What’s the point of this kind of activity (besides wearing reindeer antlers)? here’s my take on it:
1) If learners are writing their own story, they are using their own words and learning and incorporating new vocabulary as needed. This is authentic, meaningful language! Way better than memorizing a script that they may not even understand.
2) When learners work in small groups to write a storyline or script, they need to work together to communicate and negotiate meaning. This is where real language acquisition happens.
Focusing on speaking instead? Forget the script. Have them focus on the storyline, then act with a more improvised roleplay.
4) If you happen to have a multilevel class (don’t we all?) there are 100s of ways to divide up tasks to suit learners’ levels and needs. Heck, when I was in high school plays, I was usually a townsperson with no lines at all! Take advantage of the varied roles and possibilities of the theater to find just the right fit for each person in your multilevel classes.
have fun, I promise. And they like to feel challenged and successful. The first time I tried having my beginner/intermediate adults create their own play, I was nervous, and ready for a big, fat, fail. (A co-teacher of mine actually dragged me into it kicking and screaming). I was completely unprepared for how they rose to the challenge. They trusted us as teachers, and when they saw that we believed they could do it (I’m a good actor, I guess), they believed it, too. I was completely floored by how their language level soared when they had a reason to communicate, and a lot invested in their audience’s ability to understand.
So check out the So, What about English Christmas play by clicking on the photo above, (and maybe leave them a comment under the video). And think about how you can bring this kind of challenge and fun to your learners, too. Some day soon we’ll send you the step-by-step of how to do this in your classroom.
