Drama-Based Pedagogy in Language Education

Drama-based pedagogy in language education employs dramatic techniques to foster linguistic competence, affective engagement and intercultural understanding. Central to this approach are strategies such as process drama, role-play, improvisation and dramatic inquiry, which immerse learners in fictional contexts that mirror real-world communicative situations. Learners assume diverse identities, experiment with registers and negotiate meaning through embodied performance, thereby enhancing confidence, oral fluency and metacognitive awareness. Theoretical foundations draw on sociocultural perspectives that view language development as mediated by social interaction, as well as on applied theatre traditions that champion learner agency. Practice spans primary to tertiary levels and diverse sociolinguistic settings, including multilingual classrooms and contexts of forced migration. Empirical evidence attests to gains in oracy, vocabulary acquisition, pragmatic competence and learner motivation. Moreover, drama-based pedagogy can contribute to socio-emotional learning by cultivating empathy, resilience and collective creativity. In an era of global mobility and digital communication, these methods are increasingly recognised for their capacity to prepare learners to engage with authentic discourse communities.

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Drama-Based Pedagogy in Language Education publication trend

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Technical terms

Drama-based pedagogy: Teaching approach that integrates dramatic techniques to facilitate language learning and socio-emotional development.

Process drama: Learner-centred method in which participants collaboratively create, explore and resolve fictional scenarios without a predefined script.

Role-play: Activity where learners adopt and enact characters or situations to practise language in context.

Oracy: Ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech and to comprehend spoken language.

Authentic audience: Genuine group of listeners or observers outside the classroom for whom learners perform or present, enhancing real-world relevance.

References

1. Collective creativity and wellbeing dispositions: Children's perceptions of learning through drama. Thinking Skills and Creativity (2023).
2. Using process drama in EFL education: A systematic literature review. Heliyon (2024).
3. Promoting Oral Presentation Skills Through Drama-Based Tasks with an Authentic Audience: A Longitudinal Study. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher (2021).