A process approach to drama in language teaching

More and more these days, language teachers are expected to stage some kind of theatre performance with their students, which is often presented to the school and sometimes even to the children’s parents. It is an event that is always excitedly anticipated by everyone because of its entertainment value and the opportunity it provides for the whole school to come together and enjoy and appreciate the efforts of students and teachers.

Furthermore, we teachers increasingly ask our students to give oral presentations to the rest of the class and sometimes even to the whole school because it is generally accepted that the skills required to do this effectively are directly transferable to the world outside the classroom and the children’s future lives at work.

From the students’ point of view, there is a lot of overlap in the skills needed to participate in acting in a play and giving presentations and it is the teacher’s job to ensure that they carry out these tasks to the best of their ability. So my plenary will focus on exactly how we can do this by emphasising the process we should take our students through in order for them to achieve something that is valued, immensely enjoyable and that gives them a sense of pride in their work