This article describes one teacher's methods of role-playing for helping students in the foreign language classroom advance to higher level skills. Role-playing is a closed book, cooperative learning technique in which the student has an opportunity to use the language in a non-threatening, spontaneous response environment. Role-playing is an advantage for the instructor as well as it offers a way to check unofficially on student pronunciation and learning, encourages cultural awareness, and practices comprehension as well as communication production. This teacher's particular method teaches theory and vocabulary throughout most of the school year, reserving the last few months for role-playing, mini-conversational practice. All students must participate in the role-playing activity. Four types of role-playing activities are used: basic, expanded, teacher-generated, and student-generated. It is suggested that assessment of the student's role-playing not be by the alphabet grading method, but rather by a 4-part method that includes teacher observation, a system of checks, a 1-5 number rating system, or part of a portfolio assessment package. Students have found this method enjoyable and profitable. (NAV)