实践主题Topic: Romeo and Juliet in One Hour

实践目标Objective of the practice

The objectives of this activity are

(1) to develop cognitive skills to motivate students toward the reading of classical literature in English;

(2) to improve students’ knowledge of second language vocabulary and pronunciation;

(3) to illustrate professional skills to teacher trainees through a communicative, interactive, and student-centered activity; and

(4) to enhance the personal skills of cooperative learning, oral participation, and the affective variables of motivation, confidence, and self-esteem.

实践任务Tasks

The following five-step activity is based on one session of approximately fifty minutes. After being introduced to Romeo and Juliet, students receive scripts, discuss roles, rehearse, and perform the play.

实践要求Requirements

1.Step 1: Distribution of scripts (5 minutes)

2.Step 2: Assignment of roles (5 minutes)

3.Step 3: Rehearsal of the play (20 minutes)

4.Step 4: Performance of the play (20 minutes)

Each group of students performs the play for three to five minutes in class, act by act. The non-performing groups are encouraged to carefully observe the other groups’ performances and to listen for Shakespeare’s quotes; after each act, the class tries to identify those quotes.

5.Step 5: Evaluation of the performance (5 minutes) The members of the class comment on the results of the performance, including the dramatization of the play summaries and the use of quotes. Then they choose the best group according to set criteria established with the instructor beforehand, which could include the effectiveness of the overall interpretation by the actors, the use of gestures and dramatic voice, the amount of enthusiasm shown by the performers, and the smooth incorporation of quotes.