Humanising Language Teaching
Year 5; Issue 1; January 03

Ages 10-12
Time 15 minutes +
Materials A chair to represent the milkman's cart
Focus Speaking and listening in the context of an improvised mini-play.

This activity can be repeated in different lessons. The first time, you should play the role of milkman. As you draw pupils in more and more, you can turn this role over to different members of the class. Typically, pupils become increasingly inventive as to characters, dialogue and action. It is sheer fun.

Procedure

1. The milkman takes an empty chair and pushes it before him as if a cart.
2. Somewhere in the classroom he stops and rings the imaginary doorbell of one of the pupils. A conversation follows, for example: "What will it be today, Mrs. Harris?" "Two pints of milk please".
3. The milkman goes from door to door in this way taking all kinds of orders.
4. Suddenly a pupil comes up to him and asks: "Milkman, have you seen my pussycat?" The milkman points off in some direction. A policeman may come up and say something about a 'No Parking' sign. And so on.

Extension In later lessons, repeat the activity with the milkman played by one of the pupils.

Variations

1. In later lessons, introduce other itinerant characters such as a local handyman. ("Anything to repair? Any odd jobs need doing?" "Oh yes. Could you ……..?" "That'll cost you £..")
2. At Step Four, you can prompt pupils by handing out brief role instructions on slips of paper. However, if you have worked with a class for some time, such prompting may not be necessary.