1. Topic 19
Técnicas de animación y expresión como recurso para el aprendizaje de las lenguas extranjeras. La dramatización de situaciones cotidianos de la vida y la representación de cuentos.

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION
2. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN ANGUAGE TEACHING
3. GROUP WORK IN CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: THE DRAMA PROJECT.
4. THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER.

3. Introduction Aim of the topic: to study the use of drama in EFL.
To do this we will discuss the following points:
Definition of Drama
Benefits of drama in EFL
Elements required for a drama lesson: planning and timing, types of drama techniques, simulations and role plays and evaluation.
Drama project
The role of the teacher in the drama lesson.

4. Introduction
Drama is a technique that can be used to develop certain language skills.
A well-known tradition: used in Middle Ages to teach Latin
It derives from the need to have some experience with language in a social context.

5. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
POSSIBILITIES OF DRAMA
Drama can be used effectively in a number of situations in the classroom:
Most language teaching course books already use drama techniques (role plays, simulations, games, songs, rhymes, dialogues).
When practising skills.
When developing spoken communication skills.
Drama project: the full/scale staging of a play.

6. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
BENEFITS OF DRAMA:
Drama is a technique of communicative language teaching, so it emphasizes students’ active participation.
Some factors of genuine communication inlcude:
The untidy way language is used (hesitations, interruptions, etc.)
Emotions
Body language
Drama can teach structure and vocabulary, thus the using of the target language in a meaningful way.

7. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Benefits of drama (according to Wessels (1987)):
Meaningful interaction in a target language
Pronunciation features in the target context
Vocabulary and grammar in context
Self-confidence.

8. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
The essential elements required for a lesson, using drama techniques (Wessels, 1987):
Relationships
Friendly atmosphere, mutual respect
Physical environment
Physical arrangements: horseshoe using only chairs
Warm-ups
Warming-up activities: games, songs, etc.
A background role of the teacher
Student leadership
Having group leaders to encourage the sense of responsibility
Using the most cooperative students.

9. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Planning and timing of the lesson (Wessels, 1987).
The main components of a typical lesson with drama:
Mental and physical preparation
Warm-up activities - 5 min
Supply background to the situation
Perceptions and interest are developed
Questions on the characters
Empathy is created – 10 min
Improvisation/mime
Students’ previous knowledge reinforced
Role play
Loner lasting learning
Feedback
Encouragement and gentle correction

10. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Drama techniques used in the foreign language class:
Drama games
Extending the coursebook
Pronunciation
Spoken skills

11. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Drama games
Characteristics:
Involve action
Exercise students’ imagination
Involve conscious learning and unconscious acquisition
Possibility to use paralinguistic features and non/verbal communication
Advantages:
Variety to the range of learning situations
The pace of a lesson may be changed
Less formal teaching
Hidden practice of specific language patterns, vocabulary, language skills
Students’ participation is encouraged
Communication is increased
Fluency practice
Learner-centred class
More effective use:
At the beginning of the lesson: introductory activities or warm-ups.
Before production stage: to clarify the tauht material (SNAKE PIT)
End games: unwind studetns after a tiring session (SIMON SAYS)

12. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Extending the course book
Warm-up
Dramatized Reading
Mime
Improvisation: improvise continuations of dialogues
Speculation: asking students about their thoughts and feelings
Adding stage directions : gestures, facial expressions
Parallel role play
Changing the dialogue

13. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Pronunciation
Segmental features:
Students pronounce words and create short dialogues
Relaxation and posture
Suprasegmental features:
Students try to imitate
Breathing properly
Chants:
With problematic sounds using right stress, rhythm and intonation

14. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Spoken skills
Dramatized play readings:
A text is read aloud.
Comprehension questions.
Students speculate about the context of the scene.
Students read the text in groups.
Improvise continuations.
The Outline:
Warm-up / 5 min
Presenting the main activity / 5 min
Main activity / 30 min
Feedback / 10 min

15. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Daily life simulations and role plays
The idea: to create the pretence of a real-life situation in the class.
Simulation: drama activity where students take part as themselves.
Deal with situations that are likely to occur to students in their life.
Are rather limited.
Role plays: are based on real acting, as students play a role.
Are less limited as students can play a role.
Students' interests should be taken into account.

16. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Evaluation
How to evaluate the use of drama techinques?
Objectives of using drama:
Overcoming resistence to English
Creating a need to speaking

17. DRAMA TECHINQUES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Objective 1: Overcoming resistance to English
Objective 2: Creating a need for speaking
Did you enjoy the activity?
Are the targets realistic?
Can the lesson be linked to our pupils’ own experience?
Are our pupils ready to learn?
Is there an element of problem-solving?
Is responsibility placed on the learner?
Would the lesson involve our weaker or shyer pupils?

18. GROUP WORK IN CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: THE DRAMA PROJECT.
How all these techniques can be integrated in a full-scale staging of a play?
THE DRAMA PROJECT is an activity that can only be done by means of group work and provides a particularly satisfying experience for students.
The full-scale staging of a play in English is likely to increase students’ communicative competence.

19. GROUP WORK IN CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: THE DRAMA PROJECT.
THE DRAMA PROJECT: ADVANTAGES
Takes account of the socio-psychological aspects of learning.
Enjoyable group activity
Makes students be aware of culture and behaviour in English-speaking countries.
Informal means of learning English
Learning English in contextualized manner.
Builds students’ confidence.

20. GROUP WORK IN CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: THE DRAMA PROJECT.
THE DRAMA PROJECT: DISADVANTAGES
Can be used effectively only with small groups
Not all students will perceive it as being inherently useful
Time-intensive, require planning from the teacher, and dedication and loyalty from the students.

21. The role of the teacher in the drama lesson
Drama involves the formation of relationships and the breaking down of barriers between teachers and students.
Students are permitted to take responsibility foe their own learning, so teachers can take a less dominant role without losing control of the class.
The first tear’s role will be that of manager or theater producer. But teachers must be able to adopt many different roles: a prompter, a monitor, etc.