“In what ways does drama-based instruction support learning for elementary and middle school students?”
“…The significant benefits of drama for language learners [is] describing and interpreting gestures and non-verbal communication in the target language, skills that will help them comprehend the language and express themselves in it” (Ntelioglou, 2011, p. 184). Drama can be created and experienced through numerous forms – it can be written, mimed, spoken, etc. These various forms provide options and security for students starting their English journey; if one area is not as developed as the rest, drama can provide the means to focus on that particular skill or it can otherwise be avoided.
“Because of its social nature, teaching through drama has the potential to provide this kind of socio-cultural orientation to language learning with a focus on purposeful interaction. Drama provides ELLs with opportunities to express themselves in English for a “meaningful” purpose,…going beyond vocabulary and grammar drills”(Ntelioglou, 2011, p. 183). Drama offers the space to use language in context rather than isolation. Students retain more of the information because they are engaged; additionally, students are developing the same English skills that could be learned from grammar sheets in a more meaningful way, as you may recall, learning without meaning, is shallow. I remember the countless ELL students that came through the drama programs I found myself in; I now understand the draw to drama for students developing their English skills.
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Collective (5) Blog Posts Word Count: 1245
Resources:
Ntelioglou, B. Y. (2011). Drama and English Language Learners. In Key Concepts in Theatre/Drama Education. (pp. 183-188). SensePublishers
