by Victoria Berasaluce Guerra (LTL Contributor)
After attending NECTFL this year, I was fortunate enough to listen to Alexandra Brown’s presentation on classroom transformations. This sparked in me a memory from when I was eight years old and did a highly engaging classroom simulation of a hospital. By listening to the presenter, I reflected on how acting helps students not only practice the target language and lose fear of making mistakes but also turns the class into a joyful space where we create memories.
Perhaps, the most memorable projects students will remember are those that involve role-play and allow them to collaborate with their peers in a different way. As students advance in their proficiency level, improvisation can gain more space and expectations will shift.
Owning the Role: So what do expectations look like for each level?
For Novice Learners:
They use memorized or formulaic language
They communicate simple meaning
They use practiced vocabulary
For Intermediate Learners:
They create with language
They sustain conversations
They are able to ask and answer questions
They are able to handle complications
For Advanced Learners:
They know how to support their opinions
They can handle unexpected turns
They use varied structures
They demonstrate cultural awareness
As teachers, we want to highlight students’ ability to maintain communication in a specific setting, while taking risks and being understood. The pathway to growth lies in steering students away from memorization and toward owning their interpretation in the target language.
Acting gives students permission to try on language before they fully own it. Eventually roles disappear, and proficiency remains.
Owning the Role: So why not try tomorrow one of the following:
Brainstorming a classroom simulation based on a unit you are teaching.
Create a mini play based on a reading done in class. Divide students in groups to assign sections of the reading. Emphasize the interpretive aspect of the activity, focusing on key developments of the story.
Have students act out an alternate ending to a story after writing a script.