TeachingEnglish
Summer school end of course performance. Any ideas?
Submitted by ruthguy on 7 July, 2009 - 21:54
Does anyone have any suggestions that can help me plan a short performance for the end of a three week summer school? I have just started teaching 13 Spanish teenagers. At the end of the course they will perform something for their host families to watch. It should last about 10 minutes. They are intermediate level. It is very hard to find ideas in course books or on the internet, so I wonder if there is anyone there who can help. I'd be very grateful!
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I did a summer school (just one week) which ended with a show - one lesson per day was dedicated to forming a performance. Apparently most teachers introduced fairytales as ideas, I did a brain storming lesson starting with fairytales but the teens weren't very enthusiastic - we ended up with reality tv and murder mystery as the top ideas so we combined them - Austria's Top Model meets a murder mystery. Some students played judges, some were models, some were crew - everyone had a chance to speak without it being too focused on one person.
Another group did a movie set - they play out a scene (say a bank robbery), the audience didn't know it was a movie until the director jumps up and says 'cut, cut, cut - that was terrible - do it again but slower!'... then the students reset the scene and play it in slo-mo... or again but faster... again but as a musical... This one was so funny, all the students gave it their all and everyone enjoyed it!
So, go in with a couple of ideas to set the ball rolling but 13 teenagers will brainstorm more ideas than you could hope to use!
Good luck!
Bex
I am teaching intermediate 12-15 year olds (Spanish and Italian) and I got them to write and perform a short soap opera. We did it over about 3 days but it could easily take longer, especially if you want them to learn their lines (mine couldn't in this time!). I did an intro lesson on soaps then handed it over to them, all immediately came up with complicated love triangles as the plot! They only performed it for the rest of the group though, not for host families.
One of the other teachers had her group do an x-factor style talent show. I think they spent a week on it and seemed to really enjoy it - including performing for their class and another class.
Have fun, I have found my students to be really inventive and creative!
I would strongly recommend role plays for your students. Being a trainer for close to 8 years, I can say with conviction that role plays are the best tool not only to enhance the performance level but also to give participants a sense of achievement and create a passion for the language. Split the batch into 4 groups of 3 people each. Ask the group to take any situation of their choice. Then ask them to work out their dialogues and act out the situation. The audience should be able to understand the situation through the dialogues.The huge advantage of role plays is the fact that since it is a group effort the initial nervousness is unconsciously converted into positive energy. I have seen beginners giving excellent performances and also speaking naturally.
You should take on the role of a facilitator and guide the students through 2 or 3 mock role plays. When they come out for their final performance, I am sure they will hold centre stage with top class performances.