Teaching Speaking Skills through Drama: Inspiration Matters

Mariya Neykova, Bulgaria

Mariya Neykova, PhD, is a chief assistant professor at New Bulgarian University. She teaches various courses in the area of foreign language teaching methodology. Her current research interest is focused on implementing an action-oriented approach in the context of blended learning. E-mail: mneikova@nbu.bg

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Introduction
Background
Discussion
Conclusions
References

Introduction

Speaking in a foreign language is considered to be one of the most difficult skills to master. For various reasons, learners of English – young or adult, might feel a kind of constraint to express their thoughts and ideas in the foreign language they are learning. Arguably, it is the teachers’ task to look for innovative ways of helping students to overcome their anxiety and unwillingness to speak for fear of being ridiculed by their peers in class. Among the numerous possibilities, teaching English through drama stands out as one of the most creative, inspiring and rewarding ones.

Background

In their attempts to design effective frameworks for developing speaking skills, FLT methodologists explore various aspects of speaking like structuring and discourse markers (Lynch 1983; Lynch & Anderson 1992); types of speaking activities, e.g. short talks (Hadjikoteva 2016), academic presentations (Hadjikoteva 2015; Neykova 2004); the use of multiple information channels, e.g. speech/sound plus visual aids (Vollmer & Hoberg 1988), etc.

The present article focuses on the implementation of the action-oriented approach in speaking activities and the inspiration that art creates.

The action-oriented approach is gaining more and more supporters among teachers of English worldwide. Although at first sight it might seem time consuming, compared to the lock-step type of teaching, its benefits are numerous and unquestionable (Neykova 2015). Foreign language teaching aims at developing skills for communication in various domains – educational, occupational, public and personal (CEFR 2006). This is the reason why interaction between the learners as social agents is so important in the process of language learning. The development of interpersonal skills can be viewed as both an achievement and a necessary prerequisite for the successful implementation of the action-oriented approach in the FL classroom (Neykova, 2014). It enhances responsibility, boosts self-esteem and creates a positive, low-stress atmosphere.

Interaction with art has also been acknowledged as one of the most effective ways to inspire and motivate learners. Literary texts can be found in almost every ELT textbook for adults or young adults. Most commonly, they are extracts from classical masterpieces or popular modern novels written by distinguished authors. Since they are an essential part of the culture of the English speaking world, they deserve a fair share of the students’ time and efforts. What is rarely found in textbooks, though, are extracts from plays. It is important to integrate drama texts in the process of learning because instead of sitting passively looking at the textbook, students participate and learn the foreign language actively (Vernon 2015). Even if adults have lost some of their childhood imagination, they will still benefit in terms of improving their public speaking skills, boosting their self-confidence and developing their teamwork competences.

Discussion

Teaching English through drama texts is a challenging task both for the instructor and the learners. In my class English Theatre at New Bulgarian University I teach students whose major is English Studies. My course is practical, aiming to enhance both language competence and background knowledge of English drama. It functions as a transition stage to the more profound study of English culture and literature. My ambition is to achieve four main outcomes: (1) to improve the students’ speaking skills (both spoken interaction and spoken production); (2) to enrich the students’ vocabulary; (3) to develop the students’ interpersonal skills and collaborative learning skills; (4) to broaden the students’ background knowledge about the English drama masterpieces.

Steps in the preparation and realization of the activities:

1. Choice of materials
   • Authentic vs. adapted texts – the implementation of the Communicative Approach presupposes the use of authentic materials in as many of the classroom activities as possible. Adult learners of English are eager to achieve the necessary competence to read original texts in the foreign language. As for the students of philology, they are supposed to read authentic literary texts not only because such texts are an intrinsic part of their programme, but also because they are expected to be naturally attracted to that kind of read. However, when faced with archaic or outdated vocabulary, the students might feel somewhat intimidated. If they are to recite a monologue or act out a play, they may have to overcome both their uncertainty about the correct interpretation of the text and their fear of mispronunciation since such words will not be a part of their active vocabulary. The choice for the teachers is not an easy one – they have to decide whether to stick to the authentic texts, taking the risk of poor interpretation and performance on the part of the students, or to resort to simpler adaptations. To solve this dilemma, teachers may use parallel texts running side-by-side in two columns, offering the original text alongside with its “translation” into modern English (e.g. SparkNotes/No Fear Shakespeare). Such parallel texts can serve as a transition stage, leading the students to a fuller and more adequate understanding of the original, which makes it possible for the activity to shift its focus from understanding to performance of the original lines.
   • Classical vs. modern plays – the question what kind of play to choose – classical or modern, is not to be neglected and it largely depends on the learners’ level of communicative competence. Soliloquies from classical plays can be used successfully as a means for the development of spoken production skills, for the acquisition of specific vocabulary, characteristic of the historical period when the play was written, and for widening the scope of the students’ background knowledge. Besides, the learners can benefit from the video or audio records of soliloquies available on the Internet, some of which are performed by professional actors (e.g. Hamlet's Soliloquy To Be or Not to Be). However, acting out a scene from a more modern play seems to be better suited to the objectives of a course focusing on teaching spoken interaction skills through drama. The setting, the vocabulary and the topics are more familiar and closer to the students’ knowledge of the world, which makes the whole activity more natural and a near authentic one. Still, both classical and modern plays inspire the students to learn more and to improve their speaking skills.
2. Instructors – traditionally, teaching English through drama is integrated either in an English language course or in an English Studies programme. Naturally, the instructor is a teacher of English but even the best foreign language teacher does not possess the skills and expertise of an actor or a director of dramatic productions. Needless to say, the students can only benefit from the advice of a theatre professional. At school this task is usually delegated to a parent who volunteers to help the children. In my class I am lucky to work in a team with a teacher of acting, who is also an actor, so I take care of the linguistic aspect of the activity and my colleague is responsible for the acting techniques, intonation, phrasing, body language, etc.
3. Rehearsals – speaking of rehearsals, the first association that comes to mind is an in-person rehearsal. This is the traditional way of preparing for a performance – a play, a recitation, etc. In-person rehearsals are absolutely necessary and there is no other way to learn how to act, how to render the lines and impress the audience. Besides, in-person rehearsals boost the development of collaborative learning techniques and strengthen the team spirit. However, online rehearsals should not be underestimated, especially with adults. The first stages of the activity do not necessarily require a direct contact with the teacher or the fellow students. Modern IT developments offer ample opportunities for high quality online communication carried out, for example, on e-learning platforms. What is more, online rehearsals have their advantages – they save time, they can be scheduled conveniently for the student and the teacher and they provide the necessary conditions for individual work, which is essential with shy students.
4. Performance – the choice of the décor, setting and theatrical costumes, the presence of an audience – all these aspects of the theatrical performance are important and contribute to the general atmosphere of enthusiasm and exhilaration. Such strong emotions influence the development and improvement of speaking skills in a favourable way since they lower the stress levels and enhance the desire for cooperation based on positive interdependence. However, the result is a shift from the linguistic nature of the activity to the quality of the performance. While children and adolescents value the effect of their performance on the audience, usually consisting of their family and friends, adult learners of English care about the linguistic aspect far more. Unlike children, they cannot rely on a supportive, all-accepting and all-forgiving audience, ready to applaud and praise them just for participation. What matters more to the adult learners is their self-evaluation and their peers’ evaluation since adults have a very well-developed system of criteria for self-assessment and can be fairly self-critical as well. This is why the choice of décor and the presence or absence of an audience seem to the adult students somewhat less important compared to language practice, and more specifically, to speaking practice. Nevertheless, they can still benefit from the excitement and surge of emotions that a drama performance implies.

The benefits of teaching speaking skills through drama are significant and manifold. The success of such a speaking activity is based largely on the appropriate choice of text, depending on the age, the level of linguistic competence and the specific educational or professional interests of the learners. Adult learners perceive classical texts as a challenge, they are eager to fathom the depths of thought and the ideas in the play and to explore the vocabulary, characteristic of a specific playwright or a specific historical period. For the university students this is also a way to enrich their knowledge of the English culture, language and literature with a focus on drama. A challenging text would also provoke critical thinking and inspire them to reassess stereotype models and generalisations.

The learners’ individual interpretation of the play can be observed in the way they render the meaning of the drama text when they recite or take part in a scene. This is an unforgettable emotional experience involving empathy and creativity. The internalization of the text helps the students of philology to gain professional confidence. Recitation is not merely a case of spoken production. Inspiration turns it into a means of self-expression and an impressive way of sending a message to the audience. Collaborative learning skills are successfully developed and applied in the acting out of a scene from a play. Every student is motivated to work hard in order to meet the expectations of their peers who are both members of the cast and of the audience, so individual accountability plays an essential part in the activity and inspires the students to do their best.

Positive, low stress atmosphere at the rehearsals guarantees to a great extent the success of the performance. The role of the instructors – both English language teachers and theatre professionals – is to support, to encourage and to motivate the learners to overcome the language difficulties and the natural stage fright. Successful performance is vital to the fragile self-confidence of students who make their first steps as actors, even if amateur ones. The sense of achievement can motivate the learners to continue their endeavours in this field and to preserve their love for English drama in their life and future work as philologists.

Conclusions

To sum up, teaching speaking skills through drama is strengthening its position as an effective means to develop both spoken interaction and spoken production skills in a way that motivates and inspires learners. The interaction with art brings multiple benefits to the speaking activity involving strong emotional experience and rethinking of moral and ethic values. As for the students of philology, it broadens their horizons in a professional and humanistic perspective. Specific vocabulary, sometimes archaic or outdated, is memorized and internalized through a meaningful learning experience. Last but not least, teaching speaking skills through drama creates the necessary conditions for the implementation of the action-oriented approach and the appropriate context for the development of collaborative learning skills.

References

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. (2006). Council of Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Hadjikoteva, M. (2016). Short Talks in Class. BETA E-Newsletter. Issue 21, Year V. Retrieved 2017 from http://www.beta-iatefl.org/cogitoergosum/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/BETA-E-Newsletter-Jan_Feb_2016.pdf

Hadjikoteva, M. (2015). Challenging Academic Presentations. Journal of English Studies at NBU, Vol.1, Issue 1. Sofia: NBU

Lynch, T. (1983). Study Listening. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Lynch, T. & Anderson, K. (1992). Study Speaking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Neykova, M. (2014). An Action-oriented Approach in the Context of Blended Learning. BETA E-Newsletter. Issue 14, Year III. Retrieved 2017 from http://www.beta-iatefl.org/cogitoergosum/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BETA_E-Newsletter_November_December_2014.pdf

Vernon, S. (2015). Teaching English through Drama. EFL Magazine. Retrieved 2017 from http://www.eflmagazine.com/teaching-english-drama/

Vollmer, G. & Hoberg, G. (1988). Top-Training Lern- und Arbeitsstrategien: Behalten - Verarbeiten - Anwenden. Stuttgart: Klett

Нейкова, М. (2015). Дейностно-ориентиран подход към изучаването на чужд език в контекста на електронното обучение от смесен тип. София: Фараго. [Neykova, M. (2015). An Action-oriented Approach to Foreign Language Acquisition in the Context of Blended Learning. Sofia: Farago]

Нейкова, М. (2005). Развиване на умения за устна презентация. София: Чуждоезиково обучение, XXI(2), 44-53. [Neykova, M. (2005). Developing Oral Presentation Skills. Sofia: Foreign Language Teaching, Issue 2]

Internet Sites

SparkNotes/No Fear Shakespeare. Retrieved 2017 from http://nfs.sparknotes.com

SparkNotes/No Fear Shakespeare. Retrieved 2017 from
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/page_138.html
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/page_140.html

William Shakespeare. Hamlet's Soliloquy To Be or Not to Be. Hamlet. Act 3, Scene 1. Retrieved 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuH4EHB2eiA

William Shakespeare. Hamlet's Soliloquy To Be or Not to Be. Hamlet. Act 3, Scene 1. Retrieved 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdp6dpiK8Ko

SparkNotes/No Fear Shakespeare. (2017). Retrieved 2017 from
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/asyoulikeit/page_96.html
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/asyoulikeit/page_98.html

William Shakespeare. Jacques’ Soliloquy All the World's a Stage. As You Like It. Act 2, Scene 7. Retrieved 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfECXVeCHJ8

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