Describes one teacher's use of creative skits in a college-level beginning Japanese language course. Each student must participate in two skits. Preparatory activities, required linguistic elements, use of props, teacher input into scripts, and methods and criteria for evaluation of performance are outlined. Possible difficulties and solutions and…

Professional studies courses often focus on mastering a common body of knowledge but ignore student interaction and the development of critical thinking and communication skills. In a cost accounting course at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University offered in fall 1993, various group and individual activities were implemented to incorporate these…

Role-playing and simulation are recommended as effective methods of introducing business content into Russian language courses. The advantages of role-playing, which make it a flexible and effective tool throughout the foreign language curriculum, are discussed. Use of role-play in introductory courses is addressed, but focus is primarily on use…

A study at Hawaii Pacific University investigated the use of collaborative peer feedback to improve student performance in an intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing course. Subjects were 53 students of widely varying language backgrounds in three class sections. Each section received differential preparation for peer feedback: (1)…

Role-playing is proposed as an ideal technique to teach language because it prepares learners for the unpredictable nature of real-life communication, teaches appropriate language use, and boosts self-confidence. Theories that have paved the way for the current communicative approach to language teaching are reviewed, role-playing is defined, and…

This paper examined the effects of the use of role playing in foreign language instruction by applying this instructional method in two elementary Chinese courses at Memphis State University during the 1991-92 academic year. Role playing was used in daily classroom activities and in midterm and final oral examinations. The results of this…

Over an 8-month period, a preschool teacher's aide designed and implemented a practicum study intended to improve the social skills of preschoolers in a private day care center. Lesson plans for teaching seven social skills through problem solving were created. Skills were related to entering and exiting activities without disrupting them;…

This proposal suggests that a teaching-learning model properly structured within a methods context could become a significant factor in helping preservice teachers learn how to teach. The premise upon which the proposed model is based is that it is within the methods context that performance-based teacher education finds its fullest merit. The…

This paper reviews research findings that are related to fostering prosocial behavior in the early childhood and elementary classroom. A collection of "experimental best bets" for increasing prosocial behavior in young children is outlined. This collection covers the role of reinforcement and modeling or imitation, the importance of group norms,…

Designed for use in a post-master's level course in administration of the federal special library, this guide provides instructions for the teacher in simulation techniques plus suggested problems and materials. Suggestions are given for classroom management of the "Governmental Library Simulation." A briefing guide, a debriefing guide, and…

The purpose of this bulletin, one of a series designed to aid the social studies teacher, is to explain the use of sociodrama in the classroom. An eight-step procedure for development of the sociodrama is described. Purposes of sociodrama are discussed and three major types of sociodrama are identified: the life problem, the problem story, and the…

This book, one of three Teacher Resource Booklets on Classroom Social Relations and Learning developed at the Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge at the University of Michigan, discusses the theoretical background of role playing and gives a step-by-step discussion of how to use role playing in the classroom. There are…

Describes a beginning foreign language class applying the principles of Stephen Krashen's "Natural Approach" and James Asher's "Total Physical Response" method. Initially students carry out the instructor's commands in the form of actions rather than being required to speak. In later stages role play and simple discussions are…

Dynamic classroom role-playing for junior and senior high school classes in literature and acting is an essential ingredient in cultivating characterization and interpretation if a student is to learn the technical skills of performance. Although no simple classroom performance blueprint exists for predicting the degree of success a student…

Four articles explain how English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers can help students create stories around pieces of music, use geography exercises to develop English and cognitive skills, learn about foreign cultures from their peers, and use magazine articles as the basis for role playing. A fifth article discusses the use of introspective…