Types Of Drama Activities

When incorporating drama into their lessons, teachers can choose from a range of drama activities, which go from closed and controlled exercises to more open communication.

According to Kao & O'Neill (1998), the most controlled language games and scri pted role-plays seem to be the kind of activities preferred by teachers, since they involve practising the language without taking any risk; these activities are selected by the teacher, who sets up the exercise (for example interviewing various candidates for a job), decides the roles (interviewer and interviewees) and evaluates the students working in pairs and in groups. The emphasis is put on the practice of pre-determined language structures (asking questions on a given topic and giving answers) and the main objective is accuracy of both language structures and vocabulary. Students are thus given the opportunity to rehears some stereo-typed dialogues and grow in fluency in a very controlled and protected situation. (Kao & O'Neill, 1998: 9). The two authors consider that insisting only on this type of low-risk activities could prevent students from progressing to higher levels of fluency in the target language. However, what is more important when setting up a drama activity is not the activity itself, but the way it is explored and carried out. Taking as an example the role-play, we have seen how this can be set up as a simple exercise, where students take few decisions and where the tension arises "because of the need for students to produce accurate language and vocabulary". (Kao & O'Neill, 1998: 9). In this case, managing to maintain the verbal interaction is enough to be considered successful, as this is considered the ultimate aim of this type of exercise. But the same role-play can be transformed in a real experience, where the concept of immediacy is paramount. Bolton G., referring to the previous role-play, gives us a clear example of how this can be done and he states that "if the participants were to know it is about an employer who has to make up his/her mind over an applicant who is known to be HIV positive, they are likely to engage existentially in their simulated interview." (Bolton, G. 1993: 35). In this case the activity is set up "as an experience rather than an example of something" (Bolton, G. 1993: 35). In this way the work is goal oriented, with a sense of authenticity (the students are trying to do something with words) rather than language oriented. Students feel motivated by the situation and see it purposeful since, while practise the language, they do not focus on the language itself, but on the task. This is, in fact, what drama can offer in the MFL classroom: a meaningful and purposeful way of practising vocabulary and language structures, instead of mere learning of grammatical concepts, without never having the opportunity to use that language in real life situations. This kind of language contexts, which support a Communicative Approach of language teaching, can be developed through the use of Experiential Drama. (Glock, C. 1993).

Experiential drama, as it is defined by the Educational Department of Tasmania refers to students' "capacity to put themselves imaginatively into someone else's situation and to express ideas and feelings in interactions with other people in a variety of agreed upon situations" (1980: 1). It therefore creates direct links between the classroom restricted settings and the real world situations, and provides for students the opportunity to engage in imaginary but real life contexts, where they "are encouraged to use language in natural ways in order to develop confidence and fluency in realistic situations." (Glock, C. 1993: 114). Moreover, Glock states that role-plays or other language games "usually occur without a fully developed context", (Glock, C. 1993: 115) and without a clear purpose, that is to say students have to carry out teachers' instructions in unrealistic situations, without being able to add anything to the teachers' suggestions on how and when to say what. (Glock, C. 1993). This is a clear indicator of the fact that the majority of teachers do not fully understand the real potential of educational drama and believe that by simply asking students to rehears and act out some dialogues they are enhancing their language fluency and preparing them to take part in real life situations. On the contrary, by getting involved in some stereo-typed role-plays, where they merely repeat certain language structures, students prepare themselves for the totally controlled situations of the exam, but not for real life situations, where meaning is constantly negotiated and questions are asked because of the need to obtain information which then serves to overcome determined obstacles and reach an objective. It seems that teachers should decide what is more important for them: whether to achieve excellent results in the exam or prepare the students for life. The ability of a teacher, however, stays in being able to conciliate the two and adapt drama activities to the current MFL National Curriculum, so that good exam results are achieved, but not at the expenses of pupils' true preparation for real life communication.

But can this really be achieved? And if yes, how? And how can drama activities be adapted so that all pupils' abilities and needs are taken into account and met? Is it possible to engage mixed ability groups of students through experiential drama? All these questions are addressed in the following paragraph, where differentiation in experiential drama is discussed and some suggestions on how lessons could be organised and carried out are put forward.

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