As educators, our mission extends beyond simply imparting knowledge; we strive to equip our students with essential life skills. One powerful yet often overlooked tool in achieving this goal is the monologue. Often associated with the theatrical arts, monologues can be harnessed in the classroom to enhance students’ reading, speaking, and performance skills in a multitude of ways.
So… what exactly is a monologue?
A monologue is a speech or a lengthy utterance by one person during a conversation, performance, or presentation. It is a form of dramatic or theatrical expression where an individual addresses an audience, whether real or implied, by speaking aloud. Monologues can be found in various forms of literature, including plays, films, and literature, and they are often used to convey a character’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences.
Using monologue scripts in the classroom can be a simply way to engage students across a variety of skill sets that are important for their academic success. Here are just a few of the benefits of using monologues with your students.
1. Developing Public Speaking Skills:
Engaging with monologues provides a platform for honing public speaking skills, an invaluable asset for any future endeavor. Through repeated practice, students learn to modulate their voice, control pacing, and emphasize key points. In order to perform their monologue, students have to read the text multiple times to start to learn it. As teachers, we can help support them to identify the function of punctuation in speech (for example, a period [or full stop] means take a full breath), try on different personalities or roles when performing (it is amazing how some students can act as a character but struggle when presenting as themselves) and speak in a clear and understandable way.
Unlike an entire play script, monologues are generally quite short and therefore accessible to most students, even those reluctant readers in the class, because they can just be handed a single piece of paper rather than an entire book which may be overwhelming.
Assigning contemporary monologues or excerpts from famous speeches allows students to connect with diverse voices, fostering a broad perspective on effective communication.
2. Fostering Empathy and Emotional Intelligence:
Monologues, especially those portraying a range of emotions, can be a conduit for developing empathy and emotional intelligence. By embodying the emotions of a character, students gain a deeper understanding of human experiences, promoting a more empathetic worldview. For instance, a monologue from a character facing adversity can prompt discussions about resilience, compassion, and the human condition. Reading monologues for or with your class and discussing the variety of thinking and feeling words characters use, and encouraging student to cast themselves into the shoes of the character in question, can support key student skills and help them to feel seen and heard through different literature. Posing questions following a reading, such as “Who has ever had a similar experience?” or “How would you feel in this situation?” can help student both connect with the text to better understand it and develop empathy with others.
3. Building Confidence and Performance Artistry:
Monologue performances, whether in the classroom or in front of a larger audience, contribute significantly to building students’ self-confidence. Embracing the challenge of embodying a character and delivering lines with conviction instills a sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, this type of performance artistry prepares students for future presentations, interviews, or any situation where effective communication is paramount. It is almost impossible to get through life without having to present in front of others – whether in a classroom, business meeting or client interaction, being able to project confidence and present in a whole body way (considering stance, posture, gesture, facial expression, etc) can be a make or break in many instances. The earlier students can start practicing these skills and seeing them presented by other, the stronger their confidence and skills grow.
4. Enhancing Reader Fluency Through Repeated Reading:
Monologues serve as an excellent vehicle for implementing the repeated reading strategy, a proven method to enhance reader fluency. By assigning students a monologue to practice and perform multiple times, educators can observe a noticeable improvement in their fluency, expression, and overall reading proficiency. This strategy allows students to familiarize themselves with the text, internalize the nuances of language, and gain confidence in their oral delivery. Over time, this repetitive engagement with the material not only strengthens their reading skills but also instills a sense of mastery and accomplishment, reinforcing the idea that persistent effort leads to tangible progress. The repeated reading strategy, when applied to monologues, becomes a dynamic tool in cultivating not only confident speakers but also proficient and fluent readers.
I’ll be honest – using monologues for the repeated reading strategy is my favorite. I have seen it literally transform readers in a matter of weeks and there are so many ways you can play with the text to keep them leveling up – whether you mark the commas and periods so they remember to pause, highlight dramatic words they should emphasize, do speed drills to see how fast they can read the text error free or encourage them to memorize portions there are endless benefits to enjoy.
In conclusion, the humble monologue is a versatile tool that can be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum to enhance students’ reading, speaking, and performance abilities. By incorporating monologues into our teaching approach, we not only enrich their academic experience but also equip them with crucial life skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
If you’re looking for some classroom appropriate monologues to start supporting your students in the above ways, please check out Monologues for Students in my TPT store. This collection of 15 original, student centred monologues has something for everyone in easy to access, single page, 200-300 word texts.