The document provides 44 role-playing scenarios involving 2 students each that can be used to practice the language skill of interaction. The scenarios cover a variety of situations like family issues, work-related problems, disputes between friends or neighbors, and other common interactions people may have. The goal is for intermediate language students to practice conversing in different roles through these simulated conversations.

1. José A. Alcalde López
ROLE-PLAY
IDEAS
Interaction is one of the “new” skills along with the old ones (Listening, Speaking, Reading and
Writing). Apart from coming late, it is unfortunately neglected at schools where groups are large, noise
level too high and time usually short. It is a pity we push aside this skill in favour of others.
Here are 44 differnt possible roles to be played in 22 different situations by intermediate-
level students in pairs.
STUDENT A STUDENT B
1
Parent: You suspect your son/daughter is smoking
joints or doing some soft drugs but s/he is only 13!!!
Son/Daughter: Some of your friends are doing some soft
drugs (you only did a couple of times). You are tired your
parent is always spying on you.
2
Boss: Some clients have been recently complaining
a lot about one of your workers. You are thinking
about firing him/her.
Worker: You are having serious trouble at home and it is
affecting your work lately. However, you desperately
need this job.
3
University teacher: One of your students asks a
very high grade from you to enter a special
research programme. You know s/he is not the
adequate person for that programme.
University student: You need a very high grade from one
of your teachers to enter a prestigious research
programme. However, you know this teacher has
another candidate in mind. Try to persuade him/her.
4
Travel agent: Sales aren't doing well lately and your
boss presses on you to sell more expensive
holidays packages.
Customer: You want to go on holidays but can't afford a
lot so you are looking for bargains at a travel agency.
5
Friend A: You are moving to a new city and feel
really upset about it. You expect a lot of problems
and difficult situations waiting for you.
Friend B: Your friend feels really bad about moving and
you want to cheer him/her up.
6 Sibling A: You are fed up lending everything to your
sister/brother and want to stop it.
Sibling B: Your brother/sister always gets everything just
because s/he is older than you and that is not fair.
7
Partner A: Your partner never does anything in the
house so all the chores are for you. You are fed up
with the situation.
Partner B: You are feeling down because you are jobless
and can't find the job of your life.
8 Coach: One of your young athletes isn't doing well
lately and you want him/her to improve his/her
performance for the next championship.
Athlete: Too much partying and going out is afffecting
your performance but social life is also important for you.
9
Student A: Student B has been bullying you for a
couple of months and you really want it to stop.
Student B: You are jelaous of student A because s/he
always gets good mark, is a trend-setter and has got a
great social life unlike you.

2. 10
Neighbour A: You want to complain to Neighbour B
about the loud music and noise late at night on
weekends.
Neighbour B: You want to complain to Neighbour A
about his/her dog because it usually eats your flowers,
dig out your plants, foul your garden, barks at night...
11
Police Officer: You stop a driver because s/he was
using his/her cell phone while driving.
Driver: Your mother is having a serious heart operation
in hospital and you took a phone call from the hospital
while driving.
12
Customer: You just bought a new laptop and after a
week it is not working properly.
Sales assistant: You suspect the laptop fell on
something hard and that is why it isn't working. The
warranty does not cover that misuse.
13
Waiter: Some clients' kids are horsing around the
restaurant and other clients are complaining about
it.
Customer: The service and the food in this restaurant is
not what you expected at all and want to complain about
it.
14
Student A: You are fed up with Student B. S/he
always asks for your summaries and class notes to
study but shares little or nothing with you.
Student B: Student A is jelaous of you because you
always get better grades at school.
15
Partner A: You fell in love with partner B and want
to date him/her more than anything else.
Partner B: You like Partner A but just as a friend. You are
really more interested in Partner A's best friend but do
not want to hurt Partner A's feelings.
16
Driver A: You are involved in a minor car crash.
Driver B did not stop at the crossroad and hit your
car on the side.
Driver B: You are involved in a minor car crash. Driver A
was on the phone while driving, did not see you and hit
your car on the side.
17
Teacher: You have to call one of your students'
parents because s/he is causing a lot of trouble at
school.
Parent: You think your son/daughter's teacher has
picked on him/her and isn't fair.
18
Worker A: There is a better and more highly-paid
position in your company and want to get it but
Worker B is more prepared than you are.
Worker B: There is a better and more highly-paid
position in your company and your opponent is Worker
A. Despite s/he less prepared, s/he is a close friend to
your boss' wife.
19
Witness: You have been involved in a crime scene.
You think the suspect according to the police isn't
guilty after all.
Police Officer: You have to interview your witness but do
not credit much of what s/he says because s/he is one of
the suspect's friends.
20
Friend A: You feel mad because Friend B lied to
you in order not to go together to a party.
Friend B: Lately friend A has been acting very strangely
and you are not so close as before. Is this the end of
your friendship?
21
Sales assistant: One of the customers has dropped
an expensive vase in the shop and should pay for it
now.
Customer: While browsing in a shop you turned you
back and accidentally hit a vase that was very close to
the edge in a shelf. It smashed on the floor. You think it
was not really your fault after all.
22
Politician A: Your opponent to the next elections,
Politician B, is telling lies about your management
in the last 4 years' mandate.
Politician B: You are denouncing all the wrong doing of
your opponent, Politician B, after a disastrous mandate
full of mistakes according to some journalists' research.