NILE MADRID SECONDARY

DRAMA FOR LANGUAGE LEARNINGBy David Farmer

July 3rd

GAMES AND STRATEGIES

Purpose: To help students concentrate by getting

them involved in the here and now. To teach students to embrace mistakes

as part of their learning. To foster cooperation and concentration

among students. To break the ice. To motivate students’ participation.

“ONE, TWO, THREE”

› Procedure: In pairs students take turns to say "One, Two,

Three" for 30' Numbers are substituted for an action or an

English word in each attempt.› Teaching Applications:

Spelling Greetings Revising structures or vocabulary

“CLAP ACROSS THE CIRCLE”

› Procedure: A handclap is passed across a circle. Different categories, expressions can be said when

sending the clap. Ensure students make eye contact before they clap their

hands.

› Teaching Applications: Reciting a poem. Revising vocabulary.

“ANYONE WHO…”

› Procedure: Students sit in chairs in a circle while a person stands in the

centre and will call out a category starting "Anyone who...". Anyone fitting into the category mentioned moves to a

different chair. Someone will be left standing in the centre, who will call out a

different category.› Teaching Applications:

Revising tenses, grammar structures, vocabulary Revising characters' actions in a book, students take the role

of one.  Getting to know you by finding out about things in common.

“FRUIT SALAD”

› Procedure: Students sit in chairs in a circle and they are given the name

of four fruits. A person in the centre calls out a fruit and everyone with the

name moves to another chair. The person in the centre will try to sit down on an empty seat. If "Fruit Salad" is called, everyone moves. It can be used with any theme, colours, nationalities...

› Teaching Applications: Reinforcing vocabulary.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”› Procedure:

Students stand in a circle. A student mimes an action and when asked "What are you

doing?" he/she says something different. The person who asked starts miming that action and when

asked, says a different one. It can also be done in pairs.

› Teaching Applications: Revision of different tenses. Revision of action verbs.

“10 SECONDS OBJECT”

› Procedure: In groups of 4/5, students build up the shape of an

object with their bodies. The object can be said by the teacher or made up by

students.

› Teaching Applications: Crosscurricular: reviewing specific terms.

Bringing book, film scenes to life.

“I AM A…”

› Procedure: The teacher calls out a place or a situation. Students become part of the scene by miming a suitable

element for it.

› Teaching Applications: If done about a book, it will help students revise the

events or the characters.

It can help to develop creative writing among students.