LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:4 April 2015
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Effectiveness of Role Play in Enhancing Communication Skills of
English Language Learners

Ammu Maria Ashok, M.A.


Abstract

Language teaching in India mainly focuses on the learning process rather than the teaching of the language. The emphasis is only given on the linguistic competence of the language learner not on the development of the communicative ability of the learner. The absence of a suitable environment for using the language, the failure to use appropriate teaching aids and techniques along with the ignorance of latest developments in English Language teaching among teachers aggravate the situation of English language teaching and learning in India. Role-play is a valuable teaching and training tool where learners take on different roles, assuming a profile of a character or personality, and interact and participate in diverse and complex learning settings. This paper mainly focuses on how to apply it successfully and to take the most advantage of it in English language teaching classroom. The English language teacher should focus on different factors for its success such as: the topic chosen should be real and relevant to the situation; the teacher’s role as a facilitator, participant and spectator; need in giving appropriate feedback; correcting the errors; developing linguistic competence and self confidence. Also focuses on the key benefits of the role-play, how it works in a language classroom, steps in constructing a role-play, preparing students for role -play and the teacher’s role in role-play.

Key words: Role play, communication skills, ELT, teaching methods

Introduction

Wigglesworth (2008: 117), an ELT specialist, expressed his views with regards to task based language teaching as “A central tenet of task based language assessments in that the tasks are designed to represent authentic activities which test candidates might be expected to encounter in the real world outside the classroom.”. Learners need to learn how to use the target language in "real-life" situations and not structured dialogues which are taught in classroom and role-play like any other task based language teaching technique helps them in language acquisition through real life situations. As Qing (2011) states, “Role-play is defined as the projection in real life situations with social activities” (p. 37).


This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


Ammu Maria Ashok

Ammu Maria Ashok, M.A.
ammuashoke@gmail.com

Formerly working as:

Communication Skills Tutor/Lecturer
Department of Humanities
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
Valiamala
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala
India

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