Facilitating+Comfort+in+Public+Speaking+Through+the+Use+of+Creative+Drama

Authored by: Jenny Abunassar

__** ﻿﻿ **__ COMFORT? CREATE! COMMUNICATE!: Facilitating Comfort in Public Speaking Through the Use of Creative Drama in the English Classroom

Think back to your days as a secondary school student....



Did you look as uncomfortable as **__this guy__** at the prospect of speaking in front of a crowd? How can we help our students become more confident than we were? How can we help our students become confident communicators like....



..."President" Lisa Simpson? Perhaps a good place to start might be in our English classrooms, where we can utilize "creative drama" as a means to promote confidence in students' oral communication skills.

Given that public speaking may be necessary on a daily basis for students post-secondary, it would be advantageous for students to gain confidence in their public speaking abilities in their English classes.

Curious to know more about how creative drama works? I know I was, so I did the legwork for you!

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=I. CREATIVE DRAMA IS...=

Creative drama can take many forms. Denby states that students can dramatize material through pantomime, or play-acting, or they can complete a dramatic reading of a text (616). Creative drama can be the result of acting out a script, story, reading, novel, play or it may be the result of complete improvisation.

Teachers can decide to provide their students with specific texts (if they would prefer to provide texts rather than encourage improvisation), or they can allow their students to choose texts which they themselves enjoy. Moreover, students may be given the freedom to present their text in some form to the class by themselves, or in groups (2 or more classmates).

According to a report of empirical research by Denby, a primary impetus of creative drama in the English classroom is to help students **gain self confidence** by developing a sense of self-realization (616). Students, through creative drama, involve themselves in thinking, feeling, as well as experiencing. The students are granted the opportunity to use their emotions to help them to appreciate the wonders of the world, and to acquire, as well as to retain. knowledge about the world in which they live.

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=II. THEORETICAL/EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON CREATIVE DRAMA=

__**Research**__ on creative drama in the classroom is currently limited given that it is difficult to understand “the values of creative dramatics” as they “are elusive, difficult to define, and to measure. How does one measure growth in self-confidence, independence, social understanding, and emotional health?” (Stewig 179)

Some writers, as pointed out by Stewig believe that the usage of creative drama in the classroom may help students gain:
 * 1) Language (including communication skills) precision[[image:question_mark.jpg align="right"]]
 * 2) An increase in language vividness
 * 3) Exposure to various terms and their meanings
 * 4) The rhythmic aspect of language
 * 5) The various functions words serve

Drama does //encourage vocabulary development// in students as they are often confronted with new words unfamiliar to them (Stewig 180). Students also seem to experience //growth in paralanguage (pitch, stress, and juncture)//, which linguists claim drastically impact a message an individual hopes to communicate in conversation:


 * “If we can teach children how to manipulate pitch, stress, and juncture consciously, we shall be teaching them to use one of the most expressive devices of a marvelously flexible language as they increase their**
 * ability to communicate.”**(Stewig 184)

Furthermore, a series of meta analyses conducted by Podlozny support the contention that students’ //oral language skills benefit from creative drama in the classroom// (259). The improvement of oral language skills as a result of creative drama “makes sense” given the various skills students need for drama (259). This research shows that oral language skills in students will benefit from using drama in the language arts classroom, which in turn means that students //will gain confidence// as a result of their acquired competencies in oral communication. The more self confidence a student has the more likely that they will become less anxious at the prospect of speaking in front of their peers.

Lastly, Vilsoni Hereniko (71) explicitly states the various //general benefits// to using creative drama in the classroom:
 * Creative drama can provide students with opportunities to **practice** and improve upon oral skills (fluency, pronunciation, and intonation).
 * Creative drama can promote **confidence** in students' communication abilities given that "practice makes perfect".
 * Creative drama can help **motivate** students when subject matter seems uninteresting or difficult.
 * Creative drama can provide students with **a break** from lecture style and typical writing or listening tasks
 * Creative drama can provide students with opportunities to **think and reflect critically** on their own and/or with their peers cooperatively.
 * Creative drama may provide students with opportunities to put themselves in **various situations** (being open to various perspectives).

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=III. PRACTICAL USE OF CREATIVE DRAMA=

Some **__practical suggestions__ __for teachers__** who would like to incorporate creative drama to help students develop confidence in their communication skills include:

An example of which may be to have students work in pairs where one individual plays the interviewer, and the other, the interviewee (Hereniko 72). This activity could serve as a simulation exercise for a __job interview__, which could help lessen anxiety when students enter the workforce.
 * Role playing**

Students may be given a theme like “Never trust your friend”, after which they must work in pairs or in groups to create the context and to improvise within it (Hereniko 72). Improvisation exercises may help students gain familiarity and in turn, confidence in their ability to __go-with-the-flow__ when situations in their daily lives escalate beyond their expectations. This method of creative drama may be particularly helpful in oral fluency training, and developing a sense of sensitivity to others. Improvisation is a common suggestion to both Veidemanis (550) and Hereniko (72).
 * Improvisation**

There is a great deal of __flexibility__ with this type of creative drama and is suggested by both Veidemanis (550) and Hereniko (73). The students may be required to choose a text and read aloud enthusiastically or act out a passage from a text. If the main objective of the exercise is to increase understanding of a text and gain insight into various __aspects of a text__, then the teacher may want their students to remain faithful to the text and the emotions the author seems to want to elicit in the audience. If the main objective of the exercise is to build students’ oral communication skills, however, the possibilities for dramatic readings are endless!
 * Dramatic Readings:**

Students may choose to read a text with a __certain emotio__n in mind, for instance, like sadness, guilt, or excitement. Students may be asked to provide a dramatic reading of a scene from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, or provide a combination of a dramatic reading and a paraphrased version of the scene. Alternatively, a student may want to read a dramatic monologue from a favourite book like “The Lord of the Rings”. A student may want to read or perform Gollum’s monologue like the following YouTube clip demonstrates:

media type="youtube" key="ql_dN2IeZ0Q?fs=1" height="381" width="473" align="center"

(For more YouTube clips of dramatic performances/readings please see section IV.)

A teacher may choose to assign an entire play or multiple plays depending on the number of students in the class, and ask the students to perform the play at the end of a unit or term (Hereniko 73). This assignment could help to facilitate a sense of community within the classroom by providing opportunities for co-operative learning. This assignment may help students built self-confidence as a result of increasing their oral communication skills but could be the most difficult to implement in the classroom.
 * A Class Play:**

__**In sum**__, the use of creative drama in English classes can be particularly beneficial to student learning, specifically students' oral communication skills and confidence in their abilities. Oral communication skills are useful skills to improve upon given that they are necessary for success in a wide array of situations, including (but not limited to): further study in academics, completing successful job interviews, careers in law, education, as well as business.

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=IV. USEFUL TEXTS FOR CREATIVE DRAMA IN ENGLISH CLASSROOMS=

With so many Internet websites and texts available to teachers, possible texts that students can employ for activities with creative drama are virtually limitless. Some texts may be: (1) canonical texts, (2) poems, (3) music lyrics, or (4) excerpts from popular novels.

(1) Teachers may want students to present dramatic readings of __**canonical texts**__ like William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", "Macbeth", or "Romeo and Juliet". The following excerpts may serve as useful texts for teaching secondary students:

[|O that this too too solid flesh would melt] (Spoken by Hamlet, Act 1 Scene2) [|O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I] (Spoken by Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2) [|To be, or not to be] (Spoken by Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1)
 * "HAMLET"

[|The raven himself is hoarse] (Spoken by Lady Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5) [|If it were done when 'tis done] (Spoken by Macbeth, Act 1 Scene7) [|Is this a dagger which I see before me] (Spoken by Macbeth, Act 2 Scene 1)
 * "MACBETH"

[|O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright] (Spoken by Romeo, Act 1 Scene 1) [|What light through yonder window breaks?] (Spoken by Romeo, Act 2 Scene 2) [|The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse] (Spoken by Juliet, Act 2 Scene 5)
 * "ROMEO & JULIET"


 * Students may also benefit from using creative drama to understand [|Shakespearean sonnets]. The following clip presents a dramatic reading of two sonnets:

media type="youtube" key="CHkOBYicOOo?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center"

(2) Other potential texts that may be used for creative drama in an English class could include __**poetry**__ :
 * Edgar Allan Poe's [|"The Raven"] or Samuel Coleridge Taylor's [|"Rime of the Ancient Mariner".]

(3) __**Popular music lyrics**__ may serve as texts that students can present to the class in a creative, dramatic way, much like the following YouTube clips:


 * A dramatic reading of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" by Christopher Walken:

media type="youtube" key="AJDx3H_hvI8?fs=1" height="361" width="596" align="center"


 * A dramatic reading of Eminem's "Lose Yourself":

media type="youtube" key="l9MSgFTGmd0?fs=1" height="385" width="478" align="center"


 * A dramatic reading may be completed by students in groups, like the following dramatic reading of Lady Gaga's and Beyonce's "Telephone":

media type="youtube" key="RbI0mEYyMC0?fs=1" height="372" width="614" align="center"

(4) Students may choose to perform a dramatic reading of a passage from a **__popular novel__,** like Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight". The following YouTube clip provides an example:

media type="youtube" key="GsWdpcDiZQg?fs=1" height="384" width="477" align="center"

Creative drama in the classroom will likely yield the most beneficial results for students if the students have a personal stake in the text they will be presenting to the class. The greater the interest a student demonstrates, the greater the likelihood that they will prepare themselves properly before presenting their work to their classmates. The more motivated the students are to present something that they feel is their own, the more confident they will be, despite their possible fear of public speaking (glossophobia).

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=V. MY LESSON PLAN EXAMPLE: "COMFORT? CREATE! COMMUNICATE!"= = =

The following is an example of a basic lesson plan which I have constructed from a backwards design perspective:


 * Step 1: Desired Results **

-I want my ENG4U students to become more comfortable with speaking in front of an audience through the use of creative drama.

-My focus for my students in this lesson is on the Oral Communication strand of ENG4U with particular attention to the overall expectation “Reflecting on Skills and Strategies”, and specific expectations: metacognition and interconnected skills. In order for students to become more confident in front of an audience they may benefit from examining their strengths as listeners and as speakers, where they may need improvement, and effective strategies for oral communication.

-The “Hook”: Since these students are most likely planning to attend a post-secondary institution in the upcoming year I would highlight the importance of oral communication/presentation skills given the frequency of oral presentations and interviews that may await them in the upcoming years.


 * Step 2: Acceptable Evidence **

-As a first attempt at gaining confidence in oral communication skills, I will ask questions orally after observing the students' performances. Some questions may include: How did you feel before, during, and after your performance? What do you think you did well in your performance? Is there anything you would do differently if you had to do this performance again?

-The student’s peers will be permitted to give helpful suggestions for improvement and words of encouragement based on their observations as well.


 * Step 3: Learning Experiences/Instruction: **[[image:http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID4908/images/Twilight2%285%29.jpg width="247" height="360" align="right"]]

-After providing the “Hook” for the lesson I inform the students that they will be asked to perform a short dramatic reading of a text or a role play (no more than 2 students in a group) at the front of the class. Students can be as creative with their reading as they would like.

-Students will be provided photocopies of various texts to choose from where texts may be: song lyrics, samples of poetry, a monologue, or a brief passage from a novel.

-Some of the texts I would include would include passages from the following: Carrol’s “Jabberwocky”, Hamlet's “To Be or Not To Be”, Poe’s “The Raven”, Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” or “Telephone”, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, Meyer’s “Twilight”, and Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”.

-Some examples of a role play may include passages from: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/roleplaying/whatis.html

-Students will only be given 15 minutes preparation time.

This is only one example of a possible lesson plan involving creative drama. Can you think of others?

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=VI. SOME HELPFUL WEBSITES= = =


 * A very helpful website that has **lesson plans** applicable to creative drama in English classes of various grade levels: []
 * A useful website for excerpts from Shakespearean texts: []
 * A website with multiple lesson plans more specifically geared towards **primary students** but potentially adaptable to secondary students: http://www.childdrama.com/lessons.html
 * A website primarily for teaching Drama, however, some of the **lesson plans, activities and ideas** may be useful to English teachers (particularly lesson ideas pertaining to Shakespeare): http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/performing/dramaless/
 * A website which includes useful **tips on public speaking**. This site would likely help teachers and students alike: http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp

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=VII. REFERENCES=

Denby, Robert V. "NCTE/ERIC Report: Oral/Dramatics Approach to Teaching English." __The English Journal__ 58 (1969) : 614-621. Hereniko, Vilsoni. "//Drama Methods in Teaching English to Fifth and Sixth Forms//”. 8 October 2010. .

 Podlozny, Ann. “Strengthening Verbal Skills Through the Use of Classroom Drama: A Clear Link.” __Journal of____Aesthetic Education__ 34 (2000) : 239-275.  ﻿﻿﻿ <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Stewig, John Warren. “Creative Drama and Language Growth.” __The Elementary School Journal__ 72 (1972) : 176-188. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Veidemanis, Gladys. “Drama in the English Classroom.” __The English Journal__ 51 (1962) : 544-551. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

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