How to Use Role-plays in ESL Teaching

Learning English in the classroom and using it in the “real world” can feel like two completely different experiences. Inside the classroom, the environment is safe: mistakes are expected and students know they’re learners. But outside, conversations are unpredictable and there’s pressure to perform.

Role-plays are one of the best ways to bridge that gap. By simulating real-life situations, or stepping into entirely different roles, students can practise English in a supportive environment that still feels authentic. One reason role-plays work so well is that they lower what Stephen Krashen calls the affective filter – the emotional barriers like anxiety or fear of mistakes that can block learning. By making language practice playful and low-stakes, role-plays give learners space to take risks without pressure.

Simulations vs Role-plays

It helps to distinguish between two similar but slightly different techniques:

• Simulations: Students act out a real-life situation (for example, checking into a hotel) but stay as themselves.
• Role-plays: Students take on a new role or personality (for example, an angry neighbour or a demanding customer).

Role-plays require more imagination and are less predictable, but that’s what makes them so engaging. Because students are “acting”, they often lose some of their shyness and cultural inhibitions. The result is freer communication, greater motivation, and stronger retention of language.

Why Use Role-plays?

• They’re memorable. Students are more likely to remember language practised in an unusual or funny situation.
• They reduce inhibitions. Acting in character makes mistakes feel less personal.
• They build transferable skills. From negotiation to problem-solving, role-plays mirror the unpredictability of real communication.
• They bridge classroom and real life. Students get practice handling situations they may face outside class, in a safe and supportive environment.

As Jim Scrivener notes in Learning Teaching, role-plays provide a safe space where learners can experiment with language before using it outside class.

7 Tips for Using Role-plays Effectively

1. Make them engaging

The more immersive the scenario, the more students will invest in it. Choose situations that feel lively, funny, or challenging enough to hold their attention. A role-play about returning a broken toaster might work, but a role-play about returning a wedding dress the day before the ceremony will get students thinking, reacting, and talking more.

2. Pick strong topics

Role-plays work best when they revolve around situations students recognise from real life or ones that naturally spark strong opinions. Debates, dilemmas, and even slightly exaggerated scenarios push learners to speak without overthinking. Assigning students “positions” to argue for or against is a great way to free them from their normal personalities and help them communicate more spontaneously.

3. Prepare with role cards

Preparation builds confidence. Give students character or situation cards that outline:

• Who they are
• What they want
• Any relevant background or special vocabulary

This scaffolding prevents the panic of “I don’t know what to say” and gives them something to hold onto while they improvise. For example, in a “complaining customer” role-play, one card might describe the faulty product, while another gives the shop assistant’s personality (helpful, unhelpful, indifferent).

Make sure you allow enough time for students to read through their roles, discuss possible language, and plan what they might say. Rushing this stage can lead to hesitation later, while a few extra minutes up front results in a much smoother role-play. Put students with the same role card together in groups for this preparation stage.

4. Facilitate, don’t dominate

As the teacher, your job is to set the scene and keep it running smoothly, not to step in with constant corrections. Interrupting an argument to fix a preposition breaks the flow and pulls students out of the pretend environment. Instead, take notes while the role-play is happening, then use a short feedback stage to highlight useful language, common errors, or successful strategies.

5. Encourage exaggeration

Exaggeration helps students immerse themselves in the role and stops them from overthinking every line. Encourage them to overplay their character – be extra angry, unusually stubborn, or ridiculously enthusiastic. Exaggeration not only makes the activity fun but also helps learners break through inhibitions that might normally hold them back.

6. Stage a rehearsal first

Throwing students straight into a role-play can feel intimidating. A short rehearsal in pairs or small groups helps them warm up, try out language, and support each other before performing in front of the whole class. Peers can also coach one another with ideas, phrases, and useful expressions, and you can model an example yourself with one student.

7. Support with peers

Encourage students to help each other during the role-play itself. If someone gets stuck for a word, allow classmates to suggest vocabulary before you step in. This keeps the activity flowing and reinforces a collaborative classroom atmosphere.

Natural Contexts for Language Points

Role-plays can be very effective when they’re tied to a specific language point, as long as the context feels natural, not staged. The key is to ask yourself: In what real-world situation would this grammar or function actually appear?

For example, with reported speech, a realistic context might be this:

Imagine you’re in a train carriage listening to two people talking about something controversial or exciting. Afterwards, you report the conversation to your friend: “You’ll never guess what I heard…”

You can have role cards for the passengers, the listeners and the friends.

By rooting role-plays in authentic contexts like this, students see how target language works in everyday communication, rather than treating it as a classroom-only exercise.

Suggested Role-play Topics

Here are some tried-and-tested ideas to get you started:

• Ordering in a restaurant (with a difficult waiter or demanding customer)
• Making a complaint (in a shop, hotel, or to a neighbour)
• Job interviews (formal vs informal, friendly vs strict interviewer)
• Travel problems (lost luggage, missed flight, asking for directions)
• Debates on current issues (assign extreme or unusual positions to push creativity)
• Personal dilemmas (e.g. “Should I move abroad for work or stay near family?”)

Wrapping Up

Role-plays can be challenging to manage at first, but with clear preparation and supportive facilitation they can become one of the most rewarding parts of your teaching toolkit. They help students practise real-world communication, build confidence, and often leave the classroom laughing (and still arguing!).

Sources and Further Reading

• Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon.
• Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning Teaching (3rd ed.). Macmillan.