St.

Peter’s High School

(Affiliated to C.B.S.E., New Delhi)
Bowenpally, Secunderabad

ENGLISH LAB ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR TERM 1

STARTING FROM JULY – IN THE ENGLISH LAB CLASSES
Picture to story
This activity provides speaking and writing practice and uses learners' imaginations to create a story based
on a picture.

Author
Derek Spafford
This learner-centred activity also practises question forms and encourages collaboration and teamwork.
The idea was influenced greatly by Jacosta Von Achten of the British Council, Bangkok.
Preparation
Prepare a picture that is likely to stimulate the interest and imagination of your students.
Procedure
 Show a picture to the students and have them work in groups to prepare some questions about it.
Below is an attachment with an example photo. Here are some example questions the students
may ask. 
Who is the man?                       How old is the man?                Where does he live?
Who is he talking to?                 What is he talking about?        What is he saying?
How does he feel?                     Why is he looking worried?     What will happen to him?

 When the students are working together monitor and help with the question forming. Provide advice
and correction if necessary. If students are struggling to think of questions, provide prompts. 
 When you feel the students have produced enough questions ask students to ask you the questions
orally. 
 When you receive a question ask another group to answer. 
 When they answer (using their imaginations) write their answers on the board. 
 When you have exhausted all the questions, have the students work in pairs and tell a story to each
other based on the answers given. If they want to change any details tell them that this is fine. 
 Change pairs and have the students tell their stories again.
 Now change pairs again. This time ask them to write the story they have told together. 
 Monitor and offer advice and help if necessary. 
 Stick the finished stories on the walls and encourage students to read and comment on them. 
Extension 
Give each pair of students a different picture. They must write a story based on the picture. If you have
recording equipment available students could record their completed stories. This could then be played to
all students while they look at a copy of all the original pictures. Students could then match the pictures to
the recorded stories. Alternatively they could read the stories and match them to the pictures. 
 ENGLISH LAB ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR TERM 2
STARTING FROM NOVEMBER – IN THE ENGLISH LAB CLASSES

Preparing Middle School Students to Perform Monologues

I. What is a Monologue?
A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story. In drama, it is the vocalization
of a character’s thoughts; in literature, the verbalization. It is traditionally a device used in theater
—a speech to be given on stage—but nowadays, its use extends to film and television.

When a conversation stops and shifts focus to a single character’s speech, it is usually a sign of a
monologue.

III. Types of Monologues

A. Soliloquy
A speech that a character gives to himself—as if no one else is listening—which voices his inner
thoughts aloud. Basically, a soliloquy captures a character talking to himself at length out loud.
Of course, the audience (and sometimes other characters) can hear the speech, but the person
talking to himself is unaware of others listening. For example, in comedy, oftentimes a character is
pictured giving themselves a lengthy, uplifting speech in the mirror…while a friend is secretly
watching them and laughing. The soliloquy is one of the most fundamental dramatic devices used
by Shakespeare in his dramas. 
B. Dramatic Monologue
A speech that is given directly to the audience or another character. It can be formal or informal,
funny or serious; but it is almost always significant in both length and purpose. For example, a
scene that captures a president’s speech to a crowd exhibits a dramatic monologue that is both
lengthy and important to the story’s plotline. In fact, in TV, theater ,and film, all speeches given by
a single character—to an audience, the audience, or even just one character—are dramatic
monologues.

C. Internal Monologue
The expression of a character’s thoughts so that the audience can witness (or read, in literature)
what is going on inside that character’s mind. It is sometimes (depending on the style in) referred
to as “stream-of-consciousness.” In a piece of writing, internal monologues can often be easily
identified by italicized blocks of text that express a character’s inner thoughts. On TV and in
films, internal monologues are usually spoken in the character’s voice, but without seeing him
actually speak; thus giving the feeling of being able to hear his thoughts.
 

Monologues give the audience and other characters access to what a particular character is
thinking, either through a speech or the vocalization of their thoughts. While the purpose of a
speech is obvious, the latter is particularly useful for characterization: it aids the audience in
developing an idea about what the character is really thinking, which in turn helps (or can later
help) explain their previous (or future) actions and behavior.

Have your students answer the following questions about their character:

 Who is this character? What details do you know about him/her?

 What details do you need to create to fill in the blanks?
 Who are they talking to? What is their relationship with that character?
 Why are they talking? Why is it important to share this monologue?
 Why is this monologue important for this character?
 How does the character transform from the beginning of the monologue to the end?
Understanding the “what” in the monologue (i.e. the content) is important, but it’s not as important
as the “who” and the “why.” The “who” and “why” are where you find the character’s depth. This
will show an adjudicator that you understand your character and the purpose of their monologue.

Character-Driven Movement
More often than not, students stand and move like themselves when they perform. They shift their
weight from one foot to the other. They fidget with their clothes and hair. They lean into one hip.
They swing their feet when they sit.
If you do only one thing with your students, get them to focus on character-driven movement.
That means every single twitch, every single shift of the feet, every single hair twirl has to come
from the character.
Every gesture must be chosen. Every time a student stands or sits it has to be because the
character wants to, not because the student thinks they should throw some movement into their
piece.
This is how a monologue becomes more than memorizing lines. This is how a monologue
becomes an experience – not only for the student, but for everyone watching as well.
Physicalization Exercises
Character Animal
 Pretend your character is an animal. How would they move about the space as an
animal? At what pace would they move? Would they creep? Would they pounce?
Would they soar?
  Do a “day in the life” non-verbal improv where students imagine their character in
animal form. As an animal, what would they do all day?
 Choose one animal movement and add it to your monologue. How does that change
the piece?
Spatial Exploration
Most student actors only stand straight up and down. They never stand on a chair, stand on their
tip-toes, crouch down, fall to their knees, lie on the floor, or move from side to side.

 Students explore the room exploring the three levels of space: high, middle, and low.
What kind of movements establish each level of space?
 As a rehearsal exercise students perform their monologue but they’re not allowed to
use the middle space. They must always be up high or down low.
 Discuss with students how this awkward use of space affects the piece. How does it
change when performed this way?
Rehearsal Recording
 Videotape a practice session. Show students what they look like. Most times students
have no idea they have any tics at all, it’s unconscious movement. Emphasize to
students that all movement must be conscious and specifically chosen.
Pairs Performing
 Practice monologues in pairs: one performer, one observer. Every time the performer
shifts their weight, or fidgets the observer raises their hand. How often does that
happen?
Explain Your Blocking
 Students should only move during a monologue because the character would move.
Have students show you their monologue blocking and explain each move. If they don’t
have a reason, they either have to come up with one or strike the move.
Emotion Movement
 Analyze each sentence in the monologue. Define the emotion in each sentence. What
is the character feeling with each line?
 With each emotion, define an action that fits that emotion.
 As a rehearsal exercise, say each line and perform each action.
 Discuss what it’s like to perform the monologue this way. How does it change?
 Have students perform the monologue with just the actions, no words.
 Discuss with students what it’s like to perform the monologue with just action.
 Discuss and decide if there places where the monologue supports an emotional action.
Confidence, Character, Character-Driven movement. Bring these three elements into your middle
school students’ rehearsal process and they’ll take their performances to the next level.

TOPICS
1. A LOOK INTO MY MIRROR
2. WHAT ARE YOU SO HAPPY ABOUT
3. WISH I WERE A ……..
4. ME….HOME ALONE!
5. WHEN MY DREAMS COME TRUE
6. ITS ALL BECAUSE OF ME..
7. QUARANTINE DIARY
8. THIS IS MY DAY….MY BEST DAY