“If I Were You” Role Play
ESL 251 – Himes f10
Work in groups of 3 to 4 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 4 people that you wish to work with. Exchange phone
numbers and e-mail addresses right away!
2. Most presentations will take place on November 29th.
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:
o Giving advice
o Refusing advice
o Accepting advice
o The present hypothetical conditional—for example: If I were you, I would
not stay up so late.
o 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.
o Initializing (starting) a conversation
o Interrupting appropriately for the situation
o Keeping a conversation going
o 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 they can
be outlandish (crazy) and funny.
You may find your own problem, but here are some sample problems to solve:
o How to get better grades
o How to keep the neighbor’s dog quite while you try to sleep
o How to make money quickly
o How to keep the bathroom clean
o 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.
o In the role-play introduce the problem.
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o
Work in the assigned elements while having people help solve the
problem. Characters may come and go from the scene.
o Build up some excitement and tension if you can.
o 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.
Use note cards during your presentation. Do not read your presentation
this is BORING and hard to understand. Also, do not memorize your
presentation because you will not speak naturally.
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
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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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