Yesterday, our 3rd graders went on an imaginary trip to London … and got a real taste of what it feels like to go shopping in a London gift shop! Everything we needed was there! A shop-window, two shopkeepers, printed banknotes and coins, an array of gifts for their beloved ones and our vivid imagination! Our students were given task cards with instructions on what they should do (e.g. who their presents were for) and went into the ‘shop’ to buy the right presents.
Trying to find an appropriate present for their beloved ones and discussing this with the shopkeeper was both fun and educational! Our students had a great time exploring what gifts to buy and at the same time expanded their understanding of some important cultural elements. You see, buying a present in our London gift shop was not an easy task at all, as they first had to ‘decipher’…. or rather find out what a “Beefeater” doll could be, how “shortbread” biscuits are different from other biscuits and how a “tea towel” could come in handy!
Role-play is a particularly useful learning tool as it encourages children to become active participants in their learning. Acting out a role in a real-life context feeds their imagination and is a powerful way of developing effective speaking skills. It is therefore a crucial component of our teaching methodology and a valuable source of playful activities that encourage our students to speak! Our children are looking forward to our next role-play scenario!