ArticlePDF Available

Using Drama Activities and Techniques to Foster Teaching English as a Foreign Language: a Theoretical Perspective

Authors:

Abstract

Drama can foster language skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening by creating a suitable context. Drama is a powerful language teaching tool that involves all of the students interactively all of the class period. Drama can also provide the means for connecting students' emotions and cognition as it enables students to take risks with language and experience the connection between thought and action. Teaching English as a foreign language inevitably involves a balance between receptive and productive skills; here drama can effectively deal with this requirement. Through drama, a class will address, practice and integrate reading, writing, speaking and listening. Drama also fosters and maintains students' motivation, by providing an atmosphere which is full of fun and entertainment. In so doing, it engages feelings and attention and enriches the learners' experience of the language.
Using Drama Activities and Techniques to Foster Teaching English
as a Foreign Language: a Theoretical Perspective.
Dr. Munther Zyoud / Al Quds Open University
Abstract
 Drama can foster language skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening
by creating a suitable context. Drama is a powerful language teaching tool that
involves all of the students interactively all of the class period. Drama can also
provide the means for connecting students’ emotions and cognition as it enables
students to take risks with language and experience the connection between thought
and action. Teaching English as a foreign language inevitably involves a balance
between receptive and productive skills; here drama can effectively deal with this
requirement. Through drama, a class will address, practice and integrate reading,
writing, speaking and listening. Drama also fosters and maintains students’
motivation, by providing an atmosphere which is full of fun and entertainment. In so
doing, it engages feelings and attention and enriches the learners' experience of the
language.
Introduction
There are many reasons in favour of using drama activities and techniques in the
language classroom. First of all it is entertaining and fun, and can provide motivation
to learn. It can provide varied opportunities for different uses of language and because
it engages feelings it can provide rich experience of language for the participants.
Maley (2005) listed many points supporting the use of drama and these are:
1- It integrates language skills in a natural way. Careful listening is a key feature.
Spontaneous verbal expression is integral to most of the activities; and many of them
require reading and writing, both as part of the input and the output.
2- It integrates verbal and non verbal aspects of communication, thus bringing
together both mind and body, and restoring the balance between physical and
intellectual aspects of learning.
3- It draws upon both cognitive and affective domains, thus restoring the
importance of feeling as well as thinking.
4- By fully contextualizing the language, it brings the classroom interactionto
life through an intensive focus on meaning.
5- The emphasis on whole-person learning and multi-sensory inputs helps
learners to capitalize on their strength and to extend their range. In doing so, it offers
unequalled opportunities for catering to learner differences.
6- It fosters self-awareness (and awareness of others), self-esteem and
confidence; and through this, motivation is developed.
7- Motivation is likewise fostered and sustained through the variety and sense of
expectancy generated by the activities.
8- There is a transfer of responsibility for learning from teacher to learners which
is where it belongs.
9- It encourages an open, exploratory style of learning where creativity and the
imagination are given scope to develop. This, in turn, promotes risk-taking, which is
an essential elements in effective language learning
10-It has a positive effect on classroom dynamics and atmosphere, thus facilitating the
formation of a bonded group, which learns together.
11-It is an enjoyable experience.
12-It is low-resource. For most of the time, all you need is a 'roomful of human
beings'.
Fleming (2006) stated that drama is inevitably learner-centered because it can
only operate through active cooperation. It is therefore a social activity and thus
embodies much of the theory that has emphasized the social and communal, as
opposed to the purely individual, aspects of learning. The use of drama techniques
and activities in the classroom provides exciting opportunities for foreign language
learners to use the language in concrete "situations". Besides, some research studies ,
(Maley and Duff 2001, Phillips, 2003) suggest that drama activities can promote
interesting ways of motivating language learners and teachers. With drama we can
play, move, act and learn at the same time. (Philips, 2003). Also the use of drama
activities has clear advantages for language learning regarding motivation, the use of
language in context, teaching and learning cross curricular content, etc (Philips, 2003)
. There are several studies that support the benefits of drama in foreign language
learning, such as Maley and Duff (2001), Brumfit (1991) and Philips (2003).
Dramatic activities according to Maley and Duff (1979) "Are activities which give the
students an opportunity to use his own personality in creating the material in which
part of the language class is to be based". Drama activities can provide students with
an opportunity to use language to express various emotions, to solve problems, to
make decisions, to socialize. Drama activities are also useful in the development of
oral communication skills, and reading and writing as well. Drama activities help
students to communicate in the foreign language including those with limited
vocabulary. (Aldavero, 2008)
There are different ways in which drama can be defined. And to mention only
one of them, Susan Holden (1982) takes drama to mean" any kind of activity where
learners are asked either to portray themselves or to portray someone else in an
imaginary situation". In other words, drama is concerned with the world of "let's
pretend" ; it asks the learner to project himself imaginatively into another situation,
outside the classroom, or into the skin and persona of another person".
As mentioned before drama can foster the oral communication of the students,
let's us now find out how drama can do that.
1-Why using drama in EFL classroom?
Using drama and drama activities has clear advantages for language learning. It
encourages students to speak, it gives them the chance to communicate, even with
limited language, using non-verbal communication, such as body movements and
facial expression. There are also a number of other factors which makes drama a very
powerful tool in the language classroom. Desiatova (2009) outlined some of the
areas where drama is very useful to language learners and teachers, and they are listed
below;
1-To give learners an experience (dry-run) of using the language for genuine
communication and real life purposes; and by generating a need to speak.
Drama is an ideal way to encourage learners to guess the meaning of unknown
language in a context. Learners will need to use a mixture of language structures and
functions ("chunks") if they want to communicate successfully.
1- To make language learning an active, motivating experience
2- To help learners gain the confidence and self-esteem needed to use the language
spontaneously
By taking a role, students can escape from their everyday identity and "hide
behind" another character. When you give students special roles, it encourages
them to be that character and abandon their shyness.
3- To bring the real world into the classroom (problem solving, research, consulting
dictionaries, real time and space, cross-curricular content)
When using drama the aim can be more than linguistic, teachers can use topics
from other subjects: the students can act out scenes from history, they can work
on ideas and issues that run through the curriculum . Drama can also be used to
introduce the culture of the new language, through stories and customs, and with
a context for working on different kinds of behavior.
4- To emulate the way students naturally acquire language through play, make-
believe and meaningful interaction.
5- To make what is learned memorable through direct experience and affect
(emotions) for learners with different learning styles.
6- When students dramatize, they use all the channels (sight, hearing, and physical
bodies)and each student will draw to the one that suits them best. This means they
will all be actively involved in the activity and the language will "enter" through
the channel most appropriate for them.
7- To stimulate learners' intellect and imagination
8- To develop students' ability to empathize with others and thus become better
communicators
9- Helps learners acquire language by focusing on the message they are conveying,
not the form of their utterance
2-Students Communication
Using drama to teach English results in real communication, involving ideas,
emotions, feelings, appropriateness and adaptability. (Barbu, 2007). Teaching English
may not fulfill its goals. Even after years of English teaching, the students do not gain
the confidence of using the language in and outside the class. The conventional
English class hardly gives the students an opportunity to use language in this manner
and develop fluency in it, and this is because students lack the adequate exposure to
spoken English outside the class as well as the lack of exposure to native speakers
who can communicate with the students on authentic matters. So an alternative to this
is teaching English through drama because it gives a context for listening and
meaningful language production, leading the students or forcing them to use their own
language resources, and thus, enhancing their linguistic abilities. Using drama in
teaching English also provides situations for reading and writing. By using drama
techniques to teach English, the monotony of a conventional English class can be
broken and the syllabus can be transformed into one which prepares students to face
their immediate world better as competent users of the English language because they
get an opportunity to use the language in operation. Drama improves oral
communication, as a form of communication methodology, drama provides the
opportunity for the students to use language meaningfully and appropriately. Maley
and Duff (1979) state that drama puts back some of the forgotten emotional content
into language. Appropriacy and meaning are more important than form or structure of
the language. Drama can help to restore the totality of the situation by reversing the
learning process, beginning with meaning and moving towards language form. This
makes language learning more meaningful and attempts to prepare the students for
real-life situations. Earl Stevick (1980) states that language learning must appeal to
the creative intuitive aspect of personality as well as the conscious and rational part.
Drama activities can be used to provide opportunities for the students to be involved
actively. The activities involve the student's whole personality and not only his mental
process. Effective learning can be achieved when the student involves himself in the
tasks and is motivated to use the target language.
Morrow (1981 cited in Sam 1990) stated that communicative activities should
conform to some principles: students should know what they are doing and its
purpose. In communication, it is necessary to work in the context as a unit.
Communication cannot be divided into its various components. Drama can be
considered a communicative activity since it fosters communication among learners
and provides different opportunities to use the target language in "make believe"
situations.
Vernon (n d) supports the view that this conversational use of language also
promotes fluency. He states that while learning a play, students are encouraged to
listen to, potentially read and then repeat their lines over a period of time. By
repeating the words and phrases they become familiar with them and are able to say
them with increasing fluency by encouraging self-expression, drama motivates
students to use language confidently and creatively.
Speaking is the most common and important means of providing communication
among human beings. The key to successful communication is speaking nicely,
efficiently and articulately, as well as using effective voice projection, speaking is
linked to success in life, as it occupies an important position both individually and
socially (Ulas, 2008)
Several scientific investigation have demonstrated that creative, instructional and
educational drama activities have positive contribution to the general education
process and that these activities improve speaking skills. According to Makita (1995)
dramatic and role –playing activities are valuable classroom techniques that
encourage students to participate actively in the learning process. These dramatic
activities can take different forms and that the teacher can provide students with a
variety of learning experience by developing different methodologies according to the
needs of his students . These role-playing activities enable the teacher to create a
supportive, enjoyable classroom environment in which students are encouraged and
motivated to effectively learn the target language. Drama has a significant function
especially in specifically improving acquired/improved speaking skills among the
basic language skills. Smith (1984) noted , although drama has existed as a potential
language teaching tool for hundreds of years, it has only been in the last thirty years
or so that its applicability as a language learning technique to improve oral skills has
come to the forefront. Regarding the point that drama has an important impact on
language teaching, Goodwin (2001) states, drama is a particularly effective tool for
pronunciation teaching because various components of communicative competence
(discourse, intonation, pragmatic awareness, non verbal communication) can be
practiced in an integrated way. There are some other elements involved in acquiring
oral communication skills: adding efficiency to communication and drama activities
facilitates the improvement of these elements. Whitear (1998) approach in this regard
is, speaking is not only about words, structure and pronunciation , but also feelings,
motivations and meanings that are valuable benefits for bringing drama to the
language learner. Drama techniques and activities to develop communication skills
through fluency, pronunciation, cooperative learning, confidence building and
intercultural awareness may be added also to the above mentioned elements.
One of the major characteristics of the social aspect of oral communication skills
is the ability to deliver a speech comfortably and with self confidence. Drama appears
to be the ideal method for students to develop self confidence. In this regard, Pietro
(1987) says, students who are not naturally talkative often appear more willing to join
in the discourse when they realize that they are not dominated by a teacher figure.
Sam (1990) agrees by stating, drama activities can be used to provide opportunities
for the students to be involved actively, the activities involve the students, whole
personality and not merely his mental process. Peregoy and Boyle (2008) stated
"Drama activities provide students with a variety of contextualized and scaffold
activities that gradually involve more participation and more oral language
proficiency, they are also non- threatening and a lot of fun. Desiatova (2009) stated
that using drama and drama activities has clear advantages for language learning. It
encourages students to speak, it gives them the chance to communicate, even with
limited language, using non verbal communication, such as body movements and
facial expressions. Students' involvement in the negotiation and construction of
meaning during participation in a drama allows them insights into the relationship
between context and language, and lets them link the language they are learning to the
world around them ( Maley and Duff, 1978). Drama has been credited with the
ability to empower students and allow them some ownership and control over their
own learning (Wilburn, 1992). Working in drama allows students to test out various
situations, registers and vocabulary in a real way without having to suffer any real
consequences, (Neelands, 1992). Kao and O, Neill (1998) propose that confidence
levels increase when students have something to talk about and , most importantly,
when they know how to express their ideas.
3- How can drama or dramatic activities be used in ELT
3.1- Mime
John Dougill (1987) defines mime as "a non-verbal representation of an idea or
story through gesture, bodily movement and expression". Mime emphasizes the
paralinguistic features of communication. It builds up the confidence of learners by
encouraging them to get up and do things in front of one another. Mime helps develop
students' power of imagination and observation and can also be quite simply " a
source of great enjoyment" with students tending "to be very enthusiastic about this
aspect of drama", (Hayes, 1984). To the language teacher, one could generally say
that mime is acting out an idea or story through gesture, bodily movement and
expression, without using words .Savignon (1983) says that the mime helps learners
become comfortable with the idea of performing in front of peers without concern for
language and that although no language is used during a mime it can be a spur to use
language. John Dougill (1987) supports this when he says that not only is mime one
of the most useful activities for language practice, it is also one of the most potent and
relatively undemanding. Its strength lies in that although no language is used during
the mime, the mime itself can act as a catalyst to generate and elicit language before,
during and after the activity. Mime is a great way of reinforcing memory by means of
visual association, and recall of language items is assisted whenever an associated
image is presented (Rose, 1985). Mime can help to fix language in the minds of the
students, and the following activity demonstrates how vocabulary items can be
revised and reinforced (Dougill, 1987). Placing a box in front of the class, the teacher
mimes taking something out of it and asks students to take a guess at what it could be.
The teacher then invites a student to approach the box and whispers the name of the
object to the student, who in turn mimes taking the object out of the box while the rest
of the class guesses. Mime can generate language use where explanation is required-
teacher's instructions and the discussion of the students-if the mime involves pair
work or group work, learners normally find it easier and more motivating to produce
language when they have to accomplish a task (Ur,1981). If the mime is then
performed before the rest of the class, the target language can be usefully employed
for evaluating and interpreting what has been seen, as in the following example which
aims at practicing fluency (Dougill,1987). Working in pairs or small groups, students
are given topics to work on which are to form the basis of a three minute mime (a
burglary that goes wrong, an incident at a bus stop, an argument at the cinema, for
example), five minutes are allowed for preparing and rehearsing. Students perform
their mime in turn, and after each performance the teacher asks the class to interpret
what it has been.
3.2 Role Play
According to Blatner (2002) role play is a method for exploring the issues
involved in complex social situations. McCaslin (1990) concurs with this viewpoint
by contending that the focus is on the value that the assumption of the role has for the
participant rather than for the development of an art. In role play the participants are
assigned roles which they act out in a given scenario. According to Kodotchigova
(2001) role play prepares L2 learners for L2 communication in a different social and
cultural context. The purpose of role play is educative rather than therapeutic and the
situations examined are common to all. Family scenes, school situations and
playground incidents provide opportunities for interaction and group discussion. Role
play enables participants to deepen prior experience and to translate it into characters
for the plot. In this way according to Wrentschur and Altman (2002), the participants
are able to adopt roles hither to alien to them, and to try what it feels like to be on the
other side for once. The main benefit of role play from the point of view of language
teaching is that it enables a flow of language to be produced that might be otherwise
difficult or impossible to create. Role play can also help recreate the language
students used in different situation, the sort of language students are likely to need
outside the classroom.(Livingstone, 1983). By simulating reality, role play allows
students to prepare and practice for possible future situations.
Ideas for role play could be obtained from situations that teachers and learners
experience in their own lives, from books, television programmes and movies or
from their daily interactions with other people at school/ university or in the work
place. After choosing a context for a role play, the next step to follow is to provide
ideas on how this situation may develop. It is important to take into consideration the
learners' level of language proficiency when using and implementing role play
activities in the Fl classroom. Assuming a role is an essential element in drama,
Heathcote (1984) concurs that role taking is so flexible that when applied in
education, it will suit all personalities and teaching circumstances.
Broadly speaking role-play involves being an imaginary person usually in a
hypothetical situation and sometimes in a real one (Venugopal, 1986). Livingstone
(1983) sees role play as a class activity which gives the students the opportunities to
practice the language aspects of role-behaviour, the actual role they may need outside
the classroom. According to Richards (1985) role –play involves a situation in which
a setting ,participants and a goal problem are described. Participants are to
accomplish the task given, drawing on whatever language resources they can. From
the above definitions we can come up with the conclusion that role-play is thus an
activity which requires a person to take on a role that is real or imaginary. It involves
spontaneous interaction of participants as they attempt to complete a task.
There are many types of role play. Dramatic plays, story dramatization and
sociodrama, seminar style presentation, debates and interview. They range from
beginners, role play for weaker students to advanced role play for the more proficient
students. Different types of role play demand different approaches, the way the role
play is introduced, the description of the roles, the facilitation and debriefing sessions
vary accordingly. Role play can fit into a course we teach at QOU called language
use, this course has a practical part that require students to talk in the classroom
performing different role and tasks.
3.3- Simulation:
Jones (1980) calls a simulation as case study where learners become participants in an
event and shape the course of the event. The learners have roles, functions, duties ,
and responsibilities within a structured situation involving problem solving.
Simulations are generally held to be a structured set of circumstances' that mirror real
life and in which participants act as instructed. Jones (1982) defined simulations as "a
reality of functions in a simulated and structures environment".
A simulation activity is one where the learners discuss a problem within a defined
setting, In simulation activities, the students are either playing themselves or someone
else. Simulation activities are also interaction activities with various categories of
dialogues. One category would be social formulas and dialogues such as greeting,
parting, introductions, compliments, and complaints. Simulation exercises can teach
students how to function in a social situation with the appropriate social niceties: for
example, students could practice how to turn down a request for a date or a party.
Another category of simulated interaction activity is community oriented tasks, where
students learn how to cope with shopping, buying a ticket at a bus stop etc. This sort
of simulation helps students' communicative participation in the community and at the
very least help them in the task of collecting important information.
A clear line cannot be drawn between role play and simulation. These two drama
activities overlap. Role play is frequently used within simulation in role-simulation,
the participant remains the same individual while reacting to a task that has been
simulated on the basis of his own personal or professional experience. In language
teaching the differences between role play and simulation are not that important. As
Livingston (1983) pointed out "the main concern for the language teacher is the
opportunities role play and simulation provide.
The function of a simulation is to give participants the opportunity to practice taking
on specific roles and improvising within specific situations on the assumption that
with practice the participants will play their roles more effectively when situations
involving similar skills occur in real life. A simulation activity provides a specific
situation within which students can practice various communication skills like
asserting oneself, expressing opinions, convincing others, arguing eliciting opinions,
group-problems-solving, analyzing situations and so on (smith, 1984). Using given
details of the relevant aspects of situation, participants have to make decisions or
come to some agreement or resolve a problem, thus meeting a challenge posed by the
simulated situation.
Behaviour is not controlled in a simulation and the participants bring to the situation
their own skills, experience and knowledge. Simulation can be effectively applied to a
course we teach at QOU called English for Specific Purposes , because in ESP
classes, simulations are particularly useful in practicing and evaluating the use of
procedures and language (vocabulary, and structures) specific to particular skills.
A typical simulation used in business English would be that of a board meeting
discussing a company crisis, rules would be allotted , an agenda drawn up and the
procedures and conventions of a board-meeting adhered to.
3.4 Improvisation
Landy (1982) defines improvisation as an unscripted, unrehearsed, spontaneous
set of actions in response to minimal directions from a teacher, usually including
statements of whom one is, where one is and what one is doing there. The focus is
thus on identifying with characters, enacting roles and entering into their inner
experience of imagination and fantasy. And according to McCashin (1990) the focus
of improvisation is on helping learners to discover their own resources from which
their most imaginative ideas and strongest feelings flow, participants gain freedom as
self-discipline and the ability to work with others develops. Hodgson and Richards
(1974) in their book improvisation, define the term as "spontaneous response to the
unfolding of unexpected situation.
Improvisation is an excellent technique to use in the FL/L2 classroom as it motivates
the learners to be active participants in authentic situations thereby reducing their self
consciousness. At the beginning students will be hesitant and shy to participate in the
activities, but after a few sessions they will become more enthusiastic and there will
be a phenomenal improvement in their confidence level. According to MeCuslin
(1990) dialogue in improvisation is apt to be brief and scanty at first, but with practice
words begin to come and the players discover the possibilities of character
development when oral language is added.
The implementation of techniques that aim to improve the FL learners' confidence
level will invariably lead to improvement in the use of the target language.
Improvisation provides learners with opportunities to not only improve their
language communication skills, but also to improve their confidence which will
ultimately lead to the development of positive concepts.
Before beginning the improvisation session the teacher or the facilitator has to
involve the establishment of a context which serves to inform the participants where
they are and what they are expected to portray in their inter-relationships with other
characters. Since this is an unscripted, unrehearsed drama exercise, the participants
are at liberty to make their own spontaneous contribution as the play unfold. This
entails that they have the freedom to add their own words and develop their characters
in the ways which they would like to. Thus one of the advantages of improvisation is
the level of freedom that the participants are able to exercise during the execution of
the creative session.
Improvisation exercises could involve an entire class of learners or smaller groups.
Once the context has been provided the learners will participate spontaneously in the
exercise. A whole class improvisation exercise could involve the participants at a
market where some are the buyers and others the sellers. The teacher role is to provide
the context and the participants act out their roles spontaneously without any
planning.
It is important to keep in mind that much of the content for the improvisation
activities could come from the participants' own background and experiences.
Spontaneous improvisation gives learners practice in language and communication
skills, and they have the opportunity to develop their emotional range by playing roles
unfamiliar to them and outside their own experience.
Here are some examples of improvisation, keeping in mind that the backgrounds of
the players will determine the appropriateness of these examples.
1- You are a group of people at a party having a good time. Decide who you are and
what you are doing.
2- You are a group of teachers on strike for higher pay.
3- You are a group of parents attending a parent meeting who are complaining about
the poor facilities and teaching.
These activities and others can be used by the teacher in his class. Also these
activities and their varieties depends on the creativity of the teacher who can
think of useful situations where he can generate students communication
skills.
4- Role of the Teacher
In using Drama in the classroom , the teacher becomes a facilitator rather than an
authority or the source of knowledge. Hoetker (1969) warns that " the teacher who too
often imposes his authority or who conceives of drama as a kind of inductive method
for arriving at preordained correct answer, will certainly vitiate the developmental
values of drama and possibly its educational value as well."
Classroom drama is most useful in exploring topics when there are no single ,
correct answer or interpretation, and when divergence is more interesting than
conformity and truth is interpretable. As Douglas Barnes (1968) puts it" Education
should strive not for the acceptance of one voice, but for an active exploration of
many voices"
Using drama activities and techniques inside the classroom has changed the role
of the teacher. The class becomes more of a learner-centered rather than a teacher-
centered one. The teacher is merely the facilitator.
5- Conclusion
Drama is an appealing teaching strategy which promotes cooperation,
collaboration, self-control, goal-oriented learning as well as emotional intelligence
skills. Drama bridges the gap between course-book dialogues
and natural usage, and can also help to bridge a similar gap between the classroom
and real life situations by providing insights into how to handle tricky situations.
Drama strengthens the bond between thought and expression in language, provides
practice of supra-segmental and Para-language, and offers good listening practice. If
drama is considered as a teaching method in the sense of being part of the eclectic
approach to language teaching, then it can become a main aid in the acquisition of
communicative competence. Drama activities facilitate the type of language
behaviour that should lead to fluency, and if it is accepted that the learners want to
learn a language in order to make themselves understood in the target language, then
drama does indeed further this end.
One of the greatest advantages to be gained from the use of drama is that students
become more confident in their use of English by experiencing the language in
operation. Drama in the English language classroom is ultimately indispensable
because it gives learners the chance to use their own personalities. It draws upon
students' natural abilities to imitate and express themselves, and if well-handled
should arouse interest and imagination. Drama encourages adaptability, fluency, and
communicative competence . It puts language into context, and by giving learners
experience of success in real-life situations it should arm them with confidence for
tackling the world outside the classroom.
References
1- Aldavero, Vanesa, Alonso. (2008) Drama in the development of oral
spontaneous communication. Encuentro 17. Retrieved on 1/8/2010 from www.
encuentrojournal. Org/textos/Alonso.pd
2- Barbu, Lucia (2007) Using Drama techniques for teaching English. Retrieved
on 17/7/2010 from http://forum.famouswhy.com/index.php? Show topic=1150
3- Barnes, Douglas (1968) Drama in the English Classroom. Champaign,
illinios: national Council of Teachers of English
4- Blatner, A., (2002) Role playing in education , Retrieved on 1/8/2010
www.blatner.com/adam/pdntbk/rlplayedu.htm.
5- Brumfit, C., (1991) The communicative Approach to language Teaching.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
6- Desialova, Liubov, (2009) Using different forms of Drama in EFL. Classroom.
. Humanizing language teaching Magazine, issue 4 Retrieved on 17/7/2010
from http://www. hltmag.co.uk/aug09/sart07.htm.
7- Di Pietro, R. J., (1987) Strategic Instruction: Learning languages through
Scenarios. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8- Dougill, John (1987) Drama Activities for Language Learner. Macmillan
Publishers Ltd. London
9- Fleming, Mike (2006) Drama and language teaching: The relevance of
Wittgenstein's concept of language games. Humanizing language teaching
Magazine, issue 4 Retrieved on 20/7/2010 from http://www.
hltmag.co.uk/jul06/mart0l.htm.
10-Goodwin, J., (2001) Teaching Pronunciation in M. Celce-Murcia. Teaching
English as a second or Foreign language, 3rd ed., Heinle & Heinle
11 Hayes, Suanne, Karbowska, (1984) Drama as a second language: A practical
Handbook for language teachers. National Extension College.
12 Heatcote, D., (1984) Collected writings on education and drama. Johnson, L
and O'Neill, c. (ed) illinios: Northwestern University Press.
13 Hodgson, J. And Richards, E., (1974) Improvisation. London: Eyre Methuen.
14 Hoetker, James (1969) Dramatics and the teaching of literature. Champaign,
illinios: national Council of Teachers of English. ERIC clearinghouse on the
teaching of English (ED 028165)
15 Holden, Susan. (1982) drama in Language Teaching. London. Longman
16 Jones, K. (1980) Simulations : A handbook for teachers. London, Kegan Paul
Ltd.
17 Jones, K., (1982) Simulations in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
18 Kao, S. M., O' Neill, C., (1998) Words into Worlds: Learning a second
language Through Process Drama. Stamford, London: Abbex.
19 Kodotchigova, M., A., (2001) Role play in Teaching culture: Six quick steps
for classroom implementation. Retrieved on 5/8/2010 from
http://iteslj.org/techniques/kodotchigova-Roleplay.html
20 Landy, R. S., (1982) Handbook of Educational drama and theater. London:
Greenwood press.
21 Livingstone, C., (1983) Role Play in Language learning . London Longman
22 Makita, y., (1995) The effectiveness of Dramatic/ role-playing activities in the
Japanese language classroom. Retrieved on7/8/2010 from
http://journals2.iranscience.net:800/meel.pacificu.edu/meel.pacificu.edu/paper
s/scholars/makita/makita.htm
23 Maley, A. and Duff, A. (1979) Drama Techniques in Language Learning.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
24 Maley, A. and Duff, A. (2001) Drama techniques in language learning: a
resource book for communication Activities for language teachers.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25 Maley, A. and Duff, A., (2005) Drama Techniques: A resource book of
communication activities for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
26 McCaslin , N., (1990) Creative Drama in the classroom. 5thed. Studio City,
player press Inc.
27 Neelands, J., (1992)Learning Through Imagined Experience. Hodder &
Stoughton Educational . London.
28 Peregoy and Boyle (2008) Using Drama and movement to enhance English
Language Learners' Literacy development. Retrieved on 17/7/2010 from
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-11134256/using-drama-and
movement-to.html
29 Philips ,S. C., (2003) Drama with children. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
30 Richards, Jack (1985) "Conversational competence through role play". RELC
Journal 16:1
31 Rose, C., (1985) Accelerated learning ,Topaz, great Missenden.
32 Sam Wan Yee. (1990) Drama in teaching English as a second language: A
communicative Approach. Retrieved on 7/8/2010 from
http://www.melta.org.my/ET/1990/main8.html.
33 Savingnon, S., (1983) Communicative Competence. London: Addison-
Wesley.
34 Smith, S., M., (1984) The Theater Arts and the teaching of second languages.
Reading. Massachusetts: Addison Wesley.
35 Stevick, F. (1980) Teaching Languages: Away and ways. Rowley, MA:
Newbury house.
36 Ulas, Abdulhak, Halim, (2008)Effects of Creative Educational Drama
Activities on Developing Oral Skills in Primary school Children. American
Journal of Applied Sciences 5 (7)
37 Ur, p., (1981) Discussions that work . Cambridge . Cambridge University
Press.
38 Venugopal, Shanta (1986)" The use of drama in ELT: A perspective"/. The
English teacher, Journal 15:1
39 11- Vernon, S., (n d) The unmistakable benefits of using drama with children
learning English. ESL Resources. Retrieved on 10/8/2010 from
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com /Articles/eslplays.htm
40 Whitear, S., (1998) English Through drama: A visual/Physical Approach. The
Language Teacher (4).
41 Wilburn, D., (1992) Learning Through Drama in the immersion classroom; in
E. Bernhardt (ed), life in language immersion classrooms. Multilingual
Matters. Bristol.
42 Wretschur, M. and Altmann, P., (2002) Enhancing cultural awareness through
cultural production theater. Retrieved on 5/8/2010 from
http://www.akutemia.org/eca/articles/opressed.html.
... There are a variety of reasons for the usage of dramatisation when teaching English speaking proficiency to ESL learners. Some of these reasons include the fact that this teaching method allows learners to have fun, while at the same time learning to speak the language (Zyoud, 2010). This takes place where verbal and non-verbal components of communication such as a voice, body language, gestures, and facial expression integrate in order to contextualise the language, making learners feel at ease and enjoy themselves (Zyoud, 2010). ...
... Some of these reasons include the fact that this teaching method allows learners to have fun, while at the same time learning to speak the language (Zyoud, 2010). This takes place where verbal and non-verbal components of communication such as a voice, body language, gestures, and facial expression integrate in order to contextualise the language, making learners feel at ease and enjoy themselves (Zyoud, 2010). ...
... Similarly, Roy (2014) points out that through dramatisation, the learners can communicate their emotions through the voice, movements, or gestures, thereby eventually improving their English-speaking abilities. In other words, this teaching method creates an environment that entertains and motivates learners to be eager to participate in activities based on dramatisation, thereby improving their self-esteems and speaking abilities (Zyoud, 2010). Correspondingly, Astiandani and Mustofa (2021) argue that dramatisation as a teaching method assists teachers by creating a learning environment that reduces boredom amongst learners and encourage them to talk, thereby enhancing English speaking abilities amongst the learners. ...
Article
Full-text available
This article aims to gain insight on the usage of dramatisation as one of the teaching methods used by English teachers to enhance English speaking abilities amongst Grade 5 English Second Language learners. Most Grade 5 English Second Language learners find it difficult to speak English whenever they try to answer English questions or respond to English content during lessons. Some of the reasons for this challenge include the fact that learners do not speak English as their home language, but instead for example, speak isiZulu. In this study, dramatisation was selected as one of the teaching methods that can be used to deal with this challenge, namely when teaching English speaking proficiency to English Second Language (ESL) learners to improve their English-speaking abilities. The article used a multiple case study research design to generate data from five English Second Language teachers, through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The findings for this article reveal that the dramatisation method works effectively in improving English speaking abilities of ESL learners, when used frequently with other teaching methods and strategies such as debates, interviews, small group discussions, and show and tell.
... Los estudiantes presentaron un borrador del role play y con base en él, se realizaron las correcciones pertinentes. Zyoud (2010), afirma que ...
Article
Full-text available
El presente documento pretende mostrar la sistematización de una experiencia pedagógica que surge de la planeación y ejecución del English Day en el Colegio Ciudad de Bogotá Jornada Tarde durante la pandemia, permitiendo al docente hacer un análisis reflexivo frente a su quehacer con el fin de mejorar sus prácticas pedagógicas desde la virtualidad y al estudiante demostrar sus habilidades en un Segunda Lengua a través de un contexto específico y real.
... Improvisation refers to EFL students' acting of a scene with minimal or no preparation. It is an unscripted spontaneous drama activity where EFL students are involved in given situations entailing their use of both linguistic and paralinguistic features to express varied thoughts and emotions (Zyoud, 2010;Chukueggu, 2012). Therefore, improvisation fosters EFL learners' self-confidence (Maples, 2007) as well as their pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar (Dundar, 2013). ...
... It encourages students to speak, it provides students with a chance to communicate, even with limited language. Drama improves the oral communication of the students and provides students to have real communication (Zyoud, 2010). ...
Article
Full-text available
Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are the four primary and required skills of every language. Of the four skills of a language, speaking is the skill that always matters the most for a language learner, and it is considered essential. According to Nazara (2012), speaking is an important and essential skill of the four language skills, and as an EFL student, one needs to master the speaking skill. However, the majority of Afghan EFL undergraduates face difficulties in this all-important skill of the language. According to Zia and Sulan (2015), for most of Afghan undergraduate EFL learners, reading and writing are easy, but in oral communication, they are not accurate and fluent. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the factors that affect the Afghan EFL undergraduates' speaking skill at Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University Kunar, Afghanistan. The study specifically investigate teacher-related factors that affect students' speaking skill. A mixed method was used for this study, i.e., quantitative (questionnaire) as well as qualitative (interview). The data of the questionnaire was descriptively analysed in SPSS version 20 and presented in figures and tables. The interview data were thematically analysed and presented. A total of 90 students (40 junior and 50 senior) were purposively selected and participated in this study. The findings revealed that the rare use of speaking activities like pair work, group work, role-plays, group presentations, and improper method of teaching were some of the factors on the part of teachers that affected students' speaking skill. It is hoped that the findings of the current study will help teachers as well as educators to be attentive toward their related responsibilities to reduce the factors that affect students' speaking skill.
... When students perform drama activities, they are compelled to read, write, speak, and listen for content and production. Most importantly, when teachers design an appropriate environment where students can develop these skills, drama addresses students' L2 deficiencies (Zyoud, 2010) and Ho (2011). ...
Article
Full-text available
Research on drama and anxiety remains relatively unexplored in applied linguistics and language teaching in the Philippines. This study addresses this need by looking into the effects of drama activities on college students in the Philippines who were observed to have anxiety in speaking. More specifically, the study involves the students in a series of improvisational activities, aiming to improve their confidence in speaking. Student motivation, anxiety, and confidence in speaking English are measured by pretest and post-test survey, interviews, and observations in implementing a workshop that employs drama activities. Drawing from Vygotsky’s (1978) zone of proximal development (ZPD), this study examines the efficiency of drama activities in providing a safe space where they can motivate one another and learn collaboratively. The findings of this study may encourage language teachers to design strategies that scaffold learning activities to minimize anxiety and reinforce positive attitudes towards speaking in English.
... Η εκμάθηση της ξένης γλώσσας σχεδιάζεται ώστε να αφορά όλους τους μαθητές και να γίνεται προσβάσιμη μέσα από δημιουργικές, ενεργητικές και παιγνιώδεις προσεγγίσεις (Chang & Winston, 2011). Ειδικά για την εξάσκηση των δεξιοτήτων ακρόασης και παραγωγής προφορικού λόγου, οι τεχνικές δραματοποίησης ενθαρρύνουν και διατηρούν τα κίνητρα για μάθηση προωθώντας μία ατμόσφαιρα ψυχαγωγίας και εμπλουτίζοντας τον μαθητή με βιώματα και εμπειρίες μάθησης της νέας γλώσσας (Zyoud, 2010;Khatib & Sabah, 2012). Οι μικροί μαθητές παρακινούνται σε μεγάλο βαθμό στη μάθηση, η οποία κατακτιέται σχεδόν ασυνείδητα, καθώς το συναισθηματικό φίλτρο είναι πιο εύκολα διαπερατό (Fuentes, 2010). ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Σύγχρονα δεδομένα αναδεικνύουν μια μετατόπιση του πεδίου των Αναλυτικών Προγραμμάτων Σπουδών (ΑΠΣ) από το επιδιωκόμενο στο εφαρμοζόμενο από τους εκπαιδευτικούς και στο κατακτημένο από τους μαθητές ΑΠΣ. Η επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη των εκπαιδευτικών είναι μια διαδικασία κατά την οποία οι εκπαιδευτικοί μετασχηματίζουν συνεχώς την πρακτική τους μέσα από την εμπειρία και τη συμμετοχή τους σε τυπικές και άτυπες μορφές επιμόρφωσης. Ο σχολικός σύμβουλος, στα πλαίσια του θεσμικού του ρόλου, καλείται να ανιχνεύσει τις επαγγελματικές ανάγκες των εκπαιδευτικών της περιοχής ευθύνης του, να σχεδιάσει και να υλοποιήσει αποτελεσματικές δράσεις υποστήριξής τους. Στην παρούσα εργασία, προτείνεται ο σχεδιασμός ετήσιου προγράμματος επιμόρφωσης, σε θέματα που αφορούν σχολειοκεντρικές δράσεις ανάπτυξης του ΑΠΣ των Μαθηματικών.
... The participants strongly agreed in item 10 (M=4.6) that students interact using the target language when applying drama activities. This result is in line with Zyoud (2010) who conducted a study at Al Quds Open University, Palestine. He found out that drama integrates the four language skills which are reading, writing, speaking and listening. ...
Article
Full-text available
The use of drama activities is a method that allows learners to improve their communication skills, think critically, learn new vocabulary, and increase their motivation for learning. This study investigates the attitudes of English language teachers, as well as the advantages, problems faced in, and teaching techniques of the English language learning process in Palestinian schools using drama activities. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, the researchers investigated the extent to which drama activities are used while teaching English as a second language in Palestinian schools using a questionnaire and interviews. In the questionnaire, the participating English language teachers were 39 females and 12 males. Two teachers were interviewed. The findings confirm the need to implement changes and improvements regarding the use of drama activities in the language classroom. Moreover, the findings suggest following specific drama usage recommendations to ensure satisfactory results for both teachers and students to improve the four language skills. The implication of this study calls for providing clear and sufficient materials for drama classes, as well as offering teachers training programs to enhance their abilities to use drama activities in an effective way.
... The use of drama can bring many psychological and communicative benefits to students in the English language classroom (Miccoli, 2003;Ranzoni, 2003;Sato, 2001;Shapiro & Leopold, 2012;Zyoud, 2010). But how might it benefit students in an online setting? ...
Article
The Internet provides us with a plethora of material to read and view and is the tool that people use today to communicate and acquire information. YouTube is a globally-used platform for individuals and organizations to share audio and visual material. Due to the COVID-19 situation, many teachers in schools and universities have looked to this website to supplement their teaching as it provides a scope and depth of material that is easily and readily accessible to the public. Theatres having been forced to close because of the pandemic have used this platform to share their work, and many teachers, especially those teaching theatre or performance-related studies have accessed recordings of performances to use in the online classroom as it is, as far as I know, the only way to access the arts for free during the pandemic. As a teacher of English language with an interest in drama and theatre arts, I had been viewing many free performances as I hope to share and foster an appreciation of drama and theatre in my students. With that in mind, I attempted to design a theatre reviewing task for use in the EFL classroom. The report shows my findings and my reflections of the task, and reveals that viewing and writing about the theatre arts can have a positive influence on students.
Article
Full-text available
The paper points out some of the potential problems in foreign language learning that may arise during the enrichment of one's vocabulary with polysemous words and idioms (phrasemes). The aim is to analyse when exactly their acquisition should start in second language learning, as well as to indicate some of the methodological possibilities that allow for its realisation. Their acquisition requires consistency and continuity in the presentation of these lexical layers, and understanding-interpretation of contextual meaning. It is necessary to start enriching student vocabulary with such lexical layers in a timely manner. This timeliness means that the acquisition of such vocabulary and lexical layers should begin at an early age, in the very first stages of second language learning, and some methodological procedures, such as didactically guided play, allow for its realisation. Different types of games (imagination and drama games: pantomime, role-play, and dramatization), which can also be used to for modelling games in foreign language learning, and enriching student vocabulary with polysemous words and idioms, as well as creating an authentic context that allows students to understand the concept of figurative meaning in real-life language use, are presented on the examples of the Serbian language as the native language.
Article
Full-text available
Students of private universities in Bangladesh are often found to be less competent in spoken English. Since the universities have adopted EMI (English medium instruction) policy, the prevailing linguistic condition on the campus is an “English only environment.” In this context, students are required to communicate in English both inside and outside their classroom, but they desperately struggle to cope with this environment. This study attempted to understand and explain this problem; hence, it set three aims: to evaluate students’ current level of proficiency in spoken English, to investigate the reasons, and to offer remedies. Initially, selected students were given an IELTS-style speaking test in order to determine the overall proficiency in spoken English. Then, involving teachers and students, semistructured email interviews were conducted. The findings report that students’ current level of proficiency is around IELTS band score 5. Reasons for low development of spoken English among students include complex nature of speaking, inappropriate application of instructional methods, teachers’ low proficiency in spoken English and controlling behavior, students’ psychological factors, sociocultural factors, students’ inadequate linguistic resources, L1 interference, and large class size. Remedies suggested by the participants entail integrating TBL (task-based learning) and CL (cooperative learning) teaching-learning, making students aware of noticing, learning speaking through listening, teaching collocations, promoting self-regulated learning, and strengthening teacher education. The reasons investigated and the remedies explored have significant implications that might guide the members of the operating trusts of the private universities, members of the curriculum development and revision committees, and the practitioners to adopt practical approaches to ensure effective learning of spoken English by the students.
Article
A research study was carried out to determine whether native language teaching courses that utilize creative drama activities are more efficient in developing oral communication skills in primary school students than the traditionally applied native language teaching courses. In the present research, the elements of oral communication skills of primary school students were investigated in terms of pronunciation and interpretation skills. The study group consisted of two groups of fourth-year students attending an elementary school in the provincial city-center of Eizurum, Turkey, during the 2006-2007 educational year. A random sampling technique was used to form the experiment (n = 32) and control (n = 33) groups. An observation form was developed to assess oral communication skills and collect data. The validity of this form was verified by referring it to experts and its reliability was confirmed by seven educators. This measurement tool was applied on the experiment and control groups as both a pre-test and post-test. In concordance with the aim of the study, the traditional method, using a teacher-centered course-book, was implemented in the control group, whereas native language instruction lessons were implemented utilizing drama activities in the experiment group. At the end of this 14 week period, both groups participated in the post-test. Data analysis demonstrated a significant difference between the experiment and control groups oral communication skills. The application of drama activities using native language instruction improved development of pronunciation skills when contrasted with traditional, teacher-centered course-book methods.
Article
A practical book for language teachers planning to use simulations for the first time, or seeking ways to improve their use of the technique. The author gives detailed advice on how to choose a good simulation, how to introduce it effectively, how to run it and monitor the language, and how to follow up the activity.
Article
While there have been many gains made in second language instruction as a result of the communicative movement, such as increased sensitivity to learner needs, the movement to some extent, may be considered an extension of a general relativism, promoted at the expense of demanding and serious content. Second language educators have become pessimistic, and could have higher expectations for their students. One solution would be to use more sophisticated content. Another approach worth considering is to address the learner's own identity, linking one's willingness to make errors to one's role as a learner, and viewing language learning as an act of identity. Second language educators need to ask what being a speaker of the second language means in the learner's own social context, what social group the learner would join as a user of that language, what kinds of expressions and understandings are appropriate to a user of that language in the learner's home context, and how the learner would wish to be perceived as a user of the second language. (MSE)
Article
Using drama activities has clear advantages for language learning. It helps students to communicate in the foreign language including those with limited vocabulary. Drama activities involve children at many levels, not only on the language and literacy one but also on the kinesthetic aspect. There are some areas where drama can be very useful in order to develop students� communicative competence. This research shows how beneficial drama activities are in order to develop oral communication. Section 1 presents the problem I noticed in my student�s productive skills and participation. Section 2 deals with methodology, the action plan followed, data collection and activities. Section 3 explains the results of the project in detail. Section 4 draws the final conclusions from the investigation. El uso de las actividades de drama tiene claras ventajas para la adquisición de la segunda lengua. Ayuda a los estudiantes a comunicarse en inglés incluyendo aquellos que tienen un vocabulario limitado. Las actividades de drama involucran a los niños y niñas en muchos niveles, no solamente en el lenguaje sino también en el aspecto kinescético. Hay algunas áreas donde la dramatización puede ser muy útil a la hora de desarrollar la competencia comunicativa del alumnado. Esta investigación muestra el beneficio de las actividades de drama en el aula para desarrollar la comunicación oral en lengua inglesa. La sección 1 presenta el problema que percibi en la participación de los estudiantes y en su habilidad para hablar en inglés. La sección 2 trata sobre la metodología, el plan de acción seguido, la recogida de datos y actividades llevadas a cabo. La sección 3 explica los resultados del proyecto y por último, la sección 4 presenta las conclusiones finales de la investigación.