Ell Theatre: How Performance-Based Language Instruction Can Become a Reality

Can performing a drama production be an effective tool to teach language? While teaching English in South Korea, I had the opportunity to write, direct, and perform an adaptation of the Wizard of Oz with my third-year kindergarten class. It was a memorable experience, but at the time, I had not given much thought to how effective it was for language learning. However, currently, as I am pursuing my TESOL MA, I have been reflecting on the role of drama in teaching language. I read a study that addressed performance-based drama as an effective teaching method, and have continued researching the subject. My background in creative and performing arts has inspired me to delve further into the subject and has led me to continue to work on this project. This combination research and creative project explores the current literature that focuses on the benefits and issues associated with using performance-based drama programs and curriculums to teach English Language. Based on my research, I have written a literature review paper and I will discuss some of the topics that are relevant to using performance-based drama to teach, including student motivation, fluency, scripts and scriptwriting, performance, and teacher training and implementation. Additionally, I will discuss my review of over 20 textbooks, which focus on using drama to teach language, revealing that there are limited resources for implementing performance-based drama classes and program. To address the lack of an integrated approach that employs performance-based drama to teach language, specifically, in this case, English to speakers of other languages, I am also developing a professional development workshop for teachers and will be writing a curriculum that can be used by teachers looking for innovative and creative ways to teach language