Drama in the classroom

Discussion questions can be great but sometimes students can get bored of always asking their partner's opinion about something neither of them really care about. In this case, role plays can be a great way of making teenagers use the target language in context. Here's how it works:

1. After the students have learnt the target language and you are ready to start your 'activate' stage, put the students in groups of 4 or 5
2. Tell the students to think of a funny situation and also let them know that the next group will have to act this out. Giving the students control over the situations will personalise it and give them a feeling of ownership. You may well get sillier scenarios but this all adds to the fun. Making them decide the situation for the next group will be really enjoyable for them as they will take great pleasure in devising something THE OTHER group must perform, whereas they might feel the need to make something 'cool' if it is their own group and then be bereft of ideas.
3. Tell the groups to exchange the slips of paper with the situations written on. If possible, take different groups to another room or put them in the corridor. Doing this will allow them to prepare unseen by others and will provide much better results
4. The students must then create a short dialogue which must include the target language of the lesson
5. After the allotted time is up, the students return to class and perform their short sketches. They will take great pleasure in watching the other groups act out the funny situations they devised, and you can see the target language being used in the right context.

      Happy teaching!