Humanising Language Teaching
Year 4; Issue 1; January 2002
Role-Playing : Language Teaching Methodology
By Denny Packard , France
Adult
Pre-service teacher training courses frequently include an overview (usually towards the beginning of the course) of various language teaching methodologies of the past (and occasionally of the present). Typically, the underlying principles, strengths, and weaknesses of each method is briefly analysed. This tends to be a rather academic exercise to set the stage for in-depth study of more relevant aspects of a teacher training course language acquisition, learning strategies, vocabulary techniques, etc. With all the 'important' elements to be covered in a teacher training course, it is difficult to criticise the glossing over of abandoned or less common (marginal?) methodologies.
Role play has long been recognised as an effective experiential learning tool used in many fields (management training, customer service, psychodrama, and of course language learning) to help learners or trainees to internalise abstract concepts.
Can role play be used to study and understand more fully language teaching methodologies? I think so.
After covering the various methodologies in whatever way seems most suitable, ask the trainees to come to the next lesson prepared to summarise the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology. Stress that they will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of the different methods, so it will be to their advantage to take the assignment seriously.
Prepare a card with the name of each methodology that has been covered and prepare enough sets of cards so that each trainee in your group will have a card:
| Functional-Notional | Audio-Lingual | Communicative Approach |
| Grammar-Translation | Direct Method | Community Language Learning |
| Suggestopedia | Silent Way | Total Physical Response |
etc.
In the next lesson, have each trainee choose a card at random. Explain that they will have to personify the methodology on their card by standing up and milling around the room cocktail-party fashion, meeting and chatting in pairs and small groups.
A typical conversation might begin somewhat along these lines:
G.-T.: Hello, I'm Grammar-Translation. I don't believe we've met before, have we?
C. A.: No, I'm afraid we haven't. I'm the Communicative Approach. Pleased to meet you. [They shake hands]
G.-T.: I'm so glad to meet you. You know, I've always wanted to know how you deal with grammar and how your students measure their progress.
Etc.
Remind the trainees that they should mill around from group to group, discussing politely rather than debating heatedly. Should 2 trainees with the same card ('siblings') happen to meet up, they can feel free to engage in 'gossip' about others before they move on.
As the trainer, you should participate fully in the exercise, circulating from one group to the next just like the trainees. I believe the trainer can be most constructive here by assuming the role of a less current methodology and by avoiding the temptation to aggressively 'score points.'
Allow sufficient time for a feedback session focussing on cognitive and affective learning during the exercise.
A role play exercise of this type provides trainees with a far deeper insight into these teaching methodologies and allows them to internalise these in a way intellectual study never can.
Variation:
The role cards can be re-distributed and the exercise repeated.
Acknowledgements: Role-playing objects or abstract ideas comes from the Gestalt tradition. Its use here was inspired by Robert C. Hawley, Value Exploration Through Role Playing: Practical Strategies for Use in the Classroom, Hart Publishing, 1975, pp. 6266; 7980; and by Carol Trowbridge, 'Gestalt and Foreign Language Teaching' in Beverly Galyean, Human Teaching and Human Learning in the Language Class: A Confluent Approach, Confluent Education Development and Research Center, 1973, pp. 1432.
Denny Packard resides in France and teaches English at Ιcole Centrale Paris and in a telecommunications engineering institute in the Paris area. He also works as an interpreter and software teacher.
E-mail: denny dot packard at free dot fr
