Characters in the Classroom

This paper is a collection of exercises for teaching languages, specifically focusing on American English as a second or foreign language. It is an explanation and instruction for the language teacher to be able to use Characters as creative presentation in the classroom. This process involves the creation of fictional Characters by the teacher and the students. The Characters are given visual representation and then placed in certain situations where a given element of the English language is needed to verbally express the circumstances or function within them. The students are given the opportunity to practice the grammar point and, through the Characters, see its practical applications. This is a personal paper which describes the activities, why I came to use them, and why other teachers might want to also. The style of presentation in consideration of different approaches to teaching is discussed. Examples and ideas for follow-up or expansion exercises are given. The aim of this paper is to give sufficient background and examples of these exercises so that they may be implemented and manipulated creatively by the individual teacher