique allows the student's development both in the use of language they are learning, as in the situation of the learner within the cultural framework of the English language. In addition, they see the advantage of this technique that it is highly motivated and it awakes activity among students.

Young people of the research area will be very happy to have a new classroom atmosphere, where both learning and laughing can exist in normal style to develop the English learning. Teachers need to be updated to become a person who guides the process but at the same time gives the student confidence to create an atmosphere conducive to learning.

This viewpoint is in the same guideline with the Constructivism Theory, because the student can create your own knowledge, in a very close to real environment similar to the new different culture.

2.2 THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

Before making an analysis of the study problem, note that they are going to make a first look at the history of the project. Then the information will be presented, along the lines of the matrix of operationalization of variables, in the following order, first, the independent variable and the dependent, as well as the most significant dimensions and indicators of the project, which are: 1.- Context identification, 2.- Oral expression learning: Social Development, 3.- Role-play technique, 4.- Speaking, 4.1.- Pronunciation, 5.- Communicative approach, 6.- Active learning, 7.- Summary.

2.2.1. CONTEXT IDENTIFICATION

For centuries, the global education system and more particularly the Ecuadorian, has had a complaint: teaching had become repetitive and memoristic. One of the first teachers who thought this had to change was Jan Comenius ( 1592-1670).

He thought that the object of study should be connected with the real world and so he gave much importance to learning through the senses. Fred Kelpin, in his article The Comenius Museum in Naarden, wrote about Comenius, " He is of opinion that children must be taught to been keen observers. Therefore the senses must be trained. And concepts that have been observed must be laid down in language." (Kelpin, 2009, p.1). It means that Comenius concepts was ahead in time.

Over time, education was still suffering from the same Comenius visualized problems, memorization and repetition. For example, with the advent of the industrial age, the idea was that the worker received a quick education, just let him be inserted immediately into the world of production. The system adopted was the behaviorism because it is molded to the objectives of the bourgeoisie.

In those context researchers such as Piaget questioned traditional methods and teacher-centered model, in which the student does not pass to be a passive and receiver body. The teacher was the absolute owner of knowledge. For instance, this was reflected in phrases like "my subject", and still is the expression of some teachers.

The Social Constructivist paradigm has been widely accepted among teachers, considering the student as the focus of the teaching process. This project follows the same trend, considering it useful for students. So now, we turn to locate on the theoretical orientation of these thinkers in the psychological and educational area.

Jean Piaget, who was pioneer of Cognitive theory says that students must be taught respecting the phases that are appropriate to your age. Atherton defines assimilation as "The process by which a person takes material into their mind from the environment, which may mean changing the evidence of their senses to make it fit." (Atherton, 2011, p.1). This means that the student uses their senses to make assimilation, taking them from the environment. This is where the role-play takes on significant relevance, because the student moves rehearsing with the elements of their environment, turning it in a fun action in class.

Piaget also says that the accommodation process is, "The difference made to one's mind or concepts by the process of assimilation. Note that assimilation and accommodation go together: you can't have one without the other." (Atherton, 2011, p.1). In this process the mind of the learner is conflicted. Let us see an example, the student has learned the ways of introduce him to other people which was taught by the teacher, but now in the real context shows that things are presented in a very different way. In that case he suffers an accommodation of the concepts that already had about greeting, to introduce, etc. Piaget says that the process lets him to learn. This process has to be done by the student himself, nobody can do it for him.

Thus, accommodation is a constant process in which the student feels the knowledge will move the floor. This is what as human beings allows us to investigate, to progress in the development of a theme, be curious. This is closely related to the practice of role-play, in which the student simulates real-world environments to reproduce them in the classroom. Question 4 of the survey was connected with this idea, because the student stated that this dynamic lets you feel the need to speak English. It produces him a conflict, the change is: I study English because my parents and my teacher forced me to do it, or have to make it because I need to learn to improve my future prospects of education, travel, scholarships, entertainment, etc.

In summary, we have reviewed the problem of education from their traditional approaches to new paradigms of learning, where we have placed it in relationship with the trends of active learning.

2.2.2. ORAL EXPRESSION LEARNING: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Dependent variable in this work is the English oral expression learning. For this, we have seen a good introduction with Piaget theories.

Another promoter of constructivism is Vygotsky. In his social development theory, states that social interaction precedes knowledge. He argues that students need to be in the company of his teacher or a partner to develop the new tasks to be learned. It has been observed that children act in school motivated by his master, yet they do not act when its master does not motivate them to act worse if the teacher is the one who acts for the class. These investigations concluded that the boy is feeling much more motivated to act if the teacher performs the activity with him, but even more motivated if the teacher lets you do it along a more skilled partner. At that time the child is in the Zone of Proximal Development. The teacher should guide the learner, that is the boy who is less skilled, can perform the task alone. In this context, how could they check their progress? That would have at least three scales: cannot perform the task, you can perform the task with the help of a partner and can perform the task itself. (Atherton, 2011). 

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012) states:

Many schools have traditionally held a transmissionist or instructionist model in which a teacher or lecturer ‘transmits’ information to students. In contrast, Vygotsky’s theory promotes learning contexts in which students play an active role in learning. Roles of the teacher and student are therefore shifted, as a teacher should collaborate with his or her students in order to help facilitate meaning construction in students. Learning therefore becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and teacher.(p.1)

The change from a system focused on the teacher to a learner-focused system, is not so simple. In the case of the teacher, one has to work to change their mentality through providing you updated information on new pedagogical models. This project aims to ensure that the teacher's role changes from hero to assistant in the learning process. For students it is easier because playing is part of its strategy to learn, but for the teacher this means a total turn about your way to plan, organize, assess and monitor each student individually.

This approach places great importance the presence of the more apt mate. Suppose we are doing a new task, the teacher explained how to do it and now designates the learner and his companion fittest. The apprentice does not want to be left behind his partner and wants to do the job alone. Then the learner achieves this task. This sequence is the which Vygotsky proposes to produce learning.

In summary, we have seen that Social Development approach promotes social interaction as a first step to knowledge. This puts the project in line with theories of learning that are currently accepted.

2.2.3. ROLE-PLAY TECHNIQUE

In the previous section, we saw the advantages of a learner-centered approach. Now we can declare that constructivist theories in general, have a direct connection with the strategies that allow the student to participate in class. One of them is the Role-play, which allows students to get into the Zone of Proximal Development, the student now alongside their peers, is in interesting situation: he has to produce what you know, but also has to do what others do including its teacher, to solve a specific communication need.

Role-play puts the educator in the function of enabler in language learning route and the learner can take more responsibility for his own learning.  The goal is that the teacher will get a less dominant role in the class in order to let the students explore other activities. In the teacher-focused class, teacher is the axis of the class. In the student-focused classroom, student can be a prospective instructor for the group.

The Internet TESL Journal, recognizes the benefits of Role-play, researcher says that drama is a good opportunity to develop free thinking. This is well-timed, now that is so fashionable to talk about creativity. In the Role-play the students have the opportunity to play with their creativity, dress in a fun, give orders like a boss, act in a certain setting and so on. This makes the technique so appealing to young.

This source says, "Drama for second language learners can provide an opportunity to develop the imagination of the students. The students can go beyond the here and now and even 'walk in the shoes' of another." (Boudreault, 2010, p.1). We can infer that this opens up communication opportunities completely student, now he feels the need to be understood in a foreign language, so he will put all your attention on this. But there is a value-added is that students in their age depends largely on their peers opinion, so he now want to play the role assigned to him, as well as not to embarrass the group.

In one study, there are several reasons why teachers are reluctant to use new techniques in class. Among them are, the imperative to complete a curriculum, the belief that you can lose the order of the group and the need for students to effectively render other tests, such as admission to universities. This makes even some consider them a waste of time. After all the theory research, the conclusion was, "As proved by the literature reviewed, role-playing is an effective teaching method. It should be used with a variety of other methods as well. If any one method is used too often, its effectiveness is diminished." (Graves, 2008, p.14)

In review many studies around the world that support the efficacy of this technique for oral production. The Role-play fits perfectly with the social development approach and constructivism, as it allows students to enter the real world and practice speaking with a good dosage of humor and creativity.

2.2.4. SPEAKING

The Role-play activity mainly includes two language skills are speaking and listening. Many procedures have been used in teaching oral production such as repetition, drills, tapes, computer programs and others. However, the problem with these methods is they focused only in speaking but not in communication. Student could repeat and construct speaking language but only in programmed situations.

We can find a big difference from teaching speaking through the communicative approach. Here, communication is regarded as a whole, where the individual faces suddenly real world. He is getting on a plane and after a few hours is inserted into a culture completely different from his and now he knows that his ability to survive depends on their performance in the foreign language. In the words of U.S. research regarding of teaching of speaking with the communicative approach, "In the communicative model of language teaching, instructors help their students develop this body of knowledge by providing authentic practice that prepares students for real-life communication situations." (Burkart, 1998, p.3) This means that the student will be prepared to speak to an immigration police, a hotel receptionist with a driver and at more advanced levels with a job interview or a speech to a group of fellow.

Then role-play allows learners to emulate situations that occur every day. The range of language functions is extended to infinity since any situation that the student can imagine can be carried to Role-play. Other advantages associated with this activity are to lose your fear of public speaking, to know when it's your turn to speak and to listen when the other speaks, try to play their role faithfully talking the best he can and select the appropriate language for that particular problem.

What could be done in the event that students are too shy? Here are some recommendations that will serve us even if we fear that the class will get us out of control.

The secret is training: initiate the activity through explaining the topic and asking to sure they comprehend it.

Write a final product to the work. Students must know the result of the Role-play

Use written papers. It is important that every student can read a main idea about his or her role in this.

Bright idea: Before you begin the dynamic, you can ask the students new words or terms to be used.

Assemble small groups to maintain confidence.

Distribute the task much earlier, so they can create their own material

Try to remain unnoticed. Only correct errors if they ask

Allow students to go at their own pace. Do not expect everyone to participate equally and using each grammar point that has taught

Allow self-assessment, each student indicates the class if they met its goal in the role

At the end of the class or the next, do a reinforcement of the linguistic, grammatical errors, function, or pronunciation you have heard. Do it in a planned way.

(Burkart, 1998).

Synthesizing, we have seen that oral production has many techniques for implementation in the classroom. We have also noticed that the Role-play is suitable for effective learning.

2.2.4.1. PRONUNCIATION

One indicator that this project considered is the pronunciation. First, we provide a historical review of the problem. For a long time had the idea of ​​descriptive linguistics immediately associate it with pronunciation. It is true that the study of phonemes helps us to know the pronunciation of words. But a question arises: is this the right approach for young learners?

Today, it is considered that immediate correction and front of all produces resistance immediately and does not help with shy learners. The indirect approach means that the teacher requires a lot of patience and empathy to choose the right moment to indicate the accurate pronunciation. It is generally advisable to do it after exposure when the teacher presents the errors he has observed and recorded in his notebook. Laroy says, "If the students ask for explanation, it probably means they are ready for some analysis. This may be the time to provide descriptions of the intonational system or the position of the speech organs for certain sounds…" (Laroy, 1995, p.9). However, it is recommended that an explanation of phonetic symbols may be given to more advanced levels of language. At levels of young learners is advisable simply to indicate the precise pronunciation and make it part of a process where the student will progress step by step, so they do not lose the motivation to continue learning a second language.(Laroy, 1995)

Another research classified the factors that influence pronunciation. A study says that you should take into account such factors as:

Age. - As for the age of learners there are many authors who say that the correct pronunciation is learned accurately only until puberty. Therefore, in older adults this can be compensate somewhat by strong interest in learning

Prior pronunciation instruction. - Some adults have developed some errors in pronunciation because they learned from improper pronunciation. This can be overcome with great effort. However, we can infer that this must give pause to English teachers, as they pronounce something wrong, will be recorded in the mind of the learner and will be difficult to erase.

Aptitude. - The ability to learn a new language has been widely debated. Some authors believe that all human beings have this capacity equally, while others argue that some differ from others in our ability to acquire a second language.

Motivation. - There are non-linguistic factors involved in the learning process. These include the attitude toward foreign language, attitude towards their culture. The Role-play can help overcome these problems, since it is an activity that is done in groups and young learners have much fear of losing face in crowd.

Native language. - Many of the problems of pronunciation of a second language are attributed to the pronunciation of the native language. As the pronunciation requires the work of all organs involved in speech, an effort is necessary because it must re-accommodate them, and it is not so easy especially in mature learners. (Florez, 1998)

In summary, one can say that the old approach gave little emphasis to the pronunciation. In the new models of learning, researches have focused on learners and learning styles. The Role-play emerges at the context as a way to overcome fear of speaking in groups, fear of mispronouncing and the tendency to pronounce with the intonation of the native language.

It must be said that the teacher must have patience and empathy at the time that shows the correct way to pronounce, so as not discourage learners

2.2.5. COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH

Two of the phrases found in the investigation of the learning techniques are, the communicative approach and learner-centered instruction. Regarding the last, we have already done an analysis, through to synthesize and apply the main ideas of Piaget and Vygotsky. Now let us focus on the communicative approach.

Past it was thought that grammar was the best way to teach a language. We now know that was a big mistake, because that approach did that the subject may seem boring in the eyes of our students.

Thanks to research on how children learn from its conception, its early years and because they understood more clearly the function representing the language, the modern approach focuses on communication.

We first define what it means to the communicative approach, according to this approach, language is a means of communication. According to 2009 National Capital Language Resource Center, the language teaching is learned with this support:

is based on the idea that the goal of language acquisition is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals. The desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does. (National Capital Language Resource Center, 2009, p.1)

In this focal point we can infer that the assessment has to perform with the idea that communication is understood in its basic meaning, not necessarily to communicate something with correct grammar or how to spell in England.

This definition applied to this research, causes us to consider the need to focus on the essentials, after a group of students presented a drama. So we must ask if the message came to be correctly understood by the receiver, but not if they did so in a too formal way.

Both teachers and students should understand that the final goal of the communicative approach is that the learner is able to take the same opinion than his colleague, using his skill to the fullest. Avoid the message creates confusion because of poor pronunciation, basic grammar and vocabulary, to avoid hurting their peers, so the quality should be promoted in order to save some gaps that may occur in communication.

Thus, we have seen that the project fits perfectly with the general guidelines of the communicative approach, that is the receiver and transmitter can understand the main idea that carries the message.

2.2.6. ACTIVE LEARNING

One of the most important aspects of this project is about active learning, as the Role-play has a direct relationship with this learning approach. Now we know that students not only learn by listening to the teacher talk. Other senses such as sight, smell, feel and taste must be present in the act of teaching. What's more, students love to get involved in the development of problems in class.

Active learning strategies are defined as those in which the student is involved in doing things and reflect on what you are doing. Use in class is vital for the impact they have on the learner's understanding. For example, studies demonstrate that learners prefer active learning strategies, rather than a formal class. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991).

You can start changing the way only to the traditional classroom. For example you can allow your students several breaks to take notes, or you can take a 20-minute speech, followed by a session where students presented what they learned. Another strategy is to make a Role-play in the middle of the speech to change their way of learning. Still another is the feedback lecture with two teacher explanations followed by a group analysis session constructed about a summary or the guided lecture where the student listening to a lecture of about 30 minutes without being allowed to write anything and then prepares a summary of what he remembers, later they made ​​a comparison group and improve their ideas.

Other active learning techniques are study groups, where they need to help each other to do the best job, debates which provide the opportunity for the learner can enter the Zone of Proximal Development and face a new challenge, peer teaching which give the opportunity to learn with a skilled companion. Of course, drama is between them, and Role-play itself is a form of active learning that involves full attention of students. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991).

In sum, active learning is a great help to develop student skills such as thinking skills, ability to speak and fend for themselves. The method has been tested extensively both in language classes and in the social sciences. However, it should be noted that no method claims itself the authenticity of active learning. The teacher should have a range of these in order that students do not get tired of a particular method.

2.2.7. SUMMARY

In brief, we have reviewed the problem of education from their traditional approaches to new paradigms of learning, where we have placed it in relationship with the trends of active learning. Then, we have seen that Social Development approach promotes social interaction as a first step to knowledge. This puts the project in line with learning theories that are currently accepted. Social interaction understood as representing the external world that we reproduce in the classroom, which means that this technique has two advantages: first participation promotes a skilled companion on the other allows the student to act as if he was in real life, or that he feels the need to interact with other people who speak another language.

Many studies around the world hold up the efficacy of this technique for oral production. The Role-play fits perfectly with the social development approach and constructivism, as it allows students to enter the real world and practice speaking with a good dosage of humor and creativity. But the Role-play review shows that fears of the teachers focus on: spending too much time and lose control of discipline in class. However, research suggests that this could be easily overcome with the gradual increase of student participation in class.

About speaking we have seen that oral production has many techniques for implementation in the classroom. Some of them we will surely use to increase the level of attention and participation of learners in the classroom. We must take into account the recommendation of researchers in the sense that we not use too often this or that technique work with students, because this will also allow them to get tired and come to hate that method. We have also noticed that the Role-play is suitable for effective learning, but not all the time.

On the other hand, one can say that the old approach gave small emphasis to the pronunciation. In the new models of learning, researches have focused on learners and learning styles. The Role-play emerges at the context as a way to overcome fear of speaking in groups, fear of mispronouncing and the tendency to pronounce with the intonation of the native language.

It must be said that the teacher must have patience and empathy at the time that shows the correct way to pronounce, so as it does not discourage learners.

The pronunciation requires constant dedication by the learner. The teacher however must be alert to the errors that students make when talking and should record them for later exposure. Then he has to correct them with a good dose of patience and explaining that he is not criticizing the person, but how to pronounce words and sentences, and that failure to do it could result in a change of message.

Therefore, we have seen that the project matches perfectly with the general guidelines of the communicative approach, that is the receiver and transmitter can understand the main idea that carries the message. That is, you can easily choose the words and the proper order so that the sentence has logical sense. If he does not remember the grammar rule, the learner is able to take another way to express the same idea with other words.

In sum, active learning is a great tool to develop student skills such as thinking skills, ability to speak and fend for themselves. The method has been tested extensively both in language classes and in the social sciences. However, it should be noted that no method claims itself the authenticity of active learning. The teacher should have a range of these in order that students do not get tired of a particular method.

BASIC TERMS DEFINITION

1. Pedagogy the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

2. Role play  the acting out or performance of a particular role, either consciously (as a technique in psychotherapy or training) or unconsciously, in accordance with the perceived expectations of society with regard to a person’s behavior in a particular context. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

3. Learning the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

4. Behaviorism the theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior patterns. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

5. Constructivism is a theory of knowledge (epistemology) that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. (OPPapers.com, 2012)

6. Atmosphere the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

7. Funny causing laughter or amusement; humorous. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

8. Simulate imitate the appearance or character of. * pretend to have or feel (an emotion). (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

9. Culture the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

10. Technique a way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

11. Method a particular form of procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

12. Meaningful having meaning: meaningful elements in a languagewords likely to be meaningful to pupils . (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

13. Instrument a a means of pursuing an aim: the failure of education as an instrument of social reform. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

14. Teaching the occupation, profession, or work of a teacher. (Free on line Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

15. Language the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

16. Foreign of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or language other than one’s own. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

17. Speaking the action of conveying information or expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in spoken language. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

18. Syllabus an outline of the subjects in a course of study or teaching. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

19. Approach a way of dealing with something. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

20. Script the written text of a play, movie, or broadcast. (Free online Oxford dictionary, 2012 )

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

According to the constructivist approach, students construct their knowledge from experience. In reference to this paradigm the Educational Broadcasting Corporation states: "people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences." (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004, p.1)

This topic demonstrates that the technique of role play fits perfectly with the constructivist approach, because the student is suddenly in an environment similar to real, which causes the simulation participants feel the need to express themselves in foreign language.

In addition, the teacher's role in constructivism is limited to prepare the context for the student to build their knowledge alone. In the same, way this concept is concatenated with the previous work of the teacher in the role play, since it has to accommodate all the details regarding the game as long as it meets an objective in line with the communication part of the curriculum that is covering.

In summary, the technique under investigation is ideal for the application of the constructivist paradigm in the classroom. It has wide acceptance among students and it will produce enjoyable and creative learning moments. It will place students in the zone of proximal development, where they feel obligated to communicate in English and to ask for the advice of his or her partner or the teacher.

POPULATION AND SAMPLE

POPULATION:

62 Electronics area students, second year High school. ITS Central Técnico

6 Morning English teachers.

Surveys were aimed at the entire population.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Relationship between Variable Operationalization Matrix, the survey, Guideline Questions and Dimensions

Item 1 about the fear of public speaking, item 5 about the pronunciation, and item 7 about the oral expression practices, are interrelated. All of them belong to the guideline question 1, whose central idea is to improve the ability in English oral production by the student. Both teachers and students answer these three items with highest percentage that means the technique is well accepted as an aid in the English oral expression learning.

Items 2, 3, y 4 have relationship with the guideline question 2, whose main idea is to make a learning atmosphere in class. All of them answer these with highest percentage, we can define the students and teachers agree that this method helps to build and maintain a proper learning atmosphere, to recognize the need to know English and to hold the topic concentration.

About item 6, we can find that the highest ratio of other items get a contrast because enthusiasm suddenly drops.

INTRODUCTION

Development of this project, we made a general review of the influence of some learning techniques in student motivation for speaking a new language.

It has been noted that pedagogy has made ​​a historic jump from a teacher led approach to a student focus. Studies from several authors have shown that active learning does engage students in learning activities and this has made that they keep that knowledge for more time.

This proposal declares that activities of Role-play and dramas are the best and most appropriate methods to improve one’s communicative skills while cultivating awareness of grammatical accuracy. We also affirm that such activities can promote the personal growth of students as they participate in creative and cooperative assignments.

In this section, you can find some Role-play guides suitable for all class levels and ages. This Role-play suggestion, for example, with its fun, fast structure, gives students the chance to attempt different roles in a short period of time. With others, students have the opportunity to develop their characters and use their imaginations to create performance worthy dramatizations. There are many different worksheets to choose from so be sure to check them out and find one for your class.

The general objective of this project is to encourage the use of the Role-play technique in the learning of spoken English in young people, but we can do it with a right tool to classroom, and this paper aims to achieve this goal.

SCIENTIFIC BASIS

The Active learning has been defined as any instructional process that engages students in the learning process. In summary, active learning requires learners to do significant learning activities and reflect about what they are doing. While this definition could include traditional activities such as homework, in reality active learning refers to activities that are introduced into the classroom. The heart elements of active learning are student activity and engagement in the learning process. Active learning is sometimes contrasted to the traditional lecture where students passively receive information from the teacher. (Prince, 2004)

Active learning strategies are defined as those in which the student is involved in doing things and reflect on what you are doing. Use in class is vital for the impact they have on the learner's understanding. For example, studies demonstrate that learners prefer active learning strategies, rather than a formal class. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991).

Learning activity techniques are study groups, where students need to help each other to do the best job, debates which provide the opportunity for the learner can enter the Zone of Proximal Development and face a new challenge, peer teaching which give the opportunity to learn with a skilled companion. Of course, drama is between them, and Role-play itself is a form of active learning that involves full attention of students. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991).

Now, we have seen that the project matches perfectly with the general guidelines of the communicative approach and the active learning, that is the receiver and transmitter can understand the main idea that carries the message. That is, you can easily choose the words and the proper order so that the sentence has logical sense. If he does not remember the grammar rule, the learner is able to take another way to express the same idea with other words.

Of course, the teacher must use many other techniques, but the Role-play is a viable alternative which he may use with this brief guide.

OBJECTIVES

To promote the learning of spoken English by the practice of student-centered dialogue.

To provide the teacher a menu consisting of different role-plays to apply in the classroom.

CONTENTS

STRUCTURAL CONTENT

This proposal lies in the development of English language teaching. It gives priority to oral production skills and listening. It has been structured in similar way to a lesson plan, so you can select easily when the teacher requires the use of this technique.

Tips to be considered:

The teacher should explain clearly to students the role of each,

Never correct them at the time that students are acting, but after Role-play

Previously, explain the grammatical structure that corresponds to the dynamic and new vocabulary.

Tell them well in advance to prepare the Role-play.

FUNCTIONAL CONTENT

The basis of the proposal is about the development of some communication skills, such as:

To follow the development of a story.

To invent the continuation of the situation.

To develop an outcome.

To help to create a learning atmosphere.

Now, we will present a few role-plays to use in the normal planning class.

ROLE-PLAY IDEAS

These Role-plays were adapted from TESL-L by Nigel Caplan and from eslflow.com. The work was modified into a table as in a lesson plan.

HELPING TO YOUNG PEOPLE

Characters: 3

Time: 10 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To formulate questions

To answer questions

To listen complaints

The parents of a teenager are called to the school to talk about the young person's smoking grass behind the school buildings after school.

Clothing

Mustache

Jacket

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A BIG PROBLEM

Characters: 5

Time: 8 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve stressful problems

You are stuck in an elevator between the 48th and 49th floors. There are 5 people in the elevator, including one pregnant woman and a delivery man with a large hand truck and a blind person with a seeing-eye dog. (No, no one is allowed to play the dog!)

Clothing

Scripts made ​​by the student

An elevator model

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A DISCUSSION

Characters: 5

Time: 12 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

Understanding the perspective of the other person.

You are in an New York City bus and someone is playing a radio very loudly. The driver asks the radio-player to stop and refuses to drive while the radio is on. You are in a big hurry and want the radio turned off. Other passengers think that it is freedom of speech to play a radio.

Radio

Chairs

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

HE IS MY PARTNER!

Characters: 3

Time: 15 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To show affection

You are strolling in a department store. Walking around, you see a person who seems familiar, but you're not sure. On a whim, you decide to stop the person and find out of s/he knows you. It turns out, after some questioning, that the two of you went to the same high school, but at the time the other person weighed 25 kilos more. That's why you couldn't recognize him/her.

Model of a store

Chairs

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

WHAT A MISFORTUNE!

Characters: 3

Time: 14 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve a problem

Two friends are waiting in line to get into a movie, talking about casual things. Suddenly you remember that you left some soup cooking on the stove at home

Chairs

Cash register

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

INTERRUPTIONS

Characters: 6

Time: 20 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To answer questions in polite way.

Interruptions. A couple are trying to watch a film on TV, but are interrupted by a series of unwanted visitors: a talkative friend, the gas man, a neighbor who's lost his/her keys, a stranger who's mysteriously convinced that this is his house

Chairs

TV

Tools

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A FUNNY APPOINTMENT

Characters: 3

Time: 10 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve communicative problems.

A couple is in a restaurant to celebrate Valentine's Day. There is a fly in the woman's soup, but the waiter is not helpful.

Chairs

Table

Dishes

Spoons

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

THE DENTIST

Characters: 5

Time: 14 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To give help.

After a few desperate attempts aimed at pulling out his patient's bad tooth, the dentist asks their colleagues for help who then offer any weird advice (sometimes you may get too much of sick humor but it pays off)

Chairs

Table

Strange tools

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A MADMAN LOOSE

Characters: 5

Time: 15 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To give ideas.

A police officer is trying to persuade a naked person by the fountain to stop trying to catch fish and leave the place (others are passers-by eager to help both)

Fountain model

Police clothes

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A PIECE OF CHICKEN

Characters: 6

Time: 17 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To follow clues.

In a restaurant, a piece of chicken has run out of the client's dish and is hiding someplace; everyone (the chef, the waiter, the people around) is offering their help.

Chairs

Table

Dishes

Spoons

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

HOTEL RECEPTION

Characters: 4

Time: 12 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To give suggestions.

A rich foreign guest and his/her secretary are arguing with the receptionist about the bill. Various random guests approach the desk and join in the argument, for instance: a bridegroom, a family with lots of small kids, a film star "incognito", paparazzi photographers etc.

Chairs

Table

Receipts

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A CRASH

Characters: 5

Time: 12 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve communicative problems.

Each student gets on the "bus" as a different character (e.g. pregnant woman, old man with dog, two teenagers going shopping etc) until *crash* - and they have to react appropriately. Certainly in England, it's not the done thing to talk to complete strangers on the bus, except in an emergency such as this. You could do a similar scene in a supermarket check-out queue, too.

Chairs

Bus of construction paper

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

JEFFERSON PEREZ INTERVIEW

Characters: 2

Time: 15 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To ask questions

To answer questions

A famous reporter is interviewing to a celebrity in Ecuador. People like to know about the tremendous effort involved in the training of an elite athlete. The issues to be treated have to do with the awards, the new opportunities opening in life that can give motivation to others and the costs of being a celebrity.

Chairs

Table

Camera model

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( eslflow.com)

A SUCCESSFUL SALESMEN

Characters: 5- 12

Time: 15 minutes

OBJEC

TIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOUR

CES

EVALUA

TION

To ask questions

To answer questions.

First, to be successful salesmen(women), learners need skills to communicate their products to the potential buyers. Usually we assigned one or two students to be the salesman with a particular product they have chosen either the real products such as cosmetics, books, and foods or services such as travels and education.

The rest of the students in that group will become potential buyers who ask different questions to get the detail features or information of the products(services) offered. In presentation, the seller(s)can bring his or her own real product or perhaps brochures for the students who want to introduce the services to make his/her presentation more alive.

Chairs

Table

Cosmetics

Books

Foods

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

A TOUR GUIDE

Characters: 4-12

Time: 20 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To ask questions

To answer questions

In this role play, one or two learners can act as tour guides who explain the historical spots, the cultural unique, the weather and climates, typical foods, and many others that the learners can cover within the given time. The rest of the students will become the tourists who are allowed to ask relevant questions to the tour guides. The presenters are requested to bring some photos of the tourism places.

Chairs

Photos of the tourism places.

Brochures

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

SELLING RIDICULOUS OBJECTS

Characters: 2- 4

Time: 12 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve communicative problems.

The salesperson: Assign ridiculous objects or concepts for them to sell, and see how inventive them can be (eg the contents of their school bag, a potato, the class room, the blackboard, the teacher (?), the end of the rainbow, the British Prime Minister (or equivalent), Big Ben ...). It's a great public speaking exercise if nothing else!

Chairs

Table

Ridiculous objects

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

THE ZOO

Characters: 5-12

Time: 40 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To solve communicative problems.

A slightly different activity, which I always finds hysterical, is the zoo - yes, the students play the animals (talking ones, this time!), and you can wander round asking them about themselves and what they think about the zoo.

Chairs

Cages

Costumes

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

UNHAPPY CUSTOMER

Characters: 2 (pairs)

Time: 15 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To ask questions

To answer questions

This week we are working on consumer complaints and to practice vocabulary, expressions etc. We¨will pair up students and give each one a card with a scenario. For instance. "You are at a bookstore. You bought a book a month ago and want to return it because you didn't like it..." Or, "You are at a restaurant. The food you ordered is cold and not very well cooked..." Students will be instructed to act out the scene and convince their partner (the bookstore clerk, the waiter) to give them a refund, a free meal and so forth.

Chairs

Tables

Work wear

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

COMPLAINTS

Characters: 4 (groups)

Time: 20 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To give suggestions.

We put students in groups of 4 and gave them campus problems (such as parking, safety, cafeteria food) to construct complaints about. Here they had to work as a group and decide to whom they should complain, what their compliant should contain, how they should complain (letter to the President of the university, or the campus newspaper, etc.), what they would like done and so on. Each group then presented their information to the other group.

Chairs

Tables

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

TITANIC

Characters: 6- 8

Time: 30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

EVALUATION

To give suggestions.

Titanic: more catastrophes, we are goin to do some activities based on the story of the Titanic (the real thing, and NOT the film!). At one point, I got them to act sketches based on true (?) stories from the Titanic, changing them to make them dramatic if necessary, or adding endings where none is known.

Chairs

Tables

Last century clothing

Scripts made ​​by the student

Valuation Table

Main skills: Listening, Speaking. ( Caplan, 2000).

(Caplan, 2000)