Role-Play: An Immersive Approach to Practising Speaking

Role-play is an immersive approach to speaking practice. You are either putting yourself in another person's shoes or staying in your own by imagining an alternative setting. It is well-acknowledged that learning occurs when activities are interesting and memorable. Role play can be entertaining and motivating. It allows silent and shy students to express themselves more openly. With a considerably broader range of linguistic input, it motivates learners to apply material quickly in a relevant, real-world setting.

By role-playing, students adopt a decision-making character that allows them to deviate from their regular self-imposed constraints or boundaries. This helps them transcend and think outside the box in the academic setting. They will see the significance of addressing real-world circumstances, engage in higher-order thinking, and learn more thoroughly. They will also more readily remember their participation in role-play scenarios and the related dialogue after the activity has ended.

A. Role Play Techniques Solutions

To perform excellently in role-play assessment, students must focus on task fulfilment, language fulfilment, and communicative ability. An excellent student on a team should be able to perform the assigned task competently, with a thorough and insightful understanding of ideas, information, and issues. In addition, he or she can display very confident language control, making the most effective use of linguistic features, and communication is not affected by minor errors. In terms of communicative ability, the student communicates mostly effectively, demonstrating a high level of participation in the conversation.

Students should participate in pair work or a group of three based on the given situations in a specified theme. For the elementary level, students will be given three minutes to prepare for the role-play presentation with their partner based on the situation. Then, both are given two to three minutes to present. For the intermediate level, the total role-play duration can be 12 to 15 minutes, divided into 7 minutes to prepare and 5 to 8 minutes to carry out the role-play.

B. Role Play Situations

For practice purposes, study the stimulus below. Each pair or group can perform and submit one video recording within two to three minutes (elementary) and five to ten minutes (intermediate) of their role-play based on the situations below.

a. Elementary Level

Situation 1

You and your sibling decide to adopt a pet. Discuss with your sibling the right pet to adopt and the reasons you choose to have the pet.

Situation 2

Your relative is visiting you for a couple of days. Discuss with your relative the activities you would like to do during the visit and their duration.

Situation 3

You and your coursemate are discussing the facilities issues in your college. Discuss with your coursemate ways to improve and identify the relevant people to meet to do so.

Situation 4 You are having dinner with your parents. You want them to increase your allowance. State reasons you need an increase in your allowance to convince your parents.

Situation 5

Your neighbour has lost her cat and is asking you for help finding it. Please discuss with your neighbour ways to find her cat.

Situation 6

Your friend has just won RM1000 in a lucky draw. He comes to you for some advice on how to spend the money. Advise him on ways to spend the money wisely.

Situation 7

You want to return to your hometown, but the bus and train tickets are sold out. You decide to seek help from your friend. Discuss some of the alternatives for you to be able to go back to your hometown.

Situation 8

Your classmate has found a wallet. She comes to you for help finding its owner. Discuss with your classmate ways to find the wallet’s owner.

Situation 9

Your friend has just lost RM500 in a pick-pocketing incident in a shopping complex. He contacts you for some advice on what to do next. Advise him on the actions to take to resolve the issue.

Situation 10

You want to visit the nearest town to buy reading materials for your class project. However, you do not have the transportation to do so, and your schedule is packed. Discuss some alternatives to complete the task.

Situation 11

You and your sister are in the waiting area of a dental clinic waiting for your mother. You are sitting beside an elderly man. You start conversing with the man and discussing each other’s daily routines.

Situation 12

You and your friend are volunteering at a local animal shelter. You notice the increasing number of animals taken in by the shelter. Discuss with your friend the reasons why this is happening.

Situation 13

You are helping to plan your best friend’s wedding. Discuss with the caterer the food choices to be served during the event.

Situation 14

You and your friend want to lose weight, but you are unsure whether to join a gym or do outdoor exercise on your own. Discuss the pros and cons of joining the gym with your friend.

Situation 15

You and your best friend are returning to the hostel when she mentions her worries regarding her test results. Suggest ways to help her improve her academic grades for the upcoming examination.

Situation 16

A stranger contacted your sister by telephone about a lucky draw she had won. She is worried and contacted you for advice on what to do next. Advise her on the actions to take to address the situation.

Situation 17

You want to start working as a part-time waiter at a restaurant to earn some pocket money. However, your schedule is quite packed, and you worry about time management. Discuss some alternatives for you to address the issue.

Situation 18

You and your classmates have planned a trip during the semester break. However, the semester break falls during the monsoon season. Discuss your backup plans with your classmates if the trip needs to be cancelled due to the rainy season. (This situation is for a group of three where the number of students in the class may be uneven.)

Situation 19

You and your brother are in the discussion room of a public library when you notice your cousin is sitting alone in a corner. You approach and sit beside her and start a conversation about your family’s planned vacation. (This situation is for a group of three, where the number of students in the class may be uneven.)

Situation 20

You and your classmates have planned a trip during the semester break. However, the semester break falls during the monsoon season. Discuss your backup plans with your classmates if the trip needs to be cancelled due to the rainy season. (This situation is for a group of three where the number of students in the class may be uneven.)

b. Intermediate Level

Situation 1

Your friend tells you that he/she wants to take a part-time job to help his/her parents pay for his/her younger siblings’ school fees. Advise him/her on how to manage his/her time between studying and working. Act out the scene that takes place at the cafeteria.

Situation 2

You and your coursemate are on the way back to the hostel. Your coursemate mentions that he/she has been very upset about his/her examination results. Talk to him/her and suggest ways to help him/her score better for an upcoming exam.

Situation 3

Your friend plans to go to a mega sale at a shopping mall to buy clothes for an upcoming festival. However, he doesn’t like crowded places. So you suggested buying the items online. Talk to him or her about the advantages of buying online. Act out the scene that takes place in your room.

Situation 4 You and your roommate are planning to have dinner together at a restaurant. You would like to eat Chinese food while your friend prefers Western food. Act out the scene that takes place in front of a lecture hall.

Situation 5

You accidentally overheard your brother’s/sister’s conversation when he/she was on the phone. You heard that he/she plans to secretly go to a waterfall with a friend without your parents’ consent. Talk to him/her and explain why your parents should be informed about the plan. Act the scene that takes place in the dining area.

Situation 6

You and your friend plan to organise a mini charity concert at your faculty to raise money for people with disabilities. You discuss various aspects such as the celebrities to be invited, preparations, costs and promotion. Act out the scene that takes place in the cafeteria.

Situation 7

Some of your classmates are organising a picnic on the beach. You are very keen on going, so you need to convince your parents to let you join your friends. Act out the scene in the living room.

Situation 8

Your brother/sister has just received an offer letter from a public university to pursue a diploma programme. Advise him/her about the preparation he/she should make to prepare for college life. Act out the scene that takes place in the living room.

Situation 9

You saw your brother or sister at a shopping mall when they were supposed to be in school. When he or she returns home in the afternoon, you talk to him or her about the effects of being absent from school and its consequences. Act out the scene that takes place in your brother or sister’s room.

Situation 10

You and your best friend did well in the examination, so you are both planning to treat yourselves to dinner at a fancy restaurant. However, you do not want to overspend unnecessarily. Discuss with your friends to decide which place you should go. Act out the conversation that takes place in a classroom.

Situation 11

You are interested in enrolling in a swimming class at your university and would like to persuade your friend to join. Act out the conversation you have with your friend while walking to the bus stop.

Situation 12

Your friend tells you he/she wants to travel locally during the semester break. Based on your experience, suggest some travelling tips to make his/her trip more enjoyable. Act out the scene that takes place in a cafeteria.

Situation 13

Your brother or sister needs to lose weight to pursue his or her ambition of joining the army. You want to give some suggestions that can help him or her boost his or her spirit to start losing weight. Act out the scene that takes place in the dining area.

Situation 14

Your classmate told you that his/her close friend passed away recently and he/she is deeply sad about it. Being a caring person, you are trying to comfort him/her. Act out the conversation that takes place in his/her hostel room.

Situation 15

Your class plans to volunteer for a half-day at an animal shelter near your campus during the coming mid-semester break. Discuss the activities that will be carried out at the shelter. Act out the conversation that takes place in a library discussion room.

Situation 16

It was discovered that many students do not get enough sleep because they play online games. As a result, they become very sleepy during lectures and lose focus on the lessons. As members of the student council at your university, discuss ways to help these students. Act out the conversation that takes place at the student council office.

Situation 17

Your younger sister enrolled on a boarding school a few months ago. She has never stayed in a hostel before and, therefore, has problems adjusting to hostel life. Discuss some practical ways she can adapt to cope with her life at the hostel. Act out the conversation that takes place at her hostel cafeteria.

Situation 18

You and your friend are interested in participating in a marathon that will be organised at the end of the year. Discuss the types of preparation that both of you need before the marathon. Act out the conversation that takes place in the gymnasium at your hostel.

Situation 19

Your class is interested in holding a charity event at an orphanage near your campus during the weekend. Brainstorm some interesting activities suitable for the children at the orphanage. Act out the conversation that takes place in the classroom.

Situation 20

A personal computer or laptop is necessary for university students to complete their assignments. You and your friend are discussing ways to earn and collect money to buy a personal computer or a laptop. Act out the conversation that takes place at the campus cafeteria.

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