Jazz Up Your Lesson

Have you ever thought of combining two great things: theatre and the English language into one magnificent mixture to help your students develop their speaking, listening and inter-communicating skills? Why not trying it?!

So here you can find cool theatrical activities to help your students get together, express themselves, develop creativity, as well as just have fun!

These activities can be used both in class and at any sort of inter-class or school party, festivals, etc to make them more alive and amusing. (Checked in real-life situations =)

Activity 1:
“Question-Question Dialogues”

How to play:
The leader of activity (it might be a teacher) chooses two pairs of volunteers. The first pair will act and the second one will support in case of emergency. So after the pairs are chosen the leader offers a situation where the conversation takes place.

For example, these may be:
– at the airport;
– checking in or out of the hotel;
– in the swimming pool;
– at a law court;
– in the shop (you may specify additionally which shop);
– sightseeing (specify the city or country).

In the game, the participants should interact by only asking questions. No answers can be given. If any of the actors give an answer or think too long – he or she may be replaced by one from the supporting pairs. So the participants change if needed.

Activity 2:
“Only 3”

How to play:
There are only three people on stage and each of them has his or her own position: the first – stands; the second – sits, the third – lies. So after the volunteers are chosen, the leader of the game offers a situation, where the conversation takes place. The situations may be similar to those in the previous game.
In the game process, the participants should constantly change places while interaction. For example, if the one who was standing sat down – then the one who was sitting should stand up; if the one who was lying sat down – the one who was sitting should lie down. Their interaction and their dialogs should not stop, so they are supposed to find various twists of scenario so that their switching of places seems logical.
If the leader of the game finds it necessary, he or she may change the situation and any of the actors.

Activity 3:
“Freeze!”

How to play:
The leader chooses two volunteers to act and gives a certain situation in which they are supposed to imagine themselves. After the cry “Start!” the two people start interacting, the situation develops but when the leader cries “Freeze!” the actors should virtually freeze – stop acting and remain still. Then the leader changes one or both participants and ask other people to join in by taking exactly the same positions as their predecessors. And after another command – “Start!” – is given, the new participants continue to interact. If the leader wishes he may change:
– actors (one or both);
– the situation itself;
– the roles within the same situation.