Only the Best Intentions is an English language textbook that teaches spoken communication skills through the performance of a one-act play. Whether it’s reader’s theater, an in-class performance, or a full production, putting on a play is the ultimate group project. And drama is a powerful tool for learning spoken communication skills! Students take on acting skills like using body language, gesture, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to communicate better. They are exposed to natural language in a realistic setting. And they get super engaged!

A range of activities prepare students to perform, including:

• Background readings on the history of competitive video games, the life of professional video game players, and managing modern life with screens.
• An original one-act play about a young woman who breaks off her engagement when she finds out her fiancé wants to be a professional video game player. But what’s more important? Family, stability, keeping promises, or helping someone follow their dreams?
• Pragmatics lesson on raising problems and resolving conflicts
• Pronunciation activities, including sentence stress to show contrast and practice linking sounds.
• Scaffolding to prepare students to produce a play including
  • Lessons on attentive listening
  • Guided questions to analyze the play
  • Ideas for auditioning, learning a part, and marking scripts for emotional content to improve line readings.
  • Tips for staging a play
• Post-Performance Activities, including a talkback, a mini-debate, writing a new scene or even a sequel or mining the play for useful language
• An optional assignment to interview families about screen time
• Assessment rubrics and answer key

Your students will look forward to class with this innovative resource that utilizes drama in language teaching!

Preview Only the Best Intentions

• Take a look inside by downloading the Table of Contents and Preview of Only the Bsst Intentions.
• Listen to the play performed scene by scene on our podcast on SoundCloud or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for “Integrated Skills Through Drama”

Buy the full uninterrupted audio performance to download.

Find more books in the Integrated Skills Through Drama series and browse all our resources for doing drama with students.