All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages.

William Shakespeare,As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143

WHY CONSIDER

DRAMA AS A MAIN

PROJECT IN SECOND

LANGUAGE LEARNING?

playwright

Drama has the power to transform the actors, and also the audience.

This makes it a very powerful tool to make students feel interested in the communicative act, even enthusiastic about it!

COMEDY

STAGE

Which makes language exchange in the L2 flow naturally…

PANTOMIMEREHEARSAL

costume

SCRIPT

Disinhibition takes place, learning occurs.

Then, there is acquisition of meaningful, fluent interaction in the target language.

Pronunciation is improved. And so is vocabulary.

The students’ sense of confidence in their capability to learn a foreign language is improved remarkably.

But, there are more advantages, besides the provision of authentic dynamic situations to develop the language skills:

It promotes team work.It enhances good collaborative

comradeship within the group and with the teacher.

The teacher takes a much less dominant role, becoming one among the whole group.

PREMIER

Once the roles are established, we needn`t worry much about team work rules: usually everyone contributes eagerly, spontaneously, regardless the benefits they may get out of it (p.e. marks become less important, as their main goal is the final result)

STAGE CREWPITCH

The teacher enters the team as a colleague: he/she may be the director of the whole project, but, in their minds, they still are the “stars”

CATHARSIS

blockingCOLD READING

All along the process, the main aim being a successful final performance, students become their own teachers in an authentic student centered learning process.

PROPS