Learning French Oral Skills Using Role Play As A Learning Strategy The Kenyan Experience

Role play and foreign language learning helps the learners to develop speaking skills within defined social contexts. Languages are always spoken within certain defined spacio-social context. The learning of French as a foreign language in Kenya takes cognizance that oral skills are important to facilitate competent communication in any given language. The Kenyan reality of learning oral French skills within a learning set-up in Kenyan secondary schools is well presented in this text. The salient challenges are also highlighted since language learning is normally not a smooth sail for the learner and for the teacher who plays a pivotal facilitation role in guiding the learner to imbibe the vital communicative skills in the language that is being taught. On the whole role play is not just a language learning activity; it is an activity that provides impetus which propels human development in ist entire gamut of activities. A conspicuous hint on the importance of role play in our daily lives is also presented in this text with some examples well presented and cited in this write-up. Stephen Kraschen’s Montior Model on language acquisition and the Grounded Theory which helps to interprete social research findings have been used to analyze the data which was derived from the inquiry done in the Kenyan secondary schools. The classical importance of role play and simulation in the learning process has been well underscored in this particular text.

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2013 in the subject Didactics for the subject French - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, ( Atlantic International University ), course: Role play and language learning, language: English, abstract: This thesis focuses on role play and the development of oral skills in French as a foreign language in Kenya. Ideally as I have observed in this write-up, role play is a low input high output process. The development of speaking skills in French are well enhanced using role-play as a strategy-cum-technique to facilitate the French oral skills to Kenyan learners who have opted to study French as a foreign language. The conceptual Framework which I have opted to use in this particular academic write-up is Stephen Kraschen’s Monitor Model and the Grounded theory. I have made a deliberate and elaborate focus on Kraschen’s comprehension input theory. For one to speak s(he) has to get some snippets or basic aspects of the language being learnt. My research findings have established that the urge to speak a language being introduced for the first time to the learner, the eagerness and motivation is always there right at the immediate and initial encounter with the language. With the well trained instructor or teacher the oral skills will develop well in tandem with the reading, listening and writing skills. The grounded theory which I have grafted together with Kraschen’s Monitor Model on language acquisition is well buttressed in social research. Role play is social research on a linguistic perspective. The numerous authorities I have quoted in this academic presentation attest that role play and language learning is an ongoing study and my research findings and display of data is a contribution towards how oral skills in language learning are acquired by using role play as a technique. The restricted focus in my case is on French as a foreign language within the Kenyan context. My findings and recommendations corroborate with the other researchers who have done extensive research on language learning and acquisition. The speaking skill is pre-dominantly the most appreciated skill among the four classical language skills. Language educationists, linguists and other social researchers who focus their biased research on language and its varied dynamics in our varied human societies, have observed that the oral skills should be nurtured and developed side by side with the other language skills. French as a foreign language in Kenya is no exception. [...]

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