EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF DRAMA TECHNIQUES IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

According to the national results of the English diagnostic test (2004) applied to Chilean 8th and 12th graders, the current English teaching methodology used in this country is not efficient nor effective. Consequently, a different methodology is urgently needed, particularly in a context where students primarily come from rural areas and will be the first generation in their families to attend university. The present pilot study was an attempt to find a way to systematize and analyze data coming from a larger project1 through the measurement of the efficiency and effectiveness of drama techniques in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It was partially based on a study by Kunihira and Asher (1965) in which the effectiveness of TPR in the teaching of a foreign language (FL) is demonstrated. Their rationale is that for any approach to be effective, it must follow the three principles of first language (L1) acquisition formulated by Asher (1982): listening must precede speaking, comprehension develops by observing language through body movements and listening skills prepare learners for speaking (Solé 1987). Drama techniques not only adhere to these principles, but also put into practice Krashen’s (1985) theory that a FL is most successfully acquired under conditions similar to those of L1 acquisition, when the focus of instruction is on meaning rather than on form an