Role-play is any speaking activity when you either put yourself into somebody else's shoes, or when you stay in your own shoes but put yourself into an imaginary situation!

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It is widely agreed that learning takes place when activities are engaging and memorable. For ESL learners, role play:

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• can be fun and motivating.

• can give a chance for quieter learners to express themselves in a more forthright way.

• can offer a much wider range of language opportunities.

• encourage learners to immediately apply content in a relevant, real world context.

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Typically, learners claim to remember their role in role play scenarios and the ensuing discussion long after the the activity ends. By role-playing, ESL learners:

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• take on a decision making persona that might let them diverge from the confines of their normal self-imposed limitations or boundaries.

• can transcend and think beyond the confines of the classroom setting.

• see the relevance of the content for handling real world situations. engage in higher order thinking and learn content in a deeper way.