34 TESOL JOURNAL VOL. 11 NO. 4

Teaching Oral EnglishThrough Readers’ TheatrePatrick Ng Chin Leong

R eaders’ Theatre (RT) is a form of group story tellingin which students write a script based on a story orother text they have read and then read their scripts

aloud. To portray their characters effectively, readers strivefor “voice flexibility, good articulation, proper pronuncia-tion and projection” (Sloyer, 1982, p. 4). Table 1 presents achecklist that teachers can use to evaluate students’ successon this oral language activity.

I have used this activity with undergraduate students inan intensive English course in Singapore, but it can beadapted to a range of age and proficiency levels, frompreprimary to postgraduate, depending on the topic andreadings selected.

ProcedureRT is conducted in three stages, each lasting 2 hours.

Stage 1: Introducing the Topic

To introduce students to the topic for the RT, have themread a text on the topic. I chose the topic of euthanasia,which is legal in Singapore, and had the students read anarticle, entitled “Doctor’s Dilemma: Treat or Let Die?”(Wegmann, 1985), which discusses the ethical dilemma ofdeciding whether to prolong or end the life of someonewho is terminally ill. To further familiarize students withthe topic, review difficult vocabulary and generate groupdiscussions. You may also use other genres of text, such aspoems, short stories, song lyrics, letters, text passages, ordiaries. For younger students, you can use passages frompopular children’s books, such as The American family farm

(Anderson, 1989), The true story of the three little pigs(Scieszka, 1989), and Charlotte’s Web (White, 1952).

Stage 2: Writing the Script

After students have gained sufficient background knowl-edge of the topic, ask them to write a script to act out. Tohelp them do this, you might want to provide them with ascenario related to the text they have read (Figure 1).

Stage 3: Rehearsing the Speech

Before students rehearse their scripts, review them andwrite suggestions to help improve their clarity. Once thestudents have edited their scripts, ask for several volunteersto offer their scripts for group performances. Divide theclass into groups based on the number of characters in thescripts and have the groups practice reading and rehearsingtheir roles. Before performing for the class, ask the groupsto rehearse their scripts several times for you. You can alsoaudio- or videotape these rehearsals and discuss ways thestudents can improve their speaking or other performanceskills, as described in the checklist.

ConclusionI have found that RT helps EFL students enhance theiroral skills because they are motivated to improve theirspeech and pronunciation when performing for a liveaudience. Students have expressed their enjoyment of RTas it helps to boost their confidence in speaking English

Table 1. Checklist for Evaluating Students’ Theatrical Performance Skills (Score: 1–5; 1 = low; 5 = high)

Assessment Criteria Student Performance Score

Voice Adjust loudness, pitch, and stress so that speech isaudible to the audience.

Fluency Speak at a normal pace.

Enunciation Use clear, standard English pronunciation.

Eye contact Make direct eye contact with the entire audienceat least 80% of the time.

Facial expressions Use facial movements to indicate nonverbal meaningsof friendliness and interest.

35VOL. 11 NO. 4 TESOL JOURNAL

aloud. In addition, RT is easy to implement because thereare no costumes or stage props involved.

References

Anderson, G. (1989). The American family farm. San Diego, CA:Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the three little pigs! New York:Viking Penguin.

Sloyer, S. (1982). Readers theatre: Story dramatization in theclassroom. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers.

Wegmann, B. (1985). Mosaic 2. A reading skills book. New York:Mcgraw-Hill.

White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte’s web. New York: Harper & Row.

Author

Patrick Ng Chin Leong teaches communication skills in the School ofMaterials Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, inSingapore. He holds an MA in English studies from NationalUniversity of Singapore. His research interests include sociolinguistics,language management and policies, and ESL language teachingmethodologies.

Scenario

Jim, age 51, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor,a terminal condition. He is lying in bed in the hospitaland is in great pain. His doctor, Dr. Zhao, advises Jim’sfamily to prepare for the worst, stating that Jim hasonly 3 months to live. Tom, Jim’s brother, is discussingwith Dr. Zhao the possibility of terminating Jim’s life.

Script

The Silent Approval

Characters: Dr Zhao (Mei Qing)Tom (Yong Kang)Jim (Wei Chang)Narrator (Yang Wen)

Scene 1

Jim, a cancer patient, is inside the operating roomwith Dr. Zhao. Jim’s brother, Tom, is waiting anxiouslyfor Dr. Zhao.

Tom: Doctor! Doctor! How’s my brother?

Dr. Zhao: I have tried my best, but I don’t think it’sgood news for you.

Tom: Oh, my! Is he dead?

Figure 1. Sample Script Written by a Student in Response to a Scenario for Readers’ Theatre Activity.

Dr. Zhao: No, he isn’t. But his condition is grave.

Tom: Why? What’s wrong with him?

Dr. Zhao: (after a long period of silence) He may bereduced to a ‘vegetable.’ I . . . I’m sorry, Ihave tried my best, but your brother has amalignant brain tumour. His brain cells will dievery rapidly. I’m afraid he has at the most, 6months to live.

Tom: (feeling shocked) Oh no!

Scene 2

Three months passed. Jim is now in a coma. Tom isstanding next to Dr. Zhao in Jim’s room. The atmosphereis tense.

Dr. Zhao: So are you sure you want me to do it?

Tom: I’m not too sure whether this is the bestsolution, but yet, I can’t bear to see himsuffering like a ‘vegetable.’ What shouldI do?

Note: Only minor edits were made by the teacherfor clarity.

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