This paper presents Graduate research collected between 2000 and 2002
at the English Language Centre (U of Victoria). It demonstrates the extent
to which Drama is an effective language learning tool and intercultural
bridge in ESL (English as a Second Language) classrooms. Theatre-based
activities enhance many aspects in the field of ESL instruction (affective
domain, gestural communication, movement and physical interaction); I will
cite specific examples of student learning when they participate in a workshop
I carry out with language classes in British Columbia. I will also share
excerpts from interviews with ESL teachers who use DIESL (Drama in English
as a Second Language) in their work. The focus of this presentation will
be on Drama as a process through which language can be developed and connections
made, rather than on performance in ESL work. Current ESL research emphasizes
the impact of physicality, gesture, movement and affect in language pedagogy.
Through these anecdotes and interviews, it is my intention to illustrate
how DIESL can address those needs. There is an energy and a vitality that
comes from such intercultural creating and sharing, making the implications
and findings of this study timely in today's world.
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