Creating a ‘Positive Environment’ Through Drama in the EFL Classroom

Abstract

We all learn best when we are in a state of rational and emotional balance, or what is referred to as ‘flow’. We know that body and mind are linked physically, cognitively and emotionally and teachers need to recognise and support the integrated development of all the three areas within their teaching and to seek safe and positive ways of doing so. The emotional environment improves students’ self-awareness, motivation, empathy, recognition of choices and leads to strong and supportive communities. Drama provides a supportive forum for checking out that impact in a distanced way, with the teacher there to mediate the experience, often from within a role. Drama offers a stimulating and rich opportunity to discuss and understand our own emotions, attitudes and beliefs through observing, empathising with, feeling and exploring the emotions of characters both portrayed and interacted with in a role. Drama provides a safe emotional context and a sense of security for learners. In the various fields of research into the factors influencing success in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), trends accentuating the importance of recognising the indicators of success based upon personality and psychology have been ascribed great significance. In the paper, the results of a pilot study to an ongoing research project will be presented. The main aim of the project is to establish the influence of drama on the creation of a positive educational environment, taking into consideration such variable factors as: feeling of security, feeling of identity, sense of belonging, sense of purpose, feeling of competence, and through this an improvement in language competence. The research is a theoretical-empirical investigation of a diagnostic-explanatory-verificatory nature. Results will be presented from the perspective of both quantitative and qualitative analysis.