Enlivening Instruction with Drama and Improv: A Guide for Second Language and World Language Teachers

by Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, Kathleen McGovern

Overview

This engaging and complete resource has everything you need to bring drama and theatre techniques into the ESL, EFL, or World Language Classroom. Are your students reluctant to speak out in class? Do they lack confidence in their language skills? The dynamic drama games in this book are the perfect catalyst to transform your students into engaged learners, and help them build confidence and language skills. The interactive theatre games and techniques are specifically designed for use in Second, Foreign, and World Language classrooms to empower students through meaningful, agentive language learning. With over 80 activities and games, and hundreds of extensions that can be catered to every level, this book provides teachers with clear, step-by-step instructions to teaching dramatic activities with L2 learners of all levels and backgrounds. The games and strategies in this book will enliven classrooms with communication that is creative, memorable, inspiring, and fun.

Grounded in cutting-edge research, this book explains why teaching language through drama is effective and inspiring for teachers and students alike, directing readers to a wide array of resources and approaches to teaching language through theatre. You’ll also find guidance on leading drama games with language learners in a variety of online platforms, lesson planning models, and an example lesson plan for easy implementation in physical or virtual classroom spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367862961
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/31/2021
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor is Professor of Language and Literacy Education and Art Education at the University of Georgia, USA.

Kathleen R. McGovern has a PhD in TESOL & World Languages from the University of Georgia and serves as a faculty member in Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.

Table of Contents

Expanded Contents ix

List of Illustrations xiii

Meet the Authors xiv

Foreword Ryuko Kubota xvi

Acknowledgments: A Personal Note Paying Homage to Our Teachers xviii

Introduction: Acting Up with Language 1

Who Should Read This Book? 1

Creating a Classroom Ensemble 3

Using the Icons in the Book to Find Games 6

Using the Icons to Locate Activities: Targeting Skills, Online Learning, and More 8

Drama and L2 Assessment 9

Access to Profound Joy 12

1 Drama Basics 13

Taking on the Role of Director: Scaffolding for Dramatic Success in the Language Classroom 18

A Note on Props, Costumes, and Sets 20

Common Questions and Challenges to Drama in Language Instruction 22

2 Critical Drama-based L2 History, Theory, and Practice 28

Drama in the Classroom 28

Acting Up in the Second and Foreign Language Classroom 29

Theorizing Drama as Dialogic Imagination 31

Language Teacher Artistry 33

Focus on Consciousness 35

Challenges and Drama-Based L2 Resistance 37

3 Getting to Know You: Creating Classroom Community through Drama 39

Poetry in Names Game 40

Expert Continuum 42

Step into the Circle if … 45

Never Have I Ever 47

Hands, Hands 48

Hot Hands Share 49

Gibberish Introductions 50

Five Things 52

4 Warm-up with Little to No Language 54

Hi-Ya 55

Zip-Zap-Zop, Woosh, Whoa! Boing! 57

Pop-up Ball Quiz 59

Filling the Space 62

Grandmother's Footsteps 64

West Side Story: A Battle of Compliments 65

Concentration 67

Poison Peepers 68

1˜2˜3 69

Are You My Mother? 71

Flocking 72

Pass the Space Ball 74

Emotional Symphony 75

Creating and Building a Space 77

One Minute Scenes 79

5 Say It Again, Sam! Rehearsing Target Language Words and Phrases 81

This is My … [Blanket] 82

Yes, Let's 85

(E)Motional Wave 86

Do You Like Your Neighbor? 89

"The Minister's Cat" Rhythm Competition 90

Running Dictation Performances 92

Tongue Twisters 93

Blank Dialogues 96

Emoting the Days of the Week 98

Bippity-Bippity-BOP! 99

Achoo/Bless You/Brring! 101

Three Musketeers 103

The House is on Fire! Let's … 104

6 Guessing Games 106

Warmer/Colder 107

GPS Directions 108

Preposition Charades 110

"What's Wrong with Me?" 111

Fish Bowl 112

Landscapes of Emotion 114

Party Quirks & Late for Work 116

Story Informed 117

Famous Person - Who is It? 118

If the Shoe Fits … 120

7 Improvising with Shorter Stretches of Language 122

Yes, and 123

Art Museum Curator 125

One-Word Story 126

Freeze-Improv Classic 130

Three-Line Scene 131

Question Lines 132

Taboo Words 134

ABC Die (Bye!)! or Alphabet Improv 135

Character Bus/Taxi 138

What Are You (Not) Doing? 139

Headlines 140

Trifecta 142

8 Improvising with Longer Stretches of Language 144

I Object! 145

Seven Layer Dip 147

Two-Headed Professor or Expert Interview 149

Sounds Like a Hit! 150

Helping Hands 152

Mafia 152

Gibberish Interpreter 155

Game Show 156

Double-Sided Debates 157

New Choice 159

Interview with a Character 160

Pop-Up Story Book 162

9 Theatre for Agency, Activism, and Acting Up with Language 164

Equity Considerations for the L2 Ensemble 168

Acting Up with Language is a Responsibility 170

Game of Opposites 172

Where I'm From 174

(In)Human Continuum 177

Power with Chairs 180

Cops and Robbers (in the Head) 182

Day in the Life 184

Power with Cards 185

Sculpting 186

The Human Machine 187

Carnival 188

Devising Students' Personal Stories into Scenes 190

Afterword Shirley Brice Heath 195

Appendix A Theatre Game Adaptations in Virtual and Non-Contact Spaces 199

How to Play L2 Theatre Games without Contact or Online? 199

Get to Know Your Digital Platform 200

Adapt Warm Ups to Online/Contact-Less Play 201

Staging the Space and Spacing the Stage: Embodied Movement Online 202

Focusing the Spotlight: Managing the Audiovisual Online 203

Using Breakout Groups: Groupwork Online 204

Concluding Thoughts on Drama Instruction Online 205

Online Learning Adaptations Found in the Book 205

Chapter 3 205

Chapter 4 206

Chapter 5 206

Chapter 6 206

Chapter 7 206

Chapter 8 207

Chapter 9 207

Appendix B Lesson Planning for Acting Up with Language 208

L2 Drama Lesson Plan Template 209

Example L2 Drama Lesson 211

References 216

Editorial Reviews

"The authors are experienced language teachers who have thoughtfully considered how to describe the goals and procedures of the games, including ideas for adapting and extending them, even to online environments. In their concern for social justice, the authors advocate using drama in order to provide space for language learners to explore their agency in countering marginalized discourses. Given the times in which we live, I can only applaud such advocacy."

—Diane Larsen-Freeman, Professor Emerita, University of Michigan, USA

"This book offers a practical and comprehensive resource for teachers looking to expand their classroom toolkit. The authors make an excellent and imminently usable case for the value of movement and an ensemble spirit in the classroom. Each of the over 80 exercises in the book is accompanied by suggestions and variations to help instructors adapt to their individual classroom and student needs. No doubt you’ll be pulling this book off the shelf for years to come."

—Coya Paz Brownrigg, Chair of Theatre Studies, DePaul University, and Artistic Director of Free Street Theater, USA

"Cahnmann-Taylor and McGovern’s book offers a socially conscious ‘acting up with language’ approach to the integration of drama/theatre games and performance methods into L2 language instruction and acquisition. Through carefully curated, detailed drama activity descriptions, linked to productive L2 learning skills and tasks, this accessible handbook deftly demonstrates the sociocultural and sociopolitical realities which shape language learning in a range of educational contexts both in-person and virtual. A must-have resource for educators and teaching artists working in the fields of language, literacy, and the arts!

—Katie Dawson, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

"Readers may at first think that this book provides a useful collection of theater games…and, it does. However, it succeeds at doing much more. Readers will recognize that the authors are experienced language teachers who have thoughtfully considered how to describe the goals and procedures of the games, including ideas for adapting and extending them, even to online environments. Indeed, it is clear that the authors are committed to the theater and to acting and to the powerful combination of learning with play and fun. But there is a serious side to this volume as well. In their concern for social justice, the authors advocate using drama in order to provide space for language learners to explore their agency in countering marginalized discourses. Given the times in which we live, I can only applaud such advocacy."

—Diane Larsen-Freeman, Professor Emerita, University of Michigan, USA

"This book offers a practical and comprehensive resource for teachers looking to expand their classroom toolkit. While the text focuses on embodied activities to help English language learners at all levels develop their skills, I found myself dreaming of ways to use these exercises in history and writing classrooms as well. The authors make an excellent and imminently usable case for the value of movement and an ensemble spirit in the classroom. Each of the over 80 exercises in the book is accompanied by suggestions and variations to help instructors adapt to their individual classroom and student needs. Whether you are new to facilitating theater exercises in the classroom, or a drama teacher yourself, no doubt you’ll be pulling this book off the shelf for years to come."

—Coya Paz Brownrigg, Chair of Theatre Studies, DePaul University, and Artistic Director of Free Street Theater, USA

"Cahnmann-Taylor and McGovern’s book offers a socially conscious ‘acting up with language’ approach to the integration of drama/theatre games and performance methods into L2 language instruction and acquisition. Through carefully curated, detailed drama activity descriptions, linked to productive L2 learning skills and tasks, this accessible handbook deftly demonstrates the sociocultural and sociopolitical realities which shape language learning in a range of educational contexts both in-person and virtual. A must-have resource for educators and teaching artists working in the fields of language, literacy, and the arts!

—Katie Dawson, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

This book provides a compilation of theater activities that any language teacher can use with their classes to engage students of any level and promote learning. The book is easy to use and the instructions for each game are clear—listing levels, goals, timing, and material required. Drawing from drama-based language pedagogy as well as their own experience, the authors suggest many ways to adapt the games, including for a virtual context, which is more welcome now than ever. The theater games in this book engage both body and mind and call on teachers’ and learners’ creativity, empowering them both and fostering meaningful communication. —Sylvie Vanbaelen, Butler University, USA.

"The critical drama-based L2 pedagogy that this book promotes offers a practical and engaging tool for fostering critical consciousness. […] This book opens up new horizons for playful and critical imagination in teaching not only English, but also all languages."

—Ryuoko Kubota, University of British Columbia, Canada

"The hope of the authors of the current book fits well with all that can follow when teachers take up the dramatic arts. Such a path will almost always lead to learning and change for teachers and students alike who decide to walk a path that lets them use both feet as well as shape their capacity for learning and remembering."

—Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University, USA

From the Publisher