Drama as an extra-curricular activity for teaching
English as a foreign language
Peter Mountford
Abstract   This is a brief report of an informal once-weekly extra-curricular English learning activity
involving drama. The participants were student volunteers, and a simplified version of Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet was the script used for the activities. Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation of Romeoand Juliet was also used as a critical reference.
key words: English as a foreign language, drama, personal development

Introduction and Outlineactivity.

Drama is always present in the English
learning classroom, even if it is not recognised

Discussion

as such. For example, simple role plays, e.g.

As noted in the introduction above, simple

shopkeeper and customer, are often used torole plays are often used in the classroom

practise or revise patterns of English speech

to drill English learners in English speechin practical situations. This year I had thepatterns. Moreover, when these small dramas

opportunity to work with student volunteers

are performed without a script, the need forin extra-curricular English learning activities.

memorisation adds value to the educational

Because these students were also studying

experience. In the classroom these vignettes

Shakespeare as part of their formal course

are often used to recreate situations that awork, drama seemed a natural extension of

tourist or business traveller might experience,

their curricular activities. Initially, we used

but seldom go beyond these simple

short comic sketches that could be read andcircumstances. Dramatic narratives in which

discussed within an hour. However, following

the characters develop and reveal themselves

the guest lectures given at our university bythrough their actions are not currently in

Dr J.W. Sterret in May 2014, I was encouraged

favour with English-language textbook

to use a simplified script of Shakespeare’s

publishers. This is puzzling, especially in

Romeo and Juliet1)

for our activities. As alight of the popularity of comics, animatedreference for our dramatic interpretation, we

cartoons, and computer/console-based

viewed Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation ofrole-playing games among both adult and2)

Romeo and Juliet in installments at the end

younger learners. Despite this backdrop, whenof each session of studying the script. This

presented with the opportunity to work withpaper is a brief report of my experience using

student volunteers, I decided to explore thedrama as an extra-curricular English learning

possibilities of drama as a once-weekly extra-

山梨県立大学

国際政策学部

総合政策学科

Department of Glocal Policy Administration, Faculty of Glocal Policy Management and Communications,
Yamanashi Prefectural University― 99 ―

山梨国際研究山梨県立大学国際政策学部紀要

No.10（2015）

Viewing the movie after performing acurricular activity that would complement

dramatic reading of the script was an inspired

students’ English curriculum activities.
Initially, we began the extra-curricular

choice of the students. It allowed them to work

activity by reading and studying shortwith the script first, which in my opinion

humourous sketches, that could be completed

provided them with a far greater stimulus

within the space of a typical class period.

and motivation for their understanding andLimitations of this approach which sooninterpretation of the story, than would havebecame apparent are that the supply ofoccurred, had we viewed the movie first.

material is soon exhausted, and learning isWhile screening the movie first might haverestricted to English words and colloquialisms.

led to a quicker understanding, it might have

A further problem with humour is that otherinterfered with some of the creative andthan slapstick, much humour is situational

imaginative processes which have to be usedor cultural, which can be difficult to explain

when interpreting a drama from a script.

to students without experience of anotherculture.

One development that I had not anticipated
was that the students began discussing theIn May 2014, Dr J.W. Sterret of Aarhus

script among themselves without beingUniversity, Denmark, gave guest lectures atprompted. These discussions generally took

our university which focused on Shakespeare’s

the form of how they as individuals wouldworks. One of these lectures featured Romeo

have acted were they real people in theand Juliet, and posed the question: Is Romeo

dramatic roles. The most memorable remarkand Juliet a love story, or a story of conflict?

from these unprompted discussions came atThis encouraged me to use a simplified script

the conclusion of the play: Even if they had1)of Romeo and Juliet for the extra-curricular

lived, I don’t think Romeo would’ve stayed

activity. As a benchmark reference, we alsowith Juliet for long!
There are several articles available online

viewed Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation
2)of Romeo and Juliet. The students decided

concerning the use of drama in the teachingthat we should watch the part of the movieof English as a foreign language.3-7) All notecorresponding to a particular week’s dramaticthe beneficial effects on students’ motivation

reading of the script after the activity; theof using drama to teach English. Of particular

students also dictated the pace of the activity.

interest, Stefanie Giebert gives a succinct

I provided the traditional teaching role ofand useful description of the various drama

explaining unknown words and providing

education methods.3) Chris Boudreault notes

additional background information. The

that “Drama Brings Literature to Life,”4) and in

first advantage of following this approach tothis context, encouraging students to project

become apparent was that at the beginningthemselves into the roles they are asked toof each new session there was no discussiontake, as well as enhancing their understandingof “What would you like to do or talk aboutof the text, contributes to their emotional andthis week”. Everyone knew the position in thepersonal development. This is an aspect ofscript. Indeed, there was even some excitement

using literature and/or drama in language

and anticipation about where the story might

education that is often neglected, as it cannot

take us.

easily be evaluated by test performance.
― 100 ―Drama as an extra-curricular activity for teaching English as a foreign language

Martina Vachova,

Using drama experimentally, as an extra-Bachelor Thesis, Department of English

curricular activity for teaching English has

Language and Literature, Masaryk University

provided me with insights and the practicalexperience to use drama as a complement toBrno, 2012
8 ) A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

traditional English language teaching. In theRetold by Ralph Mowat

extra-curricular activity, we are currently

Oxford Bookworms

reading and dramatically interpreting anISBN 978-0-19-479187-8

abridged and simplified version of Charles
D i c k e n s ’ A T a l e o f T w o C i t i e s . 8) O n i t scompletion we aim to produce a script andperform a drama of it in English.
References1 ) Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
Retold by Alistair McCallum
Oxford Bookworms
ISBN 978-0-19-423521-1
2 ) Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
1996 movie adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann
3 ) Drama and theatre in teaching foreign languages
for professional purposes
Stefanie Giebert
Cahiers de l’APLIUT: Vol. XXXIII N°1 2014 p.138150
4 ) The Benefits of Using Drama in the ESL/EFLClassroomChris Boudreault
The Internet TESL Journal2010 January5 ) Dramatic Performance in Teaching Drama in EFLContexts
Bahman Gorjian, Seyyed Rahim Moosavinia,
Azadeh Jabripour
The Electronic Journal for English as a SecondLanguage
March 2010 － Volume 13, Number 46 ) Learn and Unlearn: Drama as an Effective Tool inTeaching English Language and Communication
Dr Shibani BanerjeeInternational Journal of English Language &Translation Studies
Vol. 2, Issue 1, p79-91
8 ) The Use of Drama Techniques in Teaching Adult
EFL Learners― 101 ―