Servio Pblico Federal Universidade Federal do Par Instituto de Letras e Comunicao Faculdade de Letras Estrangeiras Modernas

JULIANA SOUSA RIBEIRO DE ALBUQUERQUE

Speaking activities based on role play techniques: A tool to foster the oral ability

Advisor: Prof.. Dr.. Rosana Assef Faciola

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INTRODUCTION
The requirement in mastering the oral ability in English language;
Students face difficulties in performing English language orally; Focus on the functionality of the language.

CHAPTER I
Theoretical background Behaviorist Theory:
The learning of a language is defined as

from the notion of conditioned verbal behavior (BOCK, 1991)

Sociointeractionism Theory: The learning of a language

emerges as from the experience with others (LIGTHBOWN and
SPADA, 1986)

Communicative Approach: It makes us consider the language

not only in terms of its structure, but also in terms of the communicative function that it performs. (LITTLEWOOD, p. ix, 1981)
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CHAPTER II
THE ORAL ABILITY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
In accordance with Brown (1994) reduced forms, use of slangs and idioms as well as pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation of English sounds are elements which interact among themselves to become speaking as challenging, once these components perform simultaneously in real life interactions. Mackey (1965) defines oral ability as the moment of making choices for accomplishing a logical flow of words that involves the choice of words and inflections in the right order to convey the right meaning.
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CHAPTER II
The oral ability in Communicative Approach Littlewood (1981) states that it is viable to combine both
functional view of language and traditional view of
language to achieve a more effective communicative perspective.
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CHAPTER II
The oral ability from both teachers and learners' perspectives in Communicative approach field
Almeida Filho (1998, p. 50) points out that being communicative in teaching of a foreign language is to present a professional attitude consistent with the set of communicative assumptions. Being communicative is different from being communicative temporarily just to perform an activity with the students.
In Communicative Approach the teachers role must not be ruled out, once they take on the role of a facilitator during the learning process (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 1986).
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CHAPTER II
The oral ability from both teachers and learners' perspectives in Communicative Approach field
This framework seeks to centralize the learning process on students as way to become them much more engaged and responsible for their own learning (MOURA, 2008). Furthermore, Roque (2005) points out that our students

must be encouraged to express themselves meaningfully

even if it means committing errors.
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CHAPTER III
OBJECTIVES:
General:

Discuss on oral ability being fostered by using role play techniques in English classes.
Specific:

Expatiate on oral ability in foreign language based on theoretical background;

Present Communicative Approach relevance in teaching-learning of oral ability; Propose speaking activities based on role play techniques for fostering the oral ability of English learners.
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CHAPTER III
METHOD
In order to ground this research, initially was made a bibliographic survey with regarding to the interpretation of the studied phenomenon that is the oral ability, in order to

substantiate the area literature. As reinforcement to what was

done, the following step adopted has to do with the selecting of speaking activities that are based on role play techniques. Finally, it has proposed some speaking activities taking into account role plays assumptions as tool to foster the oral ability

of English learners.
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CHAPTER IV
THE SPEAKING SKILL

Speaking activities
It has to do with promoting to the students the chance to produce orally in meaningful contexts (MORA, 2010). Littlewood (1981:88 apud TOSCANO, 1992, p. 49) states

that in our everyday language, we normally focus our

attention on the meaning of what we say or hear, rather than on its linguistic form.
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CHAPTER IV
ROLE PLAY TECHNIQUES

Definition of role play

Larsen-Freeman (apud BHARDWAJ, 2008) claims about role play that if structured or unstructured, is important in the Communicative Approach because it gives learners an opportunity to practicing the oral ability in different social context and in different social roles Varela, La Torre, and Liste (2012) state that role play is comprised by some types of activities which label the idea of acting in a particular role, once students are prompted to adopt another persona and act as themselves in a simulation. 11

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 01 Level: This activity can be applied to upper intermediate to upper advanced audiences. Function: Solving a problem using specific vocabulary. The students should be able to use hotel vocabulary Form: Simple present and simple past. Procedures: Groups of three are formed. The teacher gives out to each member of the groups a card containing one of the three roles below. Before playing the roles itself, the teachers can read out aloud the characters' state at that moment in order to make students aware on how they should manage the role play: CUSTOMER: You have made a hotel reservation. When you get to the hotel you ask for your reservation. You really want to take a shower and go to the bed soon because of the long tiring trip you have taken. RECEPCIONIST: You work at a five-star hotel and today is your first day at work. A customer gets to the hotel looking for his/her reservation. You look for it, but you don't find any reservation under the customer's name and there is not any vacancy at the hotel. Call the manager for help. MANAGER: You have had a very busy and exhausting day. Everything went wrong today. When you think you can finally go home, the receptionist calls you to the hotel front desk. The customer is a very important person. 12 (Adapted from TOSCANO, 1992)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 02 Level: This activity can be applied to lower intermediate to upper advanced audiences. Function: The students should be able to use food vocabulary. Form: Simple present, countable and uncountable nouns, a few, a little, much, and many Procedures: Students form small groups of four, at most. They have to imagine they are at a restaurant. Some students should take on the role of waiters and the other ones play the role of customers. Each waiter is responsible for a table. CUSTOMERS: Call the waiter and order your food. WAITERS: Write down the customers' order and give any kind of information s/he asks for. (Adapted from TOSCANO, 1992)
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CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 03

Level: This activity can be applied to upper intermediate upwards.

Form: Present perfect and simple present. Function: Both job and job interview vocabularies. Procedures: The teacher divides the class into groups and determines such as situation and makes them to simulate it: You are unemployed and find in a classified section, a job advertisement as secretary in a school. The criteria selection of candidates to a vacancy will be an interview with all candidates together. Then, the teacher designates the students that will take on the role of interviewers as well as the candidates. Each group is composed by just one interviewer. After the interview, each interviewer, based on information collected from the candidates, chooses the person who seems to be the best for the job and he/she needs to justify his/her choice
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(Adapted from TOCANO, 1992)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 04 Level: As from lower advanced students. Form: Simple present and the modal verbs can, could, should and must to expressing politeness in giving opinion. Function: Expressing opinions about current issues. Procedures: Divide the class into pairs and give out for each pair a card containing the following discussion: You do not agree with your partner's opinion. Place your disagreement politely.
1. A: I think the mayor of our city is doing a good work. B: ___________________________________________ 2. A: Working women hardly ever have time for their families. B:___________________________________________ 3. A: TV is a bad influence on children. B: __________________________________________ 4. A: If teachers are not satisfied with their salaries, they should try another job instead of going on strikes. B: __________________________________________ (Adapted from TOSCANO, 1992)
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CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 05 Level: Intermediate. Form: Practice of both structures and vocabulary related to the act of describing, such as she/he is....; she/he's got...; she/he's wearing.... Function: Describe people physically. Procedures: The teacher asks students to close their eyes, while the teacher goes toward a specific student and ask him/her to get out of the classroom silently. Then, the students are

prompted to open their eyes and, after identifying the student who is not in the classroom, try to
describe such a student physically. A description of this person can be placed on the board into sentences. Then, the teacher calls for the missed student to come in the class and compare what was said about this student to his/her real appearance.
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(Adapted from TOSCANO, 1992)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 06 Level: Lower advanced and upwards Form: Practice of structures and vocabulary referred to personal information (wh- questions), simple present and simple past. Function: Give personal information and practice banking transactions. Procedure: Firstly, the teacher sets the context by saying that a character called Mr. Smith has just moved to London and has gone to the London National Bank to open both a checking account and a savings account. He must answer questions asked by a bank employee who types out the information. He has a check for $ 5,000 which he wants to put in the savings account and his first pay check for $ 289.35 with which he will open the checking account. Roles: Alfred Smith young man who has just moved to London. Tilda Thompson bank employee. Useful expressions: Alfred: I just moved to London. I would like to open a bank account. I have two checks to deposit. Tilda: Good morning. May I help you? I need your name, address, etc.

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(Adapted from PAULSTON, 1992)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 07 Level: Upper intermediate to upwards. Form: Teacher can practice linguistic structures that learners just learned. Function: It provides students the opportunity to think fast and maybe solve problems. The function will vary according to the context.

Procedures: The teacher brings to the classroom three cubes of paper that can serve as ices. In
two of them, should be written, in all sides, names of famous people or different professions. In the third cube, the teacher writes the names of different places, such as bank, cinema, restaurants, shoes store, etc... . The Students are divided into pairs and the teacher plays the first and second cubes to determine the roles, and then plays the third one to determine where the conversation will occur. Once the cubes are thrown out, students must begin a conversation based on their roles and in the place pointed by the ice. During the conversations, the teacher monitors the pairs, helping them as it necessary. New round each form new pairs.
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(Adapted from RIOS and GOMES, 2012)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 08 Level: Lower intermediate to upwards. Form: Learners can put into practice their learning concerning the use of

Simple Past.
Function: It provides students the opportunity to use general vocabulary as much as they can.

Procedures: Divide the class into pairs. Students talk about a party or
concert they went to. They have to describe everything they did there and explain why they had a good time or not. At the end, the pairs between each

other decide who had the most exciting experience.

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(Adapted from LAGO, 2007)

CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 10 Level: Upper intermediate to upwards. According to Figueiredo (2012) debates provide a great chance for students to foster and improve their oral ability. In this activity the teacher may opt for a controversial topic on which students can be able to give their opinions. Besides that, the teacher can help them starting up the discussion with some arguments (but not too many) in favor or not. Even though a debate requires a bit high linguistic level it is not necessary from students elaborated speeches, provide that students get successfully their message across.

(Adapted from FIGUEIREDO, 2012)

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CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 11 Level: Upper intermediate to upwards.

Form: On this activity students can put into practice their knowledge about the modal
verb SHOULD as a way to give pieces of advice. Function: Students are supposed to solve problems in groups, once they are planning a trip abroad. Procedures: The teacher explains to students they will go on a trip in group for a long period. Student each must think of packing, but each group must take an item that is supposed to be used for everyone. So, the students may argue in favor of their proposals in order to get at the same decision. (Adapted from FIGUEIREDO, 2012)
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CHAPTER IV
SPEAKING ACTIVITIES BASED ON ROLE PLAY
ACTIVITY 12

Level: Upper beginner to upwards.

Form: Simple present and modal verb SHOULD Function: Solve problem based on a shopping list.

Procedures: Student each gets a shopping list with foods price and
preferences from a couple. According to the provided information about such consumers, students have to decide what will be bought on the budget of 20

reais.
(Adapted from FIGUEIREDO, 2012)
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FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
It is notorious the relevance of oral production in the teachinglearning field. Mastering the oral ability in a foreign language is not an easy process faced by the students for many reasons. Being so, what was intended to expose on such paper about the

fostering of oral ability based on role play technique has to with

the foreign language teaching that must be concerned with reality: with the reality of communication as it takes place outside the classroom and with the reality of learners as they exist outside and inside the classroom. (LITTLEWOOD, 1981:

95 apud TOSCANO, 1992, p, 51).

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