Dramatic Improvisations in a University Teaching Context: Affect and Other Aspects of Cognition

1. Dramatic Improvisations in a University Teaching Context:Affect and Other Aspects of Cognition Elena Oncevska (MA) The Bla�e Koneski Faculty of Philology Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

2. Attitudes: as expressed in the subjects� answers to questionnaire and interview questions as inferred from a classroom observation

3. Drama Techniques Using drama techniques = improvising a communicative, unscripted situation with a partner or partners, in which students are invited to draw on their imagination and creativity (for example, by assuming a role) to provide a context for their language learning experience; Heathcote (1984: 104): creating �reflective [�as if�] elements within an existing [classroom] reality�, or what Brecht calls �visiting another room.�

4. Context Education: a waiting room or a laboratory? (Bolton, 2003) Subjects: 53 English language majors (29 first-year and 24 third-year students) from the state university in Skopje, Macedonia and their EFL teacher

5. � Research questions: What effects on affect do the teacher and his students perceive in using drama techniques for English language learning? What other effects of drama techniques on English language learning do they perceive?

6. �What �disturbs [students] into learning�? (Heathcote et al., 1994: 189) human fascination with fiction opportunities for noticing both own and peers� output � supplying a novel point of view (�defamiliarisation�) centrality of meaning (imaginary contexts/characters) genuine communication (unpredictable, non-linear, not only verbal) focus on the �whole person� (emotional + intellectual involvement) focus on process (the participants �get the kicks�) � �living through� vs. showing to; end-product: experience discovery-based approach (drawing on old understandings to reach new)

7. �In drama we have a unique pedagogic situation, where a teacher sees himself as teaching, but the participant does not see himself as learning� (Bolton in Wessels, 1987: 16).

8. Key findings 97% : drama is interesting and useful 3%: drama is not very interesting but useful 100% agreement that drama: helps students to practise spontaneous, real communication makes students more motivated to speak is useful and provides a fun element which makes learning much more effective

9. Key findings 87.9%: Drama is good for shy students: they may feel more comfortable to improvise dialogues in pairs rather than speak in front of the class. 81.8%: Everyone has creativity in them to produce contexts and conversations which are meaningful and interesting to them.

10. stress-free environment: �[Drama] cheer[s] us up after a long� after long classes�� protection of the role: �[�] when being in role of another person, it is that very person making the mistakes (if any) and not you.� & �While pretending somebody we�re not it is easier to speak [�] I�ve experienced it.� vs. students being essentially the same (Teacher) freedom of expression creativity (an alternative learning strategy) fun element: �It�s much more fun than trying not to sleep while the teacher is lecturing.� �visible� interest and involvement (due to novelty) benefits for shy students Affect-related effects � �affect is an integral part of cognition� (Schuman in Arnold, 1998: 239):

11. emotional memory: �You memorise it better when you�re saying it with a lot of feeling, as if you�re talking [�] about the object of your affection.� group dynamics � drama as a shortcut to group cohesion (Teacher) personal development: �[By doing drama students] start participating in the class not even being aware of how much they have to offer.� empathy identity issues: �We have a chance to speak as a native speakers of the English language.� Affect-related effects � �affect is an integral part of cognition� (Schuman in Arnold, 1998: 239):

12. shy students might feel stressed not creative/talented students, but, Teacher: �I haven�t met a student who didn�t take to the idea of acting after a while� after they tried.� (gradual progression of task difficulty suggested) Drawbacks: 

13. rehearsal of real-life situations: To improvise for one of the interviewed students means �to imagine what you�d say in a real situation� (meaning focus) bridging the gap between knowledge and performance vocabulary: �[�] drama roles [�] make us think faster on the vocabulary we�ve learnt before.� registers more use of L2 Other cognitive effects: 

14. learning made easier: �[Drama] detonates all boundaries and allows the student to expand and actually use what he/she has learned over the past years. It is a good way of placing oneself onto a certain scale of knowledge without ever feeling a thing.� & �It�s interesting that I can myself notice [�] the progress in these verbal skills.� communicative strategies (Teacher) Other cognitive effects: 

15. grammar and vocabulary (accuracy) waste of time: �During drama activities one doesn�t learn much useful language or other things concerning language. I see it only as fun, nothing more. If it�s done too often then the class would be simply useless. Students need to learn real language.� Drawbacks: 

16. Suggestions? Discussing our instructional choices with the students if our agendas are to converge?

17. References: Arnold, J. (1998) �Towards More Humanistic English Teaching�, ELT J, 52(3), 235-242 Bolton, G. (2003) Dorothy Heathcote�s Story: Biography of a Remarkable Drama Teacher, Stoke on Tent: Trentam Books Heathcote, D. (1984) �From the particular to the universal� in Johnson, L. and O�Neill, C. (eds.) Heathcote, Dorothy: Collected Writings on Education and Drama, London: Hutchinson Heathcote, D. and Bolton, G. (1994) Drama for Learning: Dorothy Heathcote�s Mantle of the Expert Approach to Education, Portsmouth: Heinemann Wessels, C. (1987) Drama, Oxford: Oxford University Press