AN IMPROV CLASS SPENT DEVELOPING CHARACTER...AND HAVING FUN!

BUILDING A HAPPINESS MACHINE!

Learning to say what you want in English as a Second Language can be fun as we know at the Language Institute at Georgia Tech! On Monday, April 16, 2012, our IMPROV CLASS had a full 50-minute class period with Lesly Fredman, who I am collaborating with to build this first-time IMPROV ESL class at the Language Institute for our advanced classes. Take a look at the photos below and see some of the work we did together!

THE WOMEN BEGIN THE HAPPINESS MACHINE.



MAKING HAPPINESS!

HERE RAKAN BEGAN BUILDING THE ADVICE MACHINE.

GIVING LESLY ADVICE.

THIS ADVICE MACHINE SPOKE SYNCHRONISTICALLY--GREAT TEAM WORK!

We have several over-arching goals in this class:

IMPROV GOAL: To practice the rules of improv (some of which include "making your partner look good--team building skills; having fun--positive emotions when influence learning positively; using the good idea and not the perfect one--building confidence!)

LANGUAGE GOAL: To practice the six skills of fluency focusing on rhythm and intonation: pausing, linking, stress, reduction, focus, and intonation.

THE CONCEPT OF POPCORN.  In this activity, students pretend they are kernels of popconr and "pop" when they are ready. This exercise provides a lesson in focus too. The goal is that by paying attention to the group and not everyone "pops" at the same time.

EXERCISE IN FOCUS. Rakan (left) and Hamdan (right) competed for Alejandra's attention. The goal was to talk to her simultaneously and to discover who she listened to more. That is, who she gave her "focus" to and the reasons why.

HAMDAN IS WINNING AT THIS POINT. What was he doing and saying that "grabbed" Alejandro's attention? Look how insistent Rakan is.

GIVING FOCUS--THIS TIME WITH PAULA (center), HANA (left), and SEPHORA (right). For the time being Hana has won Paula's attention.

LESLY PROCESSING THE IMPROV EXERCISE.

The specific focus for the class with Lesly Fredman was for the students to continue learning how to develop a character. Knowing who you are and what your objective is are two essential factors for building a scene--and on a larger scale for developing effective communication strategies!

BEING AN OLD PERSON. Class members got the opportunity to "be" an old person. The goal was to "enter" the stage and walk to the "imaginary" park bench and show how it felt to be old. They also had to choose an activity to do once they sat down on the park bench. Then as they "exited" the stage, they had to continue being old!

GOOD JOB CIRO AND SEPHORA!

CHOOSING A CHARACTER AND DEVELOPING  IT. Here four students in the front row had to walk across the classroom with a headache. They had to decide who they "who" they were when they got to the classmate facing them. They "showed" who they were by the statement they made. For example, Ciro (in the yellow and black jacket) decided he was an angry manager with a headache. Hamdan (in the orange striped shirt)  responded to him as a worried employee.



WOW! I feel the pain!

DEVELOPING A CHARACTER. These students had to choose a character who was happy!

CLASS PHOTO WITH LESLY FREDMAN (take 1).

CLASS PHOTO WITH LESLY FREDMAN (take 2).

CLASS PHOTO WITH LESLY FREDMAN (take 3).

CLASS PHOTO WITH LESLY FREDMAN (take 4).

CLASS PHOTO with LESLY FREDMAN and RUTH SCHOWALTER

GREAT TEAM WORK IMPROV CLASS!

Remember! Always make your partner look good!



IMPROV HOMEWORK #1: SHOWING INTENTION WHILE PRACTICING DIFFICULT VOWEL SOUNDS

 (c) Ruth Schowalter and Lesly Fredman

TESTING THE WATERS

(Being Intentional, Using Improv Rules, and Articulating Vowel Trouble Spots)

Description:

STEP 1 (VOWEL): Identify three vowel sounds that you have the greatest difficulty saying.

Example:   VOWEL#1: the sound /i/ in the word “please”

                VOWEL#2: the sound /ow/ in the word “soap”

                VOWEL#3: the sound /a/ in the word “hot”

STEP 2 (PROMPT): Write the “prompts” for three different improv scenes. Each prompt should highlight or showcase one of the specific difficult vowel sounds you identified above.  Be sure to underline the vowel sound you are practicing.

Example:

                       

PROMPT#1: For the vowel sound /i/:

                             I’m so weak right now! I really need to sleep more than three hours during the week.

PROMPT#2: For the vowel sound /ow/:

                             Oh…so you want to know where I’m going to go blow all my dough?

PROMPT#3: For the vowel sound /a/:

                             Gosh! We’ve had a lot of nonstop hot days. I need to shop for flipflops!

STEP 3 (EMOTION): For each prompt, choose two distinctly different emotions.

#1: frustrated  ßà optimistic and happy

#2: suspicious ß à business like

#3: excited ß à weak

STEP 4 (CHOOSING “ACTORS” FOR YOUR SCENES): Choose six different people to use your improv prompts with. RYou can approach doing this assignment with a variety of people:

·         CLASSMATE or FRIEND (who knows you are doing a homework assignment)

·         LANGUAGE INSTITUTE STUDENT, TEACHER, or STAFF (who doesn’t know you are doing a homework assignment)

·         A NATIVE SPEAKER (who you don’t know very well)

STEP 5 (TESTING THE WATERS WITH YOUR IMPROV SKILLS):

Know your intention with each scene. What is the emotion you want to communicate? If you want to show that you are frustrated, how will you use your voice, face, limbs, and trunk? How will you adjust your behavior to communicate a different emotion like happiness using the same prompt?

Also, think about what you want from the other person. Do you want him/her to be sympathetic, give you advice, do something for you…?

Keep the scene going until you have had a chance to see where it goes. You will be able to keep the scene going by following the rules of improv:

1.    Say yes to my partner

2.    Accept what my partner gives me and respond

3.    Make my partner look good

4.    Respond from the thoughts and feelings I have while listening

5.    I will use the good idea I have and wait or search for the great idea

6.    I will be willing to take risks and fail

7.    I will have fun

STEP 6 (REFLECT, REPORT, RECORD):

After each improv scene, reflect on what happened. Write down some notes considering the following: What did you experience? What surprised you? Were you able to extend the scene by using the rules of the improv? What did you do to communicate your intention?

Then, for your homework grade do two things: 1) Type your notes and post them on our class blog. 2) Video record yourself delivering your 3 prompts, expressing each prompt with two emotions. In the video recording be sure to demonstrate your change in intention by using your voice, face, limbs and trunk differently.

Remember! Always make your partner look good!