IMPORTANCE of ROLE-PLAYING ACTIVITIES in TESOL
The communicative approach gives birth to essential teaching strategies nowadays. Its core value resides in putting the learners in an interactive situation that requires them to communicate One of the well-loved activities in this field of teaching is role-playing activities. It may sound easy but that actually makes it on a different level than any other activity.
What are role-playing activities? Role-playing activities are well, activities that involve speaking where learners put themselves on different set-ups and characters or it can also be their own. Through communication and acting-out life situations, language can develop naturally through the application. The learners are encouraged to stand on their own feet and sort things out themselves. In a way, it also teaches them to rely on their own self and own judgment. In contrast to the traditional teaching method where learners must do a lot of memorization, role-playing activities pave the way for deeper understanding while giving them the freedom to explore and express their own ideas. In such a way their minds are not contained in the four walls of the classroom but spark their creative juices and imagination. Role-playing activities also help inculcate life values in the learners by getting involved to work with others. By actually interacting with each other they are honed to work together as a team and therefore promote good interpersonal skills such as camaraderie and group work.
Also, the book Role-playing Methods in the Classroom by Mark Chesler and Robert Fox in 1966 listed a three-staged, nine-step procedure for role-playing. In the first stage which is the introductory part, the teacher initiates the whole process by preparing the learners and giving out instructions about the activity. In the second stage, the execution part where the actual performance is done then the learners themselves are expected to impart insights on what they learn through this experience. The last stage would be the evaluation stage where the learners get to point out what needs to be further improved. These stages not only focus on role-playing but also involves active discussion among the learners.
In conclusion, in performing role-playing activities it is not only the English language that they obtain but also the value of working together at the end of the day. Although it might sound too simple to execute, there is actually more than that.
