Group 5

Names:
● Dini Rahmayani (1800990)
● Glory Euodia (1804664)
● Kanaya Salsabila F. (1808188)
● Reina Shafina (1805099)
● Sophie Amalia Karimah (1804712)
Class: 7B

Role Play Script - Education Values and Expectations

Topic: Classroom interaction in an American university

Narrator: Glory
Lecturer: Reina
Student 1: Kanaya - Korean
Student 2: Dini - American
Student 3: Sophie - Indonesian

Narrator: Hello everyone, today we are going to act out a role play between three students and
one lecturer in an American university classroom. The role play takes place during the first class
meeting where the lecturer gives an introduction to the course and discusses several guidelines
for students to follow. This role play involves one American lecturer, portrayed by Reina, one
American student, portrayed by Dini, one international student coming from Korea (portrayed by
Kanaya), another international student coming from Indonesia, portrayed by Sophie, and me,
Glory, as the narrator. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Lecturer : Good morning everyone, I’m Reina Shafina, you can call me Rei. I am the acting
professor of this “Introduction to Literature” course. It’s nice to meet all of you.
Student 1: Good morning Miss Shafina. Nice to meet you.
Student 3: good morning
Lecturer : You don't have to call me Miss. Rei is fine.
Student 2: Good morning.

Narrator: During this first exchange, there’s already an instance that marks a difference between
academic cultures. The first student, who came from Korea, talked in a very formal manner but
was soon encouraged to stop by the lecturer. The lecturer prefers an informal style of interacting
during class. This is because the American academic culture is more inclined towards informality
and egalitarianism. The lecturer treats the students as her equal. Let’s continue.

Student 1: Alright. Your guidance is very much appreciated.

Lecturer: You don’t have to talk so formally, it’s okay to loosen up a bit.
Student 2: (raises hand): Excuse me Rei, are we going to review old literature too in this class?
Lecturer: Good question. The syllabus actually devotes one class meeting for discussing that
particular topic. You can find out more about the topic in the syllabus. If you don’t have the
syllabus yet, you can download it from the student portal.
Students 3 : Psst, hi, can I ask you a question?
Student 2: Yeah sure, what’s up?
Student 3: Why did you talk to Rei like that?
Student 2: Like what?
Student 3 : You didn’t word out your question, you know... properly.
Student 2: What do you mean? It’s normal to talk to the professor like I did. You don’t need to
be so formal.
Student 3: Oh, thanks for the tip. One more thing, do we learn right away? in the first meeting?
Student 2: No, usually we just discuss the course and other rules in the first meeting. Relax.
Student 3: Great. Thanks.

Narrator: This confusion around asking and answering questions in class arises from the fact that
most Asian students usually address their questions in a very different manner. Asian education
system really encourages students to respect their teacher through the way they address them and
talk to them. Asian students tend to speak in a very formal manner with their teachers. In
American academic culture, respect towards teachers is also valued but it is not expressed in the
same way. American students tend to speak in a semi or almost informal manner with their
professors. Usually, they show respect for the professor by showing up on time, paying close
attention, and participating actively in class. Now, we are going to move on to the next exchange
in the role play.

Lecturer: Alright, next, we’re going to talk about assessment and grading. It’s not required for
you to attend every single one of my classes but make sure to fulfill all the assignments. For the
course exam, you’re going to work on a literature report and present it in small group
discussions. Throughout the course, you are required to turn in several essays. I’ve included the
assignments and exam details on the class’ learning management system. Make sure that you
read and understand the task requirements. As always, you are obligated to cite every reference
you use in the tasks. Any questions?
Students 1,2,&3 : No…
Lecture : Okay then. You’ve probably heard this a thousand times before but I’ll say it again.
There is zero tolerance for academic dishonesty in any form.
Students 1,2,&3 : Yes Understood
Student 1: Psst, hey. What did she mean by academic dishonesty? Did she mean no lying is
allowed in class? That sounds off.
Student 2: Academic dishonesty is plagiarism, falsification of data, cheating during exams. Don’t
even try such things, you’ll get dropped from the course immediately if you do.
Narrator: As shown in these exchanges, Americans highly value integrity and honesty in their
academic culture. This is because Americans see publications and writings as individual
properties that should be used with respect. Let’s continue with the roleplay.

Lecturer: Alright everyone, in this class, we are going to have several class discussions, so make
sure that you prepare yourselves. I expect you to read the references I’ve provided in the syllabus
before every discussion we’re going to have. Do you have any questions about the discussion?
(Student 1 raises her hand)
Lecturer: Yes?
Student 1: Will you be involved in these class discussions?
Lecturer: Of course. I usually go around the class and participate in each group’s discussion.
Student 1: Oh, I see.
Lecturer: Yes, that’s how it usually works. Everyone, please familiarize yourselves with the
concept of class discussion. I expect you to understand how it works by the time we have one.

Narrator: In the previous exchanges, the lecturer underlined that the class will hold discussions.
Discussions are a way of establishing learner-centered learning, an approach that is used by most
American education institutions. In the previous conversation, the student showed unfamiliarity
towards the concept of discussion. This is probably due to the fact that there are still many Asian
countries that prefer a teacher-centered approach to teaching which rarely provides room for
discussion among students. Her unfamiliarity results in a question that rarely no one asks about.
Even though her question is a simple one, it’s rather great that she chose to discuss it with the
lecturer, because the learner-centred classroom always encourages students to ask questions.

Narrator: Now, we are going to act out the second part of the roleplay. The second part takes
place after a discussion session in the Introduction to literature class. Here, students who have
engaged in discussions are asked to address their ideas. The role play puts its primary focus on
how students react to the professor’s invitation to participate in class.

(Group having a discussion).

Lecturer: Alright everyone. The discussion session is officially over. Now, who would like to
share what they have learned during the discussion?
Student 1 (whispers): Wow, almost everyone raised their hand.
Student 3: Yeah, I wonder why.
Student 2: Well, active participation gives you extra credit here. It also means that we pay
attention to what she is saying.
Student 3: Oh. Hey, I think we should try doing that too, don’t you think so?
Student 1: That’s a great idea, we can also address some issues we’re still unsure about.
Student 2: I believe the lecturer would appreciate it.
Student 3 : It’d be better if you do it, Kanaya. you’ll probably explain it better than I would
Narrator: In these exchanges, the students learned about the value of active participation in
American academic culture. Americans welcomed and even encouraged active participation on
the part of the students as a part of the learner-centered approach. Their participation usually
affects their grades. At the end of the exchanges, the international students showed willingness
and even enthusiasm to participate actively. They did this as an effort to fit into the target
culture.

This marks the end of our role play. Thank you.