I have been looking forward to this week's blog post ever since I settled on the idea that I would write about how tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) can better develop oral communication skills. Oral Communications has three overall expectations: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately, use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate, and reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers. I believe that oral communication is something that is often neglected in favor of reading and writing, which is a shame as I believe good oral communication skills can help to improve reading in writing skills. You can read more about the benefits of oral communication for learning from this article about using formal debates in the classroom. The focus of this post however, is on the use of tabletop RPGs in the classroom to help and improve oral communication skills.
Earlier I have discussed how RPGs can be used to improve reading skills so I won't be spending time here again explaining what RPGs are. If you're curious as to what they are you can read my earlier post on the reading strand or my genius hour on RPGs in the classroom. I wanted to share a TED Talk from journalist, critic and teacher Ethan Gilsdorf who highlights how an RPG like Dungeons and Dragons can help children to become better people. Most of the life skills that Ethan highlights come from the oral communication component that is integral to RPGs. You can watch the video below to get an idea of what an RPG is and also what skills it can provide players.
One of the most important skills for oral communication which is also highlighted as an overall expectation is the ability to listen well. To me this skill goes hand in hand with developing patience, being able to wait and listen for your time to talk next. RPGs help to develop these skills as you must work together to cooperatively tell a story. These skills are highlighted in Brian Fogila's article on how Dungeons and Dragons teaches students patience. The only problem I have with the last two sources is that they use Dungeons and Dragons as their base. For many this name might sound familiar, in terms of the RPG industry D&D is the most recognized game. For students though I feel like this would be inappropriate, not because of the subject matter but because the rules can get in the way of the players/students ideas. To this end I would recommend a less rules heavy and less preparation demanding RPG such as Dungeon World. I believe that these games can help students express themselves creatively and problem solve in a low risk safe space. Although many of them are in fantasy settings this is not a requirement for RPGs. You can find games that are set in historical or a particular mythological settings if that is something you would rather focus on. You can also find games that are more friendly for younger grades to introduce them early without fear of the content. For starters you could always tone down the content of an existing game like Dungeon World, or find a new game. One that I found that I think would be great for younger kids is called Engine Heart, a game where you play WALL-E like robots and the best part about it is it's free and open source.
I have played RPGs regularly now for the past 8 or so years, and I honestly believe that it helped make me, and the people I played with, better at communicating. I will not lie, it is awkward and strange at first but I believe that's more the case the older you are when you start playing. I believe that younger kids are more open to acting as another character and I believe that RPGs can help create a safe low risk environment that allows students to problem solve or act creatively through oral communication.
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