And how?

Who says we should?
Howard Gardner – Multiple Intelligences

James Asher – Total Physical Response

Alan Maley
 ”… drama helps to learn new vocabulary, builds confidence, motivates the students and helps shift the focus from the teacher to the students ” (Maley,1982)

Why not?

No time
 “ I ’ m not dramatic!
”
 “ I ’ ll lose control!
”


No time?
Answers to objections
- Use the drama activity to teach or reinforce.
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You ’ re not dramatic? - Let the kids be dramatic! You just give directions.
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Control? 1. Rules
2. Grades based on cooperation.

Warm-up games
#1. “
" -quickly!
 red, blue, green, yellow, orange, brown

Changing teams

Play some music while the students walk around freely. Stop the music and announce the number of people on each team – 3-5. Then give an instruction what each peson on the team should tell the others – favorite X; something they did last week, etc. Start the music again and repeat.

Changing objects

Everyone takes a small object out of his bag. Walk around and on a signal each participant goes up to another participant and says: “ My name is X and this is my
(object) ” (comb, pencil, etc) , and gives it to the other person. Everyone walks again and approaches another participant. “ My name is Y and this is X ’ s (object) ”
Exchange objects. Go a few rounds and then return objects to owners.

King of Stones
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Each person gets 3-5 beans. Participants walk around having quick conversations in which the words “ yes ” and “ no ” are forbidden. The person who says one of the words must hand a bean over to his partner.

I am ___, Who are you?
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Put three chairs in front of the group.
Three students sit down, and the one in the middle defines himself – e.g. “ I am the sun ” “ I am a fireman ” etc.
The students on either side have to think of a related thing or person to be – “ I am your rainbow ” “ I am your eclipse ” or “ I am your ladder ” “ I am your helmet ” etc.
The first person chooses one to leave with him, and that parson sits in the middle, and two more students come.
The one in the middle retains his identity – “ I am a helmet ” and the other two have to think of related things to be.

Pass the Prop - #1
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
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Hand the first student an object – anything will do
Student says: “ I like this! It ’ s a/n ______ ”
Pantomime using the object as it ’ s new identity

Pass the Prop #2, #3
#2 - Student begins by saying, “ I like this, it ’ s a____ ” , and then pantomimes the new identity. Others guess identity of the object.
#3 – Student takes object and says –
“ If this were a ____, I ’ d _____ with it ” – adds action

#2. Password

Dramatic Reading
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Informative text from textbook, newspaper, etc.
Student decides on role or emotion and reads in a voice that reflects choice
Time to practice – present

Script Writing and presenting
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Story from a book or passage in the book
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Use dialogue from story or just story line
Practice – present

Chain of Excuses
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Ask a “ Why ” question – e.g. Why did you come home late?
First kid makes up an excuse – e.g. because I didn ’ t have a watch.
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Ask ‘ Why didn ’ t you have a watch?

Next kid makes up an excuse for that .

Carry on around the circle.

Almost Improv

Teams of 3-4 students

Prep time – 5-10 minutes

Provide topic or grammar structure or lexical items

Kids prepare short skits 2-4 minutes long

Questions Only - dialogue
A: Why didn ’ t you call me last night?
B: Didn ’ t you hear what happened?
A: How could I hear what happened?
B: Why don ’ t you ever go into Facebook?!!
...

Improv #1 - Everybody in!

Define situation
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No prep time

Students join in one at a time

Improv #2 – Freeze-Go
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Define first situation
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2-3 students improvise scene
Caller says “ Freeze ” – audience looks and defines new situation
One out – one in

Solve the Problem

1. Create a "Context Bank". On the board, write the following headings for columns:
"places", "problems", and "characters". Elicit examples from students and write them under the appropriate heading. This list of options is the “ context bank ” . It gives students options for a circumstance in which the scene can occur.

2. Put students in pairs or small groups. One at a time, these groups come to the front of the class.
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3. The "audience" (remaining students in class) shouts out suggestions for place, problem, and characters. Assign a place for the students, a problem they are having, and a character for each student.

4. Students begin dramatizing it immediately. They must interact with each other to solve the problem.

Fortunately - Unfortunately

Student starts a story and stops after saying “ and then fortunately ( or unfortunately) … and next kid continues accordingly until he says and then fortunately ( or unfortunately) … and so on until you want to stop.

Tableau

In pairs or small groups, depending on the number of characters in the scene, students choose a moment in the story, and pose (including appropriate facial expression) in a still picture to show the moment.

In turn, classmates guess which scene is depicted.

Bring Tableau to life


Process Drama – teacher in role
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Choose an issue – the conflict in the story; the issue in an article; etc.
The teacher is the main character – father, judge, mayor – depending on the issue.
Assign the students supporting roles in groups – people in the town, the family, etc.
Have a town meeting, court case, social gathering where the issue is discussed by all parties.

Bystander Gossip

Small groups of students choose a moment in the story and become people on the street or at the location of the incident talking about what they have witnessed. This can be improvisation or slightly pre-planned.

TV News

In small groups, students prepare a newscast about the events of the story. One of the anchormen/women can prepare a commentary on the event

Hot Seating
Either in small groups, or as a whole class activity –
One student takes on the role of a character in the story, or the author, and the others ask the character questions to help understand the behavior, motive, perspective, etc.

A scene from a play

Class reads entire play

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Groups of 2-3 students each choose excerpt to learn by heart
Add props, costumes – present from “ Plaza Suite ”

Put on a play!
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Choose a script
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Divide parts among kids
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Practice over an extended period of time
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Invite the audience and present!

Summing it Up
Why incorporate drama in EFL teaching?

Research has proven that drama increases development of language skills
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It engages many intelligences and therefore makes a strong impact
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Drama fosters creative thought, which leads to critical and divergent thinking.


Drama develops imagination

It ’ s fun and therefore highly motivating
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Thank you for listening!
 mitzi100@gmail.com

Useful and Interesting sites
 http://iteslj.org/Articles/Boudreault-Drama.html
 http://esldrama.weebly.com/
 http://busyteacher.org/6048-10-methods-toincorporate-drama-in-the-esl.html
 http://www.slideshare.net/garycarkin/whydrama-works