Role-play has been known as one of most effective ways to enhance students's communicative competence. However, role-play contents which are presented in the current elementary English textbook are not realistic and inappropriate to students' interest...
Role-play has been known as one of most effective ways to enhance students's communicative competence. However, role-play contents which are presented in the current elementary English textbook are not realistic and inappropriate to students' interest, and time to teach role-play is too short according to the teacher's guide by Ministry of Education. From these reasons, role-play has been hard to be performed directly by students in many English classes. Eventually, showing role-play using CD-ROM has been the only one prevalent teaching method in English classes. To solve these problems, there are needs to reconstruct the contents of role play and to reallocate English class hours.
The purposes of this study were to develop reconstructed role-play contents and teaching models according to students's interests and levels, and to verify whether both were effective to improve students' communicative competence and attitude toward English.
To achieve these purposes, theoretical background, learning models of role play, and initiative teaching and learning methods and models were examined.
The conclusions of this research were as follows:
First, children's communicative competence was improved by the reconstructed contents.
Second, they were identified effective in deepening their interest and motivating them toward role play activity itself while making materials for role play by themselves.
Third, they were also significantly effective in that children could acquire and use more words than in the textbook.
Fourth, it was evident that this reconstruction helped students increase their confidence and academic disposition toward English.
Based on this study, the following suggestions were made:
First, it's necessary to develop various activity-centered teaching methods according to students' interest and levels.
Second, making materials for role play has an role in integrating different subjects such as English and Art. More integrated teaching methods should be developed in English teaching.
Third, teachers should give students more chances to speak in English by hosting various kinds of English contests or events.