As I joined an online drama training, I read a very interesting article about the use of drama in the classroom. Although the article is a bit long, it is very important as it refers to very tiny and practical things to apply while implementing drama. I recommend it.
Center for Language Education and Research, Michigan State University
Chicago Public Schools Workshop / January 28, 2005
Effective uses of drama
in the language classroom
Nigel A. Caplan
Michigan State University English Language Center (caplan@msu.edu)
Outline of the Workshop & Description of Activities:
“This workshop will demonstrate how drama techniques can be used with language learners of all levels to increase confidence, promote fluency, improve conversational ability and develop pragmatic skills. Participants will experience and discuss warm-up activities, role plays, improvisations and movie-based lessons. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of how to stage existing or original short plays with foreign language students.”
Part I – Rationale, Activities and Role-Plays
1. Warm-Ups
a) Iconic Introductions (a first-day icebreaker). The teacher does not speak during this activity – the purpose is to show how much communication is non-verbal. Start by drawing a grid of 6 boxes on the board/OHP/flip-chart. In each box, draw a simple icon that represents some aspect of your life, for example: where you were born, where you went to college, an interesting job you’ve had or trip you’ve taken, the number of people in your family, your pets, your hobbies, something you like or dislike, etc. After each drawing, gesture to the class that they should supply a sentence (in the target language!) about your life, for example: “You were born in Chicago …. You love swimming … You can’t sing.” Then, hand out an index card to each student and gesture that they should each draw six icons about their life (they may also need to write their names on the top). They then mingle and use the cards to introduce themselves to partners, remembering that the person who’s being described should not speak (model this first with two students). You can extend this activity by asking students questions about the people they met (this can be a great way to teach or review basic personal information questions and answers). If appropriate, discuss with the class how they were able to communicate without words (and sometimes without artistic ability!) and explain that this was an introduction to drama. A further extension is to have students make new icon cards for a famous person (real or fictitious) and repeat the activity to give students an introduction to building a character.
b) 1-2-3-4. This is a rapid warm up that demonstrates how changes in intonation can change the meaning of everyday phrases. One student says to another “1-2-3-4” (meaning, “hello, how are you?”) and the partner replies “5-6-7-8” (fine, how are you?). Each time, they should try to express a different feeling – for example, a genuinely inquisitive “how ARE you?” (“1 – 2- 3 - 4”) could be followed by a sarcastic “fine! how are you?” (“5 – 6 -7 – 8”). If appropriate discuss with students basic intonation patterns in the target language (e.g. in English, statements have falling intonation, yes/no questions have rising intonation, wh- questions have rise-fall intonation). If the class in small enough, this activity can be conducted in a circle: you walk up to a student and give the greeting; that student replies and then approaches a classmate, etc. [Source: thanks to Shelley Reece, University of Pennsylvania English Language Programs for showing me this warm-up.]
2. Rationale for using drama techniques in foreign language teaching
a) Linguistic benefits – interaction, communication with purpose, risk taking, pronunciation, pragmatics (intonation, gesture, body language, appropriateness, formality, register, context, speech acts) [cf State Standards 28A/B/D; 29A/B/C]
b) Classroom benefits – a break from routine, relaxed but useful, sense of community/cooperation [cf Illinois Leaning Standards: Working on Teams]
c) Personal benefits – affective filter, motivation, confidence, all L2 performance is a kind of acting
3. Activities to develop oral fluency
d) Schizophrenic Monologue. This is a great variation on the familiar game “Just a Minute” in which the student has to speak for 60 seconds on a topic without hesitation, repetition or digression (try it – it’s not easy!). In this version, students work in small groups. One student is the speaker. The teacher gives a controversial statement (e.g. “TV is bad for kids”) and the speakers must start arguing in favor of this statement. However, when any member of the group claps, the speaker must immediately start arguing against the statement, until there is another clap. This requires considerable linguistic and mental dexterity, but allows for a great deal of language to be produced. After a minute, the students swap roles until everyone has had a chance to be the speaker. This could be an opportunity to teach or review conversational gambits for giving opinion. [Source: thanks to Shelley Reece, University of Pennsylvania English Language Programs for showing me this game.]
e) Neutral Statements. Drama is conflict, but conflict can be created out of almost any situation. In this activity, students work in pairs and have to argue over a neutral statement, for example “The telephone is broken.” One student argues this is a good thing, the other that it is bad. Here are some other neutral statements: “Bob failed his driving test,” “Our math teacher is moving to Alaska,” “There’s no food in the refrigerator,” “Today is the first day of spring.” Print the statements on slips of paper so that you can mix the pairs and statements every few minutes. This game is very good for expressing opinion and disagreement, and also for small talk and maintaining a conversation. [Source: Alexis Finger, The Magic of Drama.]
f) Absurd Interruptions: one of my favorites. On slips on paper write short instructions, such as “sing a song,” “see a ghost,” “laugh,” “apologize,” “say I love you.” Divide students into pairs and give them a situation (for example, standing in line at a supermarket). They should begin a normal conversation, but periodically each student should pick up one of the slips of paper and immediately follow the instruction. The other student must react appropriately to the interruption. This activity is great for preparing students for the unpredictability of conversation, and because the interruptions are unexpected, it requires quick thinking and a focus on fluency and communication rather than accuracy. [Source: adapted from the British television program Whose Line is it Anyway?]
g) The Hotel Receptionist. This is a wonderful class activity which provides safety in numbers for shy students. A volunteer stands in front of the class – this is a guest at the hotel, and the rest of the class will be the hotel receptionist. The guest has a complaint (written on a card that you give the guest) but cannot only use mime to communication, while the receptionists guess the problem – by questioning - in the target language. The round ends when the class have successfully reconstructed the entire message exactly. Here are some of my favorite complaints: “I don’t like the painting of three ducks in my room; could you change it please?” “Come quick! There’s a UFO landing in the parking lot!” “I want to change rooms because every night a ghost comes into my room and starts singing opera arias.” “There’s a crocodile in my bath tub.” “What time do you finish work? Can I buy you a drink in the bar?” [Source: Maley & Duff, Drama Techniques in Language Learning]
4. Problems with drama techniques: shyness/stage-fright (create supportive atmosphere, practice); getting out of control (establish ground rules); cultural or interpersonal clashes, or touchy subjects (use as a prompt for discussion – or try to avoid!).
5. Role Play: “Role-play is generally used to simulate the feel of a real-life situation in a classroom. Typically, in role-play, students are given a purpose, a situation, a setting, a goal (or goals), and a few directions.” (Burke & O’Sullivan).
a) Some considerations:
i) Role-plays appear in many textbooks, but often give insufficient information. For example, ordering a meal in a restaurant. In drama, as in real life, we need to know more about the people and the context (the sociolinguistic variables); for example: “You are at a restaurant ordering lunch, but you’re in a rush because you have a meeting. The waiter is new, but desperately needs to keep this job; however s/he makes many mistakes” (etc, etc).
ii) Speak first, write later. If students are allowed to script their dialogues, they will read them out verbatim and you will have created a writing activity, not a speaking one. If the situations are well chosen, the students should have enough language to complete the role-play. It is, however, a good idea to give groups time to plan their dialogue and even make notes, although I don’t let them use notes in the performance.
iii) Stage confidence: Role-plays that involve 3 or 4 people may give students more security at first – when there are only two actors, there is more pressure to speak. Think about how to sequence role-plays, starting with short, simple situations in larger groups, and working towards duologue or even monologue.
iv) Video-Taping: Although students tend to complain at first, video-taping role-plays and (later) sketches, provides a valuable resource. You can watch the scenes back together and conduct self/peer/teacher evaluation, and also draw out dramatic, pragmatic and linguistic lessons from the video. Another technique I have used is to keep a VHS tape of all the role-plays and improvisations for the whole semester, without showing them all in class. I then have students go to the self-access language center and watch their own performances and evaluate their progress – this is often revelatory!
b) Role-play scenarios. Here are some tried and tested situations for groups of 2-5 students. [Sources unknown or original]
i) You are a family in a hurry to pack and leave for a vacation. PARENT(S) : You know you have to leave soon and you are nearly ready. KID(S) : You keep remembering things you want to bring with, and find reasons to delay your departure.
ii) In a park. One or two kids are playing. An elderly person is sitting on a bench. KID(S) : You decide to make friends with him/her. ELDERLY PERSON: You are in a bad mood, and you don’t want to talk to these kids.
iii) In the kitchen of a fancy restaurant. CHEF(S) : You have lied about your cooking skills and are pretending to be chefs. HEAD CHEF : You are in charge of the kitchen, and you are responsible for the new chefs.
iv) You are astronauts preparing for a very long journey to Mars. You are deciding how to decorate your spaceship. ASTRONAUT 1 : You want a very classical design. ASTRONAUT 2 : You want a very modern design. ASTRONAUT 3 : You want to decorate the ship in the colors of your favorite sports team.
v) At the customer service counter of a store. CUSTOMER : You are trying to return a defective (faulty, broken) product for a refund. SALESPERSON : You refuse to believe there is anything wrong with the item. You won’t give a refund.
vi) You are a group of friends on a camping trip in the woods. It is night. You have been listening to the radio and heard that some convicts (prisoners) have escaped from a local prison. CAMPER 1 : You are afraid that the prisoners will attack you. CAMPER 2 : You aren’t afraid at all and love camping. CAMPER 3 : You aren’t afraid of the convicts, but you hate camping and want to get back to the city as soon as you can.
vii) You are in an elevator that gets stuck. One of you is very afraid of closed-in spaces. Another is going to be late for a very important meeting and is getting very angry. One of you is convinced you can fix the elevator. (You can add more characters – heavily pregnant women appear quite often!)
viii) You are at a gas station. ESCAPED PRISONERS: You need to stop for gas, but you are obviously in a hurry to get out of town before you are recognized and caught. ATTENDANT: You are very old and slow and really just want to have a conversation with the people in the car.
ix) In the living room. FAMILY: You are having your TV repaired. You have never met the repairperson before. REPAIRPERSON: You decide that you like the house, the TV and the family so much that you just want to live there with them. [Adapted from Maley & Duff, Drama Techniques for Language Learning.]
For more ideas, please see Appendix A: The Ultimate Guide to Role-Play Situations.
c) Decision Drama. This is a good alternative to traditional role plays. Choose one or more volunteers and give them a dilemma, for example, you want to pursue your undergraduate studies in a foreign country. The rest of the class stands in a circle around the actor, and they each take a role such as parents, friends, teachers, etc. In turn they must give their advice to the student with the dilemma, if necessary (and if possible) arguing amongst themselves. Then, the student leaves the room to make a decision and the class votes on how they think s/he will swing. The activity ends with a discussion of the decision taken. This activity ensures equal participation (you can always call on students: “So, dad, what do you think your son should do?”) and can connect to your textbook themes and topics easily. I’ve also done this with dilemmas from plays, for instance by having 2 volunteers plays Romeo and Juliet (the class gave some very interesting advice!). [Source: B. Radin, Decision Drama]
d) Strategic Interaction. Here is another variation on role play which is popular in language classrooms. Divide the class into two groups, and assign each group one character in a role play (for example: husband comes home late, very drunk). Each character has an objective (the husband to get to bed without answering any questions, the wife to get him to sleep on the sofa after a satisfactory explanation and apology). The groups should start by brainstorming (in the TL) strategies for their character in the interaction in order to achieve their goals. Then, each group selects a volunteer to role-play the situation. However, at any time, you, the actors or any group member can call “time-out,” in which case the actors go back to the group to discuss what to do next – in other words, this is way of “pausing” or even “rewinding” a live interaction. At the end, the class discusses who “won” the interaction. I like to conclude by pairing all the students off with a member of the other group and have everyone role-play the situation (you can also have them reverse roles!). The advantage of this activity is that it allows you to discuss why conversations break down, and how to avoid it. [Source: DiPietro, Strategic Interactions.]
e) Interpreting a dialogue. This is a quick activity which appears in many drama handbooks. Write on the board a simple, ambiguous dialogue, such as the following:
A: It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other.
B: I know. Time really does fly.
A: So much has changed since that day.
B: I know just what you mean.
A: Do you remember the last thing we said to each other?
B: It’s hard to forget. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Working in pairs, students decide who the characters are, where they are, and what they want. They then practice the dialogue with appropriate tone, pauses and emotions, and perform for the class, who must guess what the context was. [Source: Alexis Finger, The Magic of Drama]
6. Activities to Develop Pragmatic Competence
Pragmatics is the study of how people do things in and with language, both verbal and non-verbal, including intonation, gesture, body language, appropriateness, formality, register, context, and speech acts. Pragmatics are given little space in language textbooks, but they are important for communicative competence (“the competence as to when to speak, when not, and so what to talk about with whom, when, where, in what manner” Dell Hymes; reprised in the National and Illinois Standards for FL Learning: “knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom”).
Why is pragmatic instruction important? “While a speaker who is not operating according to the standard grammatical code is at worse condemned as ‘speaking badly’, the person who operates according to differently formulated pragmatic principles may well be censured as behaving badly; as being an untruthful, deceitful, or insincere person” (Jenny Thomas, British sociolinguist).
a) Focusing on speech acts: The Apology. There are many ways of apologizing in English: direct statement (“I’m sorry”), taking responsibility (“that was my fault”), explaining (“the traffic was terrible”), offering to repair (“I’ll pay for the dry cleaning”), promise (“it won’t happen again”), etc. These may or not be the same in the TL, so start by having students brainstorm ways of apologizing in their native language, then explicitly teach strategies for the TL. To practice, have students bring in a letter of apology (they can choose the situation and motivation). Students read their letters to each other. Then, in pairs, they make the same apology by telephone. Elicit the differences between the two channels of communication. Finally, they apologize face-to-face, and again discuss how the three apologies were different. You can also discuss which strategies work best for different channels. This activity also draws attention to the way language changes with context and modality. [Source: activity adapted from Alexis Finger’s The Magic of Drama; apologies strategies from the sociolinguistic literature – see Appendix B]
b) The Dictophone. This is an advanced activity, adapted from Ruth Wajnryb’s “dictogloss” (or grammar dictation). For the dictophone, choose an appropriate movie clips that contains a lot of pragmatic features (our example is Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). Give students the script (Appendix C), deleting all acting instructions (stage directions, pauses, emotions, etc.). Play the scene twice, and have students write in as many acting instructions as they can. Then in groups, students attempt to replicate the scene as accurately as possible. This works best as a review activity, and although it’s difficult, it does draw attention to intonation, pauses, stress and emphasis. [Source: original, suggested by Kristine Billmyer, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education]
7. Top Ten Principles of Effective Drama Teaching:
- Model everything
- Expect all students to participate but don’t force them – start with volunteers
- Try to participate yourself where possible
- Perform first, write later
- Move the desks and create a performance space
- Start drama activities by standing in a circle
- Always use warm-ups at the start of class
- Don’t correct grammar if it’s not the focus of the activity – encourage risk-taking and “mistakes”
- Give students time to practice the activity, but keep the pace of the class fast
- Have back-up activities (fillers) in reserve, just in case!
Part II – Towards Performance
8. More Warm-Ups
a) Jazz Chants (by Carolyn Graham). As far as I know, no-one has published Jazz Chants in other languages (but there’s an idea!). However, if you have a musical streak, you may be able to create them yourself by taking simple chunks of language and putting them to a beat. Stress-timed languages like English and German will fit Graham’s 4-beat rhythm more easily than syllable-timed languages like French, for which you might need a different beat. Once students have practice Jazz Chants, a fun activity is to give them the text of a new chant and have them find the rhythm and perform it. This generates useful discussion of stress and pronunciation.
b) One Phrase, Many Ways. Students stand in a circle and choose a common phrase (e.g. How are you?). Everyone has to say the same phrase with different intonation in order to change the meaning.
c) Mirroring. This is a classic theatre warm-up, which involves no language but a lot of concentration. Stand opposite a partner. One of you will be the actor, the other the mirror. Everything the actor does must be reflected in real time in the mirror. Change roles after a couple of minutes. You can also specify daily activities to perform in the mirror, such as brushing you teeth. For really focused groups, the third stage is to have no leader – if the pair are really cooperating well, they will be able to continue mirroring, without anyone knowing who is the leader and who is the mirror. [Thanks to Dominique Delvallee in Valenciennes, France for showing me this variation]
d) Dominating/Dominated. Divide the room into two zones: one is marked “dominated”, the other “dominating”. When an actor is in the “dominating” zone, he must act in a superior, confident manner (shown in posture, eye contact, gesture and language). However, in the “dominated” zone, he must be subservient. Students can practice moving around the room, between the two zones. Then, have students form two lines – one in each zone - facing each other. Have students choose a family relationship and have an argument. However, periodically they should switch positions without changing character, then changing from dominant to dominated, and vice versa. This is a difficult exercise, but quite feasible with simple language because of the familiarity of the situation (sibling arguments work well!). Status plays an important role in drama – actors always need to know the social standing of their character in relation to others on the stage.
9. Improvisation
Improvisation means performing a sketch in character after a short period of planning (acting without any preparation time is called extempore and is less useful in language learning). As always, students can make notes in preparation, but should not write scripts.
a) A Recipe for Drama. Alexis Finger reduces drama to three principle ingredients: characters, setting and conflict. You can have students analyze a popular TV, stage or film drama in these terms (Titanic is about a rich engaged girl and poor but unnaturally-well-groomed boy on a big boat in 1912, who fall in love and end up in the North Atlantic). To practice, give students several slips of paper, and have them write 2 or 3 characters, a setting and a conflict on separate slips. Collect them in three piles. Form groups of 3-4 students (larger groups are possible, but I’ve found 4 is optimal) and have one member from each group select one situation, one conflict and enough characters for all the actors. The groups then have to improvise a scene using all the slips (or as many as possible). I usually allow about 15-20 minutes for planning, but I don’t let students sit and talk the whole time – after a while, I make them get up and try out their scene. [Source: adapted in part from Alexis Finger, The Magic of Drama.]
b) The Structure of Drama. At some point in your improvisations, you should remind students that most dramas have a basic three part structure: exposition (beginning), complication (middle), resolution (end). If your sketches are too short, too long or apparently interminable, have groups plan their sketches using this structure, and have the audience note down what happens at each stage.
c) Act Three. You’ll need a selection of random props (objects) for this improv. Give each group a few objects (e.g. a rope, an empty whiskey bottle and a credit card) and tell them that they are going to perform the third and final act of a play; the props were all used in acts 1 or 2. They should decide the genre of the play, the characters and the conflict, and a improvise a sketch of part of the last act (for example, the climax or resolution). They may introduce the scene by describing what has already happened in their play. [Source: Maley & Duff, Drama Techniques in Language Learning.]
10. Let’s Put on a Play!
The difference between drama and theatre is that theatre requires an audience. It’s not necessary to perform in front of an audience to do drama, but it can be a rich and engaging project for a language class. It’s also much easier than you probably think! Ann Burke and Julie O’Sullivan’s Stage by Stage contains a wealth of advice on this topic, and is highly recommended.
a) Why do it?
i) Learning a dialogue expands students’ range of expression
ii) Rehearsing a play provides intensive focus on language and pronunciation
iii) Performing a play gives a real need for clear, effective communication
iv) Entertaining an audience is an experience your students will never forget
b) Original Scripts: Although it is always an option to perform a published play, there are many advantages to having students write their own scripts: it’s a valuable writing assignment, the students are more invested in their plays, there will be less adaptation necessary as the plays will be written with the actors and facilities in mind, and finally the play will be more accessible to a non-native speaking audience. Here is a suggested procedure:
i) Working in small groups, students brainstorm ideas for plots. I give them options, such as a modernized fairy/folk tale (Cinderella is always the most popular choice!), expanding a class improvisation, a play about their school, adapting or parodying a famous story/book/movie (Titanic, Romeo and Juliet and Frankenstein have been great starting points). Remind your students that the play must be original: they cannot just reproduce their favorite movie! The group writes a one-page plot summary, describing roughly what’s going to happen.
ii) After revising their plot using the teacher’s feedback, groups finalize the characters and the plot, writing out a “storyboard” of the action from start to finish. They divide this storyboard into sections or scenes, and each student writes the script for one section or scene.
iii) The scripts are collated and shared, the group edits the complete script and the teacher offers linguistic and dramatic feedback. The script is revised until it is in a performable state, but may be altered during the rehearsal process.
iv) Students rehearse their plays in and out of class, with help from the teacher on pronunciation and intonation (etc). They collect or make props, costume and set. Be sure to hold one or more dress rehearsals in class so that you can “direct” them (and check they have correctly memorized their lines).
v) Opening night! Plays can be performed at a talent show, for parents, or just in front of another class. Video tape the performance so that the actors can review and evaluate their performance.
vi) Evaluation. This will depend on the objectives and standards of your course, but evaluation criteria could include the script, the performance, teamwork and overall effort.
c) A word about movies: If you have access to a digital video camera and Apple’s iMovie or Microsoft’s Movie Maker software, then your students can make movies instead of stageplays. The process is similar, except you need to include a discussion of types of shot, and the movies need to be filmed on location. Groups will need a detailed storyboard and/or shot-list before they film, and even the computer literate need ample time for editing. Personally, I find that students put more effort into the language when they have to perform live on stage, and the editing process requires less interaction in the target language than rehearsing a stage play.
11. Your Turn: “The Seven Ages of Man”!
To demonstrate how easy it is to stage a fun performance quickly, you are going to put today’s techniques into practice. You will be divided into 7 groups, and each group will be responsible for improvising 2-3 minute skit representing your “age.” You can interpret your chunk of text in any way you like. The only rules are that all group members must speak.
Procedure:
1. Brainstorm
2. outline
3. improvise
4. revise
5. practice
6. perform!
JACQUES: All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, GROUP ONE [infant]
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel GROUP TWO [schoolboy]
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, GROUP THREE [teenager]
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, GROUP FOUR [young adult]
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard*, * leopard (probably)
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, GROUP FIVE [middle age]
In fair round belly with good capon* lined, * chicken
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws* and modern instances; * sayings, proverbs
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts GROUP SIX [retirement]
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon*, * old man (from It. pantalone)
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, GROUP SEVEN [old age]
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
(As You Like It, II.vii)
For More Ideas …
TESOL-Drama is a community within the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) organization which discusses the use of drama techniques in second/foreign language teaching. From role plays to improvisation games to full-scale productions, language teachers throughout the world have long recognized the value of drama in all its forms. TESOL-Drama provides a forum for discussing best practice in language through drama, sharing classroom activities, and exploring the theoretical underpinnings of our work. Membership is limited to TESOL members, who can join by sending a blank email to join-egroup-drama@lists.tesol.org
Non-members of TESOL are invited to participate in our free online workshop, “Effective uses of drama in language teaching”. It has already started, but you can still join by visiting www.yahoogroups.com/evo_drama_2005 and clicking JOIN.
Bibliography
Drama Handbooks and Textbooks referred to in this workshop
Burke, Ann & Julie O’Sullivan. (2002). Stage by Stage: A Handbook for Using Drama in the Second Language Classroom. Heinemann. [An excellent collection of fluency activities along with a detailed description of how to stage published and original plays. Written by two college ESL teachers, but with strong application to foreign language teaching.]
DiPietro, R. Strategic Interactions. (1987). Cambridge: Cambridge UP. [An innovative role-playing technique in which students can reflect on the progress of an interaction.]
Gerard Finger, Alexis. (2000). The Magic of Drama: An Oral Performance Activity Book. Full Blast Productions. [Now available from Alta Books; a very comprehensive guide for inexperienced drama teachers.]
Graham, Carolyn. Jazz Chants. NY: Oxford University Press (several volumes available)
Maley, Alan & Alan Duff. (1982). Drama Techniques in Language Learning. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. [The bible of language through drama teachers. Very extensive collection of activities.]
Radin, B. Decision Drama: Real Language For Real Life. J.A.G. Publishers, 1992.
Websites* (*with absolutely no guarantee of quality or accuracy!)
TESOL-Drama www.msu.edu/~caplan/drama
Effective Techniques for Teaching English Through Drama (JOIN the group and go to LINKS or FILES) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EVO_drama_2005/
The above sites provide more detailed lists of drama websites
Warm-Ups http://www.learnimprov.com/warmups.html
Creative Drama and Theater Education Resource Guide http://creativedrama.com
Creating Drama with Poetry http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed368214.html
A Guide to the Theory of Drama http://www.uni-koeln.de/%7Eame02/pppd.htm
The Improv Encyclopedia http://www.humanpingpongball.com/
Expanded Bibliography
Books of drama games and activities:
Boal, A., & Jackson, A. (trans.) (1992). Games for actors and non-actors. Routledge.
Graham, C. (1991). Rhythm and role play. Studio City, CA: Jag.
Ladousse, G. (1987). Role Play. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rinvolucri, M. (1984). Grammar games: Cognitive, affective and drama activities for
EFL students. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Spolin, V. (1999, 3rd ed.). Improvisation for the theater. Evanston, IL: Northwestern
University Press.
Whiteson, V. (Ed.) (1996). New ways of using drama and literature in language
teaching. Blooomington, IL: TESOL.
Wright, A, Betteridge, D., & Buckby, M. (1984). Games for language learning. New
edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Research/information on using drama in language classrooms—why, how, etc:
Axtmann, A. (2002). Transcultural performance in classroom learning. In G. Brauer (Ed.), Body and language: Intercultural learning through drama (pp. 37-50). Westport, CT: Ablex.
Berry, K. (2000). Dramatic arts and cultural studies: Acting against the grain. New York: Falmer Press.
Brauer, G. (Ed.). (2002). Body and language: Intercultural learning through theater and writing. Ablex.
Byram, M., & Fleming, M. (Eds.). (1998) Language learning in intercultural perspective: Approaches through drama and ethnography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Davies, P. (1990). The use of drama in English language teaching. TESL Canada Journal, 8(1), 87-99.
Dickson, P.S. (1989). Acting French: Drama techniques in the second language classroom. The French Review, 63(2), 300-11.
Kao, S.M., & O’Neill, C. (1998). Words into worlds: Learning a second language
through process drama. Stamford, CT: Ablex Publishing Company.
Miccoli, L. (2003). English through drama for oral skills development. ELT Journal, 57(2), 122-129.
Rodriguez, Raymond & Robert White. "From Role Play to the Real World." In J. Oller (Ed.), Methods that work: Ideas for literacy and language teachers (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Rivers, W. M. (Ed.). (1987). Interactive language teaching. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Smith, S. (1984). The theatre arts and the teaching of languages. New York: Addison-Wesley.
Stern, S. (1980). Drama in second language learning from a psycholinguistic perspective. Language Learning, 30(1), 77-97.
Vitz, K. (1983). A review of empirical research in drama and language. Children's Theatre Review, 32(4), 17-25.
Wagner, B.J. (Ed.). Educational drama and language arts: What research shows. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Wagner, B. J. (2002). Understanding drama-based education. In G. Brauer (Ed.), Body and language: Intercultural learning through drama (pp. 3-18). Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
Wessels, C. (1987). Drama. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Worthman, C. (2002). "Just playing the part": Engaging adolescents in drama and literacy. New York: Teachers College Press.
About the presenter:
Nigel A. Caplan teaches English as a Second Language at Michigan State University. He holds degrees in TESOL from the University of Pennsylvania, and Modern Languages from Cambridge University. He has given several workshops on language through drama at regional and international TESOL conferences.