Drama for English Language Learners

1. Drama forEnglish Language Learners Wendy K. Mages Harvard Graduate School of Education

2. Drama & Language Theory • “Being ‘exposed’ to a flow of language is not nearly so important as using it in the midst of doing” (Bruner, 1990, p. 70) Research • 3 Meta-Analyses indicate drama does affect language development (Conard, 1992; Kardash & Wright, 1987; Podlozny, 2000)

3. Why is Drama Beneficial for Language Acquisition? • Provides a context for language use • Drama simultaneously engages the mind, the body, and the emotions

5. First Stanza of the Poem There were a few dozen who occupied the field across the road from where we lived, stepping all day from tuft to tuft, their big heads down in the soft grass, though I would sometimes pass a window and look out to see the field suddenly empty as if they had taken wing, flown off to another country.

6. A “Taste” of Drama • Sample a number of drama strategies • Experience what it is like to be a student in a drama class

7. Drama Teaching Techniques • Freeze • Ensures safety of participants • Side Coaching • Listen to the words I use • I will try to coach you with my voice • No Right or Wrong • Creates safe environment for exploration • Encourages participation

8. Strategy: Walk About • Techniques • Fast & Slow • Heavy & Light • Large & Small • High & Low • Rationale • Engage participants • Dramatizing vocabulary • Aids comprehension • Aids retention • I used vocabulary from the poem

9. Strategy: Character Walk • Techniques • Lead with your head • Lead with your Toes • Lead with one shoulder • Etc. • Rationale • Encourages whole body engagement • Teaches vocabulary for body parts

10. Strategy: Greetings • Techniques • Hello • Use just your eyes • Use your head and face • Use your head, face, and voice • Goodbye • Touch feet • Touch elbows • Introductions • Formal • Informal • Rationale • Begin collaborative work • Teaches basic greetings in context • Teaches informal and formal introductions

11. Strategy: Statues • Technique • Number off by twos • Use your whole body to show me • Happy • Sad • War (view museum) • Peace (view museum) • Rationale • Engage body in vocabulary development

12. Strategy:Group Sculpture Tableaux • Technique • As a group build a sculpture of a word • Sculptures: • Waiting for Rain • Shocking • Mysterious • Pain • Rationale • Encourage collaboration • Vocabulary development

13. Strategy: Word Symphony • Technique • Distribute words from text • Allow students to experience the sound of the words • Conduct the word symphony • Rationale • Encourage students to explore the sound of words • Introduces vocabulary from the text

14. Strategy: Choral Reading • Technique • Show first stanza of poem • Distribute lines of the poem • Discuss line meaning in small groups • Students collaborate to perform poem • Rationale • Introduces text interpretation • Introduces text performance • Promotes comprehension

15. Questions?

16. Thanks!