“If I Were You” Role Play
ESL 251 – Himes w13
Work in groups of 3 to 5 people. Write a role play to perform for the class. The central idea is
that one of the characters has a problem and the others are giving advice. Your key phrase that
the advice givers must use at least once is “If I were you…”
The Rules
1. Form a group of 3 to 5 people that you wish to work with. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses right away!
2. Presentations will take place on March18th.
3. You will present for 4-6 minutes and all member of the group are expected to speak for an
equal length of time.
4. You will use the following elements at least one time in your role play:
 Giving advice
 Refusing advice
 Accepting advice
 The present hypothetical conditional—for example: If I were you, I would not stay up so
late.
 An infinitive or gerund with a phrase such as I want to___, I would like to___, I would like
–ing, or I don’t like –ing.
 Initializing (starting) a conversation
 Interrupting appropriately for the situation
 Keeping a conversation going
 Closing a conversation
Choosing your Topic
This presentation is about asking for and giving advice about a problem. Your group has to
decide what that problem is. The problem and the advice can be realistic, or outlandish (crazy)
and funny.
You may find your own problem, but here are some sample problems to solve:
 How to get better grades
 How to keep the neighbor’s dog quite while you try to sleep
 How to make money quickly
 How to keep the bathroom clean
 How to keep your mother-in law from moving into your house
Organizing and Developing Your Information
This assignment is a role-play so it does not have an introduction, body and conclusion. Instead,
you need to organize your presentation in the following way:
1. Introduce yourselves
2. Announce the title of you role-play and write it on the board or put up a poster of the title.
3. If you feel you need to (your choice), announce what role each of you will be playing and
give any summary or clarification that the audience needs before you start. You will have to
decide what is best for your group’s role -play.
4. Start the role-play.
 In the role-play, introduce the problem.
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Work in the assigned elements while having people help solve the problem. Characters
may come and go from the scene.
Build up some excitement and tension if you can.
Make it clear that the role play has come to an end either with a solution to the problem
or the person with the problem making some sort of decision (even if it does not solve
the problem like chasing away the advice givers). DO NOT just stop talking and then
say, “We are finished. Thank you.” This is anticlimactic for the audience.
Helpful Hints
A.
Exchange e-mail and phone numbers so that you can easily contact each other. Appoint
a leader for your group who will divide your tasks among group members and organize your
efforts. Work together outside of class anyway that is convenient.
B.
You will be receiving a group grade, so everyone’s hard work is important. Ideally, each
member of the group should do equal quality and equal amounts of work. This is not always
the case though, so check each other’s work when possible.
Because this is a group assignment with a group grade, you will have to work around
any who are unable or unwilling to do their share. You will all receive the same grade. This
is not fair, but that’s how group activities are judged in school and in life. Also, if you find that
you will not be able to complete your assigned task, please let the other members of the
group know as soon as possible beforehand so that they can take up the slack.
C.
In case some one has an emergency and cannot make it to class, be prepared by
having duplicate copies of each other’s notes or other vital information.
D.
You may practice your presentation and even video tape it in the Listening and Speaking
Lab.
E.
You may use note cards during your presentation. However, do not read your
presentation this is BORING and hard to understand.
F.
Speak clearly. For example, speak loudly enough for the entire class to hear you. Use
your diaphragm (the muscle under your lungs that allows you to breathe) to project your
voice to the back of the classroom. Do not mumble or talk to your bellybutton, and do not
chew gum. Remember, most people are lazy and will strain for only a short time to hear you
if you are too quite. Relax and speak at a normal pace with enough variation in intonation to
keep your audience’s interest.
G.
Make eye contact with the whole audience. Look at both sides of the room as well as
people in the front and people in the back. You are not just talking to the teacher; you are
talking to everyone. When you don’t look at people, they start to feel left out and bored.
Good eye contact includes removing any hat or other article of clothing that interferes. Look
at your notes as little as possible.
H.
Remember that you have a friendly and supportive audience. If you make a mistake, just
go on and don’t worry about it. We all make mistakes, and the point is to learn from them.
Everyone in the class wants you to succeed, so relax and enjoy your chance to be the
center of attention.
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