Martyna Walczak
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Scientific supervisor: PhD Ariadna Strugielska
ADVANTAGES OF USING DRAMA, POETRY AND SONGS IN EFL TEACHING
The possibilities of making the lessons attractive are numerous. Drama, poetry and songs are useful techniques that help to teach English in an interesting and creative way, being at the same time beneficial to students.
Keywords: drama, poetry, songs, young learners
Teaching young learners can be demanding as children’s attention span is limited and course books activities might not appeal to their interests. Therefore, it is essential to use attractive teaching techniques that will enrich students’ English and keep them focused. It is also advisable to create a positive classroom atmosphere through motivating activities such as games, songs, rhymes and stories that increase students interest and confidence, enhance listening, speaking and reading skills. Drama “integrates language skills in a natural way” (Maley et al. 2005:1), “poetry offers a rich resource of interesting and potentially motivating texts which can form the basis for
a wide variety of very useful language activities” (Mackay 1993), (Leung 2007:207), through songs the rhythm, stress and intonation patterns of language can be practiced.
Due to Joanna Struthers’ assertion “Drama, whether it is within English or as a discrete subject, can seem the most liberating and creative (…) subject in the entire curriculum” (Goodwyn et al 2004: 71). She adds that even though most of students will not become professional actors, through drama they can develop their creativity and talent (Goodwyn et al 2004: 71). Among the reasons why drama is so beneficial are: development of language and literacy, developing social skills and a resource for moral education.
Although there are many benefits of using drama in the classroom, development of language and literacy seems to be the most significant. Firstly, drama activities provide new opportunities to use the language, both in reading and speaking. They are usually incorporated in the syllabus, so that learning new vocabulary
and structures is possible. It is assumed that working with a text helps children
to become better readers and makes them familiar with a structure and a layout
of a script. Students learn about the chronology of events, causes and effects,
and certain characters of a story, that prepares them for further explorations ( Medewell et al 2014:191).
Acting out the dialogues broadens children’s knowledge on the importance
of the use of body language to express meaning and increases their awareness that they are different kinds of interlocutors. Moreover, children gain experience
in improvisation and giving performance in front of the audience. All these things result
in children’s better language competence and confidence. Also the motivation, interest and imagination are developed. Children use their natural abilities of expressing themselves that can influence their social skills. Some of drama techniques such
as simulation in which students practice language functions might be helpful
in everyday life as they “help to bridge a similar gap between the classroom and real-life situations (Davies 1990:10).
It is said that drama manages some social and moral education issues.
By dramatizing stories and legends, children experience the moral dilemmas
and difficulties. For instance in Goldilocks and the Three Bears some important matters such as “breaking and entering, theft, malicious damage and squatting” are discussed (Medewell et al 2014:193). As a result of that children can understand that some situations are more complicated and intricate, and that people and situations are not either good or bad. It is not that obvious (Medewell et al 2014:193).
“Poetry, a highly crafted kind of written language, offers a rich resource for teaching literacy creatively” (Cremin, 2014: 115). When it is read actively and imaginatively, it creates a desire to read more. “As well as contributing to creativity, poetry can increase children’s self-awareness, empathy and evaluation as key aspects of their learning” (Cremin, 2014: 115). The reasons for using poetry that are going to be discussed include: development of phonological awareness, development of comprehension skills, children’s emotional and imaginative enrichment.
The important element of reading development and children’s early acquisition is gaining phonic knowledge, taking into account that English language is “highly inconsistent” (Medwell et al 2014: 170). In order to develop that knowledge, a child needs to “have phonological awareness” (Medwell al 2014: 170), which is the ability to hear and distinguish certain sounds. The exposure to the rhythm and rhyme influences children’s phonological awareness. That is why it is vitally important
for children to experience it in the preschool not only because “the rhyme and rhythm have long-term functions in relation to children’s overall literacy development, but also because they introduce children to ways of structuring language poetically into lines
and verses, to vivid, sometimes even bizarre or surreal, language use” (Medwell et al 2014: 170).
In order to understand a poem, a reader needs to understand the innovative, impressive and complicated language of poetry. The use of various stylistic devices does not simplify it, however it helps children to develop their comprehension skills. Students need to make sure what the exact words mean, find the examples
of personification, alliteration or metaphors. It is vital to grasp the literal and the figurative meaning. Poetry seems to make a positive contribution to children’s comprehension development as well as their language and literacy skills because it needs to be “analysed, discussed and tried” (Medwell et al 2014: 171). Thanks to that process children learn about the ways of language manipulation and the use of particular effects. Interpreting it properly enables students to gain comprehension proficiency.
What is more, poetry provides imaginative and emotional enrichment. Poems just like stories stimulate imagination and give pleasure. They help children to understand the world of feelings and thoughts of other people, see the world from the other perspective. ”It is the compression and resonances of language that only poetry offers that allow the feelings of such poems to be so powerfully expressed and which in turn give so much to children’s personal and imaginative lives” (Medwell et al 2014: 171). Exposing students to various pieces of literature makes them understand and appreciate it more, therefore, it increases their sensitivity and facilitates emotional growth.
Murphey claims that: “For a variety of reasons, songs stick in our minds
and become part of us, and lend themselves easily to exploitation in the classroom” (Murphey 1992:6). Songs can be used at each part of a lesson and might be helpful in the areas of language development, promoting language awareness, providing motivation and benefits for auditory learners. They can be easily memorized due to “The song stuck in my head phenomenon” (Murphey 1992:7), the situation in which people listen to the song and sing or hum it afterwards. That is why, it is worthy to incorporate them into the syllabuses.
According to Siek – Piskozub and Wach songs can help students to acquire new vocabulary, structures, improve speaking and listening skills. Therefore, they have
a positive influence on language acquisition (Siek – Piskozub et al 2006:81-90). Teachers can use songs at every stage of a lesson to introduce new material, or to practise pronunciation, especially word stress and rhythm (Griffee 1995:4). Through songs teachers expose students to the language produced by native speakers and make them familiar with the unique accent of foreigners.
Due to Chunxuan’s assertion songs promote language awareness among students and it is developed neither by the teacher nor the text book, but “internally by the learner” (Chunxuan, Shen. www.ccsenet.org/journal.html, DOA March 2, 2015). Listening to music can arouse curiosity about the language and prompt students to ask questions about the content of the lyrics, for example the meaning or pronunciation
of certain words. Songs unable students to learn and enjoy the music at the same time, so the process of learning is effective and effortless.
Maley contends that music provides a good source of motivation as “it creates
a state of relaxed receptivity (…) [and] its repetitive pattering reinforces learning without loss of motivation” (Murphey 1992:3). Generally most students play
an instrument or sing in the choir, therefore playing a song during a lesson will certainly meet their interests and encourage to acquire the language.
Furthermore, listening to music can be beneficial not only for auditory learners, but also for visual and bodily-kinesthetic ones. An auditory learner is able to memorize melody, rhythm and lyrics as well as sing easily. A bodily-kinesthetic student learns during the bodily movement like dancing or acting while singing, whereas a visual learner gains while reading the lyrics or drawing the pictures (Mol, Hans. www.hltmag.co.uk/apr09/less01.htm, DOA April 2, 2015). Bringing music to the classroom helps teachers to meet the needs of different types of learners, being motivating at the same time.
Taking everything into account, drama, poems and songs can be beneficial
to students. They are highly motivating and help to establish relaxing atmosphere
in which process of learning seems to be faster and more effective. According to Kam Tin, “The teaching [becomes] more effective when teachers [appeal] to all five senses, what the aforementioned techniques do. “ It was also impressive for [children] to hear the real sound, touch and feel the real objects”, adds Kam (Kam 2007:201), emphasizing the importance of the techniques illustrated in the article.
References
Bolin, Bruce and Christine Choi. 2007. The Language Teaching Album: A Collection of School-based Practices. Hong Kong: Education and Manpower Bureau
Cremin, Teresa. 2009. Teaching English Creatively. London and New York: RoutledgeGriffee, Dale T. 1995. Songs in action. Hemel Hampstead: Phoenix ELT
Goodwyn, Andrew and Jane Branson. 2004. Teaching English: A Handbook for Primary and Secondary School Teachers. London and New York: Routhledge,
Medwell Jane, David Wray, George Moore, and Vivienne Griffiths. 2014. Primary English Knowledge and Understanding, London: SAGE Publications Ltd
Murphey, Tim. 1995. Music and song. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Siek-Piskozub, Teresa and Aleksandra Wach. 2006. Rola piosenki w procesie przyswajania języka obcego. Poznań: Wydawnictwo naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
Article:
Davies Paul. 1990. „The Use of Drama in English Language” Teaching, TESL Canada Journal 8.1, 87-97.
Internet sources:
Chunxuan, Shen. www.ccsenet.org/journal.html, DOA March 2, 2015
Mol, Hans. www.hltmag.co.uk/apr09/less01.htm, DOA April 2, 2015