Definition
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Role-play is the name given to one particular
type of simulation that focuses attention on the interaction of
people with one another. It emphasizes the functions performed by
different people under various circumstances.
The idea of role-play, in its simplest
form, is that of asking someone to imagine that they are either
themselves or another person in a particular situation. They are
then asked to behave exactly as they feel that person would. As
a result of doing this they, or the rest of the class, or both,
will learn something about the person and/or situation. In essence,
each player acts as a part of the social environment of the others
and provides a framework in which they can test out their repertoire
of behaviours or study the interacting behaviour of the group.
van Ments, M., The Effective Use of Role Play:
A Handbook for Teachers & Trainers. Revised ed. 1989, New York:
Nichols Publishing. 186.
Role plays involve participants in taking
roles and acting them out. The aim is sometimes to gain insight
into unfamiliar roles in different situations (for example family,
occupations, social groups), by trying to imagine and express the
attitudes and feelings the people in them might have. Role play
is also used to help people develop the skills and understanding
they need in their work (interviews, negotiations, meetings, etc.)
or, through role reversal, understand more of the other person's
position in these situations. Participants may be given a detailed
brief from which they act out the role, or may be asked to respond
to the situation out of their imagination or experience.
Reynolds, M. (1994) Groupwork in Education and
Training Ideas in Practice, London: Kogan Page, p.19.
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