Performing Restaurant Scene

Overview

In this final unit role-play performance lesson, students prepare and perform a “restaurant scene” in Japanese using culturally appropriate language and gestures. They also give and receive peer feedback, demonstrating both interaction and understanding in familiar contexts.

Learning intentions

WALT: Students will perform a restaurant role play in Japanese to demonstrate effective interaction and culturally appropriate language use.

Success criteria

• I can greet and respond appropriately in a restaurant situation.
• I can exchange information about food/drink using familiar phrases and polite forms (e.g., asking what to order, confirming, and responding).
• I can use gestures and intonation to make my meaning clear.
• I can give kind, specific peer feedback and use it to improve my performance.

Curriculum links

• MLLS-INT-01: Students communicate with others in familiar contexts using gesture, actions and/or culturally appropriate language.
• ML4-INT-01: Students exchange information and opinions in a range of familiar contexts using culturally appropriate language.
• MLLS-UND-01: Students respond to information and ideas in texts to demonstrate understanding (used through listening to peer performances and responding to feedback/check questions).
• ML4-CRT-01: Students create/perform spoken texts for familiar communicative purposes using culturally appropriate language (the role-play task).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter (scene recall). Teacher displays 4–6 key prompt words (e.g., いらっしゃいませ / ご注文は / 何にしますか / お水 / おいしい / ありがとう) and students do quick silent brain-write, then share one phrase they’ll use.

2. 5–15 min · Warm-up interaction drill. Teacher models a mini exchange at the restaurant (customer → staff) with gestures; students practise in pairs, rotating roles once. Teacher circulates using a checklist for polite responses, clarity, and listening.

3. 15–28 min · Performance planning (final preparation). Students use their own script or prompt cards to finalise lines and “go-to” language for: greeting, ordering, confirming, requesting water/sides, thanking, and responding to an opinion (tasty/okay/not sure). Teacher sets clear rules: performances must include at least 3 interaction turns and appropriate politeness; gestures should match meaning (e.g., pointing to menu items, offering “here you are”).

4. 28–45 min · Role-play assessment performances (small groups). Students perform in groups of 3–4 while teacher and peer reviewers listen using a simple feedback sheet (what worked + one improvement target). Teacher calls roles in a planned order so most students perform within the time, with brief “swap-in” practice for those waiting.

5. 45–52 min · Peer review (feedback that improves). After each performance, peers complete:

• One “Glow” (specific success—language/politeness/clarity/gestures)
• One “Grow” (single target—e.g., speak up, add a polite response, use intonation to confirm the order). Students then perform a short re-take of one line/turn based on feedback.

6. 52–58 min · Teacher feedback + self-check. Teacher gives brief whole-class feedback trends (e.g., strongest phrases, common errors). Students tick items on their self-check aligned to the success criteria and write one sentence: “Next time I will…”.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket (quick evidence of understanding). Students answer one question on paper: “What polite phrase helped you most in the scene?” plus one improvement they will practise at home.

Resources

• Prompt word cards and gesture cues
• Student role-play prompt sheets (menu items and sentence starters)
• Peer feedback sheets with “Glow/Grow” sections
• Simple teacher checklist for interaction and clarity
• Timer and performance rotation plan
• Optional: phones/tablets for video recording
• Dyslexia-friendly reading sheets (larger font, high contrast, reduced text density)
• Timer/audio for teacher modelling pronunciation

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checklist during warm-up and performances (politeness, interaction, clarity, listening to partner).
• Formative: peer review sheets (Glow/Grow linked directly to success criteria).
• Summative-in-class evidence: performance demonstration as assessment, plus exit ticket self-reflection.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and a partially completed script; allow students to perform with prompt cards rather than memorising.
• Support for reading: dyslexia-friendly sheets (larger font, fewer words per line, high-contrast colour) and audio support from teacher modelling before performances.
• Choice: students may focus on fewer turns (e.g., 2–3 key exchanges) while still meeting interaction goals; others add extra language for completeness.
• Assistive tech: allow video recording of the role play for students who benefit from rewatching and re-practising; keep recordings private as per school procedures.
• Extension for advanced learners: add an extra opinion/response (e.g., “I like it” / “I’m not sure—what do you recommend?”) and include a clarifying question (“What is [that]?”) plus an extended polite closing.

Differentiation (continued for diverse needs)

• For students needing confidence: pre-assign roles and rehearse the hardest line once with teacher support before peers perform.
• For EAL learners: reduce cognitive load by limiting menu choices to a smaller set first; then increase options for later rehearsals.
• For students requiring movement support: gesture cues are built into the task (pointing/offering/confirming) so meaning is reinforced multimodally.