What is immersion role-playing?
Immersion role-playing is simply taking the idea of paired readings, one in which students take on various roles and one with which students are familiar, and expanding it into a class-wide or course-wide structure. The student ceases to be someone learning English as a second language and instead assumes a persona which he or she constantly uses in the classroom. It is like acting–the student becomes the role. The rules of theater apply in the classroom: don’t break character; take your role seriously; be convincing.

It is unlike theater in that there is no audience (unless you count the teacher). The students are acting for themselves, to help them internalize the English they are learning or have learned already. Immersion role-playing allows the students to use English in as real a setting as possible without going out into the real world and using it. It is hoped that students are using English outside of the classroom, and immersion role-playing does not assume that they are not. This simply gives students more practice with natural English.

The teacher’s role in the classroom is to be a guide. He is not teaching new concepts in class; he is not interrupting the flow of role-playing to explain vocabulary or grammar points. This would destroy the atmosphere of acting. Instead, the teacher helps the students find and understand their roles. He might do so by explaining what kind of role it is, give examples, suggest a movie in which such a role is well acted, or do any other number of things that would facilitate good role-playing.