A model of story drama

Story drama refers to prepared plays or improvisations based on child-authored or existing stories (Booth 1994: 40). More particularly, the use of story drama can connect the story and drama through the use of dramatization techniques. Story drama can be defined as the act of processing the key events, images and themes of a story by experiencing them through drama (Booth 1994: 40). Drama helps children to examine the story's ideas, experiment with them and see beyond literal meanings. Drama techniques such as roleplaying and improvising can help children to experience both physical and emotional aspects of almost any topic (Booth 1994: 48). The difference between the more improvisational drama techniques, often referred to as process drama, and story drama is that the latter uses a story as a stimulus for drama activities.

Story drama brings together two art forms and two worlds. When students learn how to use story as a stimulus for their works of drama they are experimenting with both the

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imaginary and the real world. Using the ideas of a story as cues for students' own dramatic responses helps them to see beyond the literal meanings and identify the similarities and differences in the fiction of the story and their own lives (Booth 1994:

40-41). Thus, in story drama the context may be fictional but the emotional responses are real. In order to get the most out of the story, students should be encouraged to spontaneously become part of literary fiction. What is more, the learning takes place in the negotiation of symbolic and literal meanings while reconstructing images and narrative sequences through action (Booth 1994: 40). In story drama activities the imaginary worlds immerse with the real world situation. Drama provides situations in which students can experience the emotions from which communication evolves.

The use of story drama in the language classroom to improve oral communication can create a link between language use in the classroom and in a real life context. In other words, the features of oral communication that people encounter in English-speaking environments can be introduced in teaching through drama techniques. Dramatic activities can simulate real-world events and bring students closer to realistic ways of using the target language. Thus they need to find ways to use language to work their ways in imaginary situations and conflicts. Story drama can build a bridge between language use in the classroom and that of the real world outside.

Obviously some children experience more anxiety and find it more challenging to participate in dramatizations. However, the more shy students may find it easier to share the creations of their imagination when speaking or writing in a role. As Booth (1994:

19) argues, through the externalized representations of drama children grow in dramatic ability and improve their communication skills. These representations can start from a storytelling, personal anecdotes, songs, cartoons or videos. Furthermore they can manifest in forms such as recreation of the events of a story, role-plays or paralinguistic communication. A more comprehensive list of the techniques, strategies as well as the roles of teacher and students are summarized in table 1.

In conclusion, stories and other pieces of narrative provide a diverse environment for building drama around them. Woolland (1993: 18) notes, however, that if children make decisions and live activities accordingly, the opportunities for learning are greater than if their drama acts were predetermined by an existing narrative. Another problem of using an existing narrative is that students are likely to know how it ends. Thus, one

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must consider some ways to keep the dramatic tension alive by exploring the story. For instance, students might invent an alternative ending, extend the story after its ending or explore other circumstances of the story. The teacher has to choose from a range of drama techniques and activities the most appropriate ones for the context of that particular group of students. The next chapter observes further ways of using story as a starting point for dramatizing activities. In addition to sample activities, some working strategies and practical methods will be examined.

Table 1. A model for story drama (partly adapted from Booth 1994: 62-64)

The story

Explore the issues within the story

Develop parallel or analogous situations drawing from the story Stop at a problem to be solved or a decision to be taken Go back or forward in the story into an imagined situation

Invent new scenes, add or expand characters Explore the characters, their motives and relationships

Examine story incidents from a new perspective Present additional problems or alter events

The teacher's role

Structure the drama for the maximum learning Narrate moments within the drama, reflect on what happened

Direct the drama from within the action Guide the feelings and ideas

Select the suitable techniques to co-construct drama

The students' role

Explore ideas and feeling collaboratively Demonstrate significant issues Reveal, reflect and share insights Connect the fiction to personal experiences

Respond and communicate with others Role-play and story tell within the frame of drama Understand and employ the sense of theatre power

Techniques and

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4 SETTING THE SCENE – DRAMA IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Drama is the first form of art that children get acquainted with. From very early on children imitate and respond to the situations around them while they engage in the act of playing first alone, later in groups. Thus, a child entering the world of schooling is already truly experienced in creative play (McCaslin 1987: 2). These methods of playing between reality and imaginative worlds as well as the rules of socializing activities are often learned without explicit teaching. This does not mean, however, that such skills could not be part of formal teaching. This chapter will describe the advantages and functions of drama in the classroom as well as some of the drama techniques used in language teaching. Firstly, a rationale for using drama techniques in language teaching is provided. The second section explains the teacher's role and choices as a drama guide from several aspects: first in terms of establishing a drama contract and recognizing the elements of drama, then focusing on the roles of the teacher and finally from a practical point of view describing storytelling techniques and the process of selecting materials. The last section presents the types of activities related to drama techniques in language teaching.