By Scott Granville - Managing Director and Head Writer
One area of English language teaching that I am particularly interested in is encouraging student performance in their learning journey.
The concept of performance in this context relates to the preparation and delivery of a scene, or group of scenes, by students using an example from a television show, film, or stage performance. Presenting learners with a safe, creative environment to express themselves through their words and movements can often lead to a rich and rewarding learning experience.
Using these five steps to prepare and deliver a lesson of 60-90 minutes, I have found students engage with and present fantastic examples of language in use.
Step 1: Introduction (or review) of key verbal and non-verbal features in performance
Whether it is the first time you and your learners are working with performance (acting), or if it has become a regular part of your classroom routine, there is always benefit in reviewing the key verbal and non-verbal features associated with performance. A later blog will look at these features in more detail but include body language, tone, and volume.
Step 2: Watch a short example
This is an important choice to make (pre-teaching) as the scene will need to excite and intrigue the learners without seeming out-of-reach as a productive task later in the lesson. Short dialogues (with two actors) of no more than ninety seconds are generally the most manageable (this step will also be covered in more detail in a later post). Students should take notes during the screening to assist with later activity stages.
Step 3: Discuss the performance features
Once your students have watched the scene several times, divide the class into pairs. Ask them to compare notes about the performance features that they identified during the screening. Bring the class group back together and open up the discussion to allow for information sharing.
Step 4: Act out the example scene
Highlight the importance of ‘acting’ a role and if required, take the lead in demonstrating the performance of one of the actors from the scene. Students then work with a partner to act out the example scene. You may choose to provide learners with a script from the prescribed scene to assist in building confidence.
Step 5: Prepare and present and original scenario
Depending on time considerations and student engagement, this stage of the task can be expanded or reduced as required. Ask your learners to work with a partner and create an original scenario based on the context of the example scene. They should co-write a short script and practice the delivery element before presenting to their classmates.
There are multiple benefits to this style of lesson including confidence-building in delivery, collaboration, and increased knowledge around communicative elements that support successful interactions.
In the coming weeks, I will dive into some of these areas in more detail.