PROCESS DRAMA for intercultural language learning at an advanced level of proficiency

Erika C. PiazzoliHonours in Applied TheatreIn collaboration with the School of Languages & Linguistics Griffith University, Brisbane

OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

Introduce process drama pedagogy and theoretical framework of the study

Discuss research design

Findings:

1. Intercultural awareness

2. Spontaneous communication

3. Process drama for FL teachers

Present conclusions from research Q & A

WHAT IS PROCESS DRAMA?

An improvised dramatic form based on the ‘ongoing negotiation of meaning’ (O’Toole, 1992)

Students and teacher co-create a story, developed through a sequence of scenarios, interwoven in ‘a web of meaning’ (Kao & O’Neill, 1998)

Intercultural language learning: interpretation and meaning-making (Byram, 1999); teachers of meaning (Kramsch, 2008)

PROCESS DRAMA AS A PEDAGOGY

1960: drama as a tool for self-development and creativity (Slade, 1954; Way, 1959)

1970: drama in education pedagogy (Bolton, 1979; Heathcote, 1984) embraced to teach other disciplines. Cecily O’Neill coins the term ‘process drama’ (1995)

1998: process drama is applied to FLT (Kao & O’Neill) Empirical study ESL Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Other studies (Araki-Metcalfe 2001, 2007; Marschke 2004; Stinson, 2006, 2007)

PROCESS DRAMA → COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS MODEL

“Awareness of experiencing otherness...

... to de-centre from one’s cultural codes, resulting in a transformation of consciousness” (Alred, Byram & Fleming, 2003)

Fleming: process drama as tool for intercultural awareness(1998, 2003)

STRUCTURE OF PROCESS DRAMA

IMPROVISED CONTENT vs STRUCTURED FRAMEWORK

... TO ACHIEVE AN EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE

picture, a story, scene from a movie, poem...

build on pre-text to get in role within context

PD conventions to explore the reality of the context

discussion linguistic reflection

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

Theme (chosen by students ) Pretext

Protesting as collective action in Italy

Opening paragraph of “Sotto paga” play (Fo & Rame, 2008)

Italian sense of humour embedded in sarcasm

A catalogue from an Italian supermarket

Issues of integration of Roma people in Italy

Photo of a Roma child

Temporary worker as collective identity for Italian youth

Card with a poem of St Precarious

Cycles of politics and corruption: Italian collective pessimism

A scene from the film: “Il Caimano” by N. Moretti (2006)

The stereotype of bigotry A current affair article

Objective: reflect on some socio-cultural issues of contemporary Italy

Objective: identify strategies to enhance intercultural awareness in a FL classroom using process drama

Course: 3rd year Italian FL Griffith University / Aim: reflect on socio-cultural issues of contemporary Italy. Reading: “Sotto paga! Non si paga” (Fo & Rame, 2008)

Participants: 12 students /18 to 65 years old

Structure: 2hr weekly process drama on a socio-cultural theme emerging from the play. After the workshop: communicative forum to choose next theme

Action research tools: video recordings, teacher/researcher reflective journal, transcripts of communicative forums, 10 individual interviews, concept mapping diagrams, focus group

OVERVIEW of MY RESEARCH (PIAZZOLI 2008)

MANIPULATION OF DISTANCE AS A STRATEGY

Distance: the perception between student and character

Distance as a continuum (Eriksson, 2007)

Manipulating distance: increasing to de-centre and decreasing to empathise with a character / situation

EMPATHY DETACHMENT

- +

1. DECREASING DISTANCE: EMPATHISING

“That just broke my heart... [emotional] you were so tiny and so like... the way that I could... really feel what this people have to go through...” (Sarah)

Teacher In Role: the child Relaxation & narration Freeze Frame of life in camp ...

2. INCREASING DISTANCE: DE-CENTRING

Distancing strategy: introducing an EXTERNAL CULTURAL MODEL, not related to students’ culture, nor to the target culture (Heathcote & Bolton, 1998)

Example: Japanese journalistsIn Italy

INCREASING DISTANCE: WORKSHOP EXAMPLE

ROLE CARDS

NAME: Eiko AraiAGE: 41PERSONALITY: gossip-proneEXPERIENCE: 23 years as janitor in an Italo-Japanese school in Tokyo; 3 months as assistant writer for an Italian magazine

NAME: Norichika AokiAGE: 68PERSONALITY: shy, quietEXPERIENCE: 30 years as plastic surgeon for Japanese VIP in Rome; 1 year as writer for ‘Italia qui’.

Pretext: ‘Sotto paga’ opening passage: the protest

Establishing context: Japanese journalists. Cultural value system

Hand out cards / hot-seat Teacher In Role: magazine director

addressing employees Prepare the interview in groups ...

“This subject helped me to have that broader understanding of Italy as a culture, as a nation… as a… group of people! (Tina)

“I think I’ve glamorized Italian culture and [this course] has taken a little bit of the glamour out of Italy for me... but... I feel like I’m better equipped...” (Sarah)

PARTICIPANTS’ COMMENTS

“I guess, as an Italian student I’m… biased... because I really like Italy so I don’t see the faults so much, maybe... but when you’re kind of forced to look at it from an outsider’s perspective...” (Emi)

FINDING I: INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS

Through strategies of manipulation of distancesome of the participants experienced:

FINDING II: PROCESS DRAMA & FLUENCY

FINDING III: TEACHING PROCESS DRAMA

DRAMA-TEACHING vs. FL TEACHING: UNDERSTANDING and OPERATING through the AESTHETIC DIMENSION

CONCLUSIONS

PD pedagogy generates high MOTIVATION TO COMMUNICATE in the target language

Combination of distancing strategies can be an effective approach for INTERCULTURAL LANGUAGE LEARNING (advanced proficiency)

MORE RESEARCH needed to enable FL teachers to understand and intuitively operate within the AESTHETIC DIMENSION of drama teaching

THANK YOU