Using Drama with Children

English Teaching Theatre makes students aware that English is not just words, structures and idioms, but it is a lively, dramatics and versatile means of communication. It emphasize too, that learning and teaching can and should be pleasurable.

Dramatizing means that he children become actively involve in a text this personalization makes language more meaningful and memorable than drilling and mechanical repetition.

Why Use Drama Activities?

Drama helps children to activate language and have fun. Using drama activities has clear advantages for language learning. It encourage children to speak and gives them the chance to communicate, event with limited language, using nonverbal communication, such as body movement and facial expression.

Drama motivates children

Drama is familiar with children

Drama helps children build confidence

Drama helps children build skills in group dynamics

Drama is appropriate for children’s different children styles

Language personalization

Language in context

Cross-curricular content

The pace of the lesson

Practical advice on using drama in the classroom

Choose the right activity

• The learner’s interests

• The learner’s need

• The learner’s age

• And even the time of the day.

Give feedback

Give feedback on what the children have done., not only the end product but also the process they went through, the way they cooperate with each other, and how they came to the decision.

For participation in a drama activity, and especially in a performance, you can give the colorful, specially designed certificates to the young actors.

Miming story

Students will willingly compose their own story. They welcome the chance to show what they can do with the language.

1. give students a list of words you want them to know or to review. For example: heart, friend, apple, and eat.
2. ask student to compose a story using the words.
3. when they have finish writing their story, have students take turn miming their story while the rest of the class tries to guess the whole of story.

Miming game

Children use actions or gestures to indicate the word and other students guess the word. This game can be played in a team or group.

1. Make a set of miming cards based on the content that students have studying.

2. Next have a student select a card and pantomime the item on the a card.

3. The other student guess what is being mimed.

Transform a story in to mini plays

1. Choose a simple story that student have been studying.
2. Create a script for the story with as many parts as there are students in the class.
3. Have students practice learning the different parts.
4. Have student prepare costumes and props.
5. Put on the play for other classes and/or parents.