This document discusses using role-playing and emoting to help students learn and practice English. It provides examples of role-playing scripts and describes how to incorporate emoting, dialogue, feelings and actions. Role-playing allows students to use language in different contexts and characters to improve vocabulary, writing and critical thinking. Both slower-paced and fast-paced role-playing are described, suitable for different proficiency levels. The document also notes how role-playing gives students time to think and get feedback to support language learning.

1. By: Dr. Doris Molero
E_Language Center
Role-playing and Emoting for Language
learning in Virtual worlds:
Setting Scenarios and Writing Stories.

2. Role Playing Game
 A role-playing game (RPG) is
a game in which players
assume the roles of
characters in a fictional
setting. Players take
responsibility for acting out
these roles within a narrative,
either through literal acting or
through a process of
structured decision-making
or character development.

3. Ryu Firehawk: Hmmm. Roleplay is
the act of taking on the persona of
another character. This character
can be predefined, or can be of your
own imagination. You then engage
in events with other roleplayers,
acting and responding as your
character would.
Kiila Blackheart: Roleplay
is like acting: you create a
character and play it out all
your thoughts, emotions,
actions should reflect that
character.
(gadget.cyberstar):
roleplay is pretty
much acting with a
keyboard... you
assume a role and
play it out to the best
of your ability
SL Roleplayers’ view of
Roleplay
MAGGIE (magdalena.easterwood): Taking part
in an interaction between people each of whom
are playing a role in a continuing story. This
story can take place during a certain time period
or under certain circumstances. It might include
roleplay based on a time in history.

4. Why We Play Games – The Player Experience
 Games are structured activities that create enjoyable experiences. They are easy-to-start
mechanisms for fun. People play games not so much for the game itself as for the experience
that the game creates: an exciting adrenaline rush, a vicarious adventure, a mental
challenge; and the structure games provide for time, such as a moment of solitude or
the company of friends. People play games to create moment-to-moment
emotions and experiences, whether they are overcoming a difficult game challenge,
seeking relief from every-day worries, or pursuing what Hal Barwood calls simply “the
joy of figuring it out.”
Nicole Lazzaro

5. Emoting
• We emote in writing, never in voice.
• Emoting uses an action-reaction-emotional
response element.
• Express what you hear smell, or see and how.
• Characters do something (or something is done
to them), they react to it, and they feel
something about that reaction
.
Emoting is what turns a dialog into a descriptive
story full of actions and interactions. When you
emote, you are describing your senses, actions
and feelings.
•To describe an emotion we use: laughs, giggles,
chuckles, snickers, crying, weeping, etc.
•To describe an action we use: pointing, jumping,
falling, crawling, lurking, spying, etc.
•To describe a reaction we use: arching an
eyebrow, narrowing the eyes at someone, rolling
your eyes, scratching your head, etc.
Cybere Placebo
A.K.A
Edith Paillat

6. A little practice
 Express your state of mind (not feelings) naturally in the flow
of the action, think about what you would do in the situation
you are in. Look at the following emoting:
 In this situation what do you do?
a. nod and smile,
b. ignore the gesture, or
c. walk away?
 Write some ideas in the text chat
/me glances at the girl's face reaching out
her hand as a greeting gesture.

8. You usually use it when your character is doing something. It
is similar to speaking in local chat except that you add "/me"
in front.
For example if your Second life display name is Gwen,
typing "/me looks at Pionia" would appear as "Gwen looks at
Pionia“
Simply using /me is enough to describe an action.
/me

9. Example:
A light comes on in a window. He looks up the window *Perhaps it is
her! Lighting the world like the morning sun!* He feels his heart is
about to burst with joy, whispering "She is the sun, so much more
beautiful than the goddess of the night, the moon."
As though in answer to his wishes a door opened and she came out
on to a balcony.
"It’s her!" he whispered. "Oh, it’s my love.“
“ Quotation Marks “
If you want to speak while making an emote, you
would additionally need to use quotation marks.
All of the text will show up as an emote, but the quotation marks denote that
the roleplayer said something.

10. Sometimes you can also include what it is in
your mind while you are emoting. You do so
by using asterisks.
Let’s look at the example:
Ellie Stewart walks through the doors of the
potions room, gathers all of her belongings
placing them at her feet before pulling out her
parchment and quills. Sighs *I’m not ready
for classes to begin again!* Her head is still
in the clouds from having such a wonderful
summer. Her attention is drawn to the door
when she hears it pushed open and she spots
her best friend Emma walking into the
classroom. "About time you got here!" She
says quietly as she grins at her friend. *Gosh,
how I love this girl*
*asterisks*

11. /me sits up. The moon is huge: it casts a silvery light over everything. The wall he is
on runs from the front of the mansion they’d just left and he realizes he is on
Capulet’s property. He smiles to himself *I must be out of my mind* He looks
around, on one side of the wall is the narrow alley where his friends had been. On
the other is an orchard. The back of the house looms dark and forbidding. He
opens his mouth to ask in a whisper, "She is in there somewhere. What is she
doing’?" He asks himself *is she thinking about me?. * He shakes his head
remembering his cousin Mercutio,*It is alright for Mercutio. He’d never felt the
pain of love. It is easy for him to joke about it.*
Emoting: An Example

12. (OOC) Out of Character: Using
brackets (( )) around your text let's
other role-players know that it is you
(the typist) and not your character
who is speaking.
Most role play SIMs limit OOC text in
local chat. If you must direct OOC
communication to a specific person,
Do so in IMs.
Use OOC in local chat only if you
need to address everyone in the
vicinity. For example ((Brb)).
Please note that abbreviations such
as Brb, l8r, cya which are okay for
OOC chatter but they must never be
used in role play.
OOC brackets (( ))

13. Bob throws the ball.
Jane misses the ball and starts to cry.
Bobs laughs at her. "Silly girl, don't cry. It’s just a
game!" He gets ready to throw it again.
New Roleplayer or Low Level
Students
Dramatization,
description of an
action or feeling. reaction
prompt.
dialogue
This example is a basic form of emoting.
This is suitable for beginner role-players or lower level students.
“Fast paced = quick response or the one liner”
Use verbs in 3rd
person

14. The elf jumps as she listens to her partner
scream. Drops to the floor, hands over her head,
her whole body shaking. *We’re gonna die!*
Footsteps echo in the hall, coming closer. *This
can’t be happening, not to me*. Tears burns her
eyes, she wipes them away. Shakes her head and
tells herself.. you have to see. You have to know.
Calls her friend’s name…”Zuly…What’s
happening? Is there someone out there? Are
they here? Are we all going to die?"
dialog and
prompts
Slower paced = longer more thoughtful response
Roleplayer – High level student
dramatization
description of
actions or feelings
and gestures
showing what you
are actually
thinking

15. How Role Playing and Emoting help students
learn and practice English
 Students improve their use of
vocabulary and expressions, writing
skills as well as their critical thinking
skills.
 Low level students role play in a
slower pace. One liner reactions.
Higher level students can work on
more thoughtful exchanges.
 Students get time to think, write,
read and consider what they want to
communicate.
 Back channeling (using IMs)allows
student to get help when needed
from the teacher or fellow role
players.

16. How Role Playing and Emoting help students
learn and practice English
 Students get the chance to use
language in different contexts,
with different characters and
different scenarios.
 It allows student to discover and
experiment with new ways to
express ideas, feelings and
emotions.
 Students learn from models and
the counseling of more
experience role players.

17. Let's look at the following example and discuss about it. Get in pairs . Use private chat for
this. Answer: What elements of role-play can you identify? How can this be used in a language
class?
Pionia Destiny looks out the window. The village street is black, and not even the sliver of moon
cast enough light to see into the shadows. She sighs and keeps looking into the dark.
Cyber Placebo gets a little nervous.. "Are they still out there?"
Pionia Destiny scans the darkness with attentive eyes and ears listening to a faint groan.
"Doesn't look like it, but I can hear something groaning.“
Cyber Placebo creeps up to the broken window and peers over Pionia's shoulder. "Maybe it's
not a minion." "Maybe someone is hurt and needs our help.“
Pionia Destiny gasps looking at Cyber like she'd lost her mind. "You want to go out there?"
Cyber Placebo folds her arms across her chest. "No," But I wouldn't want to leave someone
out there either.“
Randall Sandler sighs and rubs his eyes. "Maybe I can get a better view from the second floor.“
Cyber Placebo gasps and tries to grab his arm. "But that means going outside. This door is
locked!“
Randal Sandler ignores Pionia's funny look and pats Cyber's hand. "Yeah, it does.“
Activity 1: Looking at an example

18. 1. Get in pairs. Select a scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet.
2. Use private Instant message to role play your little scene
with your partner. Try to use slow paced or fast paced
emoting. Don’t forget to use the /me and a verb in third
person. Include description of your feelings or actions in the
scene, dialog, thinking and give your role play partner a hint
to follow in the role play.
3. Copy your chat script on a card, drop it in the drop box or
send it to Pionia Destiny.
Activity 2:
Role playing a scene: Romeo and Juliet

19. Activity 3: Role-play a scene
1. In Pairs Builds a little scene for one of
Shakespeare's plays.
2. Roleplay and have fun emoting and creating a story.
You can take pictures and record the experience.
Save the script of the roleplay.
3. Reflect on how can roleplaying and emoting
enhance your students creative writing and critical
thinking skills. Blog or post about this experience.
Share your thoughts in our Facebook group.

20. Blogs:
http://medievalroleplay.blogspot.com/
EFL Professor in SL
Doris3m EFL Center
Twitter: doris3m
Facebook: Doris Molero
Second Life: Pionia Destiny
Google talk: doris3m
Skype: Dorismolero
Role-playing and Emoting for Language learning in Virtual worlds:
Setting Scenarios and Writing Stories.
EvoVillage 2017
Dr. Doris Molero
University Professor
Rafael Belloso Chacin University
doris3m@gmail.com
doris.molero@urbe.edu