drama in modern language teaching

Transcription

DRAMA IN MODERN
LANGUAGE TEACHING
Part 2
FOLLOW-UP
Ergebnisse des Lehrganges
Dramapädagogik –
Methodenzusatzausbildung in englischer
Sprache und ausgewählte Tagungsbeiträge
der internationalen Konferenz INTERACT
2006
Hrsg.: Anton Prochazka
DRAMA IN MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Part 2
FOLLOW-UP
ORGANIZERS of the TRAINING COURSE
Alfred Fischl (bmukk), Anton Prochazka (IFU/PH Wien)
COURSE TUTORS
Stefan Egger, Karl Eigenbauer, Egon Turecek
OVERALL COORDINATION
Anton Prochazka
This booklet
COMPILED by
Karl Eigenbauer, Egon Turecek, Anton Prochazka
LINGUISTIC ADVISORS/ PROOFREADING
Margareta Bush, Catriona Ojiefoh, Catherine Saint-Jean
LAYOUT
Michael Manhart
EDITOR
Anton Prochazka
Pädagogische Hochschule Wien, IFU - Sprachenzentrum
1100 Wien, Grenzackerstraße 18
www.phwien.ac.at
Druck: Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (bmukk),
Minoritenplatz 5, 1014 Wien
Wien, 2009
Every care has been taken to identify sources used in this publication. In some cases, where it has not been possible to
identify the sources of the materials used, the editor would welcome information from copyright owners.
This project was made possible by the financial support of
Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (bmukk) and
Pädagogische Hochschule Wien
Contents
Drama in Modern Language Teaching 2: Follow-Up
Vorwort – Alfred Fischl …................................................................ 5
Preface – Anton Prochazka ............................................................ 7
Foreword and Acknowledgement – Anton Prochazka .................... 9
Introduction – Karl Eigenbauer ....................................................... 13
Follow-Up Workshops
Follow-Up Module ........................................................................... 15
Programme ..................................................................................... 15
Summary of the Follow-Up Workshops with J. Neelands ...............
1. Warm-Ups and Games ........................................................
2. Workshop on Migration ........................................................
3. The Emperor and the Kite ....................................................
4. Beijing Opera .......................................................................
19
19
19
25
27
Summary of the Follow-Up Workshops with Karl Eigenbauer .......
1. Warm-Ups – Whole Group (K. Eigenbauer) .........................
2. Games and Warm-Ups (K. Eigenbauer) ..............................
3. A Moral Dilemma .................................................................
4. Working with Poems ............................................................
5. Starting from a Picture ..........................................................
29
29
30
30
32
34
Summary of the Follow-Up Workshops with Egon Turecek ..........
1. Warm-Ups (E. Turecek) .......................................................
2. Eveline .................................................................................
3. Improvisation ........................................................................
35
35
35
36
Feedback of the Participants .......................................................... 38
Drama Projects
Margaretha Bush – Be the Word ....................................................
Gottfried Eisner – Single to Sevenoaks ..........................................
Maria Fasching – Using Drama for Primary School Teacher
Training ...........................................................................................
Sylvia Irene Haumann – Child Labour ............................................
Dagmar Haupt – Schilf Seminar .....................................................
Edith Hofer – “Leaving Home” ........................................................
Sabine Hosp – Process Drama: Nessie on Winter Holiday ............
Andrea Huber-Grabenwarter – Theft in School ..............................
Michael Manhart – Project Birthday ................................................
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41
44
48
58
61
76
78
82
84
Ulrike Matscheko – Refugees ......................................................... 87
Sabine Meyer – PHILADELPHIA .................................................... 95
Daniela Miksche – Unsolved Mysteries .......................................... 99
Sonja Monferini – Drama Techniques in “Lord of the Flies” by
Golding .......................................................................................... 103
Ursula Nesper – The Coin ............................................................. 106
Regina Palka – Abusive Relationship ............................................ 110
Regina Palka – Ideas for Teaching “Macbeth” .............................. 118
Birgit Pfeiffer – Die Theaterszene – ein Lehrplatz für neue
Begegnungen ................................................................................ 120
Helga Pfeiffer – “Eleanor Rigby” .................................................... 122
Peter Raffler – Violence ................................................................. 127
Catherine Saint Jean – Drama Projects ........................................ 128
Doris Stahl-Kaunert – Around the World in 80 Days ..................... 129
Barbara Stefan – “Dead Poets Society” ........................................ 132
Gerda Thenner – Drama Ideas for Upper Secondary School ........ 133
Regina Trimmel – Arranged Marriages ......................................... 134
Gudrun Wallner – “Archibald's Biggest Mistake” ........................... 138
Christine Weber – Love, Lust and Passion ................................... 140
Herbert Wiesinger – An Alternative Lifestyle: The Amish of
Lancaster County ......................................................................... 142
Interact 2006 – Conference Selections
Shlemiel Goes Through Europe, Debska (PL) ..............................
Stimulation of Limitation: 'Line - Stories', Kempe (UK) ..................
Why Canada in the Classroom? Glaap (D) ...................................
Learning a Foreign Body Language, Özkul (TR/D) .......................
Web-Based Collaborative Learning, Husemoen (Norway) &
Steinmetz (Denmark) ....................................................................
Even the Teacher can Have Fun, Kovalčíková (SK) .....................
147
151
156
161
166
168
Appendix
Recommended Books ................................................................... 176
List of Contacts .............................................................................. 178
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Drama in Modern Language Teaching 2
VORWORT ALFRED FISCHL
DRAMA IN MODERN
LANGUAGE TEACHING
FOLLOW-UP
Vorwort
Die Dokumentation über eine weiterführende
Einnetzung von Kompetenzen des Unterrichtens im Bereich Drama zeigt, dass
Nachhaltigkeit als Qualitätskomponente immer
mehr an praktischer Beachtung erfährt. Als
wichtige
Multiplikator/inneninitiative
zur
Stärkung integrierter und ganzheitlich-kreativer
Methoden ist dieses Pilotprojekt eine Hoffnung
auf
weiterwirkende
Bemühungen
um
Unterrichtsqualität in allen Schularten im
Fremdsprachunterricht.
Alfred Fischl
Leiter der Abt. I/4 im bmukk,
Kulturpädagogik, Kreativitäts- und
Begabungsförderung
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PREFACE
“First of all,“ he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with
all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his
or her point of view …“
“Sir?“
… until you climb into his or her skin and walk around in it.“
Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird
The use of drama techniques in language teaching helps us to discover things about
ourselves and our world by seeing them through others’ eyes. Drama aims at bringing real
life into the classroom. It becomes a powerful teaching and learning tool with profound
positive effects on the students’ cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. The
benefits of regular use of drama techniques can merge into all school subjects and everyday
life. Drama is pedagogy that reaches students of multiple intelligences and different learning
styles. It is a multi-sensory mode of learning that engages mind, body, senses, and emotions
to create personal connections to the real world and helps to improve comprehension and
retention.
Using drama methods demands enthusiasm and a willingness “to take risks“ on the part of
the students and the teachers. A risk that was gladly taken by the participants in our drama
course and follow-up module to their own and later on to their students’ benefit in the
classroom. The summary of the Follow-Up Seminar, the results of the participants’ classroom
work, the drama projects they have undertaken in the meantime with their classes, and
conference selections from the International INTERACT 2006 Conference in Vienna at the
IFU can be found in this booklet. The projects show how much excitement and zeal for
teaching through drama our colleagues developed as they discovered the powerfully
motivating and valuable effects that drama has on the learner.
They also show how much drama transforms the traditional teacher-student relationship from
one of authority-recipient to one of shared experience of discovery and creative exploration.
Everyone in the class then wants to be a part of the group, not apart from the group. Helping
to bring this about is extremely rewarding for both teachers and students. And drama seems
to be the best way of achieving this.
I am sure this Drama Follow-Up Book will give you new ideas for the classroom, but also
encouragement and inspiration to get involved in spreading the “drama virus“ to your
classrooms, colleagues, schools and the outside world.
Our world
needs
teachers
like
you!
Anton Prochazka
Project Coordinator
Head of the IFU
Centre for Modern Languages
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-8-
FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“We learn through experience and experiencing, and no one teaches us anything.
If the environment permits it, anyone can learn what he/she chooses to learn;
and if the individual permits it, the environment will teach him/her everything
it has to teach.“
Viola Spolin
Improvisation for the Theater
In the field of teaching English through the use of drama, Vienna’s English Theatre (VET)
with its famous and well-known “Schooltours“ was the first institution in Austria that already
brought drama to the Austrian schools in the 1960ies. The name Nicholas Allen is closely
connected with the VET. He worked as an actor, writer and producer for the theatre and
began with great success holding interactive workshops for students and teachers all over
Austria later on as well.
The IFU, In-service Training Centre for Modern Languages at the Pädagogisches Institut des
Bundes in Wien, the later Pädagogische Hochschule Wien, started in the 1990ies to organize
and run drama workshops and theatre performances for teachers of English and later on for
teachers of French as well. The aim of these workshops was, on one hand, to prepare
teachers with ideas for using the plays of the Schooltours of the VET in the classroom, on the
other hand, to motivate teachers themselves to introduce drama techniques into the
classroom. Up to now the IFU has organized and held more than 40 in-service drama
training activities for more than 900 teachers, - many of them with the strong support of Mag.
Johann Walter at the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture (bm:ukk).
In 2000, through an initiative of Mag. Johann Walter and Mag. Anton Prochazka, English
language teachers, teacher trainers and multipliers who were particularly interested in
drama, were brought together and started networking in three consecutive conferences
(Vienna, St. Pölten and Salzburg). From 2004 onwards, the network was extended to a
Central European Drama Network and conferences took place in our neighbouring
countries as well.
After four successful international Drama Network Conferences (2004 in Morovany, SK; 2005
in Šlapanice, CZ; 2006 in Vienna, A, and 2007 in Szombathely, H) a fifth one, the INTERACT
CENTROPE 2009 will take place in Košice, SK, from 5 – 8 November 2009. By holding the
conferences in different countries each year, it offered an opportunity for the expanding
international core group to get together, while introducing international networking
opportunities to teachers in the country that was holding the conference. This could only be
achieved thanks to the great support of and close cooperation with the Austrian Ministry for
Education, Arts and Culture (Mag. Johann Walter).
The result of one of the conferences in Austria was the idea of organizing a training course
for language teachers at secondary schools who wanted to use drama as a teaching method
in the classroom. The later three course tutors, Mag. Stefan Egger, Mag. Karl Eigenbauer
and Mag. Egon Turecek developed a curriculum for a three-year training course consisting of
five modules. This course was then organized (2004-2007) by the IFU with the support of
and in close cooperation with Dr. Alfred Fischl from the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts
and Culture.
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The summary of the course was finally published by the IFU and the Ministry for Education in
2007 under the title “Drama in Modern Language Teaching“ (208 pages). It is still
available free of charge on the internet:
http://fortbildung.phvienna.at/fortb_pe3/FileDownloads/Dramalehrgang
%20Dokumentation.pdf
As the feedback of the participants on this first Austrian training course was so
overwhelmingly positive (See Reflections in: “Drama in Modern Language Teaching“, pp. 9899), everyone asked for a continuation. This wish was kindly fulfilled in April 2008 through the
kind support of the bmukk (Dr. Alfred Fischl) so that a FOLLOW-UP Drama Module could be
organized by the IFU/Pädagogische Hochschule Wien at the Retzhof near Graz.
The main ideas and the results of this follow-up module are now presented in this second
drama booklet.
In addition to this summary, the “follow-up drama projects“ of the teachers participating in this
unique drama training-course have been published as well. These projects had been
planned, carried out with pupils and evaluated by each course participant. They are for use in
class, but could also be seen as a stimulus for other drama projects.
Finally the Conference Selections of the International INTERACT 2006 Conference “Drama
and Storytelling in ELT“ followed by an appendix with recommended drama books and a
useful contact list of the participating drama experts, round up this second volume of “Drama
in Modern Language Teaching Part 2, Follow-Up“.
As one of the organizers, I would now like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Alfred Fischl
from the bmukk, who kindly promoted and supported this unique training course and the
follow-up module as well. Sincere thanks also go to Mag. Johann Walter (bmukk) who
initiated and supported the publication of the 2nd volume.
Special thanks are due to the Representatives of the Pädagogische Hochschule Wien, Prof.
Dr. Jutta Zemanek, Vice Rector for In-service Training, and Mag. Barbara Huemer, Head of
the Institute for Staff Development PE3, who both promoted the Drama Follow-Up Module.
A BIG THANK YOU goes to the whole team of course tutors, Prof. Mag. Egon Turecek,
Prof. Mag. Karl Eigenbauer and Prof. Mag. Stefan Egger and to the drama expert Univ. Prof.
Jonothan Neelands, Institute of Education at the University of Warwick, who ran the
challenging and touching workshops at the Drama Follow-Up seminar. Without their
enthusiasm, committment and marvellous cooperation this successful Follow-Up would not
have been possible.
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THE DRAMA FOLLOW-UP TEAM
E. Turecek, K. Eigenbauer, A. Prochazka, J. Neelands, S. Egger
I would also like to express my thanks to Margareta Bush, Catriona Ojiefoh and Catherine
Saint-Jean, for their linguistic advice and for having proofread the whole manuscript within
limited time, and in particular to Michael Manhart, who has worked on the layout and setting
of this second drama booklet so fast and carefully. They all did their best in their sparetime
and without any financial rewards.
Excellent teamwork of all the colleagues from various schools involved in producing this
second drama book made it possible to keep the set timetable and to finish the voluminous
work successfully on time.
Last, but not least I would like to thank all the workshop participants for their hard work, their
strong support, flexibility, enthusiasm and commitment thoughout the training course and the
follow-up seminar, all of which contributed to the success of “DRAMA IN MODERN
LANGUAGE TEACHING“.
Anton Prochazka
Editor and Project Coordinator
IFU Centre for Modern Languages
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INTRODUCTION – KARL EIGENBAUER
When I was at the IDEA (International Drama, Theatre and Education Association) World
Conference in Bergen in 2001 with teachers from 65 nations from all kinds of institutions
(from elementary to university) taking part, I realized that Austria was definitely a white spot
on the international educational drama map. I was sitting next to a colleague from Curacao
and we started talking. When I asked her about the position of educational drama in her
country, she said that “of course” it was a subject in its own right as well as a cross-curricular
approach. I had to admit that in Austria neither of them was the case.
At about the same time a group of Austrian teachers of English (Stefan Egger, Egon Turecek
and myself) had the idea to promote the use of drama methods in the foreign language
classroom and to set up an in-service course on drama methodology. We were all “drama
infested”, having eclectically attended all sorts of drama courses in Austria and abroad and
worked as drama teachers in extra-curricular activities (e. g. extra-curricular drama groups in
the afternoon) for some years. While it was clear to us that in the near future it would be
impossible to introduce drama as an art subject into the Austrian school curriculum, we were
equally fascinated by the work of British drama educators who used structured
improvisations for teaching purposes in “normal” classrooms. We firmly believed in this socalled “drama in education” as a fruitful method for learning a modern language, and as the
techniques and strategies of this process-oriented approach were literally unknown in Austria
we gave the curriculum of our intended course a process drama focus. It was Mag. Anton
Prochazka from IFU who became the mentor of this project. His great enthusiasm for drama
alongside his financial and organisational expertise paved the way for the course that took
place between 2004 and 2006 in Graz with funding from the European Union and from Dr.
Alfred Fischl and Mag. Johann Walter from the Austrian Ministry of Education, who gave full
support to the idea.
The latest findings in how children learn confirmed what we had already felt. What
neuroscientists have discovered in recent years about the way the brain functions most
effectively made it clear that drama relates directly to these findings. Using drama as a tool in
foreign language teaching (I am using the word “foreign” instead of “modern” on purpose as
not only teachers of English, French and Italian were amongst our participants but also one
teacher of Latin) means brain-friendly learning. Not only does drama promote selfexpression, build self-confidence, enhance creativity, encourage co-operation but, above all,
it is motivating. Thus it meets one of the basic demands of cognitive psychology and the new
field of “neuro-didactics”. As the most communicative of all art forms, drama particularly
increases the fluency and confidence of the students’ speech in usually authentic
communication contexts, in a dramatic “elsewhere”, as one of our course tutors, Dr Cecily
O’Neill puts it, where the students act “as if”. They learn to manipulate the language in order
to bring life to fictional contexts (people, places, events). Since some of the strategies used
are writing in role and reading texts, and pupils constantly have to listen how the drama is
developing, all four skills are covered.
In our two-year course the different tutors, who were all leading specialists in their field,
provided the more than forty participants with a toolkit of techniques and planning strategies
for drama, which led to an abundance of projects carried out in actual classrooms. As not all
of them could be published in our first volume, this second volume contains the “rest of the
best”. The group of participants also expressed a need for a follow-up module and an
exchange of ideas and experiences, which was again made possible thanks to Mag. Anton
Prochazka. This event took place in Retzhof in Styria in April 2008, and we were extremely
glad that one of the leading practitioners in the world of educational drama,
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Dr Jonothan Neelands from the University of Warwick, had agreed to teach us. His work on
developing a series of conventions and on structuring drama lessons in his groundbreaking
books Making Sense of Drama (1984), Structuring Drama Work (1990) and Learning through
Imagined Experience (1992) has been highly influential for educational drama throughout the
world. The minutes of his workshop and of the workshops by Egon Turecek and myself are
also part of this volume.
THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE FOLLOW-UP SEMINAR
in front of the “Retzhof”
Our hope is that this has not been the last course on drama in language teaching. There are
signs that a new course can start in 2010 so that more and more “multipliers” will spread the
seed of drama and show that knowledge and learning may mean more than European
standards and cognitive facts to be tested in three pre-selected fields in studies like PISA.
Our challenge as teachers is to develop creative learners who can live successfully in the
rapidly changing world of the 21st century. Apart from being a very successful language
teaching tool drama can help to do that.
Karl Eigenbauer
On behalf of the Course Tutors
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PÄDAGOGISCHE HOCHSCHULE WIEN
Institut für Personalentwicklung 3
1100 Wien, Grenzackerstraße 18
Tel.: +43 1 601 18-3770 ~ Fax: +43 1 601 18-3704
Web: www.phwien.ac.at ~ E-Mail: anton.prochazka@phwien.ac.at
IFU SPRACHENZENTRUM
EINLADUNG
zum
Follow Up – Modul
Dramapädagogik-Methodenzusatzausbildung in englischer Sprache
Termin: 24. April, (18.00 Uhr) – 27. April 2008 (12.30 Uhr)
Veranstaltungsort: Bildungshaus Schloß Retzhof
Dorfstraße 17, 8430 Leitring/Leibnitz,
Tel.: 03452/82788-0; http://www.retzhof.at/index.php
Leitung:
Prof. Mag. Karl Eigenbauer, RG und ORG f. Studierende der Musik, 1070 Wien
Kontakt: Email: karl.eigenbauer@aon.at
Referenten:
Jonothan Neelands, University of Warwick, Royal Shakespeare Company, Chair of
Drama and Theatre Education, author of numerous publications on Drama in
Education.
Prof. Mag. Stefan Egger, Modellschule Graz
Prof. Mag. Karl Eigenbauer, RG und ORG f. Studierende der Musik, 1070 Wien
Prof. Mag. Egon Turecek, Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule in Wien
Zielgruppe: Multiplikator/innen und Absolvent/innen des Ausbildungslehrganges
Dramapädagogik sowie Lehrer/innen mit Dramaexpertise aus allen Schularten
(ab 5. Schulstufe)
Ziele:
Drama- und theaterpädagogische Methoden im Fremdsprachenunterricht
implementieren und weiterentwickeln.
Inhalt:
• Vorstellung, Reflexion und Diskussion von Projekten und Initiativen, die als Folge
des Lehrgangs entstanden sind
• Diskussion zusätzlicher Möglichkeiten, Drama als Methode im
Fremdsprachenunterricht verstärkt einzusetzen
• Drama als cross-curriculares und interdisziplinäres Unterrichtsprinzip und
Diskussion von Vernetzungen zwischen Englisch und anderen Fächern
• Methode Drama zur Förderung personaler und sozialer Kompetenzen
• Planung künftiger Multiplikatorentätigkeiten im Sinne der oben genannten
Schwerpunkte
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Diese Fortbildungsveranstaltung findet in Zusammenarbeit mit dem bmukk,
Abt. I/IV, (MR Dr. Alfred Fischl) und der PH Wien statt.
PROGRAMME FOLLOW-UP MODULE
Dramapädagogik-Methodenzusatzausbildung in englischer Sprache
24 - 27 April 2008
Bildungshaus Schloß Retzhof; Dorfstraße 17, 8430 Leitring/Leibnitz, Tel.:
03452/82788-0
Time
Activity
24.April.08
18.00
Dinner
19.30 Workshop 1
21.00
(2 units)
25.April.08
08.00
Breakfast
09.00 10.30
Workshop 2
(2 units)
11.00 12.30
12.30
Workshop 3
(2 units)
Lunch
14.30 16.00
Workshop 4
(2 units)
16.30 18.00
18.00
Workshop 5
(2 units)
Dinner
20.00 –
Workshop 6
21.30
(2 units)
26.April.08
08.00
Breakfast
09.00 Workshop 7
10.30
(2 units)
11.00 Workshop 8
12.30
(2 units)
12.30
Lunch
14.30 Workshop 9
16.00
(2 units)
16.30 Workshop 10
18.00
(2 units)
18.30
Dinner
Social
20.00
evening
Group 1
Group 2
Introduction, warm-ups
(Eigenbauer, Turecek)
Introduction, warm-ups
Structuring drama for
language and human learning
(Neelands)
Structuring drama for
language and human learning
(Neelands)
Activities to stimulate
language and thinking
(Neelands)
Drama and media on the
theme of migration
(Neelands)
Drama and media on the
theme of migration
(Neelands)
Drama for personal and social
learning (Eigenbauer)
Drama for personal and social
learning (Eigenbauer)
Discussion of projects and
initiatives (Egger)
initiatives (Egger)
Working with texts considering
cross-curricular aspects
(Eigenbauer)
Drama for personal and social Structuring drama for language
learning (Turecek)
and human learning (Neelands)
Drama for personal and social Structuring drama for language
learning (Turecek)
and human learning (Neelands)
initiatives (Egger)
initiatives (Egger)
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Activities to stimulate language
and thinking (Neelands)
Drama and media on the theme of
migration (Neelands)
Time
Activity
27.April.08
08.00
Breakfast
09.00 10.30
11.00 12.30
(2 units)
12.30
Workshop
11
(2 units)
Workshop
12
(2 units)
Lunch and
departure
Group 1
Group 2
Working with texts
considering cross-curricular
aspects
(Turecek)
Summary and reflections,
planning for the future
Drama and media on the theme of
migration (Neelands)
Summary and reflections,
planning for the future
Jonothan Neelands
Professor Jonothan Neelands, MA, is a National Teaching Fellow and Chair of Drama and
Theatre Education in the Institute of Education at the University of Warwick where he
teaches the MA in Drama and Theatre Education. He has worked as an L.E.A advisor for
dance and drama and advisory teacher for drama and English and is an experienced trainer
and workshop leader with a national and international reputation for delivering high quality
professional training and development opportunities.
He is an associate of the CAPITAL Centre of creativity and performance in teaching and
learning, which is a joint initiative between the University of Warwick and the Royal
Shakespeare Company (RSC).
Jonothan is closely involved in the RSC’s Time For Change campaign to improve the quality
of Shakespeare teaching at secondary and HE levels. Jonothan also advises government on
the identification and training of talented young performers. He is the author of several texts
for teachers and students, which have influenced the development of drama in recent years
including Structuring Drama Work, Beginning Drama 11 - 14, Key Shakespeare, 1 and 2 and
Drama and Theatre Studies at A/S level and A level. His latest publication is Improving Your
Primary School Through Drama published by David Fulton in January 2006.
RESEARCH PROFILE
Drama and theatre education, particularly pedagogy and curriculum design; Drama, literacy
and oracy; Cultural theory in the Arts; Vocational training of actors and dancers; Critical
ethnography and the shaping of professional practice and identity; Impact analysis of arts
education policies and professional artists, work in education; Historiography of Western and
non-Western performance; Schoolreform and re-structuring.
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Drama in Modern Language Teaching 2 – Workshop Neelands
SUMMARY OF THE FOLLOW UP WORKSHOP ON MIGRATION WITH JONOTHAN
NEELANDS
(ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, CHAIR OF DRAMA AND THEATRE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK)
1 WARM-UPS AND GAMES / JONOTHAN NEELANDS
NAME AND BALL
Throw a ball and say this person’s name. Put your hands behind your back when it’s been
your turn.
HUGGY 2 / 5 ETC.
Walk around. Teacher calls out ’Huggy …’. Group building (as quickly as possible) by hugging
2, hugging 3, etc.
.
CLAPPING GAME
Circle. Send a clap round and across the circle. You accept each clap with a clap. You can
also change directions by returning the clap (= double clap).
Then do the same with an imaginary ball.
TREES AND SQUIRRELS
Whole group (uneven number): groups of 3; A and B = trees making a kind of roof.
C = squirrel under the tree, one person who tries to get a place. When the teacher calls out
‘Fire’ – all the trees move and change places, when the teacher calls out ‘Hunter’ – all the
squirrels move and change places, when the teacher calls out ‘Earthquake’ – everybody must
move and change places. (You remain the thing – either tree or squirrel – you were at the
beginning). 1 person does not get a place = he or she calls out new word
POWER SHOWER
Pairs. Give each other a massage (using fingertips and palms).
FLOATION
Pairs. A moves parts of B’s body (makes them float) and vice versa.
BLIND GAMES
•
Pairs stand at two opposite walls. Agree on a sound and try to find your partner.
•
Opposite walls. A makes sculpture. B should make the same (blind)
•
Group A (blind) is formed into sculptures by group B (B forming his partner A). Group B (open
eyes) goes back, makes the same sculpture. Blind A’s should find their partners (who make
sounds).
(Minutes Karl Eigenbauer)
2 WORKSHOP ON MIGRATION
“Migration is the engine of history”
Ousmane Ngom; Senegal Interior Minister
RICH TASK 1:
Class devise a docudrama for live performance based on the stories and other writings of migrants of
today and from history. The class will need to research their own families and communities to generate
the material for performance and script the piece using as much original material (oral history) as
possible. The docudrama should reflect the personal family experiences of the class as well as the
broader experience of those migrants who have been the engine of Brum’s history. The docudrama
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should also reflect the different performance traditions associated with the diverse cultures
represented in the stories told. In addition to the performance the class also organise a major foyer
display of photos, memories, maps and other artefacts related to the theme. (key subject areas:
Expressive Arts, English, History)
RICH TASK 2:
Class devise and make a short documentary film that presents a more or less factual account of
migration today and historically. The purpose of the film is to illustrate the title of this enterprise and
focus on the positive contributions of different migrant groups both in B’ham and more widely if
possible/manageable. The film should also highlight some of the difficulties and dangers that migrants
experience and the attitudes and legislation towards migrants in UK and other EU countries. The
class should research quantitative and qualitative data for the film. (Key subject areas: History,
Geography, Social Studies, IT, Maths, Media Studies)
KEY RESOURCES:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Lothian Books ISBN 0-7344-0694-0)
Ghosts a film by Nick Broomfield (Tartan DVD)
The Namesake a film by Mira Nair (available soon on DVD)
3 INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP BASED ON THE ARRIVAL
(3 HOURS)
1 THE WALK
Learners find a space in the room and begin walking as if they were in a busy city – careful not to bang
into other people but moving quickly about their business. Instructions are given as to how they
should alter their ‘walk’:
•
As if they ‘belong’.
•
Don’t belong.
Ask learners to look around as they walk and see for themselves who
belongs/doesn’t belong – how can they tell the difference?
Encourage learners to exaggerate the signs as they walk.
On a hand clap, find and greet someone a) who is the opposite
b) someone who is the same.
As they walk, those who belong and those who don’t begin to form their own groups, so that there is
now a group of those who belong and a group of those who don’t – how do the groups look at each
other?
Discuss how it feels to belong/not belong and what the visual clues were for identifying who is who.
Compare to experience of ‘new arrivals’ who may pass from a place where they felt they belonged to a
place where they don’t feel they belong.
2 TALKING PICTURES
Show the class slideshow presentation of selected images from The Arrival with soundtrack of
Somewhere over the Rainbow/Wonderful world by Israel
Kamakawiwo’ole (from the album Facing the Future track and album
available from iTunes)
Share initial responses with partners.
Divide the class into groups of approximately 5 and give each group a
set of laminated images from the slideshow presentation. Using the
collection of images in front of them the group must agree upon a
narrative order, considering which illustration might begin the story and which should end it. As they
do this they should consider reasons for their choices and be prepared to articulate these if/when
asked.
-20-
During this exercise produce the factual handout from Migrant Rights International – allow reading
time before asking the group to consider if and how this changes the narrative order.
On completion of this task ask each group to elect a ‘host’ and then one group joins up with another
and to take it in turns to share their ordering of the images and their theories behind these choices,
whilst also responding to questions that the other group may have. Hosts are responsible for
welcoming and managing each meeting.
3 HAND IN HAND
Learners find a partner and stand in a formal circle. Teacher draws attention to the image of the
mother and father clasping hands on the closed suitcase. Teacher asks learners to imagine how the
hands came together – was it accidental/deliberate, slow/quick. What are the ‘hands’ a sign or symbol
of?
At game speed partners are asked to find five different ways of getting their hands to meet just like the
photo (or nearly meet if class can’t hold each other's hands for whatever reason!). Teacher goes 1,2,3
five times to cue the work. Then partners decide which one worked best for them. Then each pair
around the circle performs the ‘hands’ in silence. Discuss effects of this small piece of ritual theatre.
Divide the class into groups of 3. Each group is given the image, depicting the mother and father, their
hands meeting, an old suitcase and a stage block (or piece of brown sugar paper) to represent the
suitcase to work with
Label the group A, B, C. A and B will play the mother and father and C will for the first part of the
exercise work as the ‘outside eye’ or ‘director’.
Each group invents a 30 second mime showing what the mother and father were doing immediately
before their hands met on the suitcase. These are shown around the class.
Ask the learners to consider what the mother and father have been talking about prior to that image
being made? They must then write this idea down on a piece of paper e.g. packing, the children, don’t
go, angry about going
The slips of paper are passed on to the next group to work on. Each group, with the aid of their
director is now expected to improvise the conversation outlined by the other group (up to and including
the point of the still image produced earlier).
Once they feel confident with their work the director must now position him or herself in the scene as
‘the son / daughter’ of the parents and where s/he is observing them talk from e. g . at her mother’s
side / at a distance from both of them / staring up at the father from between the two of them etc
Groups will then present their improvisations with the child in place, freezing their work as it was in the
image from the picture.
4 BACK TO BACK
In pairs, sitting back-to-back, the learners label themselves A and B. A is to play the role of the young
girl who has overheard this conversation between the mother and father and B to play her younger
brother and or sister. A’s task is to explain what she has heard. The younger child can ask questions
to support and encourage further explanation. Discuss how each partner felt about this conversation –
what the role of the older sibling is.
5 SYMPATHY CIRCLE
Teacher asks one of the family groups to make their image again of the mother, father and child
around the suitcase. Teacher asks the class to decide which of these characters they have the most
sympathy for. Who has the hardest future to face? Each learner must then decide and go and stand
behind one of the characters and talk together with other learners who have made the same choice.
Each sympathy group gives feedback to the whole class.
-21-
6 REASONS FOR LEAVING
Class get organised into groups of 5/6 and look at the image from The Arrival of the woman and child
returning home along an empty street with the menacing serpent’s tail image in the background after
saying goodbye to father. They discuss what it must be like for the mother and child to still live in a
society which for some reason the father has already left to try and find a better future.
Teacher places six pieces of paper on the floor with marker pens. The class are invited to quickly think
of reasons why the father had to leave and write one idea only on one of the sheets of paper. If
someone else gets the idea down first they must think of a new one.
Reasons for leaving might include:
ABCDEF-
Lack of employment and therefore money to feed their families
War
Ethnic conflicts
Politics
Religion
Adventure
When there are six sheets with six different ideas the teacher invites the groups to ‘bid’ for an idea to
work on. As well as putting their hands up first to get an idea each group must also give a convincing
reason why their group will do a good and interesting job with that idea.
7 STREET OF SHAME
Once groups have their ideas, teacher introduces the next task. Class look at image of the street
again. Teacher names the street “the Street of Shame” and asks class to imagine that as the woman
and child walk home they are confronted on the street by the reality of their chosen reason for leaving.
If poverty, perhaps they meet a rent collector, or a beggar, or someone asking the mother to do
something illegal for money. If religion perhaps they see graffiti or meet with mocking crowds. The
class prepare their work which can be placed anywhere on the Street of Shame. When ready the
Teacher in Role as the woman with a puppet to represent her daughter walks through the Street of
Shame responding and reacting to whatever she encounters along the way!
ALTERNATIVE:
In groups class make two images – one represents the reason for leaving from the list above and the
other represents what they hope they will find ‘over the rainbow’. Class work on moving from one
picture to the other in a choreographed and stylish way!
What they expect to find in the new country:
•
•
•
•
•
Employment
Education
A place of safety to bring their family to.
A clean start where nobody knows their history / business.
Peace
8 GHOSTS
Class watch the scenes from Ghosts which deal with the woman leaving her baby and her journey to
the UK and discuss and compare with their own work so far.
9 THE FAREWELL
Family groups from the Hands exercise reform and decide on their own story as to why father leaves
and how this will affect the family. Then each family member is given a piece of paper and a pencil.
Mother/Child find a quiet spot to write a letter for father for him to read on his journey. Fathers write a
letter on their own for mother/child to be read after they have gone.
The teacher reminds the class of the image of the ship of migrants from The Arrival and tells class
they will now work on the farewell as the ship leaves dock and sails off to a new future.
Two parallel lines are then created, one side made up of the ‘fathers’ and opposite them, the mothers
-22-
and the daughters. They are asked to imagine that the space between the two lines is the space
between the deck of the ship and the quayside. One by one fathers carefully fold up their letters and
cross over and exchange letters with the mother and return to their line. With the letter still pressed in
their hand (and as yet, unread) each learner is asked to consider what ‘gesture’ and ‘face’ they would
make to either the father or mother / daughter facing them as they prepare to leave. What would the
fathers see when they looked out at the mother and child. What would the mother and child see when
they looked back at all the fathers gathered on deck to say farewell.
These ‘gestures’ are then performed to the rhythm of a ‘Mexican wave’ beginning at one end of the
line moving across the line and back until the last person presents theirs.
Each group (fathers and mothers/children) asked to consider how the figures before them look. Then
in turn are asked to call out ‘across the water’ these descriptions, for example; “lost, alone,
determined, heart broken, confused” etc.
Explain that the ship is beginning to move slowly away from the quayside and with it the images of the
fathers begin to fade into the distance. Each person is to take a pace back to create the impression of
the ship pulling away from the dock and setting out to sea. They are to take five paces each signalled
by a soft tap on a drum. Ask the learners to consider:
1) How does their face / gesture alter as they move away from the figure in front of them?
2) At what point do they turn away, for example on the first pace backwards or do they wait until
the very last moment on the fifth pace, when the figure moves out of sight?
Once everyone is still and facing outwards, ask individuals to imagine where they might go to read the
note and when they might read it and to find a space by themselves to open the note that they have
been clutching in their hands throughout this exercise. One by one learners read out their letters and
then find a space to begin making a new family picture of reunion in the new land. As the other family
members finish reading their letters they join these images so that the exercise finishes with a room
full of family images.
10 SUITCASE THEATRE
Teacher asks class to look again at the image of the father looking in his suitcase and seeing his
family from The Arrival. The learners are gathered in a circle on the floor. In the middle of the circle is
an old suitcase and around it enough small squares of plain paper and pens for the learners to have
one each. On their piece of paper they must draw an object which they think the father might have
carried from home in his suitcase. The object must be like a special and precious memory.
All the objects are placed in the suitcase. The Teacher in Role sits on a chair and opens the suitcase
and touches the objects and responds with sounds rather than words – ‘ahhh’.
Class in groups choose objects from suitcase (not their own) and devise a scene showing the memory
associated with the object. The scenes are shared. Each group begins by one actor sitting in the chair
as the Father and looking at the object then taking it into scene and finishes by the Father returning
the object to the suitcase as cue for the next group to begin.
-23-
ALTERNATIVE (INTRO TO RICH TASK 1)
In groups learners look at how the various migrants that the ‘hero’ of The Arrival meets and the stories
they tell him. Class imagine that the ‘father’ in their own drama makes friends with other migrants and
together they form the Suitcase Theatre and present a play based on their memories of home and
reasons for leaving. The audience will play other migrants so the play may have a nostalgic feel, or an
angry voice, or be political theatre about freedom and rights etc.
11 CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS?
Art?
Geography?
History?
Maths?
RE?
IT?
English?
Migrants Rights International: www.migrantwatch.org/.webloc
Around our globe today, millions of people are on the move - living or trying to live in countries not
their own. In some cases, this movement is voluntary. People move across borders for work,
education or family reasons. In many more cases, the migration is forced, as people flee civil unrest
and war, or search for adequate agricultural land or employment simply for survival.
Currently, one out of every 35 persons worldwide is an international migrant. According to UN
estimates, some 175 million people are now living permanently or temporarily outside their country of
origin. This vast number includes migrant workers and their families, refugees, and permanent
immigrants.
Migrants, because of their status as non-nationals, are automatically excluded from certain rights and
privileges accorded to nationals of the state. Moreover, in the case of undocumented migrants, the
situation is worse because they are highly vulnerable to exploitation, oppressive conditions at work
and without any social security……..
Meanwhile, reports continue to come in daily of migrants dying at land borders or drowning at sea. But
instead of understanding the causes of these deaths, States, particularly the rich developed countries
in the North, are responding with more strict immigration policies and border control measures that can
only lead to more deaths and dangers to migrants.
Migration, globalization and human rights have emerged as central social, economic and political
challenges reshaping the world at the turn of the century. The most immediate challenge facing
societies and governments worldwide is the frightening rise in violence against migrants and restrictive
government measures directly undermine the fundamental basic human rights of millions of families.
“Migration is the engine of history”
Senegal Interior Minister Ousmane Ngom
-24-
4 THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE
(Retold by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Ed Young PaperStar Books ISBN: 0-698-11644-5)
1 WALK (CONTEXTUAL)
Statues: The Emperor; the tiny Princess; the Evildoers; the old monk; flying a kite (pairs); the secret
tower with no door; the loneliest thing of all; the father and his loyal daughter; the great wall of china
(whole class).
2 STORY WHOOSH! (CONTEXTUAL/NARRATIVE)
3 STORY IN 10 (NARRATIVE/POETIC)
Work in groups of five; reduce the whole story to 10 words; make a gesture (individual) or tableau for
each of the words; groups bid to do their word and gesture; words performed around class; if
appropriate one group then shows their complete set.
4 STORY CIRCLE (NARRATIVE/REFLECTIVE)
in groups of four; each has number 1-4; first re-tells story in own words; teacher calls change next
person carries on with story and so on round circle; then:
•
•
•
2 one of the servants in the Emperor’s palace telling new servants the story
3 the emperor tells the story to his court when he is returned to power
4 Deow Seow, now a mother, tells her story to her own children
Reflect on how the story has changed since the “story whoosh”.
5 LINES ACROSS THE CIRCLE (POETIC/REFLECTION)
My kite sails upward,
Mounting to the high heavens.
My soul goes on wings
whole group repeats three times getting louder on each turn; class
discuss ideas in the poem; class divided into 1.2.3s. Each number takes
a line and chants again three times; 1/2/3 meet and come up with a
gesture and movement for their line – stress needs to be ‘kite like’’;
groups chant lines and make gestures three times; 1 takes line and
gesture across circle to a 2, 2 goes across to a 3 and so on; end with free form for everyone.
6 KITE FLYING (POETIC/REFLECTIVE)
teacher places toy kite in the circle and reads: and so Deow Seow ate by herself. And she talked to
herself. And she played by herself, which was the loneliest thing of all. Her favourite toy was a kite
of paper and sticks.
Class reflect on the importance of the kite to Deow Seow and what it means to her and how she
feels/thinks when she plays with it.
Class divide into pairs and teacher leads practice session in mirror work; each pair given bamboo
cane or string and with music playing do mirror work as DS and kite – who leads? Introduce gestures
from lines across the circle; pairs carefully swap partners without allowing cane to drop; pairs begin to
whisper the question DS asks the kite and the kite’s answers.
7 BUT ALL WAS NOT PEACEFUL IN THE KINGDOM (NARRATIVE/CONTEXTUAL)
Teacher questions class about the world of the story and the social disturbance in the kingdom. What
else does the royal family fail to notice as well as Deow Seow?.
In fours class make ten second images of what might be happening; gossip circle about royal family;
Class divide into groups of princes/princesses and their advisors. Each one is given a problem in their
local government. One student plays DS not noticed by others:
-25-
•
•
•
•
•
•
crops fail and blame on prince;
prince secretely meeting with rebel leaders;
peasants refuse to pay taxes because of party lifestyle of princesses;
disrespectful graffiti on walls of local palace;
villagers support rebels and are hiding them from the Emperor’s men
Princesses’s husband accused of leading the rebels.
Each group comes up with a headline in the newspapers for each problem and passes it to the next
group who make a ‘photo’ to accompany headline and decide how best to ‘spin’ the story for the
Emperor. Emperor meets class in role worried about rumours that all is not well – how will they spin
their story. Emperor asks each P. to swear an oath of loyalty and that they will never desert him. Class
show headlines and tabloid pictures.
DS does ‘chase’ with Emperor trying to tell him the truth – at some point she stops and delivers the
line she thinks will make her father listen. Class reflect.
8 CIRCULAR DRAMA (NARRATIVE/CONTEXTUAL)
class divide into five groups and decide and act out what the following are doing when they receive
‘news’ of the Emperor’s ‘death’.
Brothers, sisters, monk, servants who know DS is free; emperors’ bodyguards.
Teacher visits each group in role as the chief ‘evildoer’.
9 THE TAIL OF THE KITE (POETIC/REFLECTIVE)
student models DS making the tail of her kite; class asked to reflect on what she feels/thinks about as
she weaves. Teacher asks how long it takes to weave a tail as high as a tower and as thick as the
emperor’s waist – days, weeks, years – what does she see and experience as she weaves over the
years? Teacher explains symbolism of colours: red symbolizes loyalty and courage; black symbolizes
honesty and lack of inhibition, may be brutally violent but also good-natured; white portrays a deceitful
and conniving individual. In groups class make an image river that flows down and along the tail
maybe emphasizing one of the colours. These are performed so that each group begins at one end of
tail and ‘flows’ to the other end to become audience for the next groups.
10 POEMS IN THE WIND (POETIC)
In pairs class write 5.7.5 syllable poems (shi/haiku) on tissue as if these have floated down from the
kite over the years. When finished, class sit in circle and one by one pick up a poem and read it to the
class.
Jonothan in Action
-26-
BEIJING OPERA
http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/puppetry.html
http://www.novelhall.org.tw/arthur/chineseopera/ehome.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/opera.html
http://www.britishbornchinese.org.uk/
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
TRADITION
Opera viewing has long been a popular entertainment enjoyed by both the common people as well as
China's royalty and aristocracy. Also Scholars and gentry were attracted by libretto and musical score
writing. The Tang Dynasty Emperor Ming Huang (712-755 A.D., also known as Hsuan Tsung) and
Emperor Chuang Tsung (923-925 A.D.) of the Later Tang are considered the "honorary fathers of
Chinese Opera" for their enthusiastic support of the art. Emperor Hsuan Tsung founded the Pear
Garden Academy, a music and dance performing troupe at court. In later times, opera singing was
referred to as the "pear garden profession" and opera performers as "pear garden brothers."
Librettis for Beijing Operas feature both tragic and comic elements, interspersed with singing, dancing,
and poetic narration, to dramatize historical events and popular legends. Another style of performance
features dialogue rendered in language close to everyday speech and pantomime executed with
ordinary gestures. Heartwarming humor reflects and satirizes society while being educational and
entertaining.
Chinese Opera was originally performed against a mere backdrop with the other three sides open. The
set is extremely simple; It includes a table, which might stand in for a desk, an official's table, or even
a hill or bridge. Spatial transitions from one place to another are smooth and economic. Over the
centuries, the actors have developed a set of sophisticated stylized symbolism. The beards worn by
male characters, flowing sleeves, fans, colored satin ribbons used in dances, and weapons used in
fighting are all different types of banners that represent extensions of human limbs. All require a high
degree of skill to manipulate and have to depict rich theatrical meaning. Actors must receive
disciplined training from a very young age to be able to naturally achieve the singing and reciting style
with complete ease, eye movements, hand gestures, and gait that express the thoughts and emotions
of the opera characters.
In the past, Peking Opera tended to be a "theater for actors". Actors drew on the tradition in which
they were well-versed to give improvised performances. The moon lute, a two-stringed violin, and
drum players, who provide the musical accompaniment for the opera, had to cultivate a high degree of
sensitivity to and coordination with the actors through years of working together to be able to flow with
the performance.
THE PRESENT
Modern Chinese Opera, however, is now set in a box-type stage, and a director system, stage design,
and professional lighting are gradually being introduced. These new features serve to enrich the
performance and viewing experience without violating the traditional core of the opera.
Many contemporary opera groups attract audiences through writing of new librettis, flexible
incorporation of Western theatrical concepts and functions, and experimentation with new
performance techniques. Opera groups are trying to attract more young intellectuals to Beijing Opera
performances. An impressive new experiment has combined Western drama with traditional Chinese
Beijing Opera. Director Wu Hsing-kuo produced a highly innovative and successful adaptation of
Shakespeare's Macbeth into a modern Peking Opera. Rather than forsaking tradition, this type of
experiment is an intermediary step that helps to make traditional Chinese Opera more accessible to
modern audiences.
-27-
THE CHARACTER ROLES OF PEKING OPERA
The four main character types are the sheng, tan, ching, and chou.
The sheng is a male character with unpainted face, which is further subdivided into:
The elderly sheng (Lao) is a middle-aged-to-old man who wears a beard, and delivers his lines in a
serious fashion.
The military sheng (Wu) is skilled in martial arts.
The young sheng (Hsiao) is a cultivated gentleman who often plays a dashing young lover.
Tan refers to various female roles with unpainted faces:
The elderly tan (Lao) is the woman counterpart of the elderly male sheng.
The tan dressed in green is a younger or middle-aged woman (Hua) who is good, rational, and upright.
The flower tan (Chin Yi) may be an innocent and outgoing girl or flirtatious and sassy.
The military tan (Tao Ma) is a skilled fighter who often plays a female sprite in myths.
The sword-horse tan (Wu) is a cross between the flower tan and the martial tan; she is a female
general who is bold, outgoing, and equally skilled in letters and military arts.
The ching role is a strong-willed male supporting character, either straightforward or scheming. His
facial make-up is greatly exaggerated, so his role can be identified at a glance.
Cheng Ching is a righteous, heroic character, slow and serious
Fu Ching characters are neither all good or all bad; ugly or beautiful; crude and sophisticated;
repulsive and charming – the audience doesn’t know whether to love them or hate them!
Wu Ching is a rough and tumble fighter, brave and loyal as well as rash and foolhardy
The chou, or clown character is a very special one. The chou is a jocular, satirizing character who
integrates his impromptu comic relief into the performance. He also steps out to make objective
editorial comments on what is happening in the story.
Wen Chou are simple and unsophisticated townspeople, movements are fast and clownish
Wu Chou are simple soldiers, clear, crisp and witty
Chou Po Tze are women involved in ‘disreputable’ professions, vulgar and coarse.
FACIAL MAKE-UP
Besides giving information about the personality traits and mind set of a character, also has inherent
artistic interest. A face that is made up in a straightforward and consistent manner is called a
"complete face"; one that incorporates many diverse elements is referred to as a "fragmented face".
The designs and colors employed all have specific meanings:
red symbolizes loyalty and courage;
black symbolizes honesty and lack of inhibition, may be brutally violent but also good natured
blue shows a calculating nature;
white portrays a deceitful and conniving individual.
Silver and gold are reserved for the exclusive use of spirits and gods.
THE COSTUMES
Broadly based on the dress in China about four centuries ago during the Ming Dynasty. Exaggerated
flowing sleeves, pennants worn on the backs of military officers, and pheasant feathers used in head
wear were added to heighten the dramatic effect of the stage choreography. These extra touches
bring out the different levels of gestures and the rhythm of the movement. Like facial make-up,
Chinese Opera costumes tell much about the character wearing them. In the past, Chinese Opera
singers would rather wear a worn and torn costume than one that did not correctly represent the
character he was portraying.
-28-
Drama in Modern Language Teaching 2 – Workshop Eigenbauer
SUMMARY OF THE FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOPS WITH KARL EIGENBAUER
1 WARM-UPS EIGENBAUER / WHOLE GROUP
● CARD GAME
Group sits in circle; teacher distributes cards (clubs, spades, diamonds, hearts), participants
place their cards under chairs. Teacher reads out the “colours” of his pack of cards one after
the other. Participants whose colour is called move one chair to the right (no matter whether
this seat is taken or not; if a seat is taken, you sit on this person’s lap; when your colour is
called, you take all the people sitting on your lap with you but not those on whose lap you are
sitting ). Whoever reaches their seat first has won.
● CUSHION CHASE
Participants sitting in a circle are given numbers 1, 2.
Two pillows are sent around in the circle (starting from opposite ends), passed on from 1 to 1
and 2 to 2 only!
Which pillow catches the other one? Group one or two?
● IMPROVISATION IN PAIRS
Get together in pairs and act out the following instructions (with language). At the teacher’s
command change partners (after each instruction):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Play a very quiet scene.
Play a very agitated, loud scene.
Play a scene in which a secret is passed on.
Play a scene that deals with surprise.
Play a scene in a room that creates fear.
Play a scene in Cocagne (the land of plenty, Schlaraffenland).
Play a scene in a very narrow space.
Play a scene in which the partners are far apart.
Play an opera scene.
Play a scene that is set in the ‘Wild West’ of America.
Play a scene in slow motion (with language).
Play a scene with an emotional outburst (any kind of emotion).
Play a scene in upper-class circles.
Play a scene in which one of you is an animal and the other one feeds him / her.
Play a scene in gibberish (listen to each other very well).
Play a scene in which one of you talks in gibberish and the other one translates (listen again!).
etc.
● DANCE (AURELIA STAUB)
(Music: Attwenger)
•
•
•
Participants standing opposite each other in two rows in front of two facing walls, each person
has to face a person opposite.
Move to the other side with movements, dance briefly side by side, take over your partner’s
movement and continue.
Change partners and find new ways of moving. By and by, a free improvisation should
develop (taking up impulses from the other participants).
-29-
2 GAMES AND WARM-UPS – KARL EIGENBAUER
● WRITING YOUR NAME
Write your name with different parts of your body (e. g. arms, legs, forehead, tongue, lips,
eyes, knees, etc.).
Then imagine a brush between your shoulder blades. Write your name with this imaginary
brush in very large and then in tiny letters.
Then back to back with a partner: write your names between the shoulder blades of your
partner (simultaneously).
Then write your name between as many shoulder blades as possible in 60 seconds.
● STRETCHING AND YAWNING
Stretching and yawning in different styles:
neutrally / someone who has taken part in a self-awareness workshop for stretching and
yawning (which is noticeable) / you have only very little space for warming up in a tiny off-off
theatre / they have never before done any stretching or yawning and don’t know how to do it in
pairs: one stretches and yawns, the other one dubs (with sound) and vice versa etc.
● PARANOIA (MÖB – MÖB)
At the teacher's command the whole group moves around the room at five different speeds (1
slow motion to 5 very quick walk). The task is to say “möb – möb” right into a person’s
(unprotected) back, which means that everybody must protect his / her back and at the same
time try to say “möb – möb” into another participant’s back.
3 A MORAL DILEMMA
(Source unknown)
Mary’s husband had been away on business for a couple of months. However, Mary did not feel
lonely, thanks to her lover Julian.
After her husband had been away for six weeks, Mary realized that she was pregnant. She told Julian
about it and asked him what they should do. He said it was up to her to decide what to do because it
was not his problem. In any case he wouldn’t be around much longer because his company was
moving to the States and he had the chance of a job in San Francisco.
Mary was a Catholic and felt guilty about considering the possibility of abortion. However, she went to
her parish priest and told him about her problem. When she raised the issue of aborion, the priest told
her bluntly, “Abortion is murder and also against the teaching of the Church.”
Two weeks after her conversation with the priest she went to her family doctor. The doctor told her that
he saw no reason why a mentally and physically healthy married woman with no money problems
should not have a baby. He refused to recommend a National Health Abortion.
Mary borrowed ₤ 1.000 for the abortion in a private clinic from her brother. She told him why she
wanted the money.
She had almost repaid the money to her brother after her abortion when he began to blackmail her. He
threatened to tell her husband the whole story unless she gave him more money.
Mary’s husband found out about her affair from a neighbour, who told him about the young man with
the red sports car who was always blocking his drive way when he parked there overnight.
Mary’s husband, who was a prominent politician, was afraid of the scandal if the newspaper found out
that he had left her. Therefore, he decided to go on living with her.
● VARIATION ON FRUIT BOWL (WARM-UP)
Sit participants in a circle on chairs. Give each one the name of a fruit in sequence, e.g. apple,
pear, banana, apple, pear, banana, and so on until everyone has a fruit name. Nominate one
person to stand in the middle of the circle (or ask for a volunteer!) and take their chair away –
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you now have one less chair than there are participants. The person in the middle shouts out
the name of one of the fruit allocated and all participants with that fruit name must dash out of
their seats and run to another chair. They are NOT allowed to go back to their own chairs, and
in large groups they are also not allowed to simply move to the seat next to theirs. As the ‘fruit’
are changing places, the person in the middle must also try and find a seat. When everyone
has dashed to swap seats, there will be one person left in the middle again. He or she calls
out the name of a fruit – it can be the same one or a different one – and the whole process
begins again. If, however, the person in the middle calls out ‘FRUITBOWL!’ everyone in the
circle must change places and move to a new seat. Two fruits can also be called at once.
Variation:
In our case this old game was played with a variation, i.e. the people that were sitting had to
move on to the seat on their right as long as this seat was not taken (which made it much
more difficult for the person in the middle to get a seat as there was continuous movement)
In our case the game was used as a warm-up game leading to our topic, so the concepts used
were greed, envy, adultery, hypocrisy instead of the fruit and immorality (or ethical
decision) instead of fruit bowl. These are of course some of the words that are important for
the drama (others would be religion, passion, tradition, blackmail etc.)
● READ THE STORY
● PERFORMANCE CAROUSEL
Pairs – Story in 7 or 8 images
The whole story is split up into five to seven (or eight) scenes. Each group has its short scene
ready to present. The scenes should be really short and condensed into approximately just
one sentence or reaction for each actor. The story is then presented in chronological order. At
a clap of the teacher the first pair begins from a frozen position, presents ittheirs scene and
then freezes again. Then the next pair follow suit and so on until every group has had its turn.
● TAKING SIDES / LINE-UP / WHO IS THE MOST EVIL CHARACTER?
Groups of approximately seven people; position the characters (according to their moral
quality from good to evil) along a line where one end denotes the most evil and the other the
most good and defend your choice (group decision).
● CHARACTER POT
Participants sit or stand in a circle and a character is selected. One student crosses the circle
and addresses another as if they were that chosen character; that student then approaches a
third one and so on. The technique can be made more sophisticated by insisting that the
statement is made from another character’s point of view (as in hot seating) or by allowing the
character the right to reply.
● VOICE SCULPTURE
If you want to explore Mary’s decision (abortion), you can do this by the technique of voice
sculpture.
● HOT SEAT
Some characters are hot seated (e. g. the politician).
● ALTER EGO
A second player is placed behind the hot seat and acts as the conflicting voice, as the subtext
(verbally and physically). (Note: Both actors must be given the opportunity to react) (e. g.
politician during a press conference)
● CONTRASTING IMAGES / IMAGES FROM A CERTAIN PERSPECTIVE
If you want to explore e. g. the marriage of Mary and her husband, present their
relationship in different still images from different perspectives (e. g. from the husband’s
perspective, or from Mary’s perspective) to express attitude and emotions. This can, of course,
also be done with other relationships, too (e. g. Julian and Mary, or Mary and her brother).
Thus internal or external oppression, unconscious thoughts or feelings can be explored
This activity may be done by an individual (or members from the group) sculpting volunteers,
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the result being discussed by the whole group. The sculptor then speaks the thoughts of the
characters he / she has modelled into a shape.
● A DAY IN THE LIFE OF … & THOUGHT TRACKING
Groups of 3 – 5.
What will this marriage look like in five years? Present a typical day of this couple in three still
images. The actors are then thought-tracked.
● NEWSPAPER HEADLINE (OPTIONAL)
Headline and a picture as a frozen image. Write an article for a tabloid after the affair has
become public.)
4 WORKING WITH POEMS – A FEW IDEAS
“WEDDING POSTPONED” BY CARL SANDBURG
The arrangements are changed.
We were going to marry at six o’clock.
Now we shall not marry at all.
The bridegroom was all ready.
And the best man of the bridegroom was ready.
The bride fixed out in orchids and a long veil,
The bride and six bridesmaids were all ready.
Then the arrangements changed.
The date was changed not from six o’clock till later,
The date was changed to no time at all, to never.
Why the arrangements were changed is a long story.
Tell half of it and it is better than nothing at all.
Tell it with a hint and a whisper and it is told wrong.
We know why it was put off,
Why the arrangements shifted,
Why the organist was told to go,
Why the minister ready for the ring ceremony
Was told to drive away and be quick about it, please.
We know this in all its results and circumstances.
The disappointment of the best man,
The sorry look on the faces of the bridesmaids,
We, who chose them out of many, we could understand.
And we told then only what is told here:
The arrangements are changed, there will be no wedding,
We shall not marry at all, not today, not tomorrow, no time.
Source: The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg. Revised and Expanded Edition. (p.418, 419).
New York: Harcourt Trade, 2003.
● SNAPSHOT(S) / PHOTOGRAPH(S)
Groups prepare a photograph of the moment when the wedding was postponed (or even a few
photographs leading up to the postponement)
● RUMOURS
Wedding guests spreading rumours of what might have happened.
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● WHO IS THE NARRATOR?
Present a still image (in groups), which should show the position of the narrator. Who is he?
What is his relationship to the central characters? What is his role in the postponement?
● A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
Build up a chronological sequence from scenes prepared by groups involving the central
characters at various times in the preceding 24 hours. The scenes should show how the
characters have arrived at the event, i.e. the postponement of the wedding (each group taking
up one scene). After the showing of the scenes they are re-drafted to take into account the
influence of other groups’ scenes.
● VOICE SCULPTURE – CONFRONTATION
Develop voice sculptures (see drama conventions) for both bride and bridegroom at the
moment of their parting, which are then confronted by the teacher. The voices might range
from ‘conciliatory’ to ‘aggressive’.
● STILL IMAGE AND THOUGHT TRACKING
Prepare still images of the future of the protagonists (e. g. 10 years later) in groups.
and / or hot seat them and / or write diary entries
“MY RULES” BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN
If you want to marry me, here’s what you’ll have to do:
You must learn how to make a perfect chicken-dumpling stew.
And you must sew my holey socks,
And soothe my troubled mind,
And develop the knack for scratching my back,
And keep my shoes spotlessly shined,
And while I rest you must rake up the leaves,
And when it is hailing and snowing
You must shovel the walk … and be still when I talk,
And – hey – where are you going?
Source: www.inspirationalarchive.com/texts/topics/attitude/myrules.shtml
● PRESENTATION / PERFORMANCE
of the poem (in pairs or groups of 3 – 4)
● ROLE ON THE WALL
of the central character
or: HOT SEAT HIM
● STILL IMAGES
of this character’s past (e. g. as a child, when he was 14, as a young man etc.)
● CIRCLE OF LIFE
Divide a large sheet of paper into four sections with a circle in the centre of the page where
the name and age of the character are written. The four sections represent home (where the
character normally lives), family, play (social life) and day (workplace, daily routine). The group
brainstorms ideas, which are written onto the segments. In four groups (each groups chooses
a section) create a dialogue between the central character and one character from your
section.
● CHARACTER POT
of all the women in his life
● LONELY HEARTS AD
Write a lonely hearts ad for this character.
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● FIRST ENCOUNTER
Act out the first encounter with a woman who answered his ad.
● CHARACTER BIOPOEM
Write a character biopoem of the protagonist of Shel Silverstein's poem “My Rules”
5 STARTING FROM A PICTURE
“The Man in the Boat”
(Idea: Vera Fettner; useful activity for creative essays)
● STILL IMAGE / WHAT CAN WE SEE?
In groups present a still image of the picture. Watch out for details.
Source of Picture: Buchholz, Quint & Krüger, Michael:
“Wer das Mondlicht fängt.”. Zürich: Sanssouci,2001.
● SOUND EFFECTS
Same groups. Animate the picture through a variety of aural devices (tone, volume pitch and
pace of voice should be played with). It works better if the other groups close their eyes during
the presentation of a group so that they can focus solely on the sound stimuli.
● WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE MAN GOT INTO THE BOAT?
e. g. immediately before it / an hour before / one day / week etc. before. There must, of
course, be a logical connection between this scene and the picture. In groups prepare a scene
for one of the options. Start from a still image – play the scene – end again in a still image.
● WHAT IS INSIDE THE SUITCASE?
Draw a picture or play “object game” (e.g. one after the other comes out and says “I am a
revolver.” etc. – growing still image).
● WHO OR WHAT IS IN THE CHAPEL? IN WHICH SITUATION?
Present a still image or play a scene.
● ENDING OF THE STORY
Present a solution as a scene or still image (in groups).
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Drama in Modern Language Teaching 2 – Workshop Turecek
SUMMARY OF THE FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOPS WITH EGON TURECEK
1 Warm-ups Turecek
● Each participant thinks of a crazy gesture or movement to greet another person.
Walk around the room and say hello to each other non-verbally using these gestures.
● All participants move around in the room. One person starts a movement like skipping, tiptoeing etc,
everybody else copies the movement until somebody else starts a different movement.
● Divide the room into four parts. Each section stands for a different kind of movement:
Section A very big movements (overbearing), section B very small (shy), section C very stiff (like
robots), section D round and smooth and flowing …
● In pairs: A forms B into a statue. All the As walk around the room and look at the other statues,
maybe including thought-tracking. Then swap roles.
● Create a scene without speaking (freeze-frame)
Examples: railway station, morning after a party. Before the start of a pop concert, on the beach, etc
As soon as teacher claps hands, all start moving in slow motion.
In groups of 4 – 5 create a mechanical clock with moving figures.
2 EVELINE (FROM: “THE DUBLINERS”) BY JAMES JOYCE
● PRETEXT: PAINTING ”LAST OF ENGLAND“ BY FORD MADOX BROWN
You can find various versions of the painting in: http://images.google.com
Enter: “The Last of England” Ford Madox Brown.
Brainstorming: impressions when looking at the picture, Robert and Sophie are emigrating to the
United States. - Collective role, interior monologue. Reasons for leaving.
Thought Alley: what to expect in the foreign country.
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● READ THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY.
Freeze-frames and thought-tracking:
Eveline and family before the death of her mother
Eveline and family after the death of her mother
Eveline introduces Frank to her father and her brothers
Eveline and Frank in Buenos Aires
Eveline und Frank immediately before departure (comp. “Last of England“):imagine the scene before
reading it!
● ROLE PLAY
Eveline introduces Frank to her family and announces her intention of leaving soon.
Dream: Eveline´s happy times in Buenos Aires
Nightmare: Eveline´s unhappy times in Buenos Aires
Thought Alley: Eveline walks through the alley before she makes a decision.
Is Eveline leaving or staying? - Participants make a decision and stand on the right or on the left.
● READ THE SECOND PART OF THE STORY.
Freeze-frame: departure, the boat is leaving
Letter writing: Eveline writes a letter to Frank, explaining why she could not do it.
3 IMPROVISATION EXERCISES - EGON TURECEK
•
Symbiotic and complimentary movements.
•
Form a circle in the group without speaking, a triangle, letter W, letter M.
•
A forms a statue. B utters an association. Example: you look like a tennis player looking after
the ball. A says Thank you.
•
Dialogues using only 3 words, using only 1 word, leaving out a letter.
•
Presents: Example: A: I´ve got a present for you. It´s an alarm clock because I know you have
problems waking up in the morning. B: Thank you.
•
Presents: Example: A: I´ve bought you this because I know you like hiking. B (decides what it
is): Ah, new shoes, just the right thing, thank you.
•
Circle: word – association and new word – association and new word etc.
•
•
What next? Who? Where? What?
Players wait for instructions from the audience, players may say “no”.
•
“Yes, and …” Two players tell a story. Each sentence begins with the words
“Yes, and …”.
•
4 players on stage, improvising a scene with a given topic. Teacher points at the person who
is to continue.
•
An expert is talking about a new invention.
•
Choose a topic, Example: Breakfast.
Four players on stage, each one chooses one object and acts it out, e.g. cup, jam, egg
The players = objects tell a story one after the other: e.g.: She made some tea and poured it
into me. She put a knife inside me (= the jam!) etc.
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•
•
•
Create a scene: Each object must be connected to the previous one.
Role play: create a dialogue between two people in which A asks B for something.
Play it three times: B accepting, B refusing and then agreeing to compromise, C humiliating A.
•
Walk to the door in a particular emotion, open the door, there is an invisible messenger, when
you come back your emotion has changed.
•
Relaxation: Japanese garden or Baroque fountain.
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FEEDBACK FROM THE PARTICIPANTS
FEEDBACK OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE
DRAMA FOLLOW UP – SEMINAR 23.-26.4.2008
im Bildungshaus Schloß Retzhof, 8430 Leitring/Leibnitz Stmk.
Es war wie immer echt Spitze! Die Dramapädagogik-Seminare sind die besten Seminare, die ich bis
jetzt gemacht habe. Ich bin so froh dass wir immer wieder so interessante Lehrbeauftragte haben. Es
macht mir soviel Spaß, dabei zu sein!! Vielleicht gibt es ja doch noch ein Follow-up Modul!? :-) Gina
Ich bin sehr froh über dieses Seminar. Diese Methode ist eine Bereicherung/Chance für Schüler/innen
und Lehrer/innen. Wunsch: Fortsetzungsmodul (in 2 Jahren?)
Bitte wieder Drama-Veranstaltungen organisieren! Die Arbeit in dieser Gruppe ist großartig.
Wieder eine sehr tolle, nützliche Lehrveranstaltung – sehr wichtig für die Festigung der früher
erlernten Methoden + großer Motivationsschub; sehr fruchtbarer Austausch zwischen Kollegen!!!
Smile Thanks.
Ein wunderbares, gelungenes Seminar! VIELEN DANK! Ein Follow-up von Follow-up wäre perfekt!
Bitte weitere solche Veranstaltungen auch für Französisch!
Sehr gut, bitte mehr davon, immer wieder, wahnsinnig brauchbares Material sowohl von
internationalen als auch von österreichischen Referenten!
Ich war mit dem Seminar sehr zufrieden und wünsche mir eine baldige Follow-up Veranstaltung.
Hervorragende Veranstaltung!! Eine Fortsetzung, bitte!! Danke, Danke, Danke!!!
Weiteres Modul und somit Fortsetzung des Professionalisierungsprozesses wäre sehr, sehr
wünschenswert!
War ganz toll, wie immer! Ist ungeheuer wertvoll in jeder Hinsicht – für die Schule, für das eigene
Leben und die Menschheit und das Menschsein im Allgemeinen. Würde mich über ein zumindest
kürzeres jährliches Treffen zum gegenseitigen Austausch von Methoden freuen!
Ich hoffe auf weitere Seminare dieser Art! Man trifft alte Freunde und tauscht Erfahrungen im Bereich
des Schultheaters und der Theaterpädagogik aus. Großartig!!
Was ich mir wirklich wünsche: Ein Follow-up vom Follow-up … MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION.
Danke für den Zusatzlehrgang. Eine Bereicherung!
…OPTIME!
SEMPER IN MEMORIAM TENEBO!
Super Organisation! Super Stimmung! Gratulation!
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DRAMA PROJECTS
carried out
by
the Participants of the
“Drama in Modern Language Teaching” Course
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Projects: Bush
MARGARETHA BUSH – BE THE WORD
BACKGROUND
KO50 is a small school (approximately 350 pupils) in the 22 nd district of Vienna. It is a KMS with
particular emphasis on English and Information Technology. Our pupils are between 10 and 14 years
old and should use English as the normal means of communication in 9 out of their 26 lessons. Many
pupils speak more than one language (but very few are bi-lingual in English and German), and our
pupils come from a wide range of cultural and linguistic background.
I teach GLOBAL STUDIES (GLS) together with a second teacher. Our syllabus is topic oriented and
covers Arts, Biology, History and Geography. We include a lot of learning of study skills (a particular
interest of mine) and now also some drama techniques.
I originally used what I had learnt on the Drama course whenever I had to cover a lesson.
A) because I felt happier to prepare a single lesson using new techniques
B) because the pupils enjoyed this introduction to Drama teaching
C) because it gave me the possibility to try something new.
(Sadly these cover lessons have now come to an end – I hope it is due to administrative
circumstances, not a reflection on my Drama teaching.)
DRAMA TECHNIQUES USED
“OBJECT GAME/GROUP SCULPTURE WITH TITLE” (IMPROVISATION / FANTASY)
“Be the Word”
All pupils form a big circle with their chairs. Teacher starts off by using examples.
”I am the chair in Sam’s bedroom” and positions herself. Others follow the pattern.
“I am the book on the desk”, “I am the poster on the wall”.
This worked extremely well and was great fun. It was complicated or easy reflecting the linguistic level
of the pupils. The pupils were keen to set the scene themselves.
JUMPING INTO THE FRAME (STORYTELLING)
Pupils jump into the frame and take on a different persona:
•
Pupils talked about their holiday
•
Pupils pretended to be someone else, others guessed.
•
Pupils pretended to be someone else, but others asked questions and the person in the
frame answered only “yes” or “no”.
“STORYTELLING WITH PICTURE POSTCARD”
I used this with various age groups and the beauty of it was that with the same material very different
stories were told. Beginners tended to describe the picture, whilst older ones used their imagination.
Extra instructions used: “This postcard has been found next to the murdered person”
“This is the favourite postcard of …….” Why?”
I also tried to include drama techniques in the GLS lessons.
“FREEZE”
The technique was explained and an example given
Pupils were given a worksheet on the Arctic or Antarctic and formed their picture in groups. The
audience had to verbalise what they saw (and it was amazing, how much information they got from the
picture without seeing the text).
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Projects: Bush
“VOICE ORCHESTRA”
Pupils prepared worksheets in groups. Natural Disasters and were each told to learn/say one key
sentence. The teacher and soon other pupils directed the “orchestra”. The audience were asked to
recall key information at the end. It was again astonishing to see how easily facts were picked up. It
was particularly pleasing to see that these facts could be recalled in the next lesson (a few days later)
in form of a mind map.
“VOICE ALLEY”
This was done with the same material as above, but with a different class. Pupils prepared key
phrases in groups and formed an alley. Other pupils walked through and listened to the facts.
Pleased with the enthusiasm of the pupils I tried a longer project. I envisaged
A “DRAMATIC” PRESENTATION OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
It started well:
•
I prepared short CVs for the 4 main characters (Edward, the Confessor, Harold of Wessex,
Harald, Hardrada and William of Normandy) and asked four student to read it (very little time
to prepare as I wanted to cash in on the “surprise” effect) and take part in an interview.
•
The 4 characters were waiting/preparing outside the class room, whilst I explained that I was
now going back in history and meeting some very important people.
•
I then asked the 4 characters to come in and as teacher-in-role conducted the interview.
•
This was surprisingly easy and the scene was set.
•
I then involved the rest of the class to discuss/guess what would happen when Edward died. It
emerged that there would be a conflict and most likely a battle.
•
We then discussed the Battle of Hastings (Worksheet) in great detail and assigned a role to
every member of the class (general, soldier(s), farmers, poor peasants, wives…)
•
With the help of other teachers the pupils prepared some accessories (and in one class the
teacher even wrote a script) and we then played the scene.
This was less successful as I had hoped, I think the pupils got carried away and were not happy to
play the battle scene in slow motion. Nevertheless we all enjoyed the experience and have photos to
prove it.
The whole sequence took place over 5 lessons:
1: Setting the scene and interview
2: “What if” scenario and checking on facts (use of worksheets/atlas)
3: Battle of Hastings: worksheet and discussion
4: Preparation for battle scene
5: Actual scene performed in front of audience (other year group)
I wanted to continue with a drama input and handed out different worksheets and asked pupils to
prepare one particular aspect about life in the Middle Ages and bear witness in a court case.
The pupils would prepare the harsh facts of the time and the 2 nd teacher would defend the life in the
Middle Ages. We had a judge (teacher -in- role), a clerk (to establish order) and another to call the
witnesses and the whole scene took place in the film room (our official meeting room). This was less
successful than I had hoped, mainly because I wanted to involve all pupils and some came really
unprepared to the lesson and that got boring for the others. However, when it worked it was fun. In
particular one baron explained very well what a stone castle was like (prepared drawing) and a farmer
was very successful in explaining his hard life.
The court was in session for 4 lessons and ended on a low note. If I were to do it again, I would select
my actors and make the rest audience. (Or maybe by then the group is so used to this that they all
take part.)
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Projects: Bush
PREPARATION FOR “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” WORKSHOP
Time: 1 lesson
We booked a theatre workshop with “Vienna´s English Theatre” and I had to prepare interested pupils
for the casting process. Most were unfamiliar with the play and needed to be persuaded to read the
whole text at home. A daunting prospect for some!
I asked pupils to supply adjectives to go with Christmas (on yellow stickers)
and made sure that vocabulary from the play was included. All words were displayed on the wall as a
mind map.
Then we read a short scene from the play, in which Scrooge complains about Christmas.
I asked the pupils to describe what sort of man Scrooge is.
Again we put our answers in form of a mind map.
We then formed two groups and selected a Scrooge, who stood in the middle. Each person repeated
over and over one word from the mind maps above mentioned. (Voice Alley).
I then asked Scrooge to move towards one of the groups and asked them to become louder or quieter
according to the distance they found themselves to Scrooge.
Consequently we discussed “WHY” Scrooge should be like that. Amongst some few wild guesses
were ”unhappy childhood” and ”unhappy in love”.
We read then the relevant scenes.
But could/would Scrooge ever change? Again there were some wild guesses, but also some useful
ones. Accidents and new love were thought the main causes for a change in attitude.
I developed the accident idea further: a sort of out of body experience and introduced – a sheet and
thus a ghost. We discussed what the role of a ghost could be (looking into the past and future) and
read a bit of the ghost scenes.
At the end of the lesson the pupils felt they could cope with reading the whole text alone and at home
and did that in preparation for the workshop without any complaints.
The workshop itself was very different from what I had seen in the Drama Course, but the pupils were
fascinated and worked concentrated for 4 hours. (And we have a lovely video of their efforts).
As a consequence of attending this course I have introduced small elements of drama teaching into
my normal lessons and I have organised outings to theatre productions. Maybe this is not as much as
I had hoped for originally, but it definitely adds another dimension to my teaching and I personally feel
I have learnt a lot, as well as enjoyed myself at this course.
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Projects: Eisner
GOTTFRIED EISNER – SINGLE TO SEVENOAKS
INTRODUCTION
Since I was a pupil at school myself I’ve really loved doing plays, sketches and songs in English. As
a student of English at the Pädag. Akademie I learnt about some techniques how to teach games,
plays, rhymes and chants. And in many years of teaching English I got more and more convinced of
the importance of Drama in Language Teaching.
So when I got the opportunity to learn more about the idea and the use of drama techniques in school
I took it with great interest.
For this project I decided to work on SINGLE TO SEVENOAKS - a sketch in one scene in our
schoolbook, The new YOU & ME 3 textbook, Enriched Course. In this particular unit some adjectives
concerning characters are to be introduced.
LESSON PLAN
This lesson plan was devised for my English group: 3rd form (year 7), 13 pupils 6 in level I (1.Leistungsgruppe) and
7 in level II (2. Leistungsgruppe) at
August – Musger -
Hauptschule in Kindberg.
•
Resources: A classroom space, an overhead projector, textbook The New YOU&ME 3
enriched course, enlarged pictures of the characters, handout adjectives (Act it Out in
English/ÖBV p103), cards, requisites for shadow theatre.
•
Time: In five lessons we worked on and gradually developed the play which was finally
presented to the pupils of the class and some teachers.
LESSON 1
A- Group work (4 mixed groups of level I and level II pupils)
B- Each group gets a picture of one main character of the play (using pictures as stimuli)
C- T: Choose at least 4 adjectives (of the handout ) which you think describe “your
character” best.
D- Write them on cardboard.
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Projects: Eisner
E- Present them with your poster of the character on the board.
F- T: adds the “names” of the characters (woman, bus driver,...).
•
Reading out and explaining the adjectives, their German meaning.
•
Pupils write names and adjectives for each character into their exercise books.
•
Homework: read the play.
LESSON 2
• board: words collection “Single to Seven Oaks”
(bus, bus station, driver, ticket, passenger, bus stop, single, return,...)
•
CD: listen to the sketch
•
reading in roles
•
adjectives on the pin board
T: Do you think “your” adjectives fit your character?
•
group work: take out or add other adjectives
•
T suggests acting out the play. P will complain about the rather long texts for some
characters, the amount of work,....
•
T introduces SHADOW THEATRE.
WHY IS SHADOW THEATRE A SUITABLE TECHNIQUE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS?
1
The screen helps reduce inhibitions, children can “hide” behind it.
2
The emphasis is on the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic mode. Thus multi-sensory learning is
achieved.
3
Tasks must be separated and split up and therefore a relatively large number of children can
participate: speakers (possibly also a chorus), technicians, musicians, performers behind the
screen.
4
Social learning is enhanced through the common goal.
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5
If you have a public performance in mind, for example if you want to show parents what their
offspring have achieved in the foreign language even after a few weeks of learning, great
effect can be achieved with relatively little effort. Materials can be produced simply and
inexpensively.
Lit: Turecek Egon; Skriptum “Drama workshop for modern foreign languages”
LESSON 3
• Splitting up the tasks
actors
readers
busdriver
______________
_________
______________
man
______________
___________
______________
____________
______________
___________
______________
lady
old man
other
passengers
1) small stage with one sheet + overhead projector
2) introducing the rules with each character separately (allows the rest to watch,
experience the effects on the screen,..)
Rules for Shadow Theatre:
Stand close by the screen. Walk slowly across the stage.
Show your profile. Your arms and legs must be visible at all times.
Your gestures should be clear and simple.
All movements must be very careful, almost in slow motion.
Lit: Egon Turecek; Act it Out in English
ÖBV, Wien 1998
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Homework:
•
Can you think of suitable props at home?
•
What can you bring in?
LESSONS 4 + 5
•
Building of the stage (two sheets, two posts, clothes line + pins, overhead projector, chairs for
readers, bus, audience,...)
•
rehearsal performance
•
T asks pupils about their feelings, whether they could enjoy it (compared with playing on a
stage without a “screen”), ....and asks participants if they would like to act it once more (for an
audience, rest of class, other pupils, teachers,...)
CONCLUSION / REFLEXION
I wish to say this project was really successful due to the already mentioned advantages of
shadow theatre.
In my opinion there are two main advantages:
•
Firstly, the possibility of splitting the roles. This makes it much easier for the teacher to
involve all the pupils into the performance.
•
Secondly: The “screen” – for many of my children was the fact that they were – in a way –
hidden behind the screen a decisive reason why they also could really enjoy the final
performance.
Here is some of the feedback I got, when I asked my pupils to write down one sentence about
this project:
A- I liked best that I wasn´t nervous behind the screen. (Johanna, 12)
B- At the shadow theatre it was fun, that you needn´t learn any text. (Michi, 12)
C- I liked it because I didn't have to learn any text. (Cornelia, 13)
D- I like to play behind a screen because there I´m not nervous. (Markus,12)
E- I think a shadow theatre is better than a normal theatre because I didn't have to learn any text.
(Patricia, 12)
F- I liked best that we could not see the audience because we sat behind the screen. (Corina,
13)
G- I had not to wear special clothes. (Rupert,13)
All in all the children and I really enjoyed working on the sketch.
The pre-work as well as the acting out of the sketch through the technique of the human shadow
theatre was a challenging experience and great fun for all the participants.
I will recommend the technique to my language teacher colleagues.
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MARIA FASCHING – USING DRAMA FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING
INTRODUCTION
Elements of drama have accompanied me throughout my school career. Be it the optional drama class
in primary school, the numerous sketches and short plays acted out in secondary school or the
countless drama activities that we got to know as teacher trainees in our first semesters at the College
of Education. Drama has been an effective, powerful means of communication, has provided me with
rich social and fun experience and above all, has left the lasting impression of how to use it in a
profound, comprehensive and professional way. Besides a number of in-service training courses, the
five module course on Drama in Foreign Language Teaching done by the IFU and PIB Vienna gave
me the opportunity to gain insights into the wide and multi-layered world of drama as a teaching
method. Being a language teacher I was keen on trying out ideas and techniques that are used in
drama in education.
In agreement with my colleagues at our College of Education I devised a one-semester course for
about 60 fourth semester students who were doing a teacher training programme for primary and
special schools in the summer term 2005. The students were split into four groups. So far we had
been doing “Storytelling” in the fourth semester of our study programme, and so I tried to integrate the
prepared texts of children´ s tales and fairy tales into our drama work and hoped to show a wider
approach of how storytelling could be realized in an early foreign language classroom.
The following chapters should give insight into our work. A course outline (Chapter 2) – as was
handed out to the students at the beginning of the semester - gives an overview of the contents, aims
and course requirements of the drama-based course. Chapter 3 documents the detailed activities that
were tried out in the 16 lessons held in 4x4 blocked workshops. Students ´ reactions and feedback on
the course are presented in Chapter 4. Finally, my personal experience is summarized in the
conclusion in Chapter 5.
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COURSE OUTLINE
The course called Integrated Skills – Drama in Foreign Language Teaching was devised as a
workshop with the following summary of contents, a list of aims and precise requirements for the
students to finish the course successfully.
CONTENTS
•
Drama activities and games for the ( early) foreign language classroom
•
Drama in Education:
◦ Warm - Ups
◦ Voice training
◦ Visualisation
◦ Miming and Improvisation
◦ Role play and Dramatization
•
Shadow theatre and puppet theatre
•
Working with stories and children´ s storybooks
AIMS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get to know drama techniques for the English classroom
Improve cooperation and communication skills
Practise pronunciation, vocabulary and oral fluency
Improve concentration, imagination, talent for observation, imaginiation and creativity, listening
skills
Get opportunity to experiment with language, focus on a natural way of learning a foreign
Language
Experience a concept of holistic, multisensory and student-centred learning
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ABCDEFG-
Active class participation
Regular class attendance (at least 75% of total lessons)
Keep a written account of all the activities done
Literature study:
Choose one of the given books
and be prepared to answer
written questions about the suggested approaches
•
•
•
•
Phillips Sarah: Drama with Children, Oxford 1999
Wright Andrew: Storytelling with Children, OUP 1995
Wright Andrew: Creating Stories with Children, OUP1997
Phillips Diane, Burwood Sarah, Dunford Helen: Projects with Children, OUP 1999
A- Guided self- study work:
In groups of about four people plan, prepare and act out a story/ storybook of your choice
through the use of drama techniques to be presented in the last lesson.
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DETAILED ACTIVITIES
The first of three blocked courses (one blocked course consists of 4 lessons a 45min) comprises
chapters 3.1 Drama activities for the foreign language classroom and 3.2 Vocabulary and
Grammar games.
The second course is devoted to the introduction and storytelling activities through shadow
theatre. In the third session the students ´ presentations of children ´s storybooks are followed by
a presentation of further drama and story telling techniques useful for early foreign language
teaching.
1. DRAMA ACTIVITIES FOR THE (EARLY) FOREIGN
LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
1.1 WARM-UPS
Cheerful music is played in the background; the following instructions are
•
•
•
•
•
•
given to the students:
Move to the music, write numbers with heads, write letters or words with your hips and
feet;
Dots of a dice: move around to the music, when the music stops, quickly go together in
groups (for example the teacher says five) and show the dots of a dice. There may be tasks
included, e.g. etc.
Back to back dancing: everybody dances back to back with his partner. You mustn ´t lose
contact, but you may change partners.
Change your speed: the teacher says numbers. 1 means move the slowest; 100 means
move the fastest.
Choose a status between 1 and 10. 1 means low status, 10 means high status. Move to the
music and show your status by facial expression and gesture. Observe and guess the status
of your colleagues.
You feel pursued, everybody is suspicious. Move around to the music of “Pink Panther”
1.2 INTRODUCING ONESELF AND GROUP FORMATION
Everybody introduces him/herself with an activity, a rhythm, a typical movement etc. The group
makes a circle and stamps a rhythm with their feet. The first person comes into the middle saying his
name rhythmically and making a movement. The whole group repeats.
Pass on the clapping: The students make a circle. One begins to clap his hands once, the next claps
once and so on. If somebody claps twice, we change the direction. The task is to keep the rhythm.
Journey to Jerusalem with word families: There is one person more than chairs. The group moves
around the chairs. The teacher calls out words of a group of word families. If he/she calls out a word
that doesn´t match the word family the students have to sit down. The person who doesn´t have a seat
is out. Possible wordfields: colours, school things, animals etc.
1.3 MIMING AND IMPROVISATION
Chinese whisper with movements: 2 circles; student A shows a pantomime (an action), B watches,
all the other people in the circle look into the other direction; then C turns around, B plays for C etc.
What do you think you were doing? How does the original movement change?
Mime each letter: get into groups of four or five. Each group will get a word e.g. champion, flowerpot.
Each letter in your word is the first letter of a new word. Act the new words out in the right order. The
other group members must put the letters together and guess your word.
Run for the next word: Form two teams. Sit back to back. One of you will mime a word in front of
your team. The one who guesses the word correctly must not call out the answer like in the game
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“Activity”, but run to the teacher and whisper it into his ear. If it is the wrong word he will send you back
to your team. The pantomime must be repeated until someone guesses the right word. If it is the
correct one, your group will get the next word to act it out. The winner is the group who mimes a
number of words more quickly than the other group.
Newspaper headlines: Form groups of four or five. Each pupil will get a role card with a newspaper
headline. Think of a photograph to go with the headline and form a still image or statue. The other
groups will have to guess.
What´s everybody´s mood? One player leaves the room. The group decides what mood they are in?
For example the group does everything aggressively. When the player comes back, we act out all his/
her orders in this mood. The player must guess the right mood.
examples for mood: happily, sadly, aggressively, angrily, politely, sleepily, noisily, etc.
examples for orders: make breakfast, stroke the dog, comb your hair, peel a banana,..
1.4 ROLE PLAY AND DRAMATIZATION
Spontaneous theatre (places, characters, abstract nouns): two volunteers get the task to react to
a word (out of the categories place or characters or abstract nouns) spontaneously. They have half a
minute to act out their mini- situation, then they will hear the next word.
Places: e.g. waiting room, bus, stadium, circus, beach, disco....
Characters:e.g. doctor and patient, model and photographer
Abstract nouns: e.g. happiness, sadness, anger...
Grammar sequence with teacher-in-role: players ( in pairs, A and B) sit back to back so that A can
see the action and speak into B´s ear. Teacher-in-role acts out a situation: e.g. T comes home, tired,
takes off shoes, sits down, phone rings, he picks it up, is happy, looks at his watch, looks into his
wallet, hangs up receiver, gets ready for going out, obviously a date, is about to leave when the phone
rings again, picks it up, is disappointed, slams down receiver, takes off his shoes again, sits down,
frustrated
ABCD-
A tells B what is going on while T is acting ( present continuous)
B tells A the story as he remembers it from A ´s account ( past tense)
Act out the first telephone conversation
Act out the second telephone conversation
Same text –different roles: in pairs you get a dialogue and you should act it out in at least two
different ways. You decide
•
•
•
who the characters are
where they are
how they feel in a particular situation
Use your body language and your voice ( tone, volume, intonation, pitch...) to express different moods
and feelings.
Example for a dialogue:
P1: Have you already heard about it?
P2: About what?
P1: You know what I mean.
P2: Ah, of course I´ ve heard it.
P1: What was it like?
P2: Don´ t ask me!
For ideas in chapter 3.1 see Handout from Module I of the Drama course by the IFU / PIB Wien.
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2. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR GAMES
Association Game: 3 chairs stand next to each other, one person sits on the chair in the middle and
for example says “I´ m the sun.” Two other players from the group come out and sit next to A and say
their association to the word, e.g. I´ m the cloud or I´ m the moon. A decides for one of the two and
they leave together. The one left on a chair moves to the chair in the middle and says who he is again.
Memory: one person leaves the room, the other group members make pairs e.g. with irregular verbs,
forms of comparison, singular- plurals, opposites, animal word and animal talk, etc.; the people spread
in the room; the person outside is called in and tries to find matching pairs by tipping the students´
shoulders who in return have to say their word shortly.
Chinese Whisper: the group sits in a circle, one student whispers a word into his/her partner´ s ear,
next person thinks of an association to that word and passed this association on to the next student
who again makes an association to the word he has heard; then in revised order give reason why you
chose this association;
Clap – Clap – Fill the gap (Collective Storytelling): the group sits in a circle, first player starts
telling a story by saying only half a sentence or parts of a sentence – the whole group claps twice –
the next player continues the sentence. A coherent text should develop. E.g. Yesterday we were –clap
clap-in a big park – clap clap – there we met – clap clap ...
For ideas in chapter 3.2 see Handout from Module I of the Drama course by the IFU / PIB Wien.
3. SHADOW THEATRE
The art form of shadow theatre is introduced (what is it, how can I use it in class, possible advantages
etc.) As necessary props I use two posts, a plastic lead, pegs, a big white sheet, 1 or 2 overhead
projectors.
Some basics are introduced and at the same time shown on the stage:
•
stand close to the screen (sheet)
•
always show your profile or contours
•
make very clear movements – even exaggerate
•
with costumes only the silhoutte is important – you can use newspapers or cloths to dress up
•
as props real two- dimensional things e.g. rose, stick, cup... are necessary
•
different transparencies put on the overhead can have big effects e.g. a grid to show a prison,
some trees and flowers to show an orchard etc.
The students get simple tasks to try out and play with this medium: e.g.
•
dance like in a disco
•
listen to the music and move according to it
•
use your hands/ face to play with them
•
in groups of three show everyday situations as a statue
•
try out different movements: laugh, chew, clap, swing your hips, rope skip, tiptoe etc.
•
play your favourite commercial
Dubbing: A and B play, C and D dub (synchronize)
Shadow “polonaise”: play some courtly music
•
One after the other walk like a noble royal society.
•
Play a happy, sad, very old, very young and proud king.
•
Imagine you have been changed into a robot.
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Imitation in countercircles: make two circles, one behind the screen and the projector; the second
one in front of the screen.
The people in the first circle start to move, the participants of circle two try to imitate one shadow of a
partner.
Hydra: presentation of the legendary many –headed sea monster “hydra” from Greek mythology;
several people stand behind each other, so that their bodies cast one shadow; heads and arms,
however, are allowed to move.
After the students got familiar with the screen and its peculiarities students get together in groups of
four or five and act out a story of their choice. Stories and necessary materials are provided;
Possible stories for the human shadow theatre:
The Magic Stone
Meg and Mog
The Corn Dolly
The Leprechaun of Carrigadrohid
Stories for the puppet shadow theatre:
The Rainbow Fish
The Fish with the Golden Beard
The Mouse and the Apple
For the puppet shadow theatre a small screen and figures on sticks are provided.
This way of working on stories was entirely new to the students who enjoyed making costumes,
dressing up, miming, experimenting with their voice, dramatizing, acting and presenting their stories in
front of audience.
For ideas from this chapter see (Haennel Gerd, Söll Florian, Wir spielen mit unseren Schatten; and
Turecek Egon & Beer Regina, Act it out in English;)
4. MORE STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES
LISTEN AND MIME – THE STORY “THE ENORMOUS ELEPHANT” (CF. PHILLIPS, SARAH,
DRAMA WITH CHILDREN, P. 19FF)
Before the story is told, there are some actions that have to be learnt. The students listen to a story,
and do actions as they hear certain words.
This technique is good fun for the students as there are so many movements changing quickly from
one to the other.
Telling a story on a paper stage: the story “The Big Blue Fish and Small Red Fish” (cf. Phillips,
Sarah, Drama with children, p. 70ff)
As preparation students go together in groups of three, each group gets a Din A3 light- blue sheet of
paper (functions as a stage) with some waves drawn on representing the sea, they also get pictures of
the big blue fish, the small red fish and of things lying on the seabed e.g. seaweed, shells, rocks, old
boot; in their groups they decide who the blue, red fish and who the narrator is.
As the teacher tells the story the students move around the fish and objects on their small stage. In a
second go the students read the story in role and act it out on their stage.
Storytelling with dramatic elements: When the crows were coloured (cf. Turecek, Egon, Beer,
Regina, Act it out); The following elements make up the story:
•
•
•
•
•
the teacher is the storyteller
groups of crows “wear” different colours, they play happily when the story begins;
then the snowman appears with crucial question
chanting with the help of the Westside story technique (groups of crows move towards and
away from each other chanting hostile spells)
Slow motion battle (dramatic music is important)
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•
•
Black rain
Crow returns from jungle
The students found this way of being involved in a story extremely powerful and dramatic. They
strongly identified with their roles.
5. STUDENTS´ FEEDBACK
At the end of the drama course I asked the students to answer the following feedback questions:
1. How was the drama course for you?
2. Is the use of drama techniques useful? Yes, why?/ No, why not?
3. Do you think you can use these techniques in your own teaching?
Here is an overview of what they wrote:
ad 1) How
was the drama course for you?
It was fun. I learned much. Of course, I didn´t like everything. The first part wasn´t that much
interesting (walking around and doing this and that). What I really liked was the theatre – all kinds that
we did. The handouts that we got are really useful.
It was good. I liked the many different activities. I didn´t like to read the book because you only have a
closer look at one book and don´t look at the others.
It was a new experience for me. I never did this before in such a way. The shadow theatre was great
fun. I didn´t like acting directly in front of the others.
I like going to the theatre, but I don´t like to play myself. The activities that we did helped even shy
people like me to play.
I liked it because I got a lot of new ideas. It was a new and interesting experience for me.
I liked it. Es ist eine Abwechslung zum herkömmlichen Englisch-Unterricht. Drama gefällt den Kindern
sicher gut, weil sie selbst aktiv werden dabei und auch etwas vorspielen können, was sie selbst nicht
sind.
I liked it very much and made a lot of new experiences and got great ideas. Unfortunately, the group
was very big, maybe too big sometimes.
The course was fun and interesting. There were a lot of things I really liked. I liked the shadow theatre
most.
I liked the last meeting (our presentation of the story) . The beginning (only a few games about acting)
wasn´t good and interesting for me.
The drama course was fun, I also laughed a lot. I got much information about doing drama with
children + also ideas.
+ abwechslungsreiche Gestaltung
+ unterschiedliche Techniken kennen gelernt und ausprobiert
- die Gruppe war zu groß
Das Schattentheater mit Figuren und mit Menschen hat mich sehr beeindruckt. Die Ideen der
Mitschüler gaben viele Anregungen. Eigentlich hat mir so ziemlich alles im Dramakurs gefallen.
+ Schattentheater selbst spielen
+ Spiele bzw. Lieder
+ dass wir alles ausprobiert haben
+ dass wir es 1 zu 1 auf die Praxis übertragen u. anwenden können.
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Super viele verschiedene Methoden u. Arbeitsformen kennen gelernt; man lernt durch das große
Angebot mit verschiedenen Dramaformen umzugehen u. sie für die eigenen Zwecke
weiterzuentwickeln.
Durch das Selber-Tun der verschiedenen Techniken und Spiele bekam man einen sehr guten Einblick
in diesen Bereich auch das Repertoire hat sich um einiges erweitert.
Es hat mir gefallen, dass wir verschiedene Methoden des Präsentierens kennen gelernt haben. Das
Schattentheater hat mich besonders beeindruckt.
Die Ideen waren sehr gut ausgewählt. Bei der Aufführung des eigenen Schattentheaters war zu wenig
Zeit um es zu proben.
Der Kurs war sehr abwechslungsreich und kurzweilig; viele gute Ideen, die man in die Praxis
umsetzen kann.
ad 2) Is the use of drama techniques useful? Yes, why?/ No, why not?
Ja, ich finde diese Techniken gut, da sie gut auf Kinder abgestimmt sind und ihnen sehr viel Spaß
machen werden. Es ist eine kindliche und einfache Form für Kinder Erfahrungen mit einer
Fremdsprache zu machen, bei denen sie auch lernen zu kommunizieren.
Ja, da es den Kindern Spaß macht und sie trotzdem viel lernen können, vielleicht sogar mehr als im
herkömmlichen Unterricht.
Der Großteil der Techniken ist sinnvoll und in der VS einsetzbar.
Ich denke schon, weil man unbewusst viele neue Vokabeln lernt, es lockert den „starren“ Unterricht
auf, es macht Spaß, die Kinder werden kreativ.
Ja sinnvoll im Englischunterricht der VS, da es Auflockerung ist und sehr gute, spannende Dinge
dabei waren, die den Kindern sicher gefallen und Spaß machen- spielerisches Lernen einer
Fremdsprache.
Ja natürlich, die Kinder verlieren ihre Scheu vorm Sprechen und können viele neue Wörter lernen.
Außerdem macht es auf diese Art und Weise Spaß zu lernen.
Ja. Lustbetontes, stressfreies Lernen weckt Freude an der Sprache. Ich bin überzeugt, dass sich
solche Einheiten, wo es um Kooperation, Teamgeist etc. geht, sich positiv auf das Klassenklima und
das soziale Miteinander auswirken.
Natürlich, so lernt man auf spielerische Weise englisch, oft unbewusst und mit viel Spaß. Außerdem
bleibt es lang im Gedächtnis, da kann ich aus eigener Erfahrung aus meiner VS-Zeit sprechen.
Ja, weil es den Kindern sicher noch mehr Spaß machen wird als uns!
Ja, ich denke, dass diese Techniken sinnvoll sind, da sich dadurch alle Kinder angesprochen fühlen,
und sie- möglicherweise – ihre Schüchternheit verlieren. Toll daran ist, dass man nicht sprechen
muss, wenn man nicht will.
Ja, weil Kinder die Möglichkeiten zum Agieren gerne nutzen (und nicht so schwer zu motivieren sind
wie wir Studenten!)
Ja, lockere Atmosphäre wird aufgebaut, spielerisch werden mehrere Sinnesebenen angesprochen.
Ja!! Weil es lustig und zugleich sinnvoll ist – spielerisches Lernen! Außerdem kann man sich an
solche außergewöhnlichen Übungen sehr gut erinnern!
I think it´ s very important to do such activities. Children love to act out stories. They get a positive
picture of English.
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I think it is very useful because children learn to integrate into a group. They have to communicate so
that they can act together. Everybody can bring in their ideas into the play.
I think it ´s meaningful because in this way children experience a foreign language as something
useful for them. They get a real purpose to communicate.
ad 3) Do you think you can use these techniques in your own teaching?
I have already used such things and I will do it in the future.
I´m really going to use the shadow theatre because it will be a lot of fun for the children. Also the
acting out of read-out stories was fun to do and I will do it in class.
Yes, I think these techniques are useful. I think for elementary school children it´s great fun to do this.
Yes, I think I can use them because we got a lot of material and ideas. That makes it easier for me to
use them.
Ich werde diese Aktivitäten sicher einsetzen. Es ist ja auch für den Lehrer etwas Spannendes, was da
entsteht und wenn die Kinder es gerne tun, dann bereitet man auch gerne so etwas vor.
Yes, at least some aspects of it. This will attract the children!
Yes, of course. Because children like playing. They are more motivated and also have a lot of fun. Of
course, it is sometimes a lot of work, but that´s OK.
Yes, but often you have a time problem at school. Let´s try and see.
Yes, why not?! It would be interesting to do this with children!
Yes, I will use drama. And with this really good script and because I tried out so much for myself I think
it will work well.
6. CONCLUSION
Overwhelmed and proud of the positive feedback I feel that drama is a powerful tool in foreign
language teaching as well as in teacher training that has to be explored much more in future.
Throughout the course I had the strong feeling that we were doing something meaningful, highly useful
for would-be teachers and something that was fun. This experiment showed me that all the things I
had learnt and acquired in the course for drama pedagogy did really work and they were/ are such a
rich pool I can take things out from. Although the blocks were sometimes quite intense, even at times
when the students were tired, the contents aroused interest and motivation. At the same time my role
as a teacher, presenter, game leader, adviser, photographer, silent participant, listener, etc. was vital
and I tried to pass on all my enthusiasm to the students. Knowing most of the 4th semester students it
was extremely interesting for me to see otherwise shy and reserved students wake up, bring in
delicate ideas and show skilful “hands”. Very much in line with Augusto Boal who was convinced that
“...anyone can act.” ( Augusto Boal, Games for Actors and Non-Actors,1992) The groups worked and
presented themselves as self-confident, imaginative and engaged. I tried to record parts of their work
on video tapes and took photos. That was often quite stressful for me since setting the task,
supporting them and recording the outcome left me with hardly any time to pre- or rearrange
equipment. A big challenge for me was also to find the right pieces of music to go with the individual
tasks. And as I have experienced in the “ big drama course” appropriate music can create such a
powerful effect in drama – that is where I also want to thank Egon very kindly for lending and sending
me the book and cassette about shadow theatre. The tracks on the cassette helped me a lot to
introduce this kind of theatre successfully.
The time frame with blocked lessons was a big chance for me to give each session an individual
headline, work through many relevant aspects of that particular topic, nicely round it off and then be
able to present something new the next time. The drawback of such a blocked course was that the
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whole course concept had had to be developed in advance with all the necessary material at hand.
Furthermore major changes concerning the programme couldn´t be made either. Nevertheless the
preparation work was worth the effort and besides the initial nervousness over whether the students
would join in I enjoyed doing the drama classes extremely. And I found that teacher training education
can be a fruitful soil on which to plant the seed of drama. These trainees are the multipliers for the
drama method in our school system in Austria and thus should be fed with the best input they can get.
For me the five module study programme on drama techniques has provided me with a lot of
experience, ideas and strategies of how to teach aspects of it at our College.
All in all I can say that my first try to do drama in foreign language teaching encouraged me to refine
and further develop my ideas. Next semester it will again be my turn to introduce methods of drama to
a new group of future primary school teachers. The thoughts I have about it are that it will be a lot of
work again, a big personal challenge but that I´m looking forward to it.
7. REFERENCES
A- Boal, Augusto: Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Routledge, London / New York 1992
B- Phillips Sarah: Drama with Children, Oxford 1999
C- Turecek, Egon; Beer, Regina: Act it out in English, ÖBV 1998
D- Haennel, Gerd; Söll, Florian: Wir spielen mit unseren Schatten, Kallmeyer, Seelze 1990
E- Wright, Andrew: Storytelling with Children, OUP 1995
F- Wright Andrew: Creating Stories with Children, OUP 1997
G- Phillips Diane, Burwood Sarah, Dunford Helen: Projects with Children, OUP 1999
H- Handout from Module I of the Drama course by the IFU / PIB Wien, 2004
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SYLVIA IRENE HAUMANN – CHILD LABOUR
1. INTRODUCTION
On 24 and 25 November 2005 a workshop took place in our school dealing with the topic “child
labour”. The workshop was carried out by experts working for the Welthaus Graz.
Target-group was a class of students in their first year. (14-year-old girls and boys)
The rule in our school is that workshops have to be documented by the students involved in order to
give the other students of the school some information about what is going on. (Normally this
documentation is done by doing up posters or photos)
As I was attending two courses at that time, one was the AKL “Darstellendes Spiel” in Vienna and the
other one “Drama in education” in Graz, St. Martin, my headmistress suggested that I should do the
documentation of the workshop with the students with the help of drama techniques and present it all
at the “Tag der offenen Tür” on 16 December 2005. The language of the documentation was to be
English because I am teaching English in that particular class.
2. PRACTICAL REALIZATION
My work together with the students started a week after they had done the workshop. The class (31
students) was split into two groups. One group took over the task to do a “traditional” documentation
(as mentioned before with posters and photos) with another teacher, the others started with me on the
drama part. We had three lessons (50 minutes each) at our disposition.
The aim of our work was not to perform, but to show that there are different ways of presenting results,
of evaluating, etc.
•
Warm-Ups
From my English lessons the students were already familiar with a few drama-techniques (and
enthusiastic about them). In order to “get them into the mood” we spent one lesson doing warm-up
exercises.
•
Music and Feelings
Students move to the music and about every half a minute get a word which expresses a feeling or
attitude they then have to act out (e.g. angry, depressed, crazy, happy, arrogant, etc.). Because of the
music they can move to, students find it much easier to let go of their inhibitions.
•
Cocktail Party
Students pretend to attend a party. At the beginning they all walk around, shake hands, greet each
other (Hello, how are you, nice to see/meet you, etc.). After that there is a freeze where they have to
listen to my instructions (by the way a nice technique to make them listen to you). They get a topic
they have to talk or chat about (e.g. boy/girlfriends, fashion, the party buffet, last weekend, etc.) and
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after the freeze is over they have to find a partner to talk to. After one minute they get the instruction to
freeze again: a new topic, defreeze, find a new partner to talk to and so on. The party ends with their
going around again, shaking hands, saying good bye.
3. DOCUMENTATION OF THE WORKSHOP
•
Freeze Frames
Together the group discusses which of the contents of the workshop and which impressions they
would like to show with freeze frames. I write the suggestions on to the blackboard. Afterwards the
students go into groups of three and five and each group takes two of the suggestions and starts
working on their freeze frames.
•
Transformation
Activity for the whole group. Each student thinks about how he/she can show a child living in our
society (without the pressure of earning a living or supporting others, with plenty of consumer goods,
etc.) as well as a child that has to work for a living, for the family, etc.
We start the activity with a freeze in the position of a child in our society. While I slowly count down
from 8 the students transform into the opposite position. On 0 they freeze again and now show a child
doing child labour. They stay in that position for a short time and then when I start counting again
slowly start moving again, from 0 to 8 and back into their original position where again they finish with
a freeze.
•
Voice Alley
As a final activity the students build a voice alley. For that activity every student thinks of a word or a
short sentence that shows his/her impressions, feelings, new ideas, something that stayed with
him/her, etc. about the workshop and which he/she wants to share with others.
Having done that they split into two groups out of which they build a tunnel (or an alley). They do that
by standing very close and facing each other, stretching their arms over their heads and joining with
the palms of their hands. The student at the end of the tunnel goes slowly through it and listens to the
others whispering their words or sentences to him/her. He/she joins the line again after leaving the
tunnel and the next student enters, and so on.
•
“TAG DER OFFENEN TÜR“
For the “Tag der offenen Tür“ we made a timetable for the group. On the hour the visitors could see
the documentation of the students in their own classroom. The whole documentation lasted 15
minutes.
For the first part, the freeze frames, (2.2.1.) the visitors were invited to touch the students by putting a
hand lightly onto a shoulder. That was the sign for the student to say his/her thoughts according to the
role he/she had (like an inner monologue).
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For the final part, the voice alley (2.2.3.), the visitors were invited to walk through the alley or tunnel in
order to listen to the words or sentences and to feel the atmosphere.
5. FINAL THOUGHTS
At the beginning I was slightly worried that the students wouldn't want to show their work to an
audience. They might feel embarrassed or exposed and also shy and insecure because of the English
language. Because of that we worked out an arrangement at the beginning of our lessons together.
We agreed that the students don´t have to show anything at the “Tag der offenen Tür” it they don´t feel
like doing it. They can do the whole exercises only for themselves.
But after we were finished working the students were so enthusiastic and proud of their work that they
were actually keen on showing it to others.
The seriousness with which they went about their work at the “Tag der offenen Tür“ also showed that
they were really involved in their production.
I think the fact that they can ”hide behind a role“ makes it much easier fort them to express their
opinions or feelings without actually having the feeling that they are exposing themselves, giving away
too much.
Finally I would like to point out one aspect (or even a phenomenon) I observed while doing the work
on this documentation but also before and afterwards whenever I am using techniques and exercises I
had learned at the courses in “Drama in Education” and “Darstellendes Spiel” as a part of my English
lessons (and in two of my classes they are a regular part): In these lessons it is amazing how fast and
efficient the students work. Sometimes I have the impression that we do double the amount of work in
comparison to an “ordinary” lesson. The students practically devour the exercises which shows that
there is a huge unused creative potential which to a certain extent gets an outlet in these lessons.
Not to mention the fact that I as a teacher see these kinds of lessons as very enriching and
entertaining and I am gaining a great deal from them.
And – last but not least – in these lessons there is a different kind of student-teacher-relationship
(more balanced, more productive, very easy-going, ….).
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DAGMAR HAUPT – SCHILF SEMINAR
1. NAME GAME (FROM JONOTHAN NEELANDS)
Group stands in circle. Each group member holds a different object in their hands. Teacher walks
towards a member of the group, introduces him/herself and gives this person his/her object (e.g.
“Hello. My name is Charlie and this is my watch.”), while this other group member does the same (“I
am Claudia and this is my earring.”).
They both go to other group members, introducing themselves and handing over the object they were
given adding who they were given it by (e.g. “Hi. My name is Claudia and this is Charlie’s watch.”)
while they get another object in return.
The group member then start walking around the room passing on and exchanging objects.
After a while form a circle again (upon a sign from the teacher) and try to return the object you’re
holding in your hand at that particular moment to its owner. Say your name, the name of the person
you’re returning the object to, name the object and walk up to the respective person. The teacher
starts. (e.g. “I am Charlie and this is Egon’s wallet.”) Then the person who was given back his/her
object follows etc until everybody has his/her object again.
2. 1,2,3 ACTIVITY
Pupils get together in pairs.
1st exercise: Count from one to three.
2nd exercise: instead of saying “1” invent a gesture
3rd exercise: Instead of saying “2” invent a gesture
How often can the pupils repeat this exercise without making a mistake.
3. BING BONG
In a circle. Pass an object around clockwise saying, ‘This is a Bing.’ The receiver says ‘A what?’ and
the leader says ‘A Bing’. That player then passes it on saying ‘This is a Bing’. The player they pass it
to says ‘A what? And they must turn to the leader and say ‘A what.’ The answer ‘A Bing’ is then
passed an. The game is complicated when a different object, called ‘A Bong’ is passed anti-clockwise.
4. EXCHANGING WORDS
Form a circle
Each person thinks of a quality a teacher may have (generosity, humour, enthusiasm, courage,
patience, love of children, imagination, integrity, understanding, etc.)
Walk around, exchange words, take on a new word, pass it on.
At the end of game: Which words did we lose?
Variation: numbers, book titles, geography: rivers of Europe, any word category!
Variation: mime only (pass on a pen or other objects)
speculation, requires language
Variation: a theme which you have used in a language or drama activity. Exchange the words again.
Feedback: I began with and I ended up with…
5. SWAPPING GAME:
Internal qualities that a teacher needs:
Think of a quality. Walk around as quickly as possible and exchange qualities with others, adopting the
other person’s quality and exchange that again. Then the participants sit down again and the teacher
asks each group member what they started out with and then which of the qualities they ended up with
•
a lot of things will be gone.
•
Can be used as a language game
•
e.g. colours, animals, party with famous people etc.
6. LIAR!
In a circle. One player jumps into the middle and starts miming something. Someone else jumps in
and asks ‘What are you doing?’ The first player must say that they are doing something different from
what they are actually miming. The second player calls ‘Liar!’ but then starts to mime whatever they
have been told. A third player jumps in and so on.
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7. TEACHER IN ROLE
Pupils work in pairs. Pupil A faces the teacher, pupil B looks away.
Teacher performs a scene and pupil A has to tell pupil B what is happening (present progressive)
Afterwards pupil B retells the scene.
8. BALLOON GAME
Write emotions/topics/ special vocabulary on balloons. Play music and throw them into the air. When
the music stops, catch one balloon and show the emotion/ talk about the topic/ mime the word.
9. MEMORY
(Spiel / Warm-up / Stimme / Grammar Game / Vocabulary Extension)
Dieses Spiel funktioniert wie Memory. Bei gerader Spielerzahl muss der Spielleiter mitspielen. 1
Person wird vor die Tür geschickt. Die anderen Spieler/innen bilden Paare, und diese Paare machen
sich jeweils eine grammatikalische Struktur (z.B. irregular verbs / comparisons / plurals etc.) /
Wortgegensatzpaare (z.B. wide – narrow etc.) oder auch (falls für nicht sprachliche Zwecke
verwendet) einen gemeinsamen Ton / ein gemeinsames Geräusch / eine gemeinsame Bewegung etc.
aus. Dann verteilen sich die Gruppen im Raum. Die Person vor der Tür wird hereingerufen und muss
nun die jeweiligen zwei zusammengehörenden Verben etc. herausfinden, indem sie eine Person nach
der anderen antippt, die nun jeweils kurz ihr irregular verb / ihr Geräusch produzieren muss. Wenn
zwei gleiche herausgefunden werden, scheiden diese beiden Spieler/innen aus (stellen sich auf die
Seite).
Commentary: Variation A: Write some irregular verbs on the board. Sit in a circle and invent gestures
for the irregular verbs. Pupils have to repeat the irregular verbs and the gestures.
Variation B: Irregular Verb Bingo
10. BLOOD POTATO
The group walk around the room with their eyes shut. When they bump into another person they say
‘Potato’ and get the reply ‘Potato’. The teacher will have tapped one player on the head. They are the
‘Blood Potato’. When players bump into someone and say ‘Potato’ but get the reply ‘Blood Potato they
scream and then move to the side to watch the others playing.
11. HOW’S HARRY?
“Hello Harry!”.
” Hello Harry!”
” How’s Harry?”
(“Hello one spot!” “How is two spot?”)
12. COUNT-UP
In a circle, players try to count from 1 – 20. If two players speak at once they go back and start the
count again.
13. BANG!
Stand in a circle. Point James Bond style at another player and say ‘Bang’. That players crouches
down and the ones either side face each other and repeatedly say ‘Bang’. The first one to run out of
breath is out. The winner then ‘Bangs’ someone else in the circle.
14. WHEN I SAY GO YOU GO
When I say “go”, you go.
When I say “stop”, you stop.
When I say “go”, you stop.
When I say “stop”, you go.
When I say “jump”, you jump.
When I say “sit “, you sit.
When I say “jump”, you sit.
When I say “sit”, you jump.
15. LOOK UP /LOOK DOWN
Stand in a circle. Teacher says, “Look down”. Pupils follow instruction. When the teacher says,”Look
up” pupils raise their heads. If two people look into each other’s eyes they are allowed to sit down.
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16. CREATIVE EXCUSES / BECAUSE (STORYTELLING / FLUENCY)
Finding reasons / excuses / giving explanations. Groups of 4 – 6 create a story based on excuses. A
student explains why he was not able to e.g. come home from the disco on time. The second student
repeats the excuse and gives reasons. Then the third etc. (Example: S1: “I didn’t come home on time
because I didn’t have a watch.” S2: “I didn’t have a watch because I left it in the bathroom.” S3: “ I left
it in the bathroom because I was in a hurry.”)
Language – Input: Kausalsätze, past tense; fluency; creativity
17. EXTEND / ADVANCE (STORYTELLING / IMPROVISATION)
Entweder Paare oder ganze Gruppe. Ein Teil wird vorgegeben. Ein Spieler erzählt eine Geschichte.
Mit der Aufforderung “Extend“ gibt der Spieler über diesen Begriff / diese Passage der Geschichte
ausführlichere Informationen bzw. nähere Erläuterungen. Mit “Advance“ wird die Geschichte weiter
getrieben. (Bei Paaren irgendwann Wechsel.)
z.B.
A: Ich fuhr nach Paris, um meinen Freund zu besuchen.
B: Extend „Freund“
A:Jean ist attraktiv, hat schwarzes Haar, fährt einen Peugeot und wohnt am
südlichen Seineufer.
B: Advance
A: Ich war schon sehr aufgeregt vor der Fahrt.
B: Extend’aufgeregt’.
A: Ich war so aufgeregt, dass ich in der Nacht vor meiner Abreise nicht schlafen konnte…..
Die „B-Spieler sollten angehalten werden, ihre Einwürfe zu variieren und nicht zu warten, bis B nicht
mehr weiter kann, d. h. die Aufgabe von B ist es auch, das Geschichtenerzählen von A zu
unterstützen.
Kommentar: Eine sehr nützliche Übung, die bei gezieltem Einsatz und einigem Verständnis dem
Lernenden hilft, die schriftliche und mündliche Ausdrucks- und Erzählfähigkeit zu verbessern –
manchmal auch im wirklichen Leben einsetzbar – bei Menschen, die nicht so stringent erzählen.
18. AND THEN…
In pairs, one person starts to tell a story but breaks off with the words ‘And then…’ The partner carries
on the story but again stops after a few sentences with ‘And then…’
19. FORTUNATELY / UNFORTUNATELY (CREATIVITY / FLUENCY / IMPROVISATION /
IMAGINATION)
This game can be played as a whole group or in pairs. The simple constraint is that the story shifts
from positive to negative as each player takes a turn.
A: There was a man dying of thirst in a desert.
B: Fortunately he suddenly saw a café.
C (or A): Unfortunately he didn’t have any money on him. etc.
Commentary: again a very encouraging activity that usually gives students trust in their own ability to
generate new ideas
20. FOCUSSING ATTENTION
Four people sitting in a square.
A starts with a movement, the person opposite (B) mirrors the movement.
C and D ask B questions (e.g. simple mathematical questions, personal questions etc.)
21. BUTTON STORY
Hand out button boxes. Each person should find buttons to represent important people, events, etc. In
their lives Lay out the buttons explaining your life to your partner.
This activity is also good for explaining processes, structures, telling stories.
22. BAKER STREET
Hand out handout of houses of Baker Street.
The situation: There are four houses in Baker Street. One person lives in each house. The aim is to
find out each person’s name, whether he or she is married or not, what pet she owns, which books he
or she likes and what he or she likes to drink.
Distribute information slips. They may show the slips to no one and may only SAY what is on their slip.
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23. PRINCESS AND THE PEA
Strip story. Hand out slips. They may read their slips to the others but they may not show them to
anyone. As a group they should decide on the order of the slips and stand in a row in that order.
24. ROOMS
Pairs
A imagines his / her bedroom and tells B about it in detail.
B then has to draw the bedroom.
A then gives a mark for accuracy (1 – 10).
Then reflection in circle:
e.g. People said what was inside but not where things are.
i.e. Teachers often take too much for granted.
Language input:
•
vocab (which you could prepare in advance)
•
getting to know each other
•
•
•
•
Further exercises:
You have an old auntie, who has given you money. How would you refurbish your bedroom?
(If you’ve got to share one, you can design your own.)
Supposing we were secret agents and had to find certain papers  we need detailed plan of
the rooms (suite) of the ambassador. 3 groups designing bedroom / conference room / living
room.
Writing exercises (narratives) could follow.)
•
Still in the same pairs: Bs now go behind their own front door and take A on a guided tour.
They move around – take As upstairs As ask as many questions as they like.
NOTE: Cecily thinks that if you do this exercise blindfolded, you miss the verbal signals. The
movement seems to release an imaginative landscape and also language.
•
Then As go into the middle and tell the other what they found interesting.
QUESTIONS:
How much drama has been involved so far? Drama = pretending. To what extent were we pretending?
(first exercise  none; second one  some). Exercises probably didn’t have much potential to grow
but there are always little seeds of drama.
e.g. Michael’s music room – Imagine we were all orchestra musicians and he’d form us into an
orchestra.
Supposing you achieved something which made your home a national heritage site – B’s being the
curators of their former partner’s houses preparing a brochure – even mundane items can become
very significant.
Pairs
A is a worldwide celebrity, can have lots of property (mansion, cottage in the mountains, beach hut)
B is a reporter from “Homes and Gardens”.
Teacher in Role as editor instructs reporters B introducing them into their roles:
e.g. There has been no clearance for photographs; they’re opening their special place to us, so be
careful; unusual and much to be valued opportunity; create an interesting story.
A gives B interviews
Reporters B in inner circle; Teacher in Role as newspaper editor;
Reporters report back the biographies of the famous people – people taking up threads e.g. duchess
that has become a hermit Russian female tycoon and very nervous reporter.
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Possible home-exercises:
Write the actual article. Write a headline. Include drawings of the place / the estate etc.
Write a diary entry of the famous person:
Write a letter of complaint of the famous person to the editor.
Variation: The famous people are interacting about the reporters.
25. REFLECTION ON EXERCISES SO FAR
All of the exercises are very task-oriented.
a. Your own room  limited, closed
b. House  more open, more interactive
c. Reporters  pretending, both in roles
You must have reasons to interact. Trying to do an improvisation without a task is very difficult (e.g.
the infamous ‘cocktail party’ task). The clearer the task for students, the more language you’ll get.
Teacher’s function in the second one (b):
Supporting questions, supporting role; teacher can simplify questions for people with less language,
e.g. How many rooms did you see?
Teacher’s function in the third one (c):
Teacher in Role, but as a very functional, limited role; elicited more information. The teacher was no
character, she was briefing.
She mentioned cameras but suggested a constraint (which gave the impression to the celebrities
sitting behind that they shouldn’t allow it). By suggesting that not all is what it seems, the teacher puts
the thoughts in the heads (to both roles).
Possibility of interacting in the native language (if there is limited vocabulary) and of questioning in the
target language. The teacher tried to enrich her instructions with idioms, tried to speak richly.
The teacher was going for the extreme. She built on whatever she was given. Drama needs to be
extreme; otherwise it’s uninteresting. Teacher says “Yes and…” (cf. the Keith Johnstone game) adding
information.
26. STEINE- (ZÜNDHOLZ- /BOHNEN- / LINSEN- / KICHERERBSEN – ETC.) KÖNIG
(Kennenlernen)
Jede/r erhält 3 – 5 Bohnen. Es sollen schnell wechselnde Gespräche zwischen den GM geführt
werden, wobei die Worte „ja“ und „nein“ verboten sind. Wer eines der beiden gebraucht, muss seinen
jeweiligen Gesprächspartner eine Bohne geben.
Commentary: Good introductory game for larger groups; there is also a considerable amount of
language involved.
27. STORYTELLING AROUND A PICTURE POSTCARD
Take a picture postcard and tell a story around the picture.
Some suggestions:
1. Describe what you see (colours, buildings, people, action)
2. Describe what this place used to be like in the old days (before the age of
photographs)
3. Tell a story about the most famous person who lived in this place.
Why was he / she famous?
4. Tell a story about how this place got its name.
5. Tell a story about the most tragic event that happened in this place.
When did it happen? Who was involved? Tell us about the people as well as the
event.
6. Shortly after taking this photograph, something very unusual happened to the
photographer – indeed strange things happen to anyone photographing this
scene. Tell us a story about what happened.
7. This particular picture-postcard is much sought after by collectors throughout the
world. Why are they so anxious to obtain it? Tell a story about it.
8. There is a unique celebration held there on the 4th of January each year. People
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9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
come from miles around to share in these unusual celebrations. Describe the
celebrations, how you came to know about them, explain why they are held and
what happened when you took part in them.
Something very unusual was invented in the place shown on the postcard. Tell us
who it was, who invented it and how it came to be invented.
The people who live in the place depicted on the postcard speak in a very unusual
way. What does this speech sound like? How did it develop? Tell a story about it.
A particular delicacy is prepared and eaten in this place. People come from far a
field to taste this concoction. Describe the name of this delicacy, its preparation,
taste and texture. Make the listeners sample the delicacy in their minds – get their
‘taste buds’ working!
A treasure is hidden somewhere in the place – and the postcard itself contains no
vital clues to its whereabouts. Tell us the story about the person who first hid the
treasure and the possible clues to its locale. (The treasure is guarded by…?)
Describe only one small part of the picture (in the case one large picture could be
used, e.g. by Breughel)
Tell a story about the strangest, the most unusual person who lived in this place.
Describe in detail what is just “off” the photograph so the listeners can see it in
their minds’ eye.
This picture makes an immediate impact on you when you first see it! Why?
Devise some sentences using your words so carefully that the listeners will
receive a similar impact aurally.
Hundreds of these postcards, identical to the one you are now holding, are on
sale in a shop thousands of miles away from the locale in the picture. Why? Tell
us the story!
Make up a legend about this place and let this contain a song about the place or
the story. Make up the tune and words.
Who is the most respected person living in this place? Tell us a story about this
person.
The publishers of this postcard were warned not to issue it to the public for sale.
Why? Was there any legal action? The outcome? If no postcards were issued how
is it that you, the teller, have one to show your listeners?
Who is the most feared person in this place? The person’s name appearance –
make up a story about why they are feared and how they came to be feared so
much?
There’s a ghost in this place. Tell us about it.
On taking office, every member of the Government is issued with one of these
cards. This custom first began 50 years ago. Why did it begin? Why does it still
happen? Tell a story about it.
Customs Officers at Ports of Entry to the country have been told to seize any
copies of this postcard which may be brought into the country. Anyone carrying
these cards may be arrested and held in custody without trial. Why is this
happening? Tell a story about the time you were apprehended. How did you get
free? How are you still able to show the card?
A mythical beast (long since thought extinct – or considered as a ‘beast of the
imagination’) lives in this place. Tell a story about what happened when you first
encountered this mythical beast and how you escaped to tell the tale!
If you gaze at this card for a long time, strange things will happen to you. Tell a
story about what happened the last time you did this.
28. EXAMPLES OF DRAMA WORK
•
“Black isn’t just a colour”(see text) (voice sculpture, thought alley)
•
4A: “The Canterville Ghost and other stories”
•
Applying for a job
•
•
•
•
7A: Working with Pictures (Norman Rockwell)
“Nothing but the truth” Class reunion (long line-short line technique, Acrostic dialogue = write
and present it alphabetically)
“Give a boy a gun” (thought alley)
VHS: Knick Knack DVD
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29. ONE STEP INTO THE CIRCLE
Group awareness game.
Everybody standing in a circle. Each person in the group moves one step forward but only one person
at a time. If two people move at the same time, the group has to start from the beginning.
30. STAMP – CLAP – DUCK (IMAGINARY BLOW) – BOP (WARM-UP/ GROUP /
CONCENTRATION)
Circle. Teacher does one of the four things above (at random order) and the group must try to act
simultaneously with the teacher (stamp – clap – teacher gives the group an imaginary blow and makes
a swooshing sound – teacher says, “Bop”).
Commentary: good reaction game, good game for group coordination
31. CHATTING THROUGH THE A-Z
In pairs, players improvise a conversation but the first word of each new line of dialogue must work
through the alphabet.
32. TAG IMPRO
Two players start an impro. In the middle of a circle. Another player can call ‘Freeze’ at any point.
They then replace one of the first players by adopting their position exactly but re-starting the impro.
Signalling a completely different scenario.
33. IMPROVISATION / NAMES - JEMANDEN AUS DER GRUPPE VORSTELLEN, OHNE DIESE
PERSON ZU KENNEN / EINANDER VORSTELLEN
Jeder TN stellt z. B. die übernächste Person vor, indem er etwas (Erfundenes) über sie behauptet:
z.B. „Das ist Harald. Ich glaube, er besitz ein Reitpferd und tanzt in seiner Freizeit Ballett.“
Kommentar: sehr lustig, über Unbekannte etwas zu behaupten; and there’s also language involved
34. GUIDED TOUR THROUGH ROOM (STORYTELLING)
Either played in pairs or in groups of 3 – 6. One is the tour guide and leads his / her partner / group
(who may, of course, ask questions) through the room referring to the items that are there. Make your
tour as spectacular and interesting as possible (e. g. This cupboard once belonged to Queen Victoria)
and watch out for details and build stories around them (e.g. How a certain stain came onto the floor).
Change tour guide.
35. ALPTRAUM
Stellt euch vor, dass Larissa einen Alptraum hat, in dem sie die anderen Charaktere mit ihrer
physischen Präsenz und ihren Stimmen quälen. In kleinen Gruppen als wirklichen Alptraum spielen
lassen. (also übertriebener, schrecklicher etc.).
36. BLINDFOLDED TOUR (CF. DRAMA CONVENTIONS)
Pairs. A is blind and is guided by B through a town etc. B may ask questions (e.g. What are the walls
like?).
You use it to establish a setting (e.g. the town of Hameln, Renaissance Verona, Macbeth’s castle).
In our case we first made a blindfolded tour through Verona (A guiding B) and then through the
Capulet palace (B guiding A).
37. HEISSER STUHL UND ALTER EGO (CF. DRAMA CONVENTIONS)
Heißer Stuhl
Julias Vater (Thema Nicht-Kommunikation) – Julia
Julias Vater sitzt auf dem „hot seat“ und erzählt über seine Tochter aus seiner Sicht, auch ihre
Vergangenheit / Kindheit wird beschrieben, Vater ist stolz auf seine Tochter, hat viel vor mit ihr. Rest
der Gruppe befragt ihn.
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Projects: Haupt
Alter ego
2 Julias werden eingeführt, die verschiedene Persönlichkeitsaspekte Julias verkörpern: eine, die die
Welt des Vaters vertritt und gehorcht versus Julia, die weg will vom Vater.
Beide Julias kommentieren nacheinander (Reihenfolge festlegen), was der Vater sagt (verbal und
körpersprachig), wobei der Vater auf die Kommentare der „Julias“ nicht eingeht bzw. sie in seiner
Rolle nicht „hört“. (Reihenfolgen, d.h. Befragung des Vaters und dessen Antwort auf heißem Stuhl,
eine der Julias, andere der Julias sollten deshalb eingehalten werden, damit die Aussagen nicht zu
verwaschen werden.
38. VOICE SCULPTURE (CF. DRAMA CONVENTIONS)
Ein Spieler stellt sich in die Mitte des Raums und nimmt eine Haltung ein, die die Befindlichkeit einer
Figur in einem speziellen wichtigen Augenblick zum Ausdruck bringt (z. B. Romeo, der die
vermeintlich tote Julia sieht oder Julia, die erkennt, dass Romeo wirklich tot ist.).
Wichtig: In diesem Fall ist das bewusste Heraustreten aus der Rolle (vgl. auch Distanzierung)
besonders wichtig, da der Protagonist tief in die Rolle I in Stimmung / eintauchen kann. Daher sollten
z. B. gemeinsame körperliche Aktionen anschließen (z. B. 10er-Hüpfen, Abschütteln, Crick-Crack –
that’s that!)
39. ENGEL UND TEUFEL (CF. DRAMA CONVENTIONS)
2 Sessel, auf denen jeweils 1 GM steht. Diese haben die Aufgabe, jeweils Pro- und Contra-Argumente
für eine Entscheidung (z. B. Rauchen) einem anderer TN (der zwischen den beiden Sesseln steht und
jeweils zu dem sieht, der gerade spricht) abwechselnd einzusagen. Die anderen TN als Zuschauer
können (und sollen) unterstützend helfen.
40. CHARAKTERUMRISS /ROLE ON THE WALL
Der Umriss einer Person bzw. einer Rolle wird in Lebensgröße (oder nur der Kopfumriss) auf ein
Plakat gezeichnet. Die GM schreiben Eigenschaften und Charaktermerkmale dieser Person in den
Umriss. Soziale Angaben über diese Person werden außerhalb des Umrisses geschrieben.
Varianten: bei Charakterisierungen von literarischen Figuren / Filmcharakteren etc. außer eigene
Einschätzungen – innen: was andere Personen innerhalb des Stückes denken.
Oder: innen eigene Einschätzungen der Figur; außer Fremdeinschätzung durch andere Figuren des
Stücks.
41. ANTWORTEN AUF BERÜHRUNGSIMPULSE /THOUGHT TRACKING / SPEAK YOUR
THOUGHTS
Die Rollen befinden sich im Freeze und antworten oder reagieren auf einen Berührungsimpuls des
Lehrers / der Lehrerin, indem sie ihre momentanen Gedanken (z.B. als eine bestimmte Figur) laut
äußern.
42. GEDANKENALLEE / THOUGHT ALLEY / CONSCIENCE ALLEY
Ein GM / eine Figur eines Dramas schreitet langsam durch die „Allee“ aus Menschen (die übrigen GM)
zu einem bestimmten Zielpunkt, um dort eine Entscheidung zu treffen, eine wichtige Handlung zu
setzen oder um etwas zu empfangen. Seine Gedanken und Entscheidungsgründe auf diesem Weg
werden ihm von den übrigen GM aus der Allee zugeflüstert. (Beispiel: Soll ich die Schule aufgeben
oder nicht? – rechte Seite pro, linke Seite kontra oder durchmischt) oder die Person bitten selbst
jemand anderen aus der Gruppe oder fleht ich / sie an. (z. B Faust, der seine Seele verkauft hat, an
seine Mutter: „Was soll ich tun?“) – dann erfolgt die Entscheidung.
43. ALTER EGO
Ein GM befindet sich in der Rolle des Alter Ego hinter einer Figur aus dem Drama und relativiert deren
Aussagen verbal. Der Fokus dieser Technik liegt auf dem Ausdruck des Gefühls der Figur und
unterstützt das Verstehen, wie sich eine Person in einer vorgegebenen Situation fühlt und
möglicherweise im Gegensatz zu ihren Gefühlen handelt. Der mögliche Unterschied zwischen privater
Meinung und nach außen hin getätigten Aussagen wird aufgezeigt.
Varianten:
•
A agiert körpersprachig, während B As Gedanken laut verbalisiert oder umgekehrt.
•
Zwei Spieler- / Innen agieren wie die zwei Seiten einer Figur (z.B. die „sanfte“ und die
„aufsässige“ Julia) bzw. reagieren z.B. auch mit Kommentaren und körpersprachig, während
eine andere Figur (z. B. Julias Vater auf dem heißen Stuhl) über sie spricht.
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Projects: Haupt
44. ANNONCE (VGL. HEIRATSANNONCE, STELLENANGEBOT, STELLENGESUCH)
In Gruppen werden Annoncen (z. B. für Jobs, Verkäufe, Nachfragen etc.) entworfen.
45. BEZIEHUNGSABSTÄNDE
Ein Teil der TN wird von den anderen im Raum aufgestellt. Die gegenwärtigen Beziehungen zwischen
verschiedenen Charakteren werden durch die Abstände zwischen ihnen ausgedrückt (Distanz – Nähe,
wer fühlt sich wem nahe?); man kann auch verschiedene Beziehungsabstände im Verlauf eines
Dramas aufstellen lassen und so die Entwicklung der Beziehungen herausarbeiten.
46. BLICKPUNKTWECHSEL (VGL. DISTANZIERUNG)
Ein Ereignis / eine Person wird aus der Sicht einer Nebenfigur / einer anderen
Hauptfigur (bzw. einer Figur von außerhalb des Dramas, z.B. Julias Jugendfreundin) berichtet /
charakterisiert.
47. BOTSCHAFT
Eine Botschaft von außen beeinflusst die weitere Handlung des Dramas. Die Botschaft kann durch
eine Person überbracht werden oder wird einer Figur aus dem Drama zugespielt und von ihr
„gefunden“.
48. BRIEF IM DRAMA
Die GM sammeln Ideen, Gedanken, Fakten etc. in einem gemeinsamen Brainstorming. Die
Ergebnisse werden auf einem Plakat mitgeschrieben.
49. BRIEF VON AUSSEN
Durch einen ankommenden Brief wird eine Handlung eingeleitet oder weitergeführt. Es tauchen neue
Informationen oder Anweisungen auf. Ein Brief kann auch eine plötzliche Wendung der Situation
herbeiführen.
50. DETEKTIVBÜRO
Der biographische Hintergrund einer Figur wird in Kleingruppen durch verschiedene Detektivbüros
erarbeitet und dann den anderen Gruppen mitgeteilt, ohne dass alle Informationen zu dieser Figur in
Erfahrung gebracht werden.
51. FRAGEN
•
Fragen, um Vorstellungen und Interessenslagen der GM einzuschätzen
•
Fragen, die die Situation festlegen
•
Fragen, die zum Nachforschen in Dokumenten oder Medien, bei Erwachsenen anregen
•
Fragen, die Wissen vermitteln
•
Fragen, die Entscheidungen zwischen möglichen künftigen Handlungsverläufen herbeiführen
(Gabelungsfragen)
•
Fragen, die Disziplin herstellen
•
Fragen, die Stimmungen und Gefühle wecken
•
Fragen, die Glauben an sie Situation schaffen
•
Fragen, die Einsichten vertiefen
•
Fragen, um zu entdecken, was das GM weiß und bisher verstanden hat
•
Fragen, um zu entdecken, was das Gm über sein Wissen denkt und wie es sich fühlt
52. FREEZE FRAMES (VGL. AUCH SKULPTUREN, STANDBILDER)
Während einer Szene erstarren die Charaktere in ihrer Bewegung und Handlung, können von außen
verändert werden, nennen ihre Gedanken, sprechen einen Monolog, geben Geräusche von sich,
geben Antworten, stellen Fragen, etc.
53. GERICHTSVERHANDLUNG
Eine bestimmte Situation wird in einem fiktiven Gerichtssaal verhandelt.
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Projects: Haupt
54. INNERER MONOLOG
Nach der Rollenübernahme überlegen sich die GM eine typische und alltägliche Situation für ihre
Rollen und sprechen situationsrelevante Gedanken der Person in der Rolle aus. Diese Methode ist
sinnvoll, um jemanden langsam in eine Rolle zu führen.
55. FRUIT BOWL
Players are seated in a circle and names ‘Apple, Banana, Pear’. One player stands in the middle and
calls ‘Apple’. All the apples change seats. The player in the middle tries to gets to one first leaving
another caller in the middle. If they call ‘Fruit bowl’ everyone must move.
56. HI HO
Sit in a circle. Each player has a shoe in front of them. The shoes are passed around the circle to the
tune of.
‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho
It’s off to work we go
with a shovel and a pick and a walking sticking
hi ho
hi ho hi ho hi ho
hi ho
it’s off to work we go
57. ZOOF, HO, ZAP
In a circle, the leader passes round a mimed ball. As it is passed on the players call ‘Zoof’. A player
may block the pass and send it back by saying ‘Ho’ or pass it across the circle by pointing and calling
‘Zap’. Add as many new moves as you please.
58. GOSSIP CIRCLE (NAME GAME)
Sit in circle. You whisper your name into your neighbour’s ear. Your neighbour has to react in a special
way repeating your name (e.g. in a surprised tone “Charlie?”. Continue round the circle.
59. I AM… - WHO ARE YOU?
3 chairs nest to each other; 1 player (A) sits down on the chair in the centre and says who or what he
is (e.g. “I am the sun.”). 2 other players (C and B) sit down on the chairs to the left on to the right. A
asks both B and C “And who are you?”. Both B and C answer by associating to this statement (e.g. B:
“I am your rainbow.” and C: “I am your eclipse.”). A decides for one of the two and they leave together,
the one that stays moves to the chair in the middle but remains who or what he was (e.g. “I am the
eclipse of the sun.”). Two other players associate to that etc. …
60. THIS IS A … (KONZENTRATION /WARM-UP / FUN)
Sitzkreis.
Irgendein Gegenstand wird vom Spielleiter mit den Worten: “This is a watch!” dem rechts stehenden
GM (B) wie ein Geschenk überreicht. B fragt verunsichert: “A what?“ GL antwortet: “A watch!“ B
übernimmt das Geschenk mit einem erstaunten: “Aaah! A watch!“ und gibt es mit den Worten: “This is
a watch!“ an C weiter. C fragt B verunsichert: “A what?“ B fragt bei SL rück: “A what?“ SL antwortet “A
watch!“, B gibt die Antwort an C weiter. C übernimmt das Geschenk mit: “Aaah! A watch!“ und setzt
mit: “This is a watch!“ fort,… (jedes Mal muss bis zum SL rückgefragt werden – bis das Geschenk
wieder beim SL ankommt)
Zur gleichen Zeit gibt der SL einen anderen Gegenstand mit den Worten: “This is a key!“ nach links
weiter…. (Rückfrage bis zum SL! Probleme beim Kreuzen der Geschenke sind im Sinn des Spiels.)
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Projects: Haupt
61. CHINESE WHISPER (VOCABULARY EXTENSION)
Sitzkreis. SL flüstert neben ihm Sitzenden ein Wort ins Ohr, der / die Nächste assoziiert ein anderes
Wort zu diesem (das erste, das in den Sinn kommt), der / die Nächste assoziiert auf dieses Wort usw.
reihum bis zu SL. Dann in umgekehrter Reihenfolge begründen, weshalb man dieses Wort gewählt
hat.
Kommentar: Deutlich flüstern bzw. nachfragen, da sonst Hörfehler entstehen (was aber auch nicht
weiter schlimm ist!). Quite successful even in 7th forms of Oberstufe.
Variation: Wortassoziationen
Gleiches Prinzip, aber diesmal laut. Begründung auch erst am Schluss.
62. THE ADJECTIVE CAT (VOCABULARY EXTENSION)
Sit in a circle. To the rhythm Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap (the whole group clap their hands four times)
one after the other uses a different adjective each time beginning with the letter “a”;
Player 1 “The minister’s cat is an angry cat”;
Group: clap – clap – clap – clap
Player 2 “The minister’s cat is an athletic cat”
Group: clap – clap – clap – clap etc.
As soon as a player doesn’t know any further adjective beginning with an “a” or repeats an adjective,
the next player starts with the next letter in the alphabet.
63. VARIATION ON FRUIT BOWL (WARM-UP)
TN sitzen im Sesselkreis – 1 TN in der Mitte sagt, welche TN Plätze wechseln sollen (z. B. alle mit
Tennisschuhen; oder auch mehrer Gruppen – alle Schwarzhaarigen, alle Brillenträger etc.).
Gleichzeitig muss der Rest der noch sitzenden TN jeweils so lange weiterrücken, solange ein Platz
rechts neben einem selber frei (geworden) ist. Währenddessen versucht der Spieler in der Mitte einen
freien Platz zu ergattern. Man kann dieses Spiel auch als Einstieg zu einer thematischen Einheit
nehmen
Language input: Vocabulary; durch das Weiterrücken wird das bekannte „Fruchtsalat-Spiel“ noch um
eine Dimension lustiger.
64. DADUDA (KONZENTRATION / RHYTHMUS)
Im Kreis mit den Füßen einen Viererrhythmus stampfen, auf die zwei jeweils mit den Fingern
schnippen, auf vier in die Hände klatschen. Dann nennt jemand auf die zwei gleichzeitig mit dem
Fingerschnippen einen Begriff, der Nachbar antwortet ohne Zögern und Stottern mit einem
(erschwerende Variante: möglichst verwandten) Begriff auf den vierten Schlag gleichzeitig mit dem
Händeklatschen. Die Gruppe wiederholt im nächsten Takt auf den zweiten (gleichzeitig mit dem
Schnippen) und dritten Schlag die beiden Begriffe und auf den vierten Schlag mit dem Klatschen
sagen alle „Daduda“. (Im Rhythmus bleiben!) Im nächsten Takt wiederholt diejenige, die vorher
reagieren musste, ihren Begriff, und es geht wie vorher weiter, wobei darauf zu achten ist, dass auch
wenn jemand nur stottert, dies wiederholt wird und der Nächste darauf eben reagiert. Bei Fehler –
neuer Anfang!
Variante: Man kann das Spiel auch als ein immer schneller werdendes Ausscheidungsspiel spielen
lassen, wobei leichtes Zögern oder Stottern bereits als Ausscheidungsgrund gilt. Dabei wird ständig
der Viererrhythmus gestampft.
Language Input: As with most word association games a very useful (holistic) approach to revise
vocabulary.
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Projects: Haupt
65. NETZE FLECHTEN (KONZENTRATION / VERSCHIEDENE AUFMERKSAMKEITEN)
3 verschiedene Kreise übereinander legen
Im Kreis mit „you“ auf jemanden anderen im Kreis zeigen (nicht unbedingt die Person, die neben
einem steht) und die Hand heben, um zu zeigen, dass man schon dran war. Sich die Person merken,
von der man das „you“ empfangen hat und die Person, an die man das „you“ weitersendet (oder – je
nach Bedarf – erster Kreis z. B. literarische Figuren etc.)
Dann ein zweites Netz mit Märchenfiguren (oder historische Ereignisse etc.) spannen und
ebenfalls sich beide Personen merken.
Dann alle drei Netze übereinander legen, indem you, Hauptstädte und Märchenfiguren nacheinander
losgeschickt werden. Nach einigen Durchgängen sollten alle Netze wieder bei der Person
zusammenlaufen, die jeweils begonnen hat. (evt. Spielleiter), ohne dass eines der Netze verloren
gegangen ist.
(Netzvarianten: Blumen, Farben, Stückfiguren, Speisen – was immer man will!)
Language input: You can revise anything you want with this game; it can also be used for beginners.
66. OBJEKTSPIEL (IMPROVISATION / FANTASIE / GRUPPE)
Es werden zu verschiedenen Schauplätzen bzw. Themen (Vorgabe vom Publikum) Skulpturen
gebaut, indem sich der TN nach und nach dazustellen und jeweils sagen, was sie sind (z. B. Thema
„Küche“: „Ich bin der Mikrowellenherd.“ „Ich bin die vergessene Wurst im Kühlschrank.“ „Ich bin der
Schimmel auf der Wurst.“ „Ich bin die Mineralwasserflasche.“ „Ich bin das Etikett auf der
Mineralwasserflasche.“ „Ich bin die Perlen im Mineralwasser.“, etc. – oder abstraktere Themen, z. B.
Akkusativ: „Ich bin der non Dr. Mock“ (falsch verwendete Akkusativ, etc.). Den Themen sind keine
Grenzen gesetzt (z. B. Mittelalter, Was uns an Hollabrunn gefallen hat, etc.).
Varianten: Aus den stehenden Bildern dann neue Bilder entwickeln (als fließende Statuen), sich neu
zu einem Thema zuordnen.
Kleine „Bildgeschichten“ zu einem Thema (z. B. Der Hosenkauf, Das Konzert), in mehreren Bildern,
als fließende Statue.
Man kann diese Übung auch in einer Impro-Langform einsetzen.
Kommentar: auch als Wortfeld-Wiederholung für kleinere Kinder geeignet.
67. CLAP – CLAP – FILL THE GAP (COLLECTIVE STORYTELLING / VOCABULARY
EXTENSION)
Sit in circle.
First player starts telling a story, just half a sentence or parts of a sentence – the whole group claps
twice – the next player continues the sentence. A coherent text should develop.
e.g. Yesterday we were – clap – clap – in a big park. – clap – clap – There we met – clap – clap…etc.
68. DU GLAUBST NICHT, WAS MIR GESTERN PASSIERT IST (IMPRO)
Paare. A beginnt: „Du glaubst nicht, was mir gestern passiert ist.“ B antwortet: „Ich weiß. Ich hab’s
gehört.“ Und gibt spontan eine fantastische Erklärung (z. B. „Du wurdest wild tanzend mit BM Gehrer
auf einer Rave-Party gesehen”). B endet mit: „Kannst du mir sagen weshalb?“ A muss spontan und
detailliert erklären, was passierte.
69. ZUG UM ZUG ZÄHLEN – SPIEL 21 (KONZENTRATION / GRUPPENBILDUNG)
Die GM stehen oder sitzen im Kreis mit geschlossenen Augen und zählen die Zahlenfolge ab. Je 1
GM sagt eine Zahl, aber man weiß nie genau, wer es sein wird – die Reihenfolge derer, welche die
Zahlen nennen, ist nämlich willkürlich und zufällig. Jedes GM kann selbst entscheiden, wann es eine
Zahl sagt. So kann es sein, dass zwei oder mehrere dieselbe Zahl nennen. In diesem Fall muss das
Spiel von neuem begonnen werden. Ziel: Zahlenfolge ohne Unterbrechung durchzusprechen und
möglichst weit zu kommen.
(Variante: bis 21 kommen). Das Spiel dient zur Beruhigung, andererseits aber auch zur
Gruppenkoordination.
Variante: dasselbe mit einem vorgegebenen Satz Wort für Wort (d. h. je 1 Person sagt ein Wort) bzw.
mit Brief an den SL oder jede Zahl mit einer Stimmung / einem Gefühl verbinden.
Wichtig: Nicht raten, sondern deinen Moment spüren!
Language Input: z. B. Zahlen oder das Alphabet mit Spiel 21 (bis 26 zählen) oder auch bestimmte
Wortfelder.
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Projects: Haupt
70. CRICK CRACK – THAT’S THAT / STEIRISCH VARIANTE: “KOLD – HOASS – DEIS WOAS!”
(ABSCHLUSS / BEWUSSTER AUSSTIEG AUS EINEM DRAMA)
2mal in die Hände in Pendelbewegung klatschen (wie wenn man sich abputzt) auf crick – crack und
links (auf that’s) und rechts (auf that) Finger schnippen – ritueller Abschluss einer Stunde – ritueller
Ausstieg aus einem Drama (auch körperliches Abschütteln hilft.)
71. KETTENGESCHICHTE MIT BILDIMPULSEN / CHAIN STORY WITH PICTURES
(IMPROVISATION / STORYTELLING / FLUENCY / KREATIVITÄT / VOCABULARY
DEVELOPMENT)
Eine Reihe von Bildern, die überhaupt nicht miteinander in Beziehung stehen werden an die TN
ausgeteilt (z.B. Kaffeehausszenen,2 Leute auf Kamelen, jemand, der sich abseilt etc.) Die GM sollen
nun nach und nach ihre Bilder in eine zusammenhängende logische Geschichte einbauen, indem
irgendjemand zu seinem Bild zu erzählen beginnt (Schauplatz, Protagonisten, Zeitpunkt, Handlung
etc.) und jemand anderer setzt mit seinem Bild fort, sodass sich ein logischer Anschluss ergibt (bis alle
durch sind).
Meistens geht die Geschichte logisch auf.
Kommentar: den Einfällen sind keine Grenzen gesetzt.
72. SKULPTUREN / STATUEN /STANDBILDER / FREEZE FRAMES /TABLEAUX
73. CELEBRITY
Chairperson (T-in-role): Welcome to the TV studio. In this programme we want to find out about
celebrity.
Group sitting in circle, each person in the circle is a celebrity, famous for sth but not a well-known
person, not famous for bank robbery etc or being married to sb.
Chairperson: Can you express with one word or sentence the benefit of being famous?
After this round:
Chairperson: Is there any downside to being famous?
T-in-role conducts mini-interviews, comments takes everything seriously, elaborates in terms
of language (repeating and correcting).
74. PRUIE
1) One player is appointed as ‘pruie’.
2) All participants close their eyes and walk about.
3) If you meet someone, ask him, “Pruie?” If he’s not the ‘pruie’, he must answer, “Pruie” back.
4) If he doesn’t answer, he is the ‘pruie’ and you must attach to him, until there is no one left.
75. QUESTIONING IS VERY IMPORTANT IN DRAMA:
Building a character:
If I take up something further (e.g. hermit; Russian business woman and very nervous reporter), how
do I go about opening that up?
Russian business woman
e.g. See what happened before, what made her.
The teacher summarizes and narrates the story again. If the teacher can tell a good story (using her
voice deliberately), the pupils will forget about the other ones.
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Projects: Haupt
76. THEME OF FAMOUS PEOPLE: (FROM HERE NOT A PLANNED, SECURE LESSON,
“ROLLER-COASTER JOURNEY”)
•
Teacher in Role = talk show host – gathering of famous people
e.g. “Welcome to the studio. It’s the first time that such a distinguished group of people has
been gathered in one studio.”
celebrities = whole group (but nobody should be any real person, no mass murderers, nobody
should be in gaol; it’s not necessary either that they decide what they are famous for)
Teacher asks everybody the same question (tightly controlled, teacher-directed):
”Sum up in a single word what is great about being so famous?” (e.g. admiration, money,
luxury, people’s envy, having the choice, social life etc.) Teacher gives positive comments.
•
Teacher asks a second question:
“What is the one worst thing about being famous?” (e.g. too little privacy, loneliness)
•
Follow-up: Interview each other / piece of writing
•
Group decide on a name:
Situation of Natasha (Russian female tycoon) and Paul (reporter)
Question: Why might Natasha want to see Paul again? (e.g. He reminds her of someone. He
is the spit image of her cherished uncle). – But: Don’t give too much background!
•
Whole group: Walk around and think of a fact / rumour / speculation about Natasha.
Group building; Get together in groups of 2 / 7 / 6 / 4.
•
Groups of 4:
Think of some serious moments in her life, moments that stick in her mind, mental snapshots
of her life  from her childhood to the present.
Form a tableau.
Teacher goes around and makes suggestions for the different stages of Natasha’s life.
•
Show the different tableaux – without any comment on the part of the people involved in
the tableau: “Scenes from the short hard life of Natasha”
Teacher counts from 5 to 1 – then the tableau should be held.
•
All Natashas in one line (in the same sequence of order as before):
Do what you were doing in the tableaux – just the Natasha positions – talk about what you
remember about the tableaux.
(e.g. Mother dissociating herself from her daughter – Natasha was hit)
NOTES:
If things are not clear, put them into movement
If things are not clear, regroup the scenes
Ask the whole group what the characters might think.
The group can give advice to Natasha how she should position herself, where to look etc.
(look at the details).
E- If a pattern emerges, everything is fine. It doesn’t matter if we can’t read a tableau. Don’t let
the group narrate it. Maybe allow them one sentence.
ABCD-
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Projects: Haupt
77. INTERFERENCE GAME
3 groups (A – B – C)
Group A is standing against one wall and decides for a sentence, which they try to communicate to
group B (who is at the opposite wall) while group C (in the middle) tries to prevent them from
communicating their sentence successfully.
Note: It is not always volume that makes the communication successful.
Then change (A  B, B  C, C  A; and another round: B’s  C, former C’s  a, former A’s  B’s).
78. BUDGIES, BULL AND BANANAS
The leader points to a person in a circle and says ‘Budgie’. That person becomes a budgie and the
players on either side represent a mirror and a bell. The leader adds in more options such as Bat, Bull,
Banana, Baboon, Beggar. For each one, the player pointed at represents the object and the players of
either side complement the image.
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Projects: Hofer
EDITH HOFER – “LEAVING HOME”
Gymnasium Werndlpark Steyr, 4.A-Klasse, 23 SchülerInnen, (25.4. – 9.5. 2005)
LESSON 1
SETTING THE SCENE:
Teacher tells the story of a girl hitchhiking in a rural part of England one Thursday evening at 10 p.m.
CREATING THE CHARACTER:
•
Give her a name, age: (neighbours` daughter: Doris; your host family in England: Gomm) 15
years old.
•
•
5 min.: Pupils discuss in pairs why she has left.
5 min.: Report to the class. (alcohol in the family, bad marks, lovesick, outsider, hit by parents,
raped by stepfather, pregnant, returns to divorced father)
•
•
Children form a square = the walls of Doris` room
20 min.: Description of her room (the walls can see what there is)
LESSON 2
•
In groups of four:(on a small sheet of paper): Doris' farewell note
•
Pass on the notes to new groups: Read out / act out/ freeze frame
•
Next morning: Mother wants to wake her child, finds the note, together with her husband/
partner she decides to look for the girl:
•
PARENTS`DIALOGUE IN THE CAR (ANGRY, WORRIED)
LESSON 3
•
Say long/ short: Fit the dialogue into this pattern (8 sentences).
•
Imagine the situation that led to the argument after which Doris decided to leave.
•
(Written homework: Diary entry)
•
Act out verbally/ non- verbally/ freeze frame.
•
Interpreting the freeze frames/ giving the people in the freeze frame thoughts.
LESSON 4
Teacher explains that there will be a short report about Doris on the local TV programme.
•
Four groups prepare the lines of the following people:
a) Newsreader
b) Reporter on the spot(interviews parent)
c) Doris` father / mother
d) Mr. Baxter, who runs a home for runaway kids (expert on the topic)
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Projects: Hofer
•
Form new groups with a),b),c),d) in each group.
•
Prepare/ rehearse forTV.
LESSON 5
•
Setting the scene (tables, flipchart, microphone, camera)
•
Teacher films three groups for TV (Volunteers)
LESSON 6
•
Watching the programme + analysis.
•
Written homework: Description of the project, feedback.
MY COMMENT
As I am taking my Sabbatical next year, I had to act quickly. After the seminar with Andy and Cecily I
just took the plunge. The idea to do it with the topic of “Leaving” came to me after we had read an
article about street kids in my 4th form.
Planning the project I relied very closely on what we had done in Andy`s group (remember Bert
Hedges?). His timing was a bit difficult and I had to take notes immediately after each lesson or I
would have forgotten lots of things.
Sometimes it was quite noisy in the classroom but I did not mind because they were working with
enthusiasm.
This is how it went for the class (my observations):
Speculations about why she ran away from home were no problem at all. The four walls were not
taken seriously by some of the boys at first, but they got into it fairly soon afterwards. Some girls came
up with very interesting items. They were constantly feeding each other's imagination. I could see the
room myself! Thus we got to know Doris better. Writing the farewell note was similar (some boys
behaving foolishly) but eventually they all produced good results.
The diary entries (homework) were surprisingly moving, also the boys showed deep insight.
We had never done freeze frames before, but the pupils seemed to be fine there, in fact they enjoyed
doing that and were surprisingly good (also the boys!)
The dialogues in the car were very interesting. Most couples quarrelled and put the blame on each
other. The pupils loved driving on the left! Even having to follow this pattern of long/ short sentences
worked out.
What each of them loved doing best was preparing the programme for TV. And talking into the camera
made such a difference! Of course we had lots of fun when some of the news readers and experts
could not keep a straight face, mispronounced words or had fits of laughter.
Watching the result was hilarious too.
One boy will make one “final” version of this recorded news programme and we will show it to the
parents at the end of the school year.
THE PUPILS` FEEDBACK
was very positive. I let them do it in English or German. Some wrote more than two pages telling me
that they now understood a lot more about teenagers who run away from home and that they seemed
to know Doris. They were unanimous in saying that the TV part was the best part of the project. They
said this was the best project they had ever done and that they had learned a lot of things.
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Projects: Hosp
SABINE HOSP – PROCESS DRAMA: NESSIE ON WINTER HOLIDAY
INTRODUCTION
DRAMA CONVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES
This lesson plan is based on the concept of the teacher-in-role as a central convention of process
drama and furthermore includes a choice of conventions and activities from the workshops that
facilitate the specific objectives and suit the plot and framework.
TARGET GROUP
This project was designed for a second year class. The pupils of this class are taught English with a
special method called Neues Lernen. This method is based on an adapted version of “Accelerated
Learning” and includes different learning styles, multiple intelligences, Total Physical Response and
Brain Gym. The pupils are used to various kinds of activities, some of which are similar to drama
teaching activities. The teaching material deals with different characters, among them “Aunt Nessie”, a
mischievous person who lives in Loch Ness and has magical powers.
OBJECTIVES
When the pupils did the project they had just been introduced to describing people, therefore
practising the use of appropriate vocabulary was one of the objectives. Another one was promoting the
productive skills speaking and writing. Furthermore I wanted to foster the pupils’ ability to work in
teams and present results as well as encourage their creativity – goals that are generally supported by
process drama.
NESSIE ON WINTER HOLIDAY
Time required: 100 minutes
Materials: A3 paper, pins and pin board, rhythmical music
1) WARM- UP ACTIVITIES (VOCABULARY REVISION AND EXTENSION)
•
Comparison of people’s appearance
Three volunteers are standing in front of the audience. The audience is asked
to compare them. What is similar? What is different?
•
15 MINUTES
The adjective cat
Pupils sit in a circle. To the rhythm Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap (the whole group clap their
hands four times) one after the other uses a different adjective each time
beginning with the letter “a” and continuing in alphabetical order.
Player 1 “The minister’s cat is an angry cat.”;
Group: clap – clap – clap – clap
Player 2 “The minister’s cat is a beautiful cat.”
If a player doesn’t know an adjective beginning with the next letter the adjective can be repeated.
2) PRETEXT
5 MINUTES
Pupils imagine they are in Kitzbühl (or any winter holiday resort) staying in a verynice hotel that
welcomes families. The hotel manager (teacher-in-role) is worried because he has heard rumours that
there is a strange creature around. It is called Nessie and can change its appearance. The hotel
manager asks the children to help him. He thinks it is better not to ask grown-ups because they are so
easily worried. Perhaps the creature doesn’t exist.
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Projects: Hosp
3) DESCRIPTION OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS / DRAWINGS
15 MINUTES
The hotel manager asks the children to be her/his detectives and watch out for the creature. She/he is
sure they will find the creature. In the evening he wants them to tell her/him what they have seen and
show him a drawing of the creature.
GA (7x4): Pupils write a description and make a picture of the creature.
(A3 sheets + colour pens)
Groups present their results. Manager may need to ask about details.
4) STORIES ABOUT NESSIE / ROLE PLAY
25 MINUTES
During the day the manager has heard that this creature even frightens tourists. Now the manager
understands that he must act and talk to his guests. Perhaps they have met her, but they don’t dare
tell anybody. He shows his guests the pictures and asks them to inform him about what has happened
to them.
Team work: Pupils work out stories about Nessie and tourists. They perform the stories in front of the
audience.
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Projects: Hosp
5) APOLOGIES / TABLEAUX
10 MINUTES
The manager is worried that some guests may leave or not come again because they are angry about
the fuss Nessie created. He thinks he must apologize and asks the pupils what he could do to make
his guests feel happy again.
Team work: Pupils think of ways to apologize and present them as tableaux.
6) GROUP CHOREOGRAPHY
10 MINUTES
Meanwhile the manager has heard that some families liked the adventure with Nessie. She/he thinks
Nessie could become a tourist attraction. She/he asks the students what they think Nessie could do to
entertain the guests.
Team work: Pupils invent the choreography consisting of three activities.
While they are working and performing rhythmical music is played.
7) LETTER WRITING
15 MINUTES
The hotel manager has heard that Nessie has gone back to Scotland. She/he wants to send her a
letter, but doesn’t know how to write it. She/he asks the pupils to design letters in which they invite
Nessie to come to Kitzbühl next winter and entertain his guests. She could stay in the hotel without
paying. Letters can be written in teams or independently. Teacher can collect letters to correct them or
they can be presented in class.
8) THE END OF THE STORY
5 MINUTES
Nessie has written a postcard (Loch Ness or picture of the pet) to the manager. Unfortunately she
can’t accept the invitation because she has got a new pet that she can neither take to Kitzbühl nor
leave alone. The manager reads the postcard to the pupils.
REFLECTION
When we were introduced to process drama in the workshops I found the fact that the trainers allowed
the participants to elaborate on the plot in different groups very impressive. Then integrated their
contributions still following their preconceived framework. We were also shown that the concept of
“teacher-in-role” is a very effective tool to get students involved, as well as the strategy of raising the
students’ motivation by introducing a character who needs their help. For this reason I decided to
design a teaching unit based on these strategies. The realisation of this idea turned out to be rather
challenging as some of the activities that I wanted to include did not go conform with these strategies
and either had to be changed or left out.
This lesson plan was planned for a double period, however with a small group of 18 pupils. If teachers
have to allow for more time for a bigger group the vocabulary revision and extension activities could be
done in a previous lesson or the letter could be homework assignment. At this level the size of the
pupils’ vocabulary is too limited to expect students to think of several adjectives beginning with the
same letter. Therefore I changed the rules of “The adjective cat”. However we did a second round.
Furthermore the teacher-in-role must use very basic vocabulary, which is why I kept the description
and the instructions in the lesson plan as simple as possible.
The pupils are used to working in groups and enjoy doing rather unusual activities, which makes the
organisation of such class arrangement simple. However, the pupils were so engaged in their work
that the noise level was considerable. Also space in the classroom was a challenge particularly when
the students performed the group choreography.
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Projects: Hosp
Although this unit is based on a character in the Neues Lernen material I am sure that it can be used
in other classes as most children have heard of the Loch Ness monster and like activities dealing with
strange creatures. It is also a rather simple example of a process drama which I believe is feasible
even for teachers with little experience in drama teaching methods. As two of my colleagues teach a
Neues Lernen group of the same level and use the same material I gave them the description of this
unit. They did not need much support to try it out in their groups and said that it had worked well.
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Projects: Huber-Grabenwarter
ANDREA HUBER-GRABENWARTER – THEFT IN SCHOOL
INTRODUCTION
Due to the course „Drama in Education“ I started this project in the first year of the educational
program for „Heilpädagogische Berufe“ in the „Ausbildungszentrum für Sozialberufe“, in which I started
teaching in fall 2006. The class consists of 24 students but there are only 20 students in my English
group. The class is not homogeneous, which means that half of the group knows quite a lot of English
while the other half has very poor or no knowledge of the language. This makes teaching very
interesting and I sometimes have to split up the class into two groups in which I teach different things.
For the more advanced ones I take texts, e.g. from „Spotlight“, as input for further discussions or work
on more specific language issues. The other half deals with basic grammar topics such as question,
negation, sentence formation, etc. There is only one hour of English per week and we have no course
books.In this project I put the whole group together and tried to combine methods I acquired during the
last part of the seminar which was held by Allan Owens and Judith Ackroyd.
PROJECT WORK
I started the project in the fourth lesson/week of the school year. The input was a letter (see at the end
of the paper) by the headmistress about a recent theft which had occurred just recently in school. As
teacher in role I switched to being an ordinary teacher of this class and read out the letter to the
students. I then asked them to tell me about the things they had noticed in class concerning the thefts.
Next, the students were to get together in groups of two and three to find possible solutions which
would then be collected by the teacher and handed in to the headmistress in order to be read out in
the next staff meeting. The objects that had been stolen from the students in this class were mainly
mobile phones and money.
In the following lesson the students were gathering in the „staff room“, and as a teacher in role, taking
the part of the headmistress, I welcomed them as teachers to this conference asking them to get
together in groups again. They had to form several departments of the school and to report the thefts
they had observed in the last couple of days. Some mentioned that balls had been stolen out of the
gym room, others reported that a teacher from the psychology department was missing, and that
money, a TV and a stereo had been stolen as well.
Next I was again teacher in role and acted as a policeman who appeared at the staff meeting,
reporting about the missing teacher from the psychology department. She had been found lost and
drunk with a big bag in the streets of Graz. In the bag there was money, there were cell phones, balls,
and other things. The policeman left the staff meeting and the headmistress reappeared. She then
asked the teachers if they had observed this teacher being drunk or having problems, which the
teachers hadn't.
The students then had to form groups and pick one character: the husband, who is beating his wife,
the teacher/mother, who was an alcoholic and had been beaten by her husband, the teacher's
daughter. Each group had to find adjectives describing the moods of the character they had chosen.
Finally, they were asked to find actions/movements of the characters which would express their
moods. They did this by just acting out the mood or using the method “thought alley“, saying the
adjective in front of the character (which was also played by one of the students). This student then
had to pick the appropriate mood, movement which he/she felt was the best for the situation.
In the next lesson I started with adjectives describing moods, as some of the students had had
problems finding the appropriate words.
In this lesson the students were also asked to get together in groups of three and create freeze frames
for the particular situation of the mother/teacher leaving the house. They had to show the reactions of
father and daughter to her leaving them. I split the class into two large groups. One group was
watching the others doing the freeze frames, walking in between them, touching them on the backs
and listening to one line said by the character. Then we watched each little group and guessed the
characters from the tableau. Then the second half of the students were to do the same. This was the
end of the project.
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Projects: Huber-Grabenwarter
FEEDBACK
The feedback I got during these lessons was rather indirectly done as some of them started giggling or
laughing when they were asked to suggest moods or perform actions, which I interpreted as signs of
insecurity or fear of the unknown. But I also found that many of them participated orally usually didn't
speak in class. I found that they had had a good time and when I interviewed them about it in a break,
they were surprised by the method, but seemed to have rather enjoyed it. Above all I enjoyed watching
them perform and talk in English in these three lessons. Unfortunately there was only one hour of
English a week and now they are doing their internships, which didn't give me much time for teaching
in this class. I was also under some stress as I knew I had to do one project for this paper and this
year I only had one English class which I didn't know very well as I started in this school only this fall. I
also wanted to give them a poem which we had worked on with Allan Owens but could neither find the
title nor the author in my notes. And I didn't have time to wait for the last part of the script as I had to
finish my project. I also wanted to do a choreography with the moods for the three characters but there
wasn't enough time in this class due to another project and the internship which occupied three of my
English lessons. I also found it very interesting, when I first appeared as teacher in role and read out
the letter by the headmistress, that one student, who obviously hadn't been listening closely to me
before, was very astonished because she hadn't observed a theft in the class. She was then told by
some other students after having been teased for a minute that they were only in a role play.
LETTER OF THE HEADMISTRESS TO THE STUDENTS
Dear students,
I have heard that things have been stolen in your
class lately. We don't know whether the person who has committed
this crime is among our staff or students or somebody from out of
school.
We have tried to set up a staff meeting in order to find a
solution to handle this problem. Please, try to figure out how to deal
with the situation appropriately and hand in your ideas by next
Monday.
Yours sincerely,
The Headmistress
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Projects: Manhart
MICHAEL MANHART - PROJECT BIRTHDAY
FORM: 1ST FORM SECONDARY (10-11 YEARS)
TOPIC: BIRTHDAY PRESENTS AND CELEBRATION
Duration: 3 Lessons
Methods used: Voice Sculpture, Freeze Frames, Hot Seat, Teacher in Role,
Tableaux, Three Chairs,
Based on: The New You and Me 1, Unit 14 “Maggie's birthday present”
(Appendix)
Objectives: The pupils should acquire the vocabulary concerning “Birthday presents”, asking
questions (What would you like to get as a present? Are you happy with your presents? Do you like
them?), and create a story about an unexpected birthday present.
LESSON 1
The first lesson is used to introduce the new vocabulary and present the four main characters of this
story. Most important to keep the tension is not to tell anything about the dog. The turning point of the
story will be revealed in the third lesson.
1. INTRODUCTION
~15'
Class sits in a circle
1.1. Bring a couple of real things into class (plastic bowl, brush, present, candle, birthday cake (plastic
or picture), rubber ball, book, biro, music cassette).
1.2. Put the items on the floor, pick them up and say the English word > pupils repeat
1.3. Now a pupil picks up an item and the others repeat.
1.4. Voice Sculpture: 9 pupils form a triangle in the middle of the circle. Every pupil is one of the 9 new
words. The teacher conducts the voice sculpture. After a while the pupils swap.
2. INTRODUCE THE CHARACTERS
~10'
Move across the room. Teacher gives short description of the character and the pupils move across
the room as the character would.
2.1. Sandra is eleven years today. She is looking forward to her super birthday party this evening.
2.2. Brother Paul has bought a plastic bowl and is very happy that Sandra does not know why he got
her this present.
2.3. Brother Tom has bought a brush and is also happy that she doesn't know.
2.4. Sandra's mother is wondering why Sandra is happy with her presents. (Don't tell anything about
the dog yet!!!)
3. FREEZE FRAMES
~15'
Pupils do Freeze Frames of the following situations (four groups):
3.1. Sandra sitting in school looking forward to her party in the evening
3.2. Sandra getting the plastic bowl from Paul
3.3. Sandra getting the brush from Robert
3.4. Sandra wondering why she gets all these presents.
To look at the four frames do not interrupt between the frames. A clap marks the change from one
frame to the other.
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Projects: Manhart
4. TEACHER IN ROLE
~10'
Back to the circle. Teacher gets into the role of Sandra (Hot Seat) and pupils may ask questions
about Sandra's thoughts (eg: What would you like to get as a present? Are you happy with your
presents?...)
LESSON 2
In the second lesson the story will be introduced, but not the ending.
1. INTRODUCTION
~15'
1.1. Distribute the following roles to one or more pupils, revision of the words from lesson 1 (11 single
roles, friends all the others): Sandra, Paul, Tom, Mother, bowl, brush, book, biro, music cassette,
rubber ball, basket, friends.
1.2. The teacher reads the story and every time a role is mentioned this pupil has to stand up. Do not
read the end! Only until: And there in a basket is the present for Sandra:
2. TABLEAU
~10'
Pupils form a tableau for the mysterious present.
2.1. The 1st pupil starts with: “I am the plastic bowl for Sandra's present.”
2.2. The next pupil can choose one of the other presents or invent something new.
3. THREE CHAIRS
~15'
Put up three chairs a bit apart from the circle. Explain shortly how it works:
Teacher sits down on the middle chair and says: “I am Sandra.” A pupil joins and says eg: “I am your
plastic bowl.” and says: “I am your rubber ball.” The teacher chooses one of the things and goes back
to the circle. The one staying behind gets in the middle and so on.
4. TEACHER IN ROLE
~10'
Back to the circle. Teacher gets into the role of the still unknown present (Hot Seat) and pupils may
ask questions about Sandra's thoughts (e.g.: What do you need a bowl for? Can you speak? ...) Try to
lead them on the wrong track.
LESSON 3
Reveal the secret and let the pupils work on similar stories.
1. TABLEAU
~10'
1.1. The pupils shall create a tableau of the situation in the garden, when Sandra is looking at the
basket with the blanket on it. (This basket with a dog (puppet) covered with a blanket has to be placed
there before.)
1.2. The teacher walks to the pupil in the tableau who is Sandra, taps her on the shoulder and she
puts away the blanket in slow motion.
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Projects: Manhart
2. STORY TELLING
~20'
Pupils get together in groups of 4 or 5 and try to invent a story similar to the birthday story.
2.1. Make the language needed available (see word cards in Appendix).
2.2. Let them work in those groups for about 15 minutes.
3. PRESENTATION
~ 10'
The presentation should be one group after the other without interruption. Only a short applause, and
then switch to the next group. A short round of reflection repeating the outcome of each group.
4. POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UPS
– Let the objects which are not the main presents anymore come to life and they say
what they think
– Round off the four stories of the pupils to stage them under the title “Four Birthday
Surprises” on a parents' evening
Tried out with the 1B of the Übungshauptschule der Pädagogischen Akademie des
Bundes in Salzburg in March 2005.
APPENDIX
• The Story:
Sandra's Birthday Present
February 14th is a wonderful day for Sandra. It is her birthday. She is eleven years old. In the morning
she opens her birthday cards. She is very happy. She has twelve cards from her friends and three
from her family. Sandra gets home from school at five o'clock. Then she has a small party with her
mother, her two brothers and three school friends. There is a big birthday cake with eleven candles on
it. Sandra, her brothers and her friend eat lots of cake. “Open your presents now!” her brothers say.
“Yes, open your presents!” say her friends. There is a book, a nice biro and a music cassette from her
friends. Then she opens the present from her brother Paul. It is a red plastic bowl. She looks at it and
thinks: “What a funny present!” and says: “Thank you very much, Mike.” Then she opens the present
from her brother Tom. It is a small rubber ball. She looks at it and thinks: “A rubber ball? For me? A
very funny present.” “Thank you very much, Rick,” she says. “And here's my present for you,” says her
mother. Sandra opens it and finds a big brown brush. “A plastic bowl, a rubber ball, and now a big
brush! How funny!” Sandra thinks. “Do you like it?” says her mother, and smiles. “Erm...yes. Thank
you,” Sandra says. “No, I don't,” she thinks. Her brothers and her mother laugh. “Do you really like
your presents?” Mike says. Sandra does not know what to say. Her mother says, “Come with me.”
They all go out into the garden. And there in a basket is the present for Sandra: a beautiful little dog.
Sandra takes the dog out of the basket, kisses it and laughs. “So the bowl and the brush and the ball
are all for you!”
Gerngroß, Puchta, Davis, Holzmann “The new YOU&ME 1 – Textbook”, Langenscheidt,
Wien, 1994. Leicht veränderte Version.
• Word Cards (enlarge to A3):
Here is your present!
What a funny present!
Thank you very much!
Oh, it is a ...
Do you like it?
Yes, thank you. No, I don't.
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Projects: Matscheko
ULRIKE MATSCHEKO - REFUGEES
PROJECT : REFUGEES
Form: 4th form ,secondary school (13-14 years), 2nd ability group
Topic: Refugees
Duration : 4 lessons
Methods used: Freeze Frames, Hot Seat, Mirroring, Synchronization, Canon, Slow Motion
Based on: The New You and Me 4 (enr.), Unit 9 “One day we had to run” (Appendix)
Objectives: by the end of the lessons the pupils should
•
be familiar with / be able to use vocabulary concerning refugees
•
have understood the problems of refugees
•
know about NGOs (non governmental organizations)
•
have revised the structure of questions
•
have got devices to bring a poem to life
•
be able to write poems themselves
LESSON 1
The first lesson is used to introduce the new vocabulary and present the main topic : Refugees
nouns
refugee=internally displaced
person
(child) soldier
adjectives
dead :: alive
guns
war :: peace
refugee camp
massacre
border
education
training
fear
people smuggler: someone who
helps people to cross the border
oldie man
crime
blacks
helpers
teenagers=youngsters
accident
shooting / shots
screaming
bombing
daytime
night time
leaves of trees
tribe
desperate = in despair
helpless
homeless
free
be scared = be afraid of
well educated :: poorly ed.
dried (fish)
tired
safe:: in danger
illegal :: legal
hopeless
hungry
armed
overcrowded
Ethiopia
Sudan
Kenya
weapons = arms
engineer
possessions
soil
aid convoy
verbs
flee – fled – fled =
run away
starve to death=
die of hunger
cross the border
shoot
scream
drown
get free
(feet) burn
reunite with someone
die :: stay alive
chase someone
kill
leave someone behind
lose everything
know
save sombebody's life
(have a) rest
give up
stay behind
carry on walking
refuse: say no
hang someone
massacre
bomb a village
lose one’s possessions
scream = shout very loudly
protect someone
rape someone
commit suicide
torture someone
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Projects: Matscheko
perpetrator :: victim
bullet holes
bloodstains
children :: adults
epidemics
1. Bring a couple of real things into class (soil, leaves of a tree, bottle of water).
2. Put the items on the floor and ask the pupils if they can imagine any situation, where they
would have to eat and drink those things. ~10
3. Show them some pictures on the beamer (from the internet) that deal with refugees and talk
about their problems using the phrases/words the pupils will need later on (see examples in
the appendix). ~30
4. Hand out a sheet with the most important words and phrases in alphabetical order (English
and German) for the children to understand what you are talking about).
5. Homework: write and learn the words and phrases.
LESSON 2
The second lesson is used to sensitize the pupils to the topic.
1. Revise the problems and experiences refugees could have: ~15'
2. Deal with Chol’s story: ~10' Pupils close their eyes, they imagine the soil, the leaves and the
water, the teacher reads the first paragraph.Maybe there could be some classical music in the
background, then stop and start reading
“It was something like an accident when I ran away from my village. We were playing at about 5
o’clock when the soldiers came. We just ran. We didn’t know where we were going. We just ran.
When there is shooting, when you hear BANG! BANG! BANG!, you don’t think about your friend or
your mother, you just run to save your life.
I didn’t see the soldiers, I just heard the shooting, the screaming, and the bombing that went DUM,
DUM, DUM like this and killed many people. It all just happened, like an accident, and we ran without
anything – nothing – no food, no clothes – nothing.”
HOMEWORK: SEE FOLLOW-UPS NUMBER 4
3. Freeze Frames:~15'
Pupils can do Freeze Frames of the following situations (four groups):
•
•
•
Chol playing with his friends Soldiers attacking the village
Villagers dying, shouting and running away
The villagers after the attack
To look at the four frames do not interrupt between the frames. A clapmarks the change
from one frame to the other.
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LESSON 3
The third lesson is used to deal with Chol, the main character of the story, and to strengthen the power
of his words in the first paragraph
1. TEACHER IN ROLE: ~10'
Back to the circle. Teacher gets into the role of Chol (Hot Seat) and pupils may ask questions about
Chol's thoughts (eg: What has happened to your parents? Who is with you? Where are you now? …)
2. INTRODUCTION OF THE TEXT: ~15'
Pupils underline words / phrases that they find very important, in the first paragraph; the teacher reads
the text again slowly and the pupils repeat the words and phrases they have underlined when they
hear them
3. MAKING A POEM OUT OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH: ~20'
Teacher explains:
1. mirroring (you read, then the others repeat altogether)
2. synchronization (all of you read at the same time)
3. canon (you read, the others repeat like an echo)
Pupils form 4 groups and try to strengthen the power of the words by using 1. 2. and 3. (they can also
cross out words they don’t need).
HOMEWORK: PUPILS WRITE A POEM (SEE FOLLOW-UPS NUMBER 8)
LESSON 4
The fourth lesson is used to deal with the text in the textbook
1. Pupils read the full text and answer questions about the plot: ~20'
2. Pupils make paragraphs where they think a new part of the story starts: ~5'
3. Pupils find titles for the paragraphs (not more than 6) ( ex: soldiers attacking a village, dangers on
the way, leaving friends behind, help from the Anyak people, crossing a river, dreaming of a better
life): ~5'
4. Pupils (in groups of four or five) choose a paragraph and play a scene out of it (with or without
words and in slow motion) and stop their scene at the most important point of the paragraph: ~20'
The others must guess what paragraph the group has chosen; no break between the scenes – just a
clap means changing to the next group.
Teacher could also give them a frame without the photo, but with the title to make it easier.
(examples: see appendix).
5. Homework: do the exercise sheet dealing with the text.
Tried out with the 4th form (2nd ab.gr.) of the Secondary Modern School in Gramastetten (The pictures
taken in this class got lost during the last week of school – a pity.).
POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UPS
•
Let objects come to life and they say what they think
•
Carry out an internet research about an organisation that tries to help refugees:
(Amnesty International, Doctors Without Frontiers,…)
•
Songs:
◦ STING: They dance alone
◦ MICHAEL JACKSON: Heal the World
◦ U2: The Refugee
◦ LENNON/McCARTNEY: ELEANOR RIGBY “Lonely People”
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•
Write down in groups:
◦ I remember ….-ing…
◦ I
was ………………. (ex.: (Chol, Chol’s friend, a woman, a little child,
◦ I had………………
a father of a dead child, an old man, a soldier,…)
•
Show the film:
◦ “Get Rich or Die Trying” (von 50 cent)
◦ “Lord of War” (Waffenhandel)
◦ “Schildkröten können fliegen“
◦ “In this world“
•
Make dialogues:
◦ Paul meets his parents (mum / dad) after twenty years
◦ short -- long -- long -- short -- short
•
Work on poems that deal with refugees (see Appendix).
•
Write your own poems (ex.:
•
Play the internet game of UNHCR : www.LastExitFlucht.org (only in German !!!)
•
Order the DVD “Flüchtlinge schützen” (an UNHCR
at the UNHCR (www.unhcr.de (or .com or .at)
or order it at the Zentrum polis
Politik Lernen in der Schule
am Ludwig Boltzmann Institut
A-1010 Wien, Hessgasse 1
character biopoem, “elfchen”,…) see appendix
film for schools and education)
APPENDIX
THE STORY: ONE DAY WE HAD TO RUN
There has been a war in Sudan since 1983. Hundreds of thousands of people – mostly blacks – have
fled into other countries. Among them were thousands of children. Although these children have lost
everything, education is still very important to them. Helpers often report seeing tired and hungry
teenagers holding on to their only possessions – books. Sybella Wilkes, who works for the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), talked to 14-year-old Chol Paul Guet, who
walked hundreds of kilometres from his home to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. Here is what Chol Paul
Guet told Sybella Wilkes.
It was something like an accident when I ran away from my village. We were playing at about 5 o’clock
when the soldiers came. We just ran. We didn’t know where we were going. We just ran.
When there is shooting, when you hear BANG! BANG! BANG!, you don’t think about your friend or
your mother, you just run to save your life.
I didn’t see the soldiers, I just heard the shooting, the screaming, and the bombing that went DUM,
DUM, DUM like this and killed many people. It all just happened, like an accident, and we ran without
anything – nothing – no food, no clothes – nothing.
In the daytime the sun is hot and your feet burn. So we walked at night when it is cold because then
you don’t say all the time, “I want water, I want water”. To rest, we stood under trees, but you can die
of hunger, if you give up and just lie under a tree.
Wild animals, lions, killed many people. You see, when you stay behind and say,”I don’t want to do
this walking, this running, I just want to sit”, the lion will kill you. But I was not scared because I was
with many people, and when the lion came, we would shout, “Huh! Hu! Go!” and then the lion would
not kill us. So we just walked. We ate soil and the leaves of trees. The big boys knew the way. I think
God showed us the way.
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People died of hunger. I saw many dying. Even my friend died. There was no water, no food. I asked
him not to stop, but he couldn’t go on. When I saw my friend dying, I carried on walking. You see,
sometimes you can help, and then sometimes you can’t. You are talking about your life. I had to leave
my friend because I would have died with him. When he refuses, when he won’t go on, what can you
do?
After two months, we came to the Anyak tribe, who knew the way to Ethiopia. They helped us to get
fish and make dried fish. Not bad! They told us to stand in the middle of the river to catch the big fish.
But there were never enough fish for all the people.
To get to the Panyido refugee camp in Ethiopia, there was a big river we had to swim across. Many
people drowned on the way. In Panyido, we didn’t have food for two months, but at least there was
peace.
Later Chol Paul had to leave the camp in Ethiopia, and was taken to Kakuma in Kenya.
Now I live with other boys in Kakuma. We cook for ourselves and build our own homes. We are town
people now, we have shoes and a shirt, you see? I say, let us stay here where it is safe. Now we want
to learn. One day I will be an engineer and build Sudan like the other countries in Africa. I don’t know
whether my mother and my father are dead or alive. I was nine when I left Sudan. I am 14 now. I am
an oldie man now: If my mother sees me, she won’t know me.
Gerngroß, Puchta, Davis, Holzmann “The new YOU&ME 4” –Textbook (e.c), Langenscheidt,
Wien, 1994
POEMS DEALING WITH “REFUGEES“
Refugee
For the Cambodian boy who changed my life.
Little boy bare footed,
one who wears torn clothes,
works in his father’s garden,
little boy no more than ten years old.
Little boy all covered in dirt,
is careful where he steps,
malnourished his tummy hurts,
little boy that doesn't rest.
No food is in his father’s garden,
little boy too young for this,
he is unaware of the life,
we here say he'll miss.
A man at only ten years old,
his mother was raped and maimed,
all she did was love her child
and give him his father’s name.
Now this little boy with one arm only,
balances the bucket on his head,
he knows what he needs to do to survive,
for his father too is dead.
Britney Heck
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Refugee (A Poem For Katrina)
I arrived
Carrying
My red suitcase,
And nothing else.
It contained
Everything
I owned,
And nothing else.
Everything else
Was gone,
Washed away,
Lost forever!
Where
Do I go
From here
With my red suitcase?
Scarlett Treat
Refugee
To have no home, no place to go
To be without - identity.
Nothing in a pocket
Shoes without laces
Time too much to spend
Grieving.
Hope hanging from a noose
In a stranger’s hand.
How does the heart survive?
Where is the kindness that kills
The dogs of war?
The fires have burned to ashes
Smoke rises without flame
And the future is a long, cold night lost
Alone.
(Previously published in Moongate Internationale)
Laurence Overmire
•
THREE (OUT OF TWENTY) EXAMPLES FOR THE PICTURES ON THE BEAMER:
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•
SIX EXAMPLES FOR THE FRAMES WITHOUT PICTURES:
Me and my friends realizing
that our village is being
attacked
Villagers realizing that their
mother, father, child, friend,
wife, husband… was killed
Me and the other refugees
trying to drive away a lion
Me leaving my best friend
behind
My first fish after an Anyak
has taught me how to catch
fish
Me and the others trying to
cross a very dangerous river
•
EXAMPLES FOR MAKING ONE’S OWN POEMS
•
DIAMOND PATTERN
War
run, hit
stabbing, shooting, killing
Vietnam, Iran, United States, Japan
living, relaxing, singing
harmony, free
Peace
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
“ELFCHEN”:
ELEVEN WORDS FILLING 5 LINES
1 word: any colour
2 words: anything that has that colour
3 words: describe the thing
(Where is it? What is it doing?…)
4 words: tell something more about the thing, maybe use the word “I” or “my”…
1 word: find an ending
ABOUT A CAT
ABOUT AN ICE CREAM
grün
ihre Augen
eine geheimnisvolle Katzenhaftigkeit
im Bann des Mondes
Schönheit
zuckerlrosa
mein Eis
zart cremig weich
Erdbeere ist mein Lieblingseis
himmlisch
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•
CINQUAIN POETRY
These poems are five lines long with a certain number of syllables or words in each.
One Word
Two Words
Three Words
Four Words
One Word
•
Fall
Brisk, colorful
Leaves gently dropping
Prepares for quiet winter
Fall
(title)
(describe title)
(describes and action)
(express a feeling)
(refer back to title)
EMOTION POEMS
Describe an emotion and not a subject.
In emotion poems, you think of an emotion and then describe it in a specific pattern, (see below).
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
•
1 – Emotion is color
2 – It smells like
3 – It looks like
4 – It tastes like
5 – It sounds like
6 – Emotion feels like
Happy is yellow
hot buttered popcorn
the sun
soft gum drops
a natural flowing stream
a soft warm blanket
QUESTIONNAIRE
Max Frisch, a Swiss writer, once wrote a diary in which he only wrote down questions on one concept,
"hope".
Here are a few examples:
1.
Do you, in general, know what you hope for?
2.
Does hate have to produce hope?
3.
Can you think without hope?
From Max Frisch's Diary 1966-71
Work in groups of two or alone.
Each one of you writes at least four questions (if you work alone: 8 questions) to the chosen concept.
(ex.: refugees)
The sentences will then be cut up and stuck onto a large sheet of paper.
This will produce your own questionnaire.
(Imagine being an old man, a dead person, a child, a soldier,... who asks the questions; find someone
you want to ask)
•
LETTER POEMS
Write REFUGEES (or any other word) downwards and taking up as many lines as the words have
letters. Each letter is the first letter of the first word of a sentence on this line. (You can also just find
one word for each line)
R...................
E..................
F............
•
LEAF POEMS
Write down a noun (with article) on
(the) noun1
the first line.
Write down two verbs joined together
verb1 and verb2
with „and“ on the second line.
Write down a verb on the third line.
verb3
Write your thoughts down in full on the fourth line, .....verb3.......
carrying on from the verb written down in line three.
Take a felt tip marker and write your poem onto something that would not normally be written on, for
example, a large leaf from a tree, a stick, a large stone... (maybe you'll find some material that suits
the thoughts in your poem...)
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SABINE MEYER - PHILADELPHIA
AIMS
•
•
•
Finding interesting ways to work with books / movies – summarizing, finding messages,
discussing themes, outlining characters
Involving all students in the work by using different teaching (drama) techniques
Allowing the class to explore the issue of homosexuality by providing different approaches
CLASS
A group of 20 students, 12 boys, 8 girls. They are a multicultural group, seven of them coming from
Turkish immigrant families. It was interesting to work on the topic ‘homosexuality’ with these kids.
From the work with other classes - without wanting to generalise – I had got the impression that their
approach towards homosexuality was different. That is a reason why I felt that a more student-oriented
approach could be useful.
After watching the movie ‘Philadelphia’ and reading several extracts from the book, the class was
divided into groups of four by drawing cards. The random formation of groups at the beginning of a
project seems very important as people who would normally not choose to be in the same group work
together and inspire each other.
TECHNIQUES USED
1. MILESTONES
Each group was given small sheets of paper. Individually they wrote down the events they regarded as
most important in ‘Philadelphia’. After that the members of each group put their milestones together
and arranged them on a poster in chronological order eliminating the less important events after
discussing their relevance. The posters were then put up in the classroom.
I loved this exercise as it led to vivid discussions among the students about the plot of the novel and
provided them with five different summaries of the novel which were left on the classroom wall for
some time and used again by them for homework and revision purposes.
2. FREEZE FRAME
Each group chose the scene from 'Philadelphia' that had impressed them most. Next the concept of
freeze frame was explained to them. In a freeze frame scene they performed the scene they had
chosen. Next I tapped on the students’ shoulders who then described what they were thinking / saying
in the freeze frame situation. Then the groups explained why they had chosen the individual scenes
and sentences.
This was an excellent activity as it was the beginning of some kind of acting both for the students and
for me, an absolute beginner in the field of drama in education. I was a bit hesitant to do it with this
class as there were many boys and several of them were already 20 years old and so not that playful
and easily motivated anymore. They loved it and the activity contributed to a new understanding of the
topic as two scenes concentrated on the mother – son and Andrew – Miguel (the two homosexual
lovers) relationships, bringing emotions such as love, jealousy, pity, sorrow and feelings of loss into
the analysis. Several of them used to giggle and joke when talking about homosexuals, in this activity
they suddenly said something nice to their homosexual partner. It was a bit awkward for some of them,
but it started the discussion, ‘What would I do if I were Andy’s parent, if my son were to die,….’
3. ANALYSING CHARACTERS
Discussion
Who were the most important characters in the novel? I wanted them to focus on five characters as
each of the five groups was going to analyse one. We were working in five groups of four and I didn’t
want to reorganise this group structure.
The students decided on Andrew, his lover Miguel, his lawyer Joe Miller, his mother and Mr. Wheeler,
his former boss, a very successful and conservative member of Philadelphia’s establishment, much
admired by Andrew.
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4. ROLE ON THE WALL
To analyse those five people we used the technique ‘Role on the wall’. Each group picked one of the
five characters. Then the students were given posters on which they drew the individual characters.
Inside the drawing they wrote the characters’ thoughts and opinions on the character in question to
reach a good description of them, outside they wrote their own thoughts about them which was the
beginning of character interpretations.
Here again it was amazing how much discussion developed and how differently the characters were
seen by the students. It also provoked discussions about homosexuality and homosexual relationships
and life of a family with a gay member.
As a next step I gave the students the following three beginnings of sentences
I was…………..
I am……………
I remember…….
which they had to complete individually according to their role / the group they were in. I then collected
the statements and read them out to the whole group. The students had to guess who / which
character had written the statements and why. Considerable personal involvement could be reached
through this activity.
I then wanted to, but didn’t dare, make them write poems after drawing one of the lines or by using the
lines produced. I will definitely do that the next time I work on this novel.
5. HOT SEATING
Here I wanted to focus on Andrew Becket and Mr. Wheeler as they represent two extreme positions
towards homosexuality, Andrew being a liberal homosexual himself whereas Mr. Wheeler has massive
resentments against gays up to the end of the novel, Andrew being the young, high flying lawyer who
admires his powerful boss Mr. Wheeler who, after promoting Andy for a long time, drops him after
finding out that he is gay / HIV-positive.
The members of the groups working on Andrew and Mr. Wheeler represented their respective
character on the hot seat. The members of the other three groups took on the roles of friends, family
members, colleagues and journalists and were invited to ask private questions as well as questions in
connection with the upcoming trial.
I didn’t just want one Andy/one Mr. Wheeler to sit on the hot seat as the groups had worked on the
characters for some time when doing the role on the wall activity and so decided to have all four
represent the respective character. The group member who wanted could answer the questions asked
by the audience.
The questions asked focused on Andrew’s infidelity and Mr. Wheeler’s decision to fire Andrew.
Furthermore Andrew’s homosexuality and the ‘reasons’ for it were discussed. Several questions dealt
with the nature of the relationship of the two men and challenged Mr. Wheeler’s upper class
values.Hot seating is an excellent way of involving all students. I liked the method of having all group
members represent the character on the hot seat as nobody felt left out and all of them got involved.
6. HOPES AND FEARS
The students continued working with the character assigned to them. As a next step they had to work
on their character’s feelings. The trial which drags the Beckets’ private life out of their working class
homes into the public limelight is a central point of the novel and will change the characters’ lives
forever. Shall Andrew sue his former employer is one of the central questions. The analysis of the
main characters’ fears and hopes concerning a possible trial was a very rewarding exercise. Each
group illustrated their character’s feelings on a poster.
I had planned to create situations in which they then discuss their feelings, for example in a family gettogether, Joe Miller over dinner with his wife and Mr. Wheeler with his colleagues at the law firm. I did
not get to these discussions as we were running out of time. The students’ enthusiastic involvement in
the exercises made them very long, which I enjoyed a lot, but made me feel a bit pressed for time as
everything took twice as long as anticipated.
7. THOUGHT ALLEY
Andrew has to take the decision whether to go to court or not. The four Andrews walked through the
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alley of the other students who suggested what Andrew should do. Afterwards each one of the four
Andrews described his/her feelings when walking through the alley and which piece of advice he liked
best and why.
8. AT THE FUNERAL
The students were standing in front of Andrew’s grave. Each student said goodbye to Andrew in at
least one sentence.
Wonderful, very emotional.
An alternative could be the funeral reception which takes place after the funeral in Andy’s parents’
house. It is shown in the movie as an almost light, nostalgic social get-together with lots of positive
feelings and memories. Over a drink and some food the people remember Andy. As the class was
really deeply moved by the novel I will use this scene the next time as it is more optimistic.
9. ONE YEAR LATER
The students chose the character they liked best. In telephone conversations (Miguel talking to
Andrew’s parents, Joe Miller talking to Miguel, etc.) they talked about their lives after Andrew’s death.
Others wrote diary entries or letters that described changes that had taken place since Andrew’s death
and read them out.
CONCLUSION
It was a good project which helped to analyse the novel, its characters and its messages. The
students became involved in the work and started to reflect their attitudes towards the topics
homosexuality, family, death.
I teach at a commercial school where the focus is less on literature than on business topics. To meet
these requirements I continued with the topic Aids, its implications on people and the economies of
Third World countries and the role of pharmaceutical companies in the fight against this deadly
disease. I have the feeling that we completed a well-rounded project everybody enjoyed and took an
active part in. It was very rewarding.
Below I have added information about the film/book.
PHILADELPHIA (FILM)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philadelphia is a 1993 film drama revolving around the AIDS epidemic, written by Ron Nyswaner and
directed by Jonathan Demme. It stars Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Joanne Woodward, Jason
Robards, Antonio Banderas, Lisa Summerour, and Mary Steenburgen.
STORY
Twenty-six year old Andrew Beckett (Hanks) is a University of Pennsylvania graduate hired in a
corporate law firm, the largest in Philadelphia. Despite his success, easy-going demeanour, and
handsome figure, Andrew is actually a homosexual trying to hide the truth about his sexuality, along
with his "friend", Miguel (Banderas). When he feels ill and develops Kaposi's Sarcoma lesions on his
face, his worst fears are confirmed: he has contracted HIV, and he cannot hide the truth anymore. He
is promptly fired from the law firm by his boss (Robards), who is revealed to have a strong prejudice
against gay people.
Andrew tries to hire a defence lawyer to take his case and sue the firm for dismissal, lost earnings,
and punitive damages, but nobody will take his case. As a last resort, he turns to Joe Miller
(Washington), a family man and injury lawyer who is secretly homophobic. However, after they spend
time together, Joe realizes that Andrew is a normal person like anybody else. Both gain great trust and
respect for each other as they fight the system that calls itself the law, much to the shock, admiration,
and, for some, disgust of the population. Joe must show that Andrew is a good man, not a threat, and
that his boss fired him just because he was gay, before AIDS takes his life.
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CONTROVERSY
The film was the second Hollywood big-budget, big-star film to tackle the issue of AIDS (following TV
movie And the Band Played On) in America and also signalled a shift in the early 1990s for Hollywood
films to have more realistic depictions of gay people. However, the fact that Hanks' and Banderas'
characters do not display normal relationship affections such as kissing, and the absence of gay
women drew criticism from some gay film critics. In an interview for the 1996 documentary The
Celluloid Closet, Hanks remarked that some scenes showing more affection between him and
Banderas were cut, including a scene showing him and Banderas in bed together.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
AMAZON.COM ESSENTIAL VIDEO
Philadelphia wasn't the first movie about AIDS (it followed such worthy independent films as Parting
Glances and Longtime Companion), but it was the first Hollywood studio picture to take AIDS as its
primary subject. In that sense, Philadelphia is a historically important film. As such, it's worth
remembering that director Jonathan Demme (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild, The Silence of the
Lambs) wasn't interested in preaching to the converted; he set out to make a film that would connect
with a mainstream audience. And he succeeded. Philadelphia was not only a hit, it also won Oscars
for Bruce Springsteen's haunting "The Streets of Philadelphia," and for Tom Hanks as the gay lawyer
Andrew Beckett who is unjustly fired by his firm because he has AIDS. Denzel Washington is another
lawyer (functioning as the mainstream-audience surrogate) who reluctantly takes Beckett's case and
learns to overcome his misconceptions about the disease, about those who contract it, and about gay
people in general. The combined warmth and humanism of Hanks and Demme were absolutely
essential to making this picture a success. The cast also features Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas
(as Beckett's lover), Joanne Woodward, and Robert Ridgely, and, of course, those Demme regulars
Charles Napier, Tracey Walter, and Roger Corman. --Jim Emerson
FROM THE NEW YORKER
Tom Hanks plays a lawyer dismissed from his firm, apparently for incompetence, but really because
he has AIDS. Enter Denzel Washington as a personal-injury attorney-relaxed, witty, and homophobic,
but prepared to fight for justice. The result is an unorthodox blend of courtroom drama and old-style
weepie, and somehow it comes off. This is the first time that a major Hollywood studio has taken on
the subject of AIDS, and in the wrong hands it could have gone badly off-key. But with Jonathan
Demme in charge, there's a guarantee of taste and skill-if anything, the movie is too optimistic,
convinced that everyone in America can be won round to its own standards of tolerance. Of course it
should stand up for gay rights, but do we also need a speech about how wonderful lawyers are?
Fortunately, this preachiness never swamps the picture, thanks largely to spirited playing from Tom
Hanks, who looks full of life right up to the end; watch for the scene where he swoons to the sound of
Maria Callas. The movie is affecting, sometimes silly, but determined to take risks. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker
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DANIELA MIKSCHE - UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
Dramapädagogische Aufbereitung zu You&Me 3 Unit 11
Drama as a Teaching Method in the ESL Classroom
Topic “Unsolved Mysteries“
1. INTRODUCTION
Drama in Education in the ESL class room is a creative and aesthetical method triggering an active
and creative process within the student. The teacher functions as a facilitator.
The target is not a product The emphasis is on the learning process leading to the result.
Drama helps:
•
develop creative thinking, action and empathy,
•
analyse moral values,
•
understand cultural differences,
•
develop physical and cognitive skills.
By using drama techniques the language students have reasons to interact. The clearer the task for
students, the more language output you will get.
2. ACHIEVING AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AND THE ROLE OF
THE TEACHER
The aims and objectives as already mentioned in the introduction can be achieved by slowly
introducing the student into the world of drama. Start by playing games to gain their confidence.
Establish yourself as facilitator rather than a teacher or director of the process. The role of the teacher
is a crucial one, of course. Giving the right instructions and using the appropriate instruments without
providing too much input on the part of the teacher will lead to amazing results not in the product itself,
but in the way the students will develop personal and social skills. Effective drama teaching involves:
ABCDE-
encouragement of the students to make their own choices
their taking responsibility for their own learning
self evaluation
time for reflection
opportunity for feedback
All these skills shall be practised in the following unit. Moreover the students will be encouraged to use
different speech registers and to use relevant vocabulary.
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3. PREPARATION OF A TOPIC-RELATED UNIT WITH
DRAMA METHODOLOGY
The class involved in this drama project is a third form grammar school about to deal with the topic of
unsolved mysteries as it is part of the course book You & Me 3, unit 11.
The following steps shall be taken:
INTRODUCTORY GAMES
•
Vocabulary: word cards: choose one card with a vocabulary item, swap your word with one
from another student, go on and swap your new word again, etc. Get back in a circle and find
out which words are still there, which ones have disappeared. Concentrate on these doing the
game all over again.
•
Solving the Plot: (storytelling and improvisation in pairs)
Task given: try to start or finish a sentence expressing something unusual that happened to
you.
A starts a sentence and hesitates after a couple of words, B helps and finishes the sentence.
Then B starts, hesitates, etc. using rather short sentences and taking over quickly.
ACTIVITIES INVOLVING ALL FOUR COMPETENCES
•
Reading the course book article taking turns. One student starts reading. Any student can
take over after each line.
•
In pairs find the words that seem to be most significant or important for you. Get together
with 2 other pairs and make a choir using the words chosen above. Here the teacher takes on
the part of a conductor helping to put the words into the order in which they effectively reflect
the story.
•
Gather in 2 circles, 1) who believes, 2) who does not believe the story, give reasons. One
“believer” has to get together with a “skeptic” and try and convince each other
•
Homework: collect strange newspaper headings at home and bring them along next time.
Collect them on board or transparency foil, e.g. UFO sighted on Apollo 11 mission. Form
groups, develop stories
•
Follow up activity to homework: Perform stories (one narrator, 2-3 actors acting out what
the narrator is telling or interview style)
•
Homework: write a story (after reading Lake Huron monster article) in article form
•
Follow up activity to homework: Form new groups, read out stories, decide on one you like
most. Make a freeze frame based on one of the stories– the others guess which one it is. Use
thought tracking to confirm their guesses.
•
Hitting the headlines (cf p. 5)
Summing up, the activities with the text given helping to practise interaction, communication and
concentration are:
A- swapping words
B- solving the plot
o word choir
o freeze framing
o thought tracking
o hot seating
o emotional ally
4. DEVELOPING PROCESS DRAMA IN WIDER CONTEXT
The following process starts out with the teacher in role. Working in role involves expressing a point of
view of a fictional person in a fictional story. We do not become an actor though we take over attitude,
opinion and personality of a fictional character and at the same time remain part of the class. You play
the function, not the person.
HITTING THE HEADLINES
The story of Bert told by teacher in role:
I´m Bert. I´m 72 years old. I´ll tell you what happened to me this morning. I work as a gardener on a
big country estate. I go to work on my bicycle every morning. Usually at 7 oćlock, I like to make an
early start. This morning, on my way down there, at the end of the village lane, at the corner in front of
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Projects: Miksche
me there was a strange thing hanging in the air, like a big silver cigar.
I stopped my bicycle. A beam was coming down from this cigar-shaped thing, two fellows appeared,
the size of my grandson. They were silvery, with purple eyes. I looked at them and moved towards
them. Suddenly I felt a big thump on my chest. It knocked me off my bicycle.
I fell into the ditch and when I got up they were gone.
When I got to work, I told the other gardeners what had happened. They said we´d better tell the
television. The television people came and were very interested in the story.
TECHNIQUES AND ACTIVITIES
• Gardener in Hot Seat, pupils are invited to ask questions
•
Groups of Three
A: Tell the story as if you believed it
B: Tell the story as if you didn´t believe it (but don´t change anything)
C: Tell the story in as neutral a way as possible so that A and B do not know whether it is true
or not
This exercise is about language, tone of voice, eyes (rolling, looking up etc) ...
EMOTIONS ON THE WALL
To reinforce the exercise in the following activity, “emotions on the wall” might be used to engage
students in expressing belief, remaining unimpressed, etc.:
2 groups standing in opposite lines. One group turns around. They are given an emotion to express:
here: disbelief, astonishment, indifference…
One after the other within the group turns around and expresses the emotion. The other group is
watching and taking guesses. Take turns.
ARGUMENT TENNIS MATCH
2 groups, believers and non-believers get together facing each other. Each argument needs to be
discussed and weakened by the opposite group. Team members can change to the other group once
they are convinced.
NEWS PROGRAMME
Tell the class that they will be working in role as a news team. Then the class is divided into five
groups, one group of news room anchors, one of on the spot reporters, one of eye-witnesses (Bert),
one of UFO experts and one of government officials. The five groups create roles in the groups
preparing what they are going to say. Then groups are re-arranged so that each new group consists
now of an anchor-man, a reporter, an eye-witness, an expert and a government official. They are
allowed to rehearse before the performance/video taping.
Skills involved: reading aloud, prepared talk, spontaneous talk, recitation
PERFORM AND VIDEOTAPE PERFORMANCE
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Projects: Miksche
WATCH VIDEO AND ASK FOR FEEDBACK
5. ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF DRAMA-BASED
LESSONS
From my point of view drama techniques in the foreign language classroom contribute enormously to
successful teaching and language acquisition. Moreover it supports social learning skills and makes
communication in a foreign language meaningful and joyful for the students. The following quotes are
taken from a questionnaire given to the students after the activities mentioned above. Read and see
for yourself how students comment on the use of drama techniques in the language learning
classroom.
“Ich mag Dramaaktivitäten, weil…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
es Spaß macht
man mit seinen Freunden zusammen etwas machen kann
man in eine andere Rolle hineinschlüpfen kann
wir so spielerisch den Stoff wiederholen
man Drama zu einem bestimmten Thema macht, und man so über dieses Thema lernt
ich nicht ausgelacht werde, wenn mir im „Drama“ was passiert
wir sehr oft improvisieren können und in der Lage sind, mit wenigen Vorgaben der Phantasie
freien Lauf zu lassen.
man dabei die englische Aussprache übt
es die Klassengemeinschaft stärkt
es die Schüchternheit vertreibt
What more can we wish
for as teachers!
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
I would like to thankfully acknowledge the following sources used as a basis for this paper:
•
•
•
•
Notes kindly provided by Karl Eigenbauer and Egon Turecek from Module 1 and 2.
Notes kindly provided by Andy Kempe and Cecily O’Neill from Module 2.
Responses of students based on questionnaire by Maria Fasching
Gerngroß, Puchta, Davis, Holzman. The New You & Me 3. Langenscheidt-Longman, 1996.
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Projects: Monferini
SONJA MONFERINI - DRAMA TECHNIQUES IN “LORD OF THE FLIES” BY WILLIAM
GOLDING
Source: “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
Level: Upper intermediate, 7th form AHS (16 students)
Time: 2 lessons
Objectives: We had just finished doing a reading portfolio on this novel (reading log, worksheets,
letter to the teacher, 3 creative texts) which had taken us five weeks and had produced great results.
The students were all very enthusiastic and proud of their portfolios and so I felt we should do some
drama activities
•
•
•
to reflect once more on the book at the end of this long working process
to get a better understanding of the main characters
as a reward for their hard work – doing drama activities simply is great fun!
LESSON 1
TASKS
1. Film Trailer
Get together in groups of four. Imagine you are film directors and have to decide on six scenes, six
highlights you would choose for making a film trailer for “Lord of the Flies”.
2. FREEZE FRAMES
Agree on one scene your group is going to present as a still image.
Each group shows their freeze frame then, while the others have to guess which situation is being
described.
Commentary: The tableaux presented by the students were “Holding the first assembly”, “The killing of
Simon”, “The murder of Piggy” and “Ralph´s rescue”.
First the pupils felt a little uncomfortable as they were slipping into the roles of actors/actresses, the
boys more than the six girls in this class. Unfortunately the outsider of the class got the role of Piggy
being killed… but as he didn´t seem to bother, I didn´t interfere.
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Projects: Monferini
3. THOUGHT TRACKING
Students are allowed to tap on a character´s shoulder while looking at the freeze frames. This
character then says what he/she is thinking.
Commentary: A really good activity because on one hand it helped the “acting students” to understand
the character they were playing better, and on the other hand it helped the “guessing students” to
understand the still images. It was very spontaneous as they didn´t have much time to think of clever
statements, but they really seemed to enjoy it as it was completely new to them (they had already
done freeze frames before but no thought tracking).
4. THOUGHT ALLEY
The whole class agrees on one crucial scene, one student volunteers to be the character facing an
important decision. He/she slowly walks through an alley formed by his/her classmates. Thoughts and
reasons for the decision are whispered to him/her by the students in the alley – then she/he takes a
decision.
Commentary: The students agreed on Ralph´s dilemma after the killing of Simon – what should he do
now? There were comments ranging from “Kill Jack!”, “Leave the island, they are all crazy!”,to “Don´t
worry, be happy!”
The student playing Ralph finally decided to call an assembly.
Again it was a completely new experience for the whole class. They enjoyed it a lot.
5. CREATIVE WRITING/ HOME-EXERCISE:
Choose a) or b):
a) Message in a bottle.
After the murder of Simon, Ralph writes a letter, puts it into a bottle and throws it into the sea…
b) Hold the conch.
After the killing of Simon, Ralph, Piggy, Jack (or any other character) takes the conch and calls an
assembly. What might he say?
LESSON 2
TASKS
1. GOOD MORNING
You shake hands with a person saying “Good morning”. You only let go of the hand as soon as you
have grabbed another person´s hand.
2. STRETCHING AND YAWNING
Students stretch and yawn
•
•
•
neutrally and individually
with ants in their pants
in pairs mirroring each other with flowing transition to change roles
Commentary: As it was the students´ first lesson in the morning, these two warm-up games were a big
success and helped to create readiness for further activities.
3. BLINDFOLDED TOUR
Get together in pairs – one student is the tour guide and leads his blindfolded partner through the
classroom, pretending to be on the tropical island where the novel takes place. He/she tries to
describe the setting in an interesting and spectacular way, giving details, building stories around them.
Then change tour guides.
Commentary: This activity gave the students a chance to use the vocabulary they had acquired when
working on their portfolios. It strongly appealed to their five senses as they were talking about the
smell of exotic flowers, the taste of salty seawater,…
To put it in a nutshell, we all felt like being on a white sandy beach at the end of this activity!
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Projects: Monferini
4. EXTEND/ADVANCE
Summarize the plot up to the point where Simon gets killed. One student starts – after the first
sentence his neighbour says “Extend” or “Advance”. At “Extend” he/ she gives details about this
passage/term in the story. At “Advance” the story is carried on. Then the next student continues.
e.g. A: After a plane crash a group of boys is stranded on an island.
B: Extend “island”.
A: The island is uninhabited. There is fresh water and fruit for the boys to eat…
B: Advance….
Commentary: This activity turned out to be a fantastic way to summarize the plot and was greatly
appreciated by the students.
5. EMPTY SEAT
An object that is symbolic of a character is placed on a chair. The students queue up behind the chair,
touch the object and describe the character´s qualities/faults or whatever they associate with him.
Commentary: I had asked the students to bring along objects they considered typical of the main
characters. So we had a number of shells (the conch, a symbol for Ralph or Piggy), a feather (symbol
for nature-loving Simon), some face paint and a knife (for the hunters, Jack). As they were touching
the object one after the other and talking about different characters, a very intense, funeral-like
atmosphere filled the room.
6. HOT SEAT
One pupil volunteers to be Ralph´s father and is put on the “hot seat” – he talks about his son, his
childhood, his future plans for him … the others ask questions.
Then Piggy´s aunt is put on the hot chair.
Commentary: This activity worked really well – the pupils wanted to put Jack´s father on the hot chair
too but unfortunately we were running out of time.
CONCLUSION
I think these two lessons were a nice change for the pupils.
Undoubtedly, drama activities do not only help to improve the students´ language skills but also
strongly foster team work – it was good to see how the students of this class tried to create something
together.
Drama activities definitely ask for a strong emotional response – most students of this class were
motivated and deeply involved. Two boys, however, described them as “childish games”. All in all, I
think these two lessons were quite a success and I´ll integrate drama activities more often into my
language teaching.
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Projects: Nesper
URSULA NESPER – THE COIN
1. INTRODUCTION
My name is Ursula Nesper and I teach German, English and sports in the Secondary Modern School
in Pischelsdorf. This is a nice little village in the country in the Eastern part of Styria. The pupils in my
second class are highly motivated and like acting out in English and German.
My first ability group consists of 24 students (10 boys, 14 girls) and they are used to acting out mini
sketches and plays. Last year we performed the story from Gerngroß/ Puchta The New You and Me 1
“Circus Director”. Parents were invited to come. For me it was a rather successful and enjoyable
experience.
This year I decided to take the story “The Coin” because in this story you can find out the different
shades of fear. Children nowadays often behave like heroes but deep down in their hearts they are
cowards and they need the protection of their parents, friends and teachers.
It was a new experience for me to find out so many hidden things from the souls of my students. They
also really enjoyed working on this project. All in all it took us 3 weeks' time and we performed it on
stage for the other ability groups.
2. THE STORY OF “THE COIN”
LANGUAGE INPUT
•
Vocabulary (which I prepared in advance: coward, be afraid of, tiger, coin, cross the street,
spider, pocket……)
TEACHER TELLS THE STORY
Tom was not a coward. He was good at sports and he was not afraid of ghosts and spiders. BUT he
was afraid of dogs. On Tom´s way to school there were a lot of houses with gardens. In ONE garden
there always was a big brown dog. When Tom came to the garden he crossed the street and walked
on the other side. But sometimes the dog was out in the street. There was a small shop on this side of
the street too. Tom was afraid and went in. The shopkeeper was an old man with white hair. He looked
at Tom. Then he went into a room at the back of the shop. When he came back, he had a coin in his
hand. It looked old and there was a tiger on it. He gave it to Tom. Tom put it into his pocket and went
out into the street. There he saw the big brown dog again. Tom put his hand in his pocket. He could
feel the coin. He looked at the dog and went on again. For the first time he was not afraid of the dog.
Tom felt very good.
3. QUESTIONS ON THE STORY
•
WHAT DOES THE STORY WANT TO TELL YOU? (DISCUSSION WITH THE STUDENTS)
Mind mapping
Write the ideas on a slip of paper.
•
•
•
What are you afraid of?
Ghosts, spiders, tests at school….
What does really help you in bad situations?
Talking to parents, teachers; putting a lucky charm into the pocket.
Who are the characters in the play?
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Projects: Nesper
Real Persons:
•
Tom, a boy, about 12 years old, not very tall, good at sports, not a coward, but afraid of
dogs, lots of imagination
•
Shopkeeper: old man, white hair, helpful, friendly, caring person, has lots of fantasy
•
Mum: nice, caring person, understands her son´ s behaviour
Imagination Meets Reality:
The monster dog
Toys
•
What might be the reason for Tom ´s behaviour?
Maybe a dog had bitten him when he was very young.
Maybe Tom feels so small in comparison to the monster dog.
Maybe Tom doesn´t like dogs anyway……
•
PLOT AND STRUCTURE
•
A quick reading of the text : Read the text again with the students
•
Scenes they wanted to play
4. SCENES TO ACT OUT
1st Scene: Tom’s Nightmare
Tom is sleeping in his bed, darkness in the room, moonlight outside, toys start to move, start to dance
and speak – music…
Tom is dreaming: monsters, aliens come out of the dark, dancing on his bed, a big beastly dog comes
closer and closer…
Tom screams – monsters disappear- his Mum comes into the room
Mum comforts him – talks to him
2nd Scene: In the Morning, at the Breakfast Table
Tom – pale, sad, confused comes into the kitchen
Mum – preparing breakfast is worried – wants to help her son – talks to him
Tom – doesn’t eat anything, doesn’t want to go to school
Mum convinces him to go – finally he leaves for school
3rd Scene: In the Street
Tom on his way to school, many children, people, cars, houses, shop windows... suddenly
Tom sees the dog …doesn’t know what to do, wants to hide behind a car, dog moves closer and
closer, Tom cries, screams, runs into the shop….
4th Scene: In the Shop
Nice, friendly shopkeeper, white hair, Tom tells him everything about his problems, shopkeeper listens
to him patiently, thinks about it …
shopkeeper walks into a room at the back of the shop, a tiger made of china sits there
shopkeeper is a magician – says magic words – smoke and fire – music and sound
the tiger spits out a magic coin….
shopkeeper goes back to Tom, gives him the coin
Tom is happy, says thank you and leaves the shop.
5th Scene: In the Street Again
Tom walks on, nobody is in the street, suddenly – the monster dog appears…
Tom is afraid, wants to run away – Thought alley
But in the end – Tom is brave, he is not a coward
Fights the monster thoughts …he wins!!
He feels the coin – walks straight on to the dog, strokes the dog’s back...
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Projects: Nesper
6TH SCENE: AT HOME
Mum is cooking dinner
Tom comes in, happy smile on his face, tells mum about his victory
Mum is happy too
They give a party in the garden – invite many children – and the dog also comes
5. FURTHER ACTIVITIES
Form 4 groups of 6 students.
Scene 1: Nightmare
3 people create a FREEZE FRAME of Tom´ s dreams.
The other 3 observe Tom and decide what he is thinking:
I don’t want to go to school again!
I hate this bloody monster dog!
Nobody helps me!
Where is my Mum?
Music and Dance Performance: Moving of the toys in Tom’s room
Music: Anitras Tanz, Peer Gynt Suite Nr.1
2 groups of 4 – create their own dance.
Scene 2: Discussion Tom – Mum
Freeze – Frame: At the breakfast table
Get into action: Other students go on stage and give advice – what could help Tom to overcome his
fears:
Hit the dog! Give him sweet things! Stroke the dog! Mum should come with you!
Scene 3: Hot Seat
Half of the group (12) sits on the chair, acts out different characters of TOM.
Rest of the group asks the character TOM.
Why are you so afraid of dogs?
What has happened to you?
Have you ever had a dog in your house?
Have you ever been bitten by a dog?
Scene 4: In the Shop: Call and Response – Rap
2 Groups:
Group A – represents Tom
Group B - stands for the shopkeeper (magician)
A: Oh, that beast again. / 3 times / Thank God, here is a shop. / twice
B: What can I do for you? / twice
A: I don´ t, I ´m …The dog…I ´m afraid of the dog. / twice
B: What can I do for you? / twice
A: I don´ t, I ´m…The dog. I am afraid of the dog. / twice
B: Let me help you. / twice
A: I am afraid of the dog. / 3 times
B: Here is a coin. Put it into your pocket. It will help you…./ 4 times
A: A coin? / 4 times / OK, thank you very much. Goodbye / twice
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Projects: Nesper
Scene 5: In the Street Again
The monster dog appears again – Tom wants to run away:
THOUGHT ALLEY
A moment is chosen when TOM makes an important decision – he walks down between two lines
listening to the different voices that he might hear in her/ his head before making a decision.
2 lines of 4 – pros and cons of running away – behaving like a hero
Pros:
•
•
•
•
Run home to your mummy
Mummy will help you
The coin doesn’t really help
The monster will catch you and eat you up.
Cons:
•
•
•
•
Be a real hero!
Mummy will be proud of you!
You are not a coward!
The coin will help you!
•
Scene 6: At Home: Mum – Tom and Chorus
Chorus:
Thank God, he is happy again.
Thank God, he laughs again.
Thank God, he isn ´t afraid any longer
Thank God, the coin has helped.
Thank God for this lucky charm.
6. SUMMARY
For me the rehearsal time as well as the performance was really great. All my different groups liked
acting out the play. The most popular character of course was TOM. Everybody wanted to play this
character. Parents were invited to come and all the 4 groups performed brilliantly. For me it was a
great success and I will go on with drama projects like this in future.
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Projects: Palka
REGINA PALKA – ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
TOPIC: ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Date: May/June 2006
Pupils: Age: 10th grade (15/16 y.); Number: 15 (9 F/6 M)
DVD: Emergency Room, Episode 611
Preparation by teacher
Groups (Group 1 to 4 / Group A to D)
A
B
C
D
1
pupil 1
pupil 2
pupil 3
pupil 4
2
pupil 5
pupil 6
pupil 7
pupil 8
3
pupil 9
pupil 10
pupil 11
4
pupil 12
pupil 13
pupil 14
pupil 15
LESSON 1
READING COMPREHENSION + DISCUSSION IN GROUPS
The pupils are in the groups 1 to 4. Each gets a copy of their scenes, which are in the form of a plain
transcript without any comment: scenes 1 and 2 for group 1, scenes 3 to 5 for group 2, scenes 6 and 7
for group 3 and scenes 8 to 10 for group 4.
TASK 1
•
•
•
Read the text. Cf. [Scenes], pp. 3 to 6.
Discuss with your partners what the dialogue is about.
Put your scenes into context: What happens? Who are the parties involved? What is their
relationship? ...
The pupils go together in groups A to D.
TASK 2
•
•
Get more information about the characters and what happened by asking your partners.
Answer their questions.
Teacher’s observation (Task 1 + Task 2):
Both girls and boys seem interested in the story. They talk in English but there still remain
some unanswered questions in the end.
LESSON 2
LISTENING COMPREHENSION + TAKING NOTES
The pupils are given the worksheet on “The Domino Heart” and have to take notes while watching the
episode. There are several stories going on at the same time. The English subtitles are on to help
them with the unfamiliar dialogues. The worksheet offers a few questions on each of the other stories
to help them focus on the more important details and also to encourage them.
TASK 3
•
•
Watch the episode “The Domino Heart”.
Take notes. cf. [Worksheet], p. 7.
Teacher’s observation (Task 3):
The pupils are impressed by the episode due to the highly dramatic presentation of the show. Some
are also appalled by gruesome props like a heart for the heart transplant and the effect of the vomit.
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Projects: Palka
LESSON 3
DISCUSSING QUESTIONS (WORKSHEET) + “MICHAEL MUELLER”
The pupils are asked to discuss in class what they have found out while watching the episode of ER.
TASK 4
• Discussion.
Everyone, even the most timid pupil, takes part in the discussion. Although leading questions are
necessary, some also volunteer information that shows unexpected insight for the situation of Michael
Mueller.
The pupils are asked to prepare for the following (homework):
TASK 5
• What happens when Curt comes home from hospital?
• Dialogue/role play
Due to the lack of time towards the end of the summer term, this activity had to be postponed until
autumn.
Scene 1
AMBULANCE MAN/PARAMEDIC:
CURT:
AMBULANCE MAN:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
FEMALE DOCTOR/NURSE:
DR. GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
Scene 2
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
Michael Mueller, 28. Had a seizure while driving, crashed
into a wall, his airbag deployed. He’s post-ictal, tachy at
120.
We were on our way to a hockey practice and he just
started to shake. It scared the crap out of me.
Curt Obarr, front seat passenger. He was up and walking
with a forehead lac.
Curt, do you know if Michael’s had seizures before?
Not that I know of.
Okay, everybody, nice and easy. On my count. One, two,
three. Get a trauma-penal, C-spine, chest, and head CT.
They can’t develop x-rays.
All right. Let’s get the fluoroscan.
Sinus tach, 130. BP’s 124 over 78.
Pupils are equal. Do you know if he’s had any medical
problems?
He uses one of those asthma inhalers.
Old bruises. You guys played pretty rough, huh?
He got checked pretty bad last week.
Did he hit his head?
I don’t think so.
Temp’s normal, 98.8.
Whoa! Let’s roll him! – Add a theophylline level.
What’s that?
Asthma medication. You take too much, this can happen.
Shooting. Yeah, definitely got a fracture on your hand just
below the pinky. You can move your hand back. It’s
gonna need a cast.
I guess I’m lucky, it could have been worse. How’s Curt?
Oh, he’s fine. His forehead’s being sutured up. Actually,
I’m more concerned about you.
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Projects: Palka
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
Scene 3
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
Scene 4
DR. GREENE:
SOCIAL WORKER:
DR. GREENE:
SOCIAL WORKER:
DR. GREENE:
SOCIAL WORKER:
DR. GREENE:
I feel fine.
You know your seizure was caused by an overdose of
theophylline.
An overdose?
Were you trying to hurt yourself?
No, I just … my asthma flares up whenever I’m stressed
out. So I took a few extra pills.
Stressed at work? At home?
I’m a landscaper. January’s a tough time. Work stops, the
bills don’t. Why the third degree?
Under the circumstances I have to ask about depression.
Trust me if I wanted to kill myself, I’d find a better way.
All fixed up. They figured out what was wrong?
Yeah, I took too much asthma medicine, busted up my
hand.
We’re going to have to find somebody new to play left
wing. Is he gonna be okay?
Yeah. He should be.
How’s the car?
It’s totalled. Don’t worry, you’re insured. Is it all right to
use one of these things in here?
Sure.
Must get a rental.
How long have you and Curt been together?
A while.
Everything okay?
Yeah.
What happens when the two of you fight?
What makes you think we fight?
Everybody has arguments. You got bruises, stressed out,
you OD’d on your medication. I’m just trying to put it all
together. It’s not uncommon for fights to turn physical.
People don’t mean for it to happen. It just does.
No, I know they don’t.
Something just sets it off. That ever happen to you?
Got to pick up the dry cleaning. He hit me. He said he
was sorry and promised he’d never do it again.
Has he? - So there’ve been other times.
Yeah.
I’d like you to talk to a social worker. They have
experience in dealing with these things. Okay?
I don’t know.
He denied everything.
Claimed the boyfriend never even touched him.
I thought he was ready to talk.
Mark, it’s not uncommon for victims to change their
minds. He probably loves that guy and wants to protect
him.
Sure he’s afraid. Will you be around all day?
Yeah. Why? Thinking about making another run at him?
Maybe.
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Projects: Palka
SOCIAL WORKER:
DR. GREENE:
Scene 5
MICHAEL:
Alright, give me a call.
Great, thanks.
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
You must have misunderstood, a bunch of us got into a
fight at the hockey rink.
Michael, we both know you’re not gonna be safe until you
get out of this relationship.
I’ll just wear more pads the next time.
Most domestic homicides have a history of physical
abuse.
What are you trying? To scare me?
Yes. You need to get away from him.
Okay, I got the rental. We’re all set. You okay?
Yeah, fine.
Is he ready to go?
No, we need to get a CT scan.
What for?
He had a previous head trauma.
I told him we play a lot of hockey.
I want to clear him medically before he plays again.
I’d like to take him home.
Michael, I think you should stay. I want you to understand
the risk that’s involved.
He understands them.
I’m not so sure.
Curt, why don’t we let Dr Green just …?
Mike, shut up. If you need him to sign something, he’ll
sign it. Won’t you, Mike?
Yeah.
You don’t have to go. It’s your decision.
Thanks. But I feel better now, really. Should get home.
Yeah.
Scene 6
CURT:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
Are you able to walk?
Yeah.
No, I’ll pull the car around.
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:0
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
CURT:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
CURT:
Scene 7
CHEN:
MICHAEL:
CARTER:
MICHAEL:
CARTER:
CHEN:
CARTER:
MALIK:
CHEN:
MICHAEL:
CARTER:
MICHAEL:
CARTER:
CARTER:
What was that?
Somebody help!
What happened?
He was trying to put our stuff in the trunk. We should
move him.
No, not until we get a backboard and a C-collar.
Yeah, it looks like a flail chest.
Malik, go get an airway kit and get Dr. Greene.
Got it.
And tell the driver to turn this water off.
I thought I had it in first gear. It just went backwards.
He’s not moving much air.
My god, I’m sorry.
Don’t worry. We got it. We’ll send him back.
This guy’s gonna need a couple of chest tubes.
-113-
Projects: Palka
DR. GREENE:
CHEN:
DR. GREENE:
CARTER:
CHEN:
DR. GREENE:
CARTER:
CARTER:
DR. GREENE:
CARTER:
CARTER:
GREENE:
GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
CARTER:
DR. GREENE:
CARTER:
DR. GREENE:
LYDIA:
DR. GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
LYDIA:
CARTER:
GREENE:
CARTER:
LYDIA:
GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
Yeah, I’ll intubate. 8-0 tube. Michael, you need to wait out
here.
I’m losing the pulse.
Okay. Set up the rapid infuser and prep for a
thoracotomy.
Decrease breath cells bilaterally.
Prep those sides for the chest.
He just backed into him?
Yeah. Actually pinned him up against the water truck.
Tachy at 128.
Pressure’s down to 70.
Let me have a 10 blade.
Set up two Thora-Seals and two suction lines.
I’m in. Bag him.
32 French. Let’s go.
Curved Kelly.
Pulse ox dropping to 82.
Mine’s in. Hook it up.
Die Thorax-Drainage.
Chest tube.
Thora-Seal’s not bubbling.
Pressure’s down to 60.
Hold on, there’s no suction.
All right. Try the other one.
Nope.
What’s going on?
Wall suction’s generated by the flow of water. No water,
no suction.
Chuny, go down to Central and get a portable suction.
Run.
I’m in.
Pulse ox, 75, systolic, 50.
We need to re-expand his lungs.
Well, we’re waiting on suction.
What about that vacuum cleaner?
What?
Yeah, the guy was using it at Admit.
Lydia?
Got it.
We need something to make a seal, something like clay.
Merocel sponges.
We’ll need about 20 of them. He’s breathing down. Amp
of atropine.
Get the crash cart.
Found him, he was just down the hall.
Alright, bring him down here and get me some water.
Lost his pulse. We’re in P.E.A.
Okay, amp of Epi. Start chest compressions.
Sats are down to 72.
Okay, pour it. Keep going … Okay, here we go. Hold
compressions.
Yep.
I hear breath sounds.
Pulse ox up to 85, 92.
Good save.
-114-
Projects: Palka
Scene 8
DR. GREENE:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
Scene 9
DR. GREENE:
POLICEMAN:
DR. GREENE:
POLICEMAN:
DR. GREENE:
POLICEMAN:
DR. GREENE:
POLICEMAN:
DR. GREENE:
POLICEMAN:
Scene 10
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
MALIK:
DR. GREENE:
MICHAEL:
Where is he going?
Four east, ICU.
Right, thanks.
Is he gonna be okay?
We’ll see. Want to tell me what happened?
He asked me to pop the trunk so that he could put the
bags in. I was trying to pull forward to give him room. I
thought I had it in first but I …
… went backwards.
I’m not used to driving a stick.
What do you think?
He’s pretty shaken up.
Yeah.
He had a seizure?
That’s right.
Well, they revoke your driver’s license for seizure. You
cleared him to drive?
He doesn’t have epilepsy. Too much asthma medicine.
But he didn’t have any in his system when he left.
Anything else I should know?
No. That’s it.
Okay, thanks.
Hey. Everything okay?
The police seem satisfied with your story.
I guess you got what you wanted.
How’s that?
I’ll be safe at home tonight.
The social worker is going to be around. Why don’t the
three of us talk.
No. I’m all right now.
Dr. Greene, your pops is on line 2, he locked himself out
of your apartment.
Okay, Malik.
Thanks, Dr. Greene. I appreciate your encouragement.
-115-
Projects: Palka
»Michael Mueller«
•
Why does Michael deny having been abused by
Curt before he leaves the hospital?
•
What happened in the second accident?
•
Did Michael do it on purpose? Why/why not?
Explain.
•
Why does Dr Greene not tell the policeman
about Michael’s problem? Do you think he was
right not to tell him? Why/why not?
»Dr Kovac and the Acrobat«
•
How old is Vito Vamporsero?
•
What is his job?
•
How was he injured?
•
What happens to Dr Romano, the surgeon (= Chirurg)?
»Carol«
•
Carol is back from maternity leave after having
twins. How does she feel? Do the others help
her? Explain.
»The Domino Heart«
•
How does Lucy Knight want to help Valerie?
•
What does Dr Romano, the surgeon, mean
by the ‘domino heart procedure’?
»Mrs Duffy and Louise«
•
Concerning Mrs Duffy, what does Dr Chen refuse
to do?
•
What does Dr Carter advise Dr Chen to do? Why?
•
How does Carter make Dr Chen change her mind?
•
What does she do to him and how does
Dr Carter react?
-116-
Projects: Palka
»Water Crisis« (background story)
[Worksheet] LC — ER: The Domino Heart (Page 115)
Take notes while watching this episode. Answer the questions in complete sentences.
A- Why is there a water crisis?
B- What problems arise from the water
crisis?
-117-
Projects: Palka
REGINA PALKA – IDEAS FOR TEACHING “MACBETH”
FOCUS ON CHARACTER (RELATIONSHIPS)
EXAMPLE
•
Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
With a new Gorgon.
II iii 70-71 Macduff, Macbeth, Lennox
•
What man! Ne’er pull your hat upon your brows,
Give sorrow words.
IV iii 208-209 Macduff, Malcolm, Ross
•
Thou liest, thou shag-ear’d villain.
IV ii 82 Macduff’s son, Lady Macduff, Murderers
•
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
What is’t you do?
IV I 47 Macbeth, Witches
•
Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth.
III iv 53-54 Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Lords
•
He that’s coming
Must be provided for; and you shall put
This night’s great business into my dispatch;
I v 66-68 Lady Macbeth, Macbeth
•
Welcome hither:
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing.
I iv 28-29 Duncan, Macbeth, Banquo
•
New honours come upon him,
Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould
But with the aid of use
I iii 146-148 Banquo, Macbeth, Ross, Angus
ACTIVITY
Divide the class into appropriately-sized groups (with the number of characters listed after each of the
above quotations) and allocate1) one quotation to each group.
First see if you can find out where your line comes from and look it up in the text to check, if you need
to. Your task is to devise2) a symbolic tableau3) to convey this moment in the play, with no words
spoken. Try to make your picture depict the relationships of the people involved, rather than being just
a still ‘photograph’ of a production; use the way they sit, stand and gesture to show how they feel as
well as what is happening.
After a short rehearsal, each group should present its ‘freeze frame’ to the rest, who try to guess which
of the quotations on the list is being presented. After each one, the group should explain what it was
trying to convey4); this explanation and the ensuing5) discussion is even more valuable than devising
the tableau itself.
1)
......zuteilen, zuweisen
......(sich) etwas ausdenken
3)
......hier: anschauliche Darstellung
4)
......transportieren; vermitteln
5)
......sich ergebende(r/s)
2)
-118-
Projects: Palka
FOCUS ON PLOT
EXAMPLE
KI NG DUNC AN MURDE RE D
AT MA CB ET H'S CAS TL E – SO NS FL E E
If you were to transfer the events of Duncan’s death into our own time, this might be the kind of
headline we would find in the press. Below it there would no doubt follow a bloodthirsty account of the
finding of the body, and maybe in the editorials there would be speculation about who might succeed
him.
Imagine, too, the way the TV channels would handle the news and interviews with eye witnesses and
‘experts’.
ACTIVITY
Work in groups of three or four and imagine you are the media handling this piece of ‘hot’ news. Share
some of the following tasks among you:
•
•
•
•
•
Write your own front page article under the headline given above or another you devise
yourselves. You might like to imagine this is for a ‘tabloid’ newspaper.
Write an editorial, commenting on the repercussions [Auswirkung] of the event and discussing
the outcome, for a ‘quality’ daily.
Improvise, with an outline script to guide you, an interview on TV with Macduff or some other
witness of the discovery of the body.
Work out a similar interview with an ‘expert’ on Royal etiquette to discuss the likely
succession.
Create a news report for television, including reporters on the spot etc.
Don’t try to do all these, but make a selection. After preparation, share your work with the rest by
displaying your newspaper articles and presenting your interviews and television report.
FOLLOW-UP
Work in somewhat larger groups to improvise the investigation that two detectives might conduct after
the discovery of Duncan’s body. They should question everyone who was in the Castle at the time,
plus those who arrived and found the body. Each character should answer in role and tell lies if you
think that is what he/she would do.
There can be no real conclusion to this activity, so call a halt when all witnesses have been
interviewed and allow the two detectives to discuss, in front of the rest, what suspicions have been
aroused.
Source: H. van de Linde, Brenda Pinder: A Workshop
Approach to Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
-119-
Projects: Pfeiffer B.
BIRGIT PFEIFFER – DIE THEATERSZENE – EIN LEHRPLATZ FÜR NEUE BEGEGNUNGEN
AUSLÄNDISCHE LEHRER ARBEITETEN MIT ÄSTHETIKSCHÜLERN AM VADSBOGYMNASIUM
MARIESTAD
Das Ästhetik-Programm am Vadsbogymnasium hat am Wochenende sowohl internationalen als auch
nationalen Besuch.
Drei Theaterpädagogen aus Lettland, Österreich und Südschweden kamen nach Mariestad, um ihre
Erfahrungen auszutauschen.
„Innerhalb des Theaters lernt man durch solche Begegnungen sehr viel. Wir haben eine andere Art
mit Theater praktisch zu arbeiten; durch so ein Projekt haben wir teil an verschiedenen Kulturen und
Vorgangsweisen, was wir dann für unseren eigenen Betrieb umsetzen können“, sagt Roger Sjöberg,
Lehrer am Vadsbogymnasium.
Die besuchenden Lehrer und die Theaterpädagogin Lovisa Andersson erhielten am Freitag 45
Minuten, um mit den Schülern in der Klasse nach einem Ästhetik-Programm zu arbeiten. Auf diese
Weise konnten sie einander verschiedene Techniken und Übungen zeigen. Für die Lehrer gab es
auch Zeit für eine Wanderung durch Mariestad.
Das Projekt startete im Oktober des Vorjahres in Österreich. Dort trafen sich Theaterpädagogen aus
verschiedenen Ländern in Wien zum Thema “Teaching Tolerance through Theatre Playing“. Dies
wurde vom Österreichischen Ministerium für Bildung, Kultur und Wissenschaft arrangiert und
finanziert; dabei gab es die Möglichkeit zu diskutieren, wie die Zusammenarbeit fortgesetzt werden
könnte.
„Aber wir aus Schweden, Lettland und Österreich waren in dieser Sache, etwas Gemeinsames
zustande zu bringen, die aktivsten“, sagt Roger Sjöberg.
Das Vadsbogymnasium arbeitet mit dem Zentrum für Österreichstudien in Skövde zusammen, das
schon früher mit internationalen Programmen für Deutschlehrer gearbeitet hatte. Wolfgang Malik vom
Zentrum für Österreichstudien ist einer von denen, die beauftragt waren, Theaterpädagogen
zusammenzubringen. „Es waren mehrere Lehrer zur Kooperation eingeladen, doch das kostet viel
Geld und bedarf des Engagements jener Länder, die teilnehmen“, sagt er.
FÜR NEUE WEGE
In Österreich und Lettland ist Theater nicht Teil des Unterrichtes. Stattdessen wenden sich Schüler,
die an Drama interessiert sind, diesem in ihrer Freizeit zu. „Ich möchte gern, dass Theater in den
Schulunterricht integriert wird“, sagt Birgit Pfeifer, Theaterpädagogin aus Österreich; „die jungen
Menschen lernen durch das Theater sehr viel, wie Selbstbewusstsein, Gemeinschaftssinn und
Präsentation. Mit Mitteln des Theaters kann dieses Ziel rascher erreichet werden“.
Birgit Pfeifer wünscht sich, dass es auch für die österreichischen Schüler eine Form gäbe, sich für ein
Ästhetikprogramm anzumelden.
Inguna Gremze, Theaterpädagogin aus Lettland, hofft, dass das Projekt zu einer wahrhaftigen,
zukünftigen Freundschaft unter den Lehrern führen werde. „Theater ist ein Grundbedürfnis des
Menschen – wir wenden immer die Mittel des Theaters an, um uns selber auszudrücken; durch diese
Arbeit können wir uns selber weiterentwickeln und gemeinsam neue kreative Wege finden“, sagt sie.
„Wir wollen Toleranz schaffen; die Jugend aus verschiedenen Ländern kann viel voneinander lernen“,
sagt Birgit Pfeifer.
Die nächste Begegnung der Theaterpädagogen findet im Herbst in Riga statt. Wie die Projekte in
Zukunft aussehen werden, ist noch nicht bestimmt; aber es gibt Pläne, die einen Austausch zwischen
Schulen für Lehrer und Schüler geben soll. Das könnte auch EU -Gelder für solche Projekte bringen.
„Wir werden uns zum Wochenende ein konkretes Projekt vornehmen, nachdenken, wie wir fortsetzen
können“, sagt Roger Sjöberg.
Cecilia Jonanson
-120-
Projects: Pfeiffer B.
FOTOTEXT:
Mit Hilfe verschiedener Übungen
wärmen die Ästhetikschüler auf. Die internationalen
Theaterpädagogen konnten am Freitag ihren Unterricht leiten, um Beispiele von Techniken und
Übungen zu demonstrieren.
-121-
Projects: Pfeiffer H.
HELGA PFEIFFER – “ELEANOR RIGBY”
The following drama project was carried out in the third form of the Modellschule Graz during five
successive English lessons.
There are 22 students aged 13 to 14 in this form, 16 of them girls, six boys. The idea behind the
project was to enhance language learning with the use of drama, from the language point of view
aiming at a revision of some of the important skills of this level, like talking about oneself, describing a
character, finding out facts about other people and using the past tense for text production. Language
learning was to be promoted by inventing fictional characters and using role play. Focussing on social
learning, the project seeks to further communicative skills such as getting to know somebody,
reflecting on a person’s life and feelings and expressing these thoughts.
Starting point for the project was the song “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles.
Lyrics: Lennon/McCartney
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
in the church where a wedding has been.
Lives in a dream.
Waits at the window, wearing the face
that she keeps in a jar by the door.
Who is it for?
All the lonely people,
where do they all come from?
where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words
of a sermon that no one will hear.
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks
in the night when there’s nobody there.
What does he care?
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
and was buried along with her name.
Nobody came.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his hands as he walks from the grave.
No one was saved.
LESSON 1
This lesson was meant to be a starting point to get the students interested in conveying information on
other people’s lives and in looking at a creative way of doing this, e.g. a song. Since the song has a
relatively elaborate language level for third year learners I handed out a sheet with the list of words
(enriched with some extra terms) after the students had listened to the song for the first time (some of
them knew it anyway). We then went over the list of words (they had been asked to write down any
words that they could not find in the chart in the free spaces) and listened to the song again. Next we
discussed the contents of the song. For some students it was difficult to grasp the metaphorical level
of the song especially in such phrases as, for example, “keeping her face in a jar by the door”.
-122-
Projects: Pfeiffer
ELEANOR RIGBY:
LIST OF WORDS
lonely,( lonesome)
loneliness
to play a lone hand
to pick up
pickpocket
pick up truck
wedding
wedding cake
to wear (wear-wore-worn)
jar
belong (to)
belongings
sermon
to darn
to care
I don`t care, I couldn`t care less
careless
caress
to bury (buried-buried)
burial, funeral
burial service
dirt
dirty brown
grave
to turn in one`s grave
grave-digger
grave
to save (saved-saved)
safe (from)
safety
einsam
Einsamkeit
es im Alleingang machen
aufheben
Taschendieb
kleiner Lieferwagen
Hochzeit
Hochzeitskuchen
tragen
Gefäß, Topf
gehören, am richtigen Platz sein, dazu gehören
Habseligkeiten
Predigt
stopfen
sich kümmern, sich etwas aus einer Sache
machen
das ist mir völlig gleichgültig
unvorsichtig, leichtsinnig
Liebkosung
begraben, beerdigen
Begräbnis, Beerdigung
Trauerfeier
Schmutz, Staub, lockere Erde
schmutzigbraun
Grab
sich im Grabe umdrehen
Totengräber
ernst, wichtig
retten, erretten
sicher (von)
Sicherheit
At the end of this lesson the students assembled a list of words that you can use for describing a
person - her/his appearance as well as her/his feelings -.
LESSON 2
At the beginning of this lesson the students could choose one “photograph”
(either alone or together with somebody else) from a selection of pictures that I had spread out on the
floor of the classroom showing different men and women (see appendix for a few examples - the
pictures were all of relatively young men and women and had been taken out of different magazines -).
Then they were asked to do the following two exercises (thus unconsciously applying words and
phrases for describing people in a fictional context by inventing their own character which they
seemed to enjoy quite a lot, they also used the dictionary frequently in this lesson to find the words
that they needed to creat their character).
They had to do the brainstorming alone, but the next exercise they could either do on their own or they
could work with somebody else.
-123-
I. Brainstorming
LOOK AT THE PICTURE IN FRONT OF YOU AND WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO
YOUR MIND IMMEDIATELY:
Use your dictionary or ask for help if you need words.
-124-
TASK SHEET
His/her first name is:
________________________________________________________________________________
His/her nickname is:
________________________________________________________________________________
He/she lives in:
________________________________________________________________________________
He/she is (four traits-Merkmale- that describe his/her character):
________________________________________________________________________________
He/she loves (list three things or people):
He/she hates:
He/she feels (list three emotions):
He/she fears (list three things of people the person in the picture is afraid of):
He/she dreams of (list three or more things):
His/her family (does he/she have a family, who belongs to this family):
His/her friends:
He/she wonders (would like to know):
His/her greatest wish is:
His/her deepest secret is:
Is there anything else that you would like to write down about that person? Then you can use the
following lines for it:
His/her first and last name is:
LESSON 3
At the beginning of this lesson the students had about ten minutes to go over their task sheet from the
last lesson and to remember as much as possible because they were to imagine that they were the
person they had invented the last time. Then they were all invited to come to a party.
Imagine that you are at the party. You are interested in the other people who are there and
you want to find out as much as possible about them. Try to speak to as many of the people
present as you can and find out about their lives.
The chairs in the classroom had been grouped in twos and threes in free spaces all over the room.
The students quite enjoyed being somebody else and getting involved with each other in this fictional
context. I found that in this way it was much more natural for them to use English as their language
and they spoke a lot. Linguistically this lesson was aimed at practising questions for getting to know
other people and talking about oneself.
An alternative way to go about this is the following script, but I thought it might be too difficult for this
age group.
Imagine that you are the person in the picture. One day you are taking a walk in the park
near your flat because you need some fresh air. It is a sunny day in late October and you
would like to sit down on a bench to enjoy the warm autumn sun. Another person that you
have never seen before comes along and sits down on the same bench as you. At first you
do not really want to have a conversation, you make a few comments about the weather and
the other people in the park, but something about the other person intrigues you and you
want to find out as much as possible about the person sitting next to you and you discover
that he/she is hiding something from the world.
-125-
The students would then have about fifteen minutes to get to know each other in this fictional context.
As a next step the fiction could be carried on in writing:
You have just come home from your walk. You cannot forget the person that you have just
met and since you like writing you sit down at your desk to put your experience into words.
What do you write?
•
A diary entry,
•
A poem
•
A song,
•
A story about the person that you have just got to know?
LESSON 4
In this lesson the students went on to work with the character they had created, this time in writing.
They were asked to either go on pretending that they were the character and to write a diary entrance,
or to write a song or a story about the character. Most of them chose the diary entry where they
created a day in “their” life, but three songs were also produced thus creating a connection with the
last exercise and the beginning.
Again the fictional setting of the exercise proved to be quite a stimulus for them to use the foreign
language.
LESSON 5
At the end of the project everybody presented to the others what they had written in the previous
lesson. Two girls were daring enough to sing their song in front of the others and got quite a round of
applause for it.
We used the last ten minutes to reflect briefly on this sequence of lessons. The parts that the students
had enjoyed most were the party and the creation of a fictional character. All in all they had the wish to
“do something like this again”.
-126-
Projects: Raffler
PETER RAFFLER - VIOLENCE
TOPIC: VIOLENCE
Interview with Quentin Tarantino;
Textbook: “Make your way with English”
LESSON 1
a) greeting somebody; sequence of 5 greetings (without saying anything);
b) do the sequence in different rhythms (fast, slow motion)
c) add language to the sequences aim: language required in those situations (formal/informal)
d) groups perform sequences
e) comment on the effects of these short scenes
LESSON 2
WALK IN THE STYLE OF:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Relaxed,
I’m gorgeous,
routine,
I’ve forgotten something,
I’m anxious,
looking forward to something,
in a hurry,
horror
I’m shy,
I’m a star
Techniques: canon, mirror, synchronisation
Work in pairs: take 2 lines each out of texts referring to violence and act them out in one of the
styles (relaxed etc…).
use one of the techniques (e.g. canon…)
Students read the interview with Quentin Tarantino
the interview has to be simplified (written exercise)
pairs: perform the interview, use various styles and technique
aim: match language with behaviour
Write down 3 theories of violence.
Compare your theories with those given in the textbook
LESSON 3
Write a letter to Q. Tarantino, referring to his representation of violence in his films; agree or disagree,
support your ideas with theories
AIM OF PROJECT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
to acquire language for specific situations:
approaching and greeting somebody,
asking the proper questions;
using adequate language
and body-language;
discussing and criticising ideas;
expressing one's own opinion
-127-
Projects: Saint Jean
CATHERINE SAINT JEAN – DRAMA PROJECTS
SCHOOL YEAR 2007-2008
PROJECT ON “KES“: FILM BY KEN LOACH, 1970, ENGLAND, 2ND YEARS (12 YEAR-OLDS)
Study of the film in class with some lessons where the pupils are invited to anticipate and act out the
next scene for a comparative study. (in fact the idea was born out of necessity, because that week
there were several power cuts in the school, and we couldn’t view the film). Fabrication of a script,
performance in front of group. Scenes of action, but also emotional scenes (the bully, the English
lesson, Bill and his kestrel, also invented scenes).
Thanks to drama and impersonation, the pupils can identify with the protagonists and get an insight
into industrial Sheffield in the 70s and working class families, a social background they are not always
familiar with.
These extracts can be seen on YouTube.com.
”THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST“, OSCAR WILDE, 1895, 5TH YEARS (15 YEAR-OLDS)
Study of the play. 4 extracts are prepared, then acted out in a public performance in front of their
peers. The pupils focus on stiff upper-lip English pronunciation, body language.
Some drama lessons in this sequence also involved twisting the targeted scenes by changing the
setting, period and social/cultural background: the change in language register naturally led to a
drastic transformation of the text itself.
“ERNIE’S INCREDIBLE ILLUCINATIONS”, PLAY BY ALAN AYCKBOURN, 3RD YEARS (13
YEAR-OLDS)
Unabridged play performed in front of all the 3rd years in our theatre by my group of 16 people.
The pupils organised the props, the backdrops, the costumes, the music, the lights, even some of the
staging themselves.
Aftermath of the project: the pupils create a journal, containing the reports on the various TV
programmes they acted out on their play (ex: confessional TV / cultural programme / live interviews
with the cast / reality show / advertising ).
“TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD“, NOVEL BY HARPER LEE, UNABRIDGED VERSION, 3RD YEARS.
Extensive reading. Some drama lessons on moments of the book.
Ex: the trial (thought alley, frozen images), what the defendant is thinking, what the defence is
thinking, what the black community is thinking when the verdict is given…
“STRANGE PETS”, 2ND YEARS : MAKING UP A STORY.
Top secret start; pupils print photos of weird animals, pairwork (guess who, identify photos).
The strange animals get captured in their native habitat (drama lesson: “Message in a Bottle” + the
song by Sting).
The message gets found by a sympathetic journalist who invites them on a radio programme (drama
lesson: the story of my life/my predicament).
They visit a pet psychologist (drama lesson: the interview, complaints and advice, finding resources).
Finally they experience integration in their new environment (drama lesson: a grand celebration at a
posh restaurant. Etiquette and good manners/ how to work on characterization, tics, voice, walk,
status, interaction, script fabrication).
This final scene was staged and performed in our theatre.It was very funny and the pupils were very
thrilled and proud.
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Projects: Stahl-Kaunert
DORIS STAHL-KAUNERT – AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
PROJECT FOR DRAMA IN EDUCATION
Class: year 3, 13 boys, 2 girls
OBJECTIVE
Preparation (reading and understanding) to watch the performance of Vienna’s English Theatre –
school tour 2005/06
“Around the World in 80 Days”, adapted by Sean Aita from Jule Verne’s novel
THEMES AND ISSUES
•
Talking about different means of transport
•
Ordering in a restaurant
•
At the reception of a hotel
•
Booking a flight
•
Present perfect tense (Have you ever been to…?)
•
Studying the map of the world
•
Different countries – different customs
•
Indigenous peoples
•
Master-servant relationship
• British society in the 19th century
METHODS
Warm-ups (could be used any period):
•
Mime: to keep a stiff upper lip, to give somebody the elbow, to give somebody the cold
shoulder, something is on the tip of your tongue, to talk somebody’s head off,…
•
Freeze frames: Pupils in groups of three or four, choose special moments on a trip to …,
present them as pictures in a photo album. Class to guess the locality/event. (Shoulder
tapping also possible.)
•
Song (this group is eager to sing): “Leaving on a Jet Plane”
Activities
– BEFORE READING:
5) Associations with the title
6) Talk about the cover sheet
7) Skim through the first scene, find out about the setting and the characters.
- WHILE READING:
•
•
•
•
•
Extensive worksheet for language and textual comprehension, compiled by Helena Hirsch
(www.schooltours.at), worth having a look at (personal and text questions, itinerary, poem on
stereotypes, gapped texts, ….)
Prepared dialogues where short/long sentence outlines are given (at the station, the airport,
the restaurant,…) e.g. A:_____________ B:____________ A:__________ B:_____________
and act them out.
Pupils choose a character from the play who writes postcards from different places.
Pupils draw and colour in the postcards themselves.
Groups are given a scene with about 10 slips of paper (stepping stones), pupils put the slips
into the correct order, then say them out loud one after the other (loud speaking practice)
E.g. Scenes 7 + 8 (What happens to Passepartout in Calcutta?)
They managed to jump on board the train.
Passepartout is warned to keep quiet.
Mr Fogg has to appear in court.
P. is walking through the city.
The ship to Hong Kong was due to depart at 5 p.m.
Wearing shoes in a Parsee holy temple is a serious crime in India.
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The judge sentences them to 2 weeks in prison and a fine of 300 pounds.
He enters a beautiful temple with his shoes on.
Fogg has to pay 2000 pounds to bail them out.
Fogg is not angry with P. and they travel on to Hong Kong.
Scenes 9 +10
P. spent the night on the dockside, wrapped in his coat.
He felt guilty because he had let Fogg down.
He had to clean up after the elephants.
Mr Fogg was in the audience.
He got a job cleaning the circus ring.
He had a bad crossing to Japan.
He was asked to take the place of a clown.
He was all alone with no money and no master.
He saw a huge tent with a big sign.
He wanted to beg for some money to buy himself breakfast.
•
•
•
Characters: Find and pick a line that only one character could say and keep the character
secret. Walk round and find other people that are your character by repeating your line. You
can also walk like your character.
Freeze frames: at the circus, riding on an elephant, at court, at the restaurant, at the club, in
prison, with the Indians (thought tapping also possible)
Read scene x – in a funny way, - very loudly, - realistically
AFTER READING
•
Groups chose a short scene or part of a scene - chosen scenes were scene 2 (Phileas
Fogg’s house, London), extract of scene 7 (Indian Restaurant), scene 8 (The Courtroom),
scene 10 (The Circus) and scene 13 (Back to the Reform Club). Choice took about one
period. (Next time I would copy several scenes (shortened) and pass them out, scenes and
roles would then be more balanced.)
•
Pupils practised the scenes for about 4 – 5 periods. (Prepare work for those who cannot
practise because a pupil is absent or, alternatively, one or two pupils read out the lines of
absent pupils.)
•
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•
•
•
Pupils selected costumes, props. (Make sure that you collect useful items throughout the
year, especially hats, scarves, etc.)
Performance in class. (Pupils were too shy to perform in front of other classes.)
Watching performance of Vienna’s English Theatre.
REFLECTION
We started work two weeks before Christmas and had to study for a test in between. (The
performance of Vienna’s English Theatre took place at the end of January.) I felt it was not the best
time as it is normally packed with tests and exams in all subjects plus the holidays. Even practising
very short scenes took us longer than I had expected.
I was surprised by the performance of a girl who normally is very quiet. She chose the part of the
judge and learned her role really well.
As with every class, there are always one or two who strictly refuse to perform – I used them as
prompters.
I decided to go along with the students’ wishes to only have an “inhouse” performance. Maybe they
would benefit more by inviting other classes.
Skimming through the answers to Maria’s questionnaire I noticed that the kids really enjoyed the work,
even more as I didn’t grade their performances.
It was my first project of this kind and I found it very inspiring. And, best of all, we often had a good
laugh.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Around the World in 80 Days, adapted from Jules Verne’s novel by Sean Aita, Vienna`s English
Theatre, 2005.
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Projects: Stefan
BARBARA STEFAN - “DEAD POETS SOCIETY”
The following activities were carried out with a 5th form. Before reading the novel we had been talking
about teachers in general.
1. PRE-READING
I love it / I hate it when my teachers ...
2. WHILE-READING
•
CONSCIENCE ALLEY
After talking to Mr Keating about performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Neil does not know what
to do. Students give advice.
•
FREEZE FRAME & THOUGHT TRACKING
(After the performance; Neil is led away by his father.)
How may the boys have felt in this scene?
3. POST-READING
•
TOUR OF WELTON ACADEMY
Imagine that you are a student at Welton Academy and you take a visitor round your school. It’s up to
you how much you tell him/her about the recent events.
•
A PRESS CONFERENCE
A PRESS CONFERENCE
Journalists have found out about Neil’s suicide. Fearing bad press, Mr Nolan decides to organise a
press conference to tell the reporters about the events from his point of view. The journalists,
however, have also invited other people.
People present at the conference:
Mr Brown – a journalist who chairs the meeting
Mr Nolan
McAllister
Mr Perry
Charlie
Todd
a psychologist
TASKS:
1. In groups of three prepare a short opening statement about your character (your story,
your feelings …).
2. Decide who is going to present your character. All the others will be journalists who can
ask questions!!!
3. Role-play the press conference.
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Projects: Thenner
GERDA THENNER – DRAMA IDEAS FOR UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
Text taken from “Focus on Modern Business 2“ (Unit 1, p.9) (HBLA, 2. Klasse)
Pre-reading tasks (use cartoon from the text and/or bring along photos of different “real” people);
•
Pupils form two groups. Group A represents the people who have put up the signs in the
garden; Group B represents the people standing in front of the signs. In the groups the pupils
take on one of the four different roles or more [group A: No Blacks because….; No Asians
because…; No Pets because… ; No Children because….// group B: father, mother, child, pet]
Thought Alley: Groups take turns walking past each other (first group A speaks out
thoughts/prejudice, then group B speaks out their worries when they see the signs)
•
Discuss with pupils how they felt and write down different prejudices / worries (e.g. on a
poster)
Reading the text as far as “Not now Lynn. You wouldn’t understand.” / After second paragraph pupils
should guess why people who viewed the house didn’t come back. / Do they think the Ramans will
come back?
•
Then the pupils should make up a short telephone conversation between the mother and
Uncle Ben in pairs (What were they talking about? What are “things like this”?), present them
•
Continue reading to “Don’t you mean “white” Jeff?” - meeting of neighbours – pupils in
different roles (mother, father, Ena, Jeff Smith) sit in circle / thought-tracking when they are
just about to leave )
•
Finish reading the text – discuss what opinion the I-narrator has of her “old” and “new”
neighbours and summarize together with pupils' stereotypes of “good” (white) and “bad”
(coloured) immigrants (refer to situation in Austria).
After reading: homework; pupils choose one of the “characters” and either write a diary entry, e.g.
after the meeting or a letter expressing their opinion/feelings.
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Projects: Trimmel
REGINA TRIMMEL – ARRANGED MARRIAGES
ARRANGED MARRIAGES
1. TARGET GROUP: 6. OR 7.FORM AHS
I have various articles on this topic.
We worked with the following one (taken from: Ideas and Issues Intermediate, ed. by Olivia
Johnson, Mark Farrell, published by Chancerel International Publishers Ltd., 2000)
p. 38 “Real-life couples”
(In diesem Text erzählen Sarita und Ranjit über ihre “arranged marriage”.)
2. IMPROVISE A CONVERSATION
Imagine it is the first date between Sarita and Ranjit. What would their conversation be about?
Zuerst erstellen wir aber an der Tafel das Muster des Dialogs. Ich sage zu einem Schüler, ”Say short
or long!“. Je nachdem, welches Wort er sagt, zeichne ich A: und einen langen bzw. kurzen Balken
daneben an die Tafel. Dann stelle ich die gleiche Frage dem nächsten Schüler, usw. und so bekomme
ich dann ein nettes Muster für einen Dialog.
3. PAIRWORK + DISCUSSION
With your partner write a list containing reasons and arguments FOR arranged marriages and
AGAINST them. Compare the lists in class and discuss them.
4. DEBATE: “ARRANGED MARRIAGE OR MARRIAGE FOR LOVE?“
We will use the above mentioned arguments and reasons to have a group debate.
5. ALTER EGO
One student is a good Indian girl who obeys her parents wishes to marry a complete stranger.
Another student is a bad Indian girl who doesn’t want to marry a person her parents have chosen for
her.
Both comment on their situation, on what their parents say. The rest of the class asks them questions.
6. FREEZE FRAMES + HOMEWORK (WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS)
Various groups freeze frame different situations in the life of an Indian girl to illustrate the process of
getting to know the prospective spouse and the difficulties she encounters.
Homework
Write a series of diary entries which illustrate the process of getting married to a complete stranger.
Talk about the difficulties that arise and your first date with your husband....
7. ROLE ON THE WALL
I draw the outlines of a figure on the board and tell the students that that is DEEPAK, an Indian girl
who was forced to marry a man from her caste. The students come one after the other to the board
and write into the figure:
 How would you see this girl?
 Which characteristics might she have?
The students write down adjectives which answer these questions.
8. HOT SEAT
One student sits in the front and imagines they are the mother or father of an Indian girl or boy who is
supposed to have an arranged marriage. The others have to ask him/her any questions they would
like to know.
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Projects: Trimmel
9. A MONOLOGUE
Imagine you are an Indian girl who has just been forced by her parents to marry a stranger. What
would you think about the whole situation? Consider advantages and disadvantages of such a
marriage. What does it mean for you?
Two possibilities:
•
•
Write about ten lines.
Start each line with a letter according to the ABC
A....
B...
C....
D...
etc.
Possible Homework Assignments:
•
A TV discussion
Participants:
Henry Johnson –TV host
Aamir Khan - a famous Bollywood actor, who is against arranged marriages
Samshaad Singh – a mother who forced her daughter to marry a foreigner
Padma Chana = a girl who was forced to marry a stranger
´
The participants in the discussion should talk about their opinions concerning arranged marriages, the
problems such a marriage means, their lives, ...
•
Make up a story for the following ending:
Her heart swelled. She hugged Aunt Manju back, with a sudden joyful strength. She was alive, and
free, with a new family and a new life in front of her. She would make more friends. The world could
change. She would believe it. Even if all her troubles weren’t over, she would manage. She was
Chandra!
•
Write down what Charan tells his friend:
The twelve-year-old Charan Singh moved to England a month ago. He has made friends with an
English boy his age and tells him about his home country India, about the living conditions there,
about the differences between life in England and India and the difficulties his family had to face when
they came to England. Write down what Charan tells his friend.
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Projects: Trimmel
NORTH AMERICA – LAND OF THE INDIAN TRIBES
TARGET GROUP: 7. OR 8. FORM AHS
Source: an article on “Growing Up the Sioux Way” (taken from: Susan Edmonds, Native Peoples of
North America – Diversity and Development, Cambridge University Press, p.34)
Kommentar: Sollte jemand an diesem Buch oder diesen Artikel interessiert sein Mail an:
gina29@aon.at
READ THE ARTICLE „GROWING UP THE SIOUX WAY“
•
IMPROVISE A SCENE – REPORTER ARRIVING ON SCENE
Imagine we are members of a Sioux tribe. Each of us has a certain job/duty.
•
freeze frame this scene
•
thought tracking
Suddenly a reporter comes to our tribe and interviews one of the people.
•
HOT SEAT
We all sit in a circle. In the middle there is an empty chair. Two possibilities:
•
“I like growing up the Sioux way because....”
•
“I hate being the chief of an Indian tribe because...”
Everybody who thinks of a sentence can come to the middle, sit down and say the sentence.
•
PAIRWORK
In pairs, write down some differences between the way you have grown up and the way the Sioux
children grow up. We will discuss the results afterwards.
•
PANEL DISCUSSION
Imagine an Indian tribe wants a new chief. In groups they have to discuss the sort of person they want.
•
MAKE UP A DIALOGUE – IN GROUPS OF TWO OR THREE
A Sioux woman is going to marry a wealthy Sioux man who has more than one wife. On the day
before the wedding she is talking to her best friend about the prospective marriage. She doesn’t know
what to expect, it is her future husband’s sixth marriage.
•
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
The Sioux woman and two of her friends.
She is living with her husband’s family now. Her friends who have joined another Indian tribe pass by
and want to visit her. They remember she lives there and come to her spontaneously.
The students have to act out this conversation. (one possibility could be: by standing back to back)
•
BLINDFOLDED TOUR
The two friends show up at our Sioux wife’s tent. What do they find and see in her tent? The Sioux
woman takes them around. They walk around in the classroom as much as possible. They see the
tent, the garden, the fields, they walk along the river, they might see other Sioux women or men,
children playing,....
Kommentar: Bis jetzt habe ich es leider nicht geschafft, meine Schüler so zu motivieren, dass alle im
Klassenzimmer herumgehen. Einige wollen lieber am Platz sitzen bleiben, machen auch so die
blindfolded tour mit ihrem Sitznachbarn, aber nur wenige marschieren herum. Aber es ist trotzdem
sehr interessant, wie toll sie die Fremdsprache spontan und frei hier anwenden (ich hab eine ähnliche
Übung auch mit den Russischschülern gemacht, und es hat mich sehr erstaunt, wie sehr sie sich
bemühen, alltägliche Sachen aus dem Grundvokabular richtig anzuwenden!).
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Projects: Trimmel
•
FOLLOW-UP – THE WHOLE CLASS
All the students who played a Sioux woman stand in a group. All the friends form the other group.
Each person in the group thinks of one word to describe their situation. Then we form a line (from
positive to negative) in all groups. Everybody says his word out loud.
•
...TWENTY YEARS LATER
The Sioux wife’s eldest daughter is getting married. What advice does her mother give her? Students
write this advice on a piece of paper and put it on the floor. Then we will work on a ...
•
THOUGHT ALLEY
One student plays the daughter who goes through the alley. The others say their sentences.
Kommentar: Thought alleys kommen immer wieder sehr gut bei den Schülern an. Meistens wollen
dann alle die Person spielen, die durch die alley durchmarschiert. Es taugt ihnen total, die
verschiedenen Ratschläge zu hören und einwirken zu lassen.
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Projects: Wallner
GUDRUN WALLNER – “ARCHIBALD'S BIGGEST MISTAKE”
Topic:
“Archibald` s Biggest Mistake” A Story
School:
Secondary Modern School
Form:
Second form
Based on: The New You & Me - Unit 9
Duration: 4 lessons
Methods: Mime, voice sculpture, freeze frame, writing in role, shadow theatre
Objectives: The pupils should
•
•
•
•
Develop their speaking, listening and reading skills
Develop basic drama skills
Learn to work together in groups
Be able to present a story
1. INTRODUCTION
•
Show the picture dictionary on the overhead projector
(cellar, chain, blood stains, …)
•
Pupils read out the new words
•
Each pupil chooses a word
•
Form a voice sculpture conducted by the teacher
2. INTRODUCE THE CHARACTERS
Archibald:
•
Write words describing the character on flash cards and hand them out to the pupils
(unhappy, good – looking, thin – very thin, small eyes – big eyes, blind, horrible, beautiful, …)
•
Pupils stand in a circle and speak out the words and mime
•
One student walks into the circle and mimes the adjectives and the rest guesses the words
Dee:
•
same steps as above (adjectives: beautiful, long hair, good singer, white skin, long dress, she
likes dancing, happy,…)
3. READING THE STORY
•
•
•
Read out the story to the pupils
Students read out the story individually
Each pupil reads one or two sentences and at the same time the other students mime the
action
4. FREEZE FRAME
•
•
The pupils form two groups. Tell them to create a freeze that shows Archibald and Dee with
other ghosts in the disco
Each group shows their freeze to the other group
5. WRITING IN ROLE
•
Pupils write love poems: Archibald expressing his love towards Dee. One poem is going to be
presented.
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Projects: Wallner
6. INTRODUCTION OF SHADOW THEATRE
•
Instruct the students about the rules
•
Show your profile
•
Stand close to the screen
•
Gestures should be clear and simple
•
Let the children move behind the screen in different characters and moods
◦ With music
◦ Without music
7. PREPARATION FOR THE PRESENTATION
•
Teacher and pupils bring along props
•
Organise the pupils in pairs or groups depending on their tasks
Tasks:
Archibald: performer - speaker
Dee: performer – speaker
Technicians: they have to build up the screen, prepare overhead projector etc.
Musicians: responsible for music and special sound effects
Other ghosts: performers
Poem: two speakers
Transparencies: two pupils prepare them
8. REHEARSAL
•
Pupils start to act out the story behind the screen
9. PRESENTATION
•
Students present the story to other classes
REFLECTION:
The lessons were highly motivating for both myself and the children. The pupils concentrated on their
work and they had a lot of fun. They enjoyed working with different techniques. The students
especially loved the technique of shadow theatre. Not only did they enjoy being part of a group project,
but they also gained confidence in their verbal and non-verbal abilities. The story of Archibald was
presented to other classes and both students and teachers were very impressed by the performance.
Finally, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to taking part in this drama course. It has really
changed my way of teaching.
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Projects: Weber
Bush
CHRISTINE WEBER – LOVE, LUST AND PASSION
Projects on this topic were carried out in various subjects at our school and we had little performances
at the end. The workshop I offered was called 'English and Drama'.
OBJECTIVES
Students should experience and play with the terms, generate vocabulary, develop short texts
themselves and experience themselves on the stage and in public.
STRUCTURE
"GETTING INTO THE MOOD"
Students walk across the stage to music, first they just pass each other as if not noticing each other,
then they change their attitudes and when crossing the 3rd time they join somebody and leave the
stage together.
WORD ASSOCIATION WARM-UP
"I am 'love"'.............who are you?- 'I am ‘heart-ache', 'I am 'love at first sight'........
"I am 'passion'..................................
VOICE SCULPTURE
3 different groups.
'Love' enters the stage and takes a seat. One third of the students enter one by one, presenting a
sentence which involves the word 'love'.
eg "Love makes the world go round", "to love or not to love, this is the question".................
'Passion' and 'lust' take a seat in a different corner and the other students join them and present
sentences involving lust or passion as well.
Then the teacher creates a sort of 'sculpture' by pointing to various students in the groups making
them repeat their sentences.
FREEZE FRAMES
Half of the group acts, the other half watches. The scenes they create are connected with the topic of
the workshop: 'in the disco', 'the first date', 'jealousy', 'seduction', 'unfaithfulness' .etc....
The teacher makes them repeat their scenes.
CREATING THEIR OWN PIECE OF TEXT
Teacher distributes various pictures, postcards and photos showing scenes associated with the terms
love, lust and passion. Students pick one each and create a monologue, a dialogue or a little scene
involving more people.
Then they return to the big group and the freeze frames. The teacher picks an individual or a group
who then deliver their creative piece while their fellow students remain in their 'freeze position' .
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Projects: Weber
At the end we picked the elements they liked and presented a little 'collage'. They were not so fond of
the voice sculpture but their texts were very interesting and creative.
We have, however, used the 'voice sculpture' as an introduction to a short play we performed at the
end of last school year and it proved extremely effective.
A short collage of this kind could be followed by a one-act play dealing with a specific story linked to
the topic, so e.g. a story about a dating service, etc.
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Projects: Wiesinger
HERBERT WIESINGER - AN ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE: THE AMISH OF LANCASTER
COUNTY
Topic: An Alternative Lifestyle: The Amish of Lancaster County
Form: 4th form
Duration: 3 lessons
Based on: Friends 4, Unit 9
Objectives:
•
The students should learn about the way of living of the Amish, their customs and traditions.
They should understand and feel what it was like having to leave their native country and
starting a new life in a different environment.
•
They should also get to know a different world in which there are other values than what
young western people appreciate (music, fashion, television, cars, cell phones, computers,
leisure, amenities, …) This raises the question of happiness.
LESSON 1
The first lesson is used to introduce the different outer appearance of the Amish. It is important not to
tell them who the person in the picture is, make them guess who this could be.
INTRODUCTION (10 MINUTES)
Show a photo of an Amish family and make the pupils describe their clothes and outer appearance.
Pupils should guess who they are and where they live. Raise questions.
PROVIDE VOCABULARY (20 MINUTES)
•
•
•
•
The students get a card each with a word on it: every student is the patron of this given word
The student says the word out loud
The student uses the given word in a sentence/definition so that the meaning of the word
becomes clear
The student mimes the sentence
Words: Amish, barn, covered bridge, apron, bonnet, straw hat, cape, bun, brake lights, quilt, suit,
beard, battery, buggy, electricity, chores, do the laundry, plant the crops, wedding, bride, handicrafts,
customs, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, neighbour, to can fruits, religious ideas, carpentry, church
service, Swiss bishop.
TABLEAUX (20 MINUTES)
Groups of 4
Explain the situation: An Amish family (father, mother, two children) have to leave Switzerland.and
settle in a wild new American environment.
Divide the class into groups of 4 and allocate the following freeze frames to them:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family say goodbye to neighbours and relatives in Switzerland.
Father convinces mother that they must leave.
Family sell their land.
Family say grace for the last time in Switzerland.
Family step aboard the ship that takes them to America.
Family under attack by Red Indians.
Family work very hard on their new land.
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Projects: Wiesinger
LESSON 2
In the second lesson the text is presented to the students, the students write and present interviews
with Amish people.
TEXT (15 MINUTES)
Teacher reads the text, when the students hear their personal word, they get up quickly and sit down
again. Students read the text silently again.
INTERVIEW (35 MINUTES, GROUPS OF 3)
An interviewer asks an Amish family (father and son/daughter) questions about their present life in
their community.
Example: What is good about your life? Do you miss something? What do you long for?
Present the interviews in class. Children should rehearse them to make them more lively. Don’t read
from the sheet!
Homework: Learn ‘An Amish Poem’ by heart (p. 142)
LESSON 3
In the third lesson the teacher writes the pros and cons of Amish life which the students come up with
on the board.
After some preparation time a volunteer enters the thought alley and the various thoughts are said by
the students. Shall he/she leave the Amish community or stay there forever? As a final exercise the
poem is spoken in neutral, affirmative and negative tones (emotions in a poem)
FEEDBACK
Pros and cons of Amish life (20 minutes).
The teacher writes the ideas from students on the boards
THOUGHT ALLEY (15 MINUTES)
Every student prepares questions for this exercise.
A young Amish person has been to the ‘normal’ world. Now he/she must decide if he will return to the
Amish community or if he/she will live among ordinary Americans.
A volunteer who has to decide, walks very slowly through this alley and reflects on every statement.
His/her eyes are closed.
AN AMISH POEM: (OPPOSING FEELINGS (15 MINUTES))
Pair work: Students face each other in pairs. They first say the poem in a neutral tone to each other.
Then one student recites the poem as an Amish person who is convinced of his lifestyle, then his/her
partner reads the poem as a young Amish who is fed up with the traditions he/she has to follow.
Homework: Write a diary entry in which you (as an young Amish person) decide on whether you will
leave or stay on in your Amish community.
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Projects: Wiesinger
APPENDIX - TEXT
Last week we took a trip to the Pennsylvania Dutch area and visited several of the Amish farms. The
people there live so differently and I have never seen anything like it!
Have you heard about the Amish Lancaster Country? Their history goes back to Jacob Amman, a
Swiss bishop, who was one of those people who had new religious ideas in the 17th century. During
that time, there were a lot of quarrels and even wars over religion in Europe. The Amish – as Amman’s
followers were called – had very strict religious laws and were not accepted in Europe. So they went to
America in the early 18th century and settled in Pennsylvania. Today there are about 16,000 Amish in
Lancaster County.
Amish customs have not changed since the nineteenth century. They live on farms and have neither
electricity nor cars, they make their clothes themselves and spend the fall canning fruits and
vegetables for the winter. When they go to town, they travel in buggies pulled by horses. However,
they have to have a battery in the buggy for the brake lights so that cars behind them know when they
are going to stop.
There are also special kinds of clothes for the Amish people. The girls and women wear long dresses
with long sleeves made of one color and wear capes and aprons and a white bonnet when they are
married and a black one when they are single. The women never cut their hair but wear it in a bun.
The boys and men wear dark colored suits, shirts of one color, black socks and shoes and black or
straw hats. Once they are married, they grow beards.
The children go to Amish-run schools until the eighth grade, when they are 14 or 15 years old. Then
they begin their work on the farm or in a craft, e.g. carpentry. Even while they are at school they boys
have chores to do such as taking care of the animals, cleaning the barn or planting crops. The girls do
chores in the house such as washing the dishes or doing the laundry. Teenagers often get to spend
one year outside the Amish community, in the “normal” world. That way they can find out for
themselves whether the life of the Amish is really what they want.
The Amish also marry fairly young. At the wedding the bride wears a blue dress and the man wears a
black suit. Amish weddings take place in November or early December as they must be after the
harvest but before the winter makes it too difficult to travel. After the wedding the newly-married couple
spend their honeymoon travelling from one relative to the other and stay with each for a day or
overnight. In the spring the young couple are able to move into their own house. It is wonderful to see
how all the neighbours help to build a new house.
Most of the Amish speak three languages. They learn English at school but at home they speak an old
German dialect called “ Pennsylvania Dutch” and at Church Services they speak High German. I was
able to understand some of the things the people said to each other but not everything.
We bought many souvenirs, especially handicrafts. The Amish make beautiful hand-made quilts but
these were too big for me to bring back to Austria. I bought a bonnet and some other small things,
however. We also visited several of the covered bridges this area is famous for. You can see one of
them in the picture above. The trip was great but I can’t imagine living without a television, a DVD
player, my mobile phone or cars. Can you?
An Amish Poem
To be healthy and happy, get up at five.
Then you know you are really alive.
Work on the farm, plough the fields,
Only stop to eat your meals.
Meat and beans will make you strong,
If you eat these you will live long.
The simple life is the one we know,
If you give me a car, I will say “No”.
Our children play and don’t need toys,
They are all happy, our girls and boys.
We go to bed at nine or ten,
Because at five we start again.
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INTERACT 2006
Conference Selections
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Interact 2006: Debska
SHLEMIEL GOES THROUGH EUROPE, DEBSKA (PL)
Isaac Bashevis Singer’s haunting story for children:
When Shlemiel went to Warsaw (Stories for Children, Farrar/Strauss/Giroux, New York), is proving
an ideal base for a wide range of language activities at many levels: a simple storytelling to develop
listening skills in a pleasurable way, a scenario for impromptu drama or theatrical performance, or the
starting point for an educational drama project with great potential for cross-cultural learning and
integrated skills language work.
Shlemiel is the name of the naive fool in Jewish tradition and Singer wrote many stories about this
character as an inhabitant of Chelm, a town in eastern Poland where there was once a thriving Jewish
community and which in Jewish tradition is the Town of Fools, as many folk tales illustrate. I have
adapted this particular story in various ways on many occasions, according to the time available and
the situation, the needs of the participants and their own particular talents. The destination of
Shlemiel’s journey and various aspects of the cultural content change according to the real-life location
of the workshop in question. I shall outline here the version presented at the INTERACT conference in
Vienna 2006, entitled Shlemiel goes to Vienna. This was a joint presentation with Martin Willis, who
is a trained actor and singer as well as an EFL teacher; we therefore adapted the scenario to make
use of his professional skills in the role of Shlemiel, with the participants drawn into impromptu action
at various points in the narrative. The activity thus lay somewhere between drama proper, based on
ad hoc improvisation by the participants, and simple theatre, a performance prepared in advance by
the presenters. It was designed to highlight different ways of exploiting a text, not as an instant lesson
plan, but as a stimulus for teachers and a possible model for teacher training.
SHLEMIEL GOES TO VIENNA: A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE STORY
The Shlemiels live in Chelm. Shlemiel looks after the children while his wife goes to market to sell the
bread she bakes each night. One day some friends come. They have just been to Vienna and
describe its wonders. Shlemiel longs to see Vienna for himself and that night sets off on foot.
Eventually he goes to sleep by the road, but first, lest he forget which way to go when he wakes, he
places his shoes pointing the way to Vienna. While he is sleeping a thief comes, picks up Shlemiel’s
shoes, sees they are not worth stealing, and throws them down again, but now the shoes are pointing
back towards Chelm. Shlemiel meanwhile dreams that he is king of Vienna. He wakes, remembers
about the shoes, and continues his journey, but now in the wrong direction. He comes to a town, but it
is just like Chelm and he finds there a family just like his own. They finally decide that there must be
two identical Chelms. This Mrs Shlemiel’s husband has also gone off on a journey and she has
nobody to look after her children while she goes to market, so the town council employ Shlemiel to
look after them until her husband returns. Time passes. Mrs Shlemiel’s husband never returns.
Shlemiel never manages to continue his journey, and comes to the conclusion with which Singer’s
story closes:
“Those who leave Chelm end up in Chelm.
Those who remain in Chelm are certainly in Chelm.
All roads lead to Chelm.
All the world is one big Chelm.”
WARM-UP TO THE WORKSHOP
Songs in Yiddish are played on the cassette player as participants enter. On the board / walls is a
small display of pictures, texts and maps (culled from free tourist material or photocopied from books)
relating to the multicultural history of the Chelm region and cultural topics from the wider area (e.g.
Chagall’s pictures of Jewish daily life), with suggestions as to how learners could build up their own
topic display in a cross-curricular project. Large sheets of paper and coloured pens are also spread
over tables, each roughly indicating part of the route Chelm - Vienna. Participants add impromptu
drawings and labels to make picture-maps, for example, trees, hills, castles, along the route, according
to their fancy. (This map-making activity is here used as a stimulus to the imagination but can itself be
a substantial project for learners, involving research, writing and artwork.)
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THE WORKSHOP SCENARIO
The narrator tells the story, eliciting and linking the contributions made by Shlemiel and the
participants.
PROLOGUE: CHELM THE TOWN OF FOOLS
A slowed-down version of a Jewish circle dance melody frames the tale, told by the narrator, of how
Chelm came to be the town of fools.
THE STORY
When God created the world, he sent an angel with one bag of wise souls and another of foolish souls
to scatter equally over the earth. But when the angel landed, the bag with foolish souls caught on a
rock, and all the foolish souls fell out in one place. This place was Chelm.
PART 1: LIVING IN CHELM
The narrator sets the scene in Chelm at the beginning of the 20th century.
•
•
•
The multicultural, multi-lingual Chelm market: Participants go around greeting each other
in any language they know other than their own first language and English
Festivities in Chelm: Shlemiel teaches the townspeople the rudiments of a Jewish circle
dance.
Shlemiel and the children: he tells them a bedtime story, getting them to join in the telling
(i.e. picking up the dark dark phrases in the repeats):
Once upon a time there was a dark dark country.
In the dark dark country there was a dark dark road.
The dark dark road went through a dark dark forest.
Beyond the dark dark forest there was a dark dark town.
In the dark dark town there was a dark dark street.
On the dark dark street there was a dark dark house.
In the dark dark house there were some dark dark stairs.
At the top of the dark dark stairs there was a dark dark bedroom.
In the dark dark bedroom there were some good good children fast asleep.
PART 2: GOING TO VIENNA
The narrator recounts the visit of Shlemiel’s friends and how they talk of Vienna, the departure of
Shlemiel, the first part of his journey, and Shlemiel’s dream.
•
Talking about Vienna: Shlemiel asks his friends about Vienna (e.g. Do they have good beer?
Is there an opera house? etc.) and participants call out answers.
•
Shlemiel’s departure: as he leaves the children wake and beg him not to go (Papa, don’t go,
etc.).
•
Shlemiel’s journey: Participants as various animals and birds greet Shlemiel as directed by
the narrator.
•
Shlemiel’s song: Shlemiel sings his own song, to the tune of The Blue Danube by Johann
Strauss:
To Vienna I go, I go, I go, I’m going so slow, so slow, so slow,
I’m going along, along, along, I’m singing a song, a song, a song,
It’s so far away, away, away, I’m going all day, all day, all day,
But I when I get there you will see How happy, happy I will be!
•
Everyone sings: Shlemiel imagines he is on the stage of the Vienna opera house;
participants, as the audience, applaud ecstatically, and join in singing an encore
(words displayed).
•
Shlemiel goes to sleep: the thief (a participant) inspects the sleeping Shlemiel’s pockets and
shoes, as directed by the narrator, and replaces the shoes, now pointing in the wrong
direction.
•
Shlemiel’s dream: he dreams he is king of Vienna and the lords and ladies have come to
celebrate his birthday. In a slower, dreamlike tempo the participants repeat the circle dance
they previously learnt in the market scene.
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PART 3 : RETURNING TO CHELM
The narrator recounts Shlemiel’s return to Chelm and his strange reception there.
•
Shlemiel enters Chelm: he is surprised when various people seem to know himand greet
him as he passes through the town (participants call out greetings).
•
Shlemiel meets his family: his children (all the participants) appear and shout out papa,
papa, etc.
•
The town council: Shlemiel seeks help and elicits suggestions from the participants as
councillors, before the narrator recounts the resolution.
PART 4 : STAYING IN CHELM
The narrator tells the story to the end, seeking to create a quieter, more reflective atmosphere for the
mysterious ending of the tale.
•
•
Shlemiel again with his children: he sings them a song in another language that he once
learnt from itinerant traders and the participants as children join in a repetition as best they
can, with words displayed (the song specially chosen for INTERACT was the Slovak lullaby
Dobrú noc, má milá, well known to several of the central European participants).
Epilogue: as the story ends with Singer’s own haunting words (as in the story outline above)
the slower dance melody, first used to introduce the opening story about the angel, is now
played again, to extend the hushed, reflective mood a little; then it changes to a fast and lively
version and the presenters lead the participants into a vigorous improvised dance, uniting
everyone in a high-spirited conclusion to the workshop.
DRAMA TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED
The main emphasis is on a simultaneous whole-group activity that contributes to the story being
narrated or the scene being enacted. Joining in songs, calling out answers, making sound effects, etc.
are typical of the British Christmas pantomime tradition with its strong element of audience
participation and in a workshop situation participants are also able to move around and dance. They
are thus joint creators of the event. It is possible to introduce a host of improvisations and interludes,
both dramatic and musical, into this kind of activity. We must, however, resist the temptation to
introduce too many elements, or the story itself may suffer. In the end the simplest storytelling is often
the most powerful in its effect.
THE FURTHER JOURNEYS OF SHLEMIEL
This type of workshop is offered as a kind of showcase of possibilities for teachers to try out and
consider. The story has also been used for simple theatrical performance, e.g. as a narration with
incidental short scenes enacted by teen-age learners. It is easily adapted to almost any situation and
language level. I would like to conclude by referring to two developments in Poland that have taken
place since the INTERACT workshop.
SHLEMIEL GOES TO PRZESIEKA
At the summer course for teachers at Przesieka in the Silesian hills, organised by the Polish IATEFL
CELT SIG in August 2006, Shlemiel was not on the agenda, but Jewish circle dances and Yiddish
songs were taught throughout the week by Ida Baj, a teacher trainer from Jelenia Góra who
specializes in the use of song and dance in ELT. We therefore held an impromptu Shlemiel session at
the end of the week, narrating the story, briefly and simply, with the various songs and dances that
had been taught on the course woven into the narrative. The story proved an excellent vehicle to link
together the songs and dances previously learnt by the participants and Ida Baj has since repeated
and developed this approach.
THE SHLEMIEL PROJECT
A joint project by the Drama Centre “Na Poddaszu” at the Toruń Teacher Training College for Foreign
Languages and Miniorkiestra, a Toruń “klezmer” band, is now underway. We are preparing a
storytelling interwoven with musical sound effects and Jewish songs and dances, as well as various
other kinds of audience participation. In addition, we are proposing to work with schools, particularly in
the rural areas in this part of Poland, on a project designed to both prepare for and follow up a
performance. The school students would do a little research, at a level appropriate to them, into the
geography, history and culture of the eastern Polish border region and make a picture-map in advance
to show the journey from Chelm to their school. They would also prepare such things as songs,
dances, food or simple artifacts, representing their own local culture, as gifts to the dreaming Shlemiel.
We see this as a typical educational drama project, involving whatever skills the young people have to
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bring to it, and making use of English to express their own home culture and interests as well as for
intercultural learning. Details can be found on the website
http://www.miniorkiestra.art.pl/shlemiel_mc.htm, where we hope to organize an ongoing Shlemiel
project page, or by writing to anita.debska@virgin.net.
AN EXPANDING THEME
The idea of a journey is archetypal and has inspired stories in all cultures. It provides an excellent
framework to link together items of fact and fiction, stories and enactments, music and dance,
presentations of all kinds, and is itself a rich metaphor for human life and endeavours. The materials
given to the INTERACT participants included traditional tales from various places along the route
(Lublin, Kraków, Brno, Vienna) together with reduced versions of other Shlemiel stories by Singer that
could form the basis of a cross-cultural storytelling project. But Shlemiel is not only a colourful
character from the central and eastern European world of a century ago: he is Everyman and his story
can be transposed to any time and place and culture. His journey has a particular poignancy because
it leads him back to where he started, and in his foolishness there is a hint of wisdom, the possibility of
seeing the familiar with fresh eyes and appreciation. This too we would like to convey to our
participants. We would wish for learners to expand their horizons and their imagination with the
stimulus of story and drama in English, but also to discover and appreciate their own home
environment, for wherever we happen to be there are stories waiting to be told and insights to be
shared. So the last words in our workshop and materials for teachers are borrowed from T. S. Eliot’s
Four Quartets:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time…
Anita Jones Debska teaches at the Teacher Training College for Foreign Languages in Toruń,
Poland. She is a British teacher and teacher trainer with international experience, especially in
Poland. She is the co-initiator of the IATEFL Poland SIG for Music and Drama, runs drama courses
for students of English at Torun TTC, does cross-cultural project with Oxford Youth Theatre and
works as a translator of Polish poetry as well.
Contact: anita.debska@virgin.net
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Interact 2006: Kempe
STIMULATION OF LIMITATION: 'LINE - STORIES', KEMPE (UK)
THE CONSTRAINTS OF LANGUAGE
Successful communication through written language is clearly contingent upon adherence to a number
of constraints in the form of grammatical conventions. Degrees of tolerance regarding the strictness of
adherence vary from individual to individual and context is always an important factor when it comes to
the response any given piece of writing elicits from the reader. For example, as a University tutor I
regularly turn a blind eye to spelling and grammatical errors in e mails that I would feel obliged to
comment on where they do appear in letters of application or academic essays. However, when the
boundaries of accepted conventions are pushed too far then what is written runs the risk of becoming
indecipherable. In some cases such writing is the manifestation of a lack of appropriate technical
knowledge or skill (think of the child who has not learned to spell correctly or the aunt whose spidery
writing simply makes your eyes go funny!) In other cases breaking the boundaries is a wilful act which
helps to define the writer as a member of a particular social group who share their own conventions. A
contemporary example of this may be observed in the way teenage groups write text messages.
Spoken communication is similarly constrained. Whether formal, informal or creative in nature and
purpose, speech must of necessity be bound by factors that will allow the listeners to decode what
they are hearing. In many respects however the constraints at work in effective live oral
communication are much more complex than in the use of standardised written language. Accuracy of
spelling and punctuation obviously ceases to be the same kind of issue. However, tone, pitch, volume
and pace all become factors in terms of the extent to which what is being spoken will be understood.
Accent may also play a part in how the listener responds to the speaker: while ‘standardised’ forms of
speech may be accepted in the depersonalised context of the television broadcast, they may not
always be regarded as the most appropriate form for use at an interpersonal level.
Some of the constraints that need to be attended to in order to make live oral communication effective
are three dimensional. What we do in terms of gesture, facial expression and movement in space all
carry meanings. Successful communication occurs when these meanings are cognate with and
complementary to the semantic meanings of the words being spoken: it’s simply not convincing to say
‘I love you’ while yawning and stretching to see the television!
Drama techniques can be used to draw students’ attention to the complex matrix of the physical and
semantic aspects of spoken interactions. By making deliberate use of various linguistic and physical
constraints, much of what they know implicitly when using their native language is made explicit in
their work in an additional language. By making such devices explicit, students become more able to
make conscious decisions regarding how to make their spoken interactions more effective.
Recognising the existence of constraints and what happens when they are deliberately manipulated
can demonstrate their importance while presenting students with challenges that require creative
solutions. As British playwright Noel Greig wisely observed, ‘limitation is stimulation’ (Greig 2005) The
drama workshop outlined in this paper aims to stimulate students’ understanding of how employing
specific linguistic and physical devices in tightly constrained ways results in effective and engaging
acts of communication.
WHAT ARE ‘LINE STORIES’
‘Line stories’ are a simple, flexible and aesthetically pleasing way of communicating a narrative in a
creative and entertaining way. The technique allows language learners to focus on specific technical
aspects of language while respecting the need for any receptor of a piece of live oral communication
to be engaged by the visual and aural aspects of a presentation as well as by the verbal aspects. In
essence, the system involves the presenters, usually between 4 – 6 of them, facing an audience and
using a combination of vocal and physical techniques to re-tell a story in a choric way. The
‘storytellers’ stand in a straight line. They must always face forward and must never relate to each
other with their eyes, by touch or by turning their bodies towards each other. They must never move
off their allocated spot so movement is always constrained to the vertical plain so, for example,
walking or running must be done ‘on the spot’ and whenever a character needs to speak to another
character, they do so as if the person they are speaking to is standing in front of them. The technique
can be used to bring all sorts of texts to life. The choice of text can be varied according to the age and
proficiency of the target group as can the nature and number of constraints imposed on the how to
communicate it. Nursery rhymes, fairy and folk stories, poems, playscripts, news reports and extracts
from novels can all be turned into dramatic presentations. The technique can also be used in devised
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work and prove to be a powerful way of representing challenging, even disturbing, ideas and situations
in an accessible and dramatically effective manner. The paradox is that working to such tight formal
constraints does not curtail creativity or expressiveness – far from it in fact! Rather, by removing the
possibilities of using the space freely or becoming absorbed in interactions with other presenters, the
players’ focus on the use of vocabulary, vocal range and gesture is enhanced and this can lead to
fascinatingly inventive, dramatically exciting and linguistically sophisticated acts of oral
communication.
Preparing a line story involves the students in identifying the most important events of a narrative,
placing them into a sequence and making deliberate choices about how to use their voices and bodies
to communicate with an audience. The system introduces students to some of the techniques involved
in choral speech and physical theatre such as mirroring, cannon and unifying or juxtaposing word and
action. Insisting that the students always face front and do every action ‘on the spot’, rather than
relating to each other or moving around in the retelling, emphasises the need to focus on
communicating with the audience. The rigour of the constraint facilitates creativity and physical control.
LIMITING THE POSSIBILITIES
First and foremost, the presenters of a line story are limited by the nature of the story they have been
challenged to re-tell. Harold Rosen (in Hackman & Marshall 1990) has argued that the key ingredients
of a narrative are:
•
•
•
Events (what happens)
Storyline (the order in which things happen)
Narrative (the way the story is told)
By choosing a story that is strongly located in a particular genre, language learners are assisted in
their acquisition of specific language features that necessarily adhere to the chosen genre. In other
words, the constraints inherent to the type of story being told demand that those telling the story work
within a prescribed range of grammatical and presentational modes rather than employing arbitrary,
idiosyncratic techniques that may fail to communicate the story effectively.
By way of example, the teacher may choose to use an ‘urban myth’, that is, a story that is popularly
circulated amongst teenagers by word of mouth. Such stories have been recognised as a phenomenal
aspect of adolescence in the western world since the 1950s, reappearing with little variation in
successive generations. The example used for the Vienna INTERACT conference printed below is a
popular one: all three of my own children have, in their time, told me variations of this story with the
utmost conviction that ‘it’s really true!’ just as I told my parents the same story with similar sincerity
some years ago! Other examples of popular urban myths are readily available on the worldwide web
(see, for example www.snopes.com or www.urbanlegends.about.com )
An Amazing Story
I have heard an amazing story. It’s absolutely true. Listen.
My friend’s sister is really lucky to be alive. One night she was out with her boyfriend. They went for a
drive in the country to be alone and…well, you know why they went there! So, they parked in a dark
lane in the deepest part of forest. They turned off the car’s lights and had just started to have a kiss
and cuddle when the music on the radio suddenly stopped. There was a newsflash. The radio said
that a murderer had escaped from a local high security prison. The murderer, it said, was highly
dangerous. He was a madman. People were warned to look out for him but to stay well away. It would
be easy to recognise him, the radio said, because instead of a normal right hand he had a steel hook!
The girl, my friend’s sister, became very upset because the prison was quite close by. She said she
wanted to go somewhere safer. But the boy said, ‘Don’t be silly. We are OK here. We’ll just wind up
the windows and lock the doors. No-one will be interested in us.’
But the girl said that she thought she could hear strange noises outside. She was sure someone was
moving around in the bushes. Then she said she could hear a scratching, scraping sound. She got so
upset she started to cry. She begged the boy to take her home and he reluctantly agreed.
When they got back to her house she calmed down and they had a long good night kiss. Finally, she
got out of the car. She turned to shut the door …. then screamed and fell to her knees sobbing in
terror. For there, hanging from the door handle was a large hook!
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The advantages of using a text like this as a starting point are that:
•
•
•
•
This sort of story appeals to teenagers who are familiar with this type of ‘urban myth’ and may
be excited to re-tell and use their own examples;
The objective of the story is clear: its purpose is to try to scare and amaze the audience!
The events of the story are ordered into a simple, chronological sequence;
Telling such a story effectively demands an expressive use of voice, gesture and facial
expression. The ‘line story’ technique helps students focus on these aspects of
communicating to an audience rather than becoming overly concerned with indulging in the
dramatic experience for their own pleasure.
Preparing a line story demands students co-operate, negotiate and plan together. It gives them the
chance and need to talk about making talk effective. As a theatrical system, line stories are quite
Brechtian. Students working on line stories or Brecht could be asked to consider the links between
them.
STRUCTURING THE WORK IN CLASS
Playwrights, directors, actors and audiences would attest to the importance of structure and constraint
in theatrical productions. Those in the world of industry, education and commerce (and perhaps also
guests at wedding celebrations!) similarly value structure and constraint as fundamental ingredients of
a successful oral presentation. Structure is also an important ingredient of effective everyday,
conversational language use. No doubt we have all been bored by colleagues or acquaintances that
dwell on the irrelevant details of an anecdote while failing to recognise the salient points of the
narrative and relate them with an appropriate degree of emotion. Similarly, listeners become frustrated
when the story they are attempting to follow jumps around in terms of time, space and perspective.
Teaching children how to structure their talk does not limit their creativity; rather, it opens up
possibilities for communicating the fruits of their imagination and critical observations of the world in
creative and effective ways.
What follows is a carefully structured way of introducing students to the line story technique. It is
important to remember that while the teacher is imposing a structure on the nature of the activity, no
such impositions are placed on the way the students resolve to work within the set limitations. Rather,
the imposed limitations should be promoted as a stimulation for solving a communication problem
creatively.
1. As an introductory activity, the teacher asks the students to get into pairs. One partner begins to tell
a simple story but breaks off half way through a sentence with the words ‘and then…’. The second
partner continues with the story but again breaks off half way through a sentence with the words ‘and
then…’
For example:
‘I woke up this morning and got out of bed and then…’
‘I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and then…’
‘I saw a very strange thing. A crocodile sitting in the bath and then…’
‘It yawned and said ‘Good morning’ to me so I said ‘Good morning’ to him and then…’
Such stories may be endless so the teacher must call ’stop’ after a few minutes!
2. The students change partners and start a new ‘and then…’ story. This time however every element
of the story should be accompanied with some sort of illustrative action, gesture and facial expression.
3. As a group, the students briefly discuss the extent to which adding actions and gestures helped
make the evolving story more engaging and fun both in the telling and the receiving.
4. The students are asked to make small groups (4 – 6 is good) and the teacher hands each group a
short text such as the urban myth above. The groups read the text aloud with each member of each
group taking it in turns to read just one sentence. When they have finished this task they should be
given a few minutes to talk and share their understanding of the story.
5. The groups read the text through again. This time they should stand in a semi-circle and try to
combine their vocal rendition with a physical action and facial expression. By standing in a semi-circle
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each student can watch how the others are working and, as a group, they can start to reflect on the
effectiveness of different combinations of vocal range and physical communication techniques.
6. The groups are asked to pick out words or phrases in the text that they think are especially
important and deserve special emphasis. In a third read through everyone in the group joins in when
these words or phrases occur. The groups are encouraged to experiment with having everyone saying
the words in exactly the same way and doing the same action, or offering different variations but at the
same time.
7. This leads to the introduction of the techniques of mirroring (i.e. one person leading a line and
action and the rest of the group doing the same thing a split second afterwards), cannon (one person
says a line and does an action which is then repeated by a second person then a third and so on) and
unison (when the group decide to say and do something together in exactly the same way).
As the groups become familiar with the text, it is useful to encourage them to drop the printed
version and rely on their own reconstruction of the narrative. This will allow the students to work at
their own level rather than being impeded by language that they may not fully comprehend. It is
more productive for the students to assimilate the essence of the story and tell it in their own
words than to re-present the printed text accurately as if it were a playscript.
8. After a period of time trying these ideas out, groups are encouraged to become more sophisticated
by exploring ways of juxtaposing words and actions. So, for example, if one presenter had the line
‘She really loved him!’ the second, third and fourth presenters might cannon a physical representation
of being in love while the fifth presenter might ironically look as if she is being sick at the thought! This
is a good way of making the presentations humourous and facilitating an exploration of the way the
use of facial expression and gesture are vital in the communication of sub-text!
9. Finally, each group needs to decide what techniques they wish to apply to their version of the story
and rehearse their re-telling, gradually flattening the semi-circle out into a straight line. All actions must
be contained on the spot and faces must always be directed towards the audience.
Once a group has understood the principles how a piece of text can be theatricalised through the line
story technique, the next logical step is to invite them to use the system in a piece of drama of their
own devising.
DIFFERENTIATING FOR LEARNING
The line story technique may be used to give students practice in using various grammatical modes in
their talk depending on their ability and level of experience. For example, groups might use a simple
narrative such as an urban myth or folk tale to cement their practical understanding of tenses (Kempe
A & Holroyd J 2004 pp 62 - 63). In this instance, the limitation is that each new speaker in the line
story must adopt a different tense:
•
‘One day Little Red Riding Hood set off on a trip through the forest. She was going to see her
Grandma…’ (past tense).
•
‘She is walking through the woods. She sees a wolf. Now the wolf jumps out in front of her. He
speaks. She is going with him off the path…’ (present)
•
‘She will be tempted to pick some flowers. She will get lost. The wolf will get to Grandma’s
cottage before her…’ (future)
Alternatively, the constraint may be that each new speaker must tell their part of the story from the
perspective of a different person:
1. ‘I am walking through the woods. I see a wolf. He is coming closer to me’ (1st person present)
2. ‘You will be tempted away from the path. You will get lost and the wolf will beat you to your
Grandma’s cottage.’ (2nd person future)
3. ‘She arrived at Grandma’s cottage and went in. She found Grandma in bed but something was
strange about her.’ (3rd person past – the usual storytelling mode)
A third variation suitable for more experienced students involves the group switching between different
modes such as narration, description, explanation. For example:
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1. ‘Red Riding Hood set off to take her Grandma some lunch one day. She said goodbye to her
mother and skipped merrily off towards the forest…’ (narration)
2. ‘The forest was a dazzling green. The sunlight filtered down through the leaves making
beautiful patterns across the path. But as she went in further it became darker and darker and
it became a little more difficult for Red Riding Hood to see exactly where she was going…’
(description)
3. ‘This was because the forest was very big. It had been there for thousands of years. Red
Riding Hood needed to go through the darkest part because that was the quickest way to
Grandma’s house…’ (explanation)
4. ‘But soon Little Red Riding Hood sensed danger. She heard the soft padding of a large animal
behind her then, suddenly, a wolf leapt in front of her. Little Red Riding Hood jumped with
fright. The beast opened its jaws…and spoke to her in a soft voice…’ (narration)
5. ‘This is because the tale of Red Riding Hood is a fairy tale and animals can speak in fairy
tales. Fairy tales aren’t real but they are full of magic so all sorts of things can happen in
them!’ (explanation)
IN SUMMARY…
There is an apocryphal story that relates an occasion when someone once asked Albert Einstein,
‘Professor, how should we educate our children?’ ‘Tell them stories,’ was his reply. It doesn’t matter if
this really happened. Perhaps it is just a story about the value of telling stories. Either way there
seems to me to be a truthfulness in its fundamental message. Stories are not necessarily engaging or
particularly meaningful in their own right. What are they but squiggles on a page or noises in the
ether? What gives them meaning and makes them worth either reading or listening to is the way we
tell them. Any effective act of communication, be it in the imaginative realm of the theatre or the
perfunctory world of commerce, relies on the careful application of form to content. The intriguing
paradox is that by playing with the limitations of both, our practical understanding of the possibilities
and purposes of language may be stimulated beyond measure.
REFERENCES
Greig N (2005)
Hackman S & Marshall B (1990)
Kempe A & Holroyd J (2004)
Playwrighting: A Practical Guide, London: Routledge
Re-reading Literature, London: Hodder & Stoughton
Speaking, Listening and Drama, London: David Fulton
Andy Kempe has written on many different aspects of drama education and has an international
profile as an expert in the field. His books are standard texts in English secondary schools. His book
‘Das Klassenzimmer als Bühne’ draws on work undertaken in German schools. He is Senior
Lecturer in Drama Education at the University of Reading.
Contact: a.j.kempe@reading.ac.uk
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Interact 2006: Glaap
WHY CANADA IN THE CLASSROOM? GLAAP (D)
In our European curricula for the teaching of English as a foreign language, Canadian Studies in
general and Canadian literary texts in particular have so far played a relatively unimportant role.
Considering the little time that is left beyond the language learning process, one cannot expect
teachers or students to expatiate upon Canadian topics for an extended period of time. On the other
hand, “American Studies” should not be confined to US-American Studies only.
What sort of English-Canadian texts are suitable for introducing students to Canada in our EFLcourses? Basically, there are three categories:
•
Canadian (literary) texts which do not require lengthy background information. They can be
used to elicit reactions and responses on the part of the students.
•
Canadian (literary) texts which make specifically Canadian statements that ask for background
information.
•
Canadian (literary) texts which are used as foils to thematically-related US-American texts so
that the students can compare and contrast them with something they are already familiar
with.
In any case, the discussion and analysis of Canadian texts in the classroom require pre-reading
activities which pave the way for what is to follow. One possibility could be to start off by asking the
students what they associate with Canada. They are liable to come up with well-known stereotypes,
like ‘wilderness,’ ‘bears,’ ‘Eskimos’ (Inuit), ‘ice hockey,’ ‘lakes,’ ‘cold winters.’ Such cliché-ridden
statements could act as an incentive to look out for texts that help to give insights into and break down
stereotypical thinking. Another approach would be to confront the students with clusters of names and
words that are in some way windows on the Canadian world and ask them to find out their meanings.
EXAMPLES
Aca Nada
multiculturalism
Indians
Kanata
cultural mosaic
Métis
Toronto
Francophone
First Nations Peoples
provinces
Anglophone
immigrants
territories
Inuit
ACA NADA is what the Spanish discoverers are said to have called out when they arrived at what is now
Canada: “Here is nothing.” KANATA, a word in the Huron-Iroquois Indian language, means hamlet or
small village. CANADA has been the official name for the country since the British North America Act of
1867. TORONTO was an Indian name for meeting place. Canada consists of ten PROVINCES and three
TERRITORIES. It is a CULTURAL MOSAIC with English and French being the two official languages. The term
FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES comprises three different cultures: the INDIANS were originally an Asiac people.
The INUIT are the inhabitants of the polar regions, the name meaning “human beings.” The MÉTIS are
people of the Prairies who trace their descent back to Cree/Ojibwa women and French fur traders.
Other clusters might consist of words related to rural as opposed to urban areas, or to Government
and political parties, or to what Canada and the U.S. have in common and in what they differ. Each of
these clusters can help to familiarise the students with one specific facet of Canadian culture, but it
can also be part of a ‘pre-reading activity’ before discussing a text in which the particular words occur.
Cartoons, as lead-ins to discussions about Canada, can already be considered for lessons in grades 6
to 8. The following cartoon, for instance, could be used to trigger an exchange of ideas on the
relationship between Americans and Canadians, with reference to a statement made by former Prime
Minister Pierre Trudeau. When he was asked: “What is it like to have the United States as a
neighbour?”, he replied: “Living next to the USA is in some way like sleeping with an elephant.”
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Canadian short stories and poems can hardly be dealt with before grade 9. They can then either be
analysed as self-contained entities or integrated into a thematic unit. The following POEM lends itself
to discussing Canadian identity:
National Identity
The Canadian Centenary Council
Meeting in le Reine Elizabeth
To seek those symbols
Which will explain ourselves to ourselves
Evoke bi-cultural responses
And prove that something called Canada
Really exists in the hearts of all
Handed out to every delegate
At the start of proceedings
A portfolio of documents
On the cover of which appeared
In Gold Letters
not
A Mari Usque Ad Mare
not
Dieu et Mon Droit
not
Je Me Souviens
not
E Pluribus Unum
but
Courtesy of Coca-Cola Limited
(F. R. Scott)
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The poem is a subtle assessment of the Centenary in 1967 when Canadians celebrated the onehundredth anniversary of the birth of their Confederation. The Centenary Council met in a Montréal
hotel by name of Reine Elizabeth and tried to determine that “something like Canada really exists in
the heart of all” Canadians, and discussed how this could be expressed by symbols. The message the
poem ‘drives home’ is that a search for pan-Canadian symbols cannot be successful, and Scott
suggests satirically that, if national models fail, Coca-Cola will bring about unification. The students
catch a glimpse of the juxtaposition of English and French Canadians at the time. F. R. Scott chastises
his fellow Canadians for genuflecting to the cultural values of imperial Britain. Some preparatory work
must be done before analysing this poem. The different mottos should be explained: A Mari Usque ad
Mare (motto of the Dominion of Canada, 1867), Dieu et Mon Droit (motto on the coat of arms of the
Royal Family), Je Me Souviens (motto of the Province of Québec, which refers to the old values of the
French-speaking Canadians, the French language and the Catholic faith) and E Pluribus Unum (motto
on the coat of arms of the United States).
The analysis of this poem may initiate a discussion about the changes that have taken place since
1967. These days, Canada is a multicultural country. Increasingly, immigrants from many other
cultures, in particular from Africa and Asia, have entered into what had so far been considered the
Canadian bicultural mosaic. First Nations Peoples have long found their legitimate recognition. The
Inuit, in particular, have finally received Nunavut, a territory of their own. A more recent map of
Canada might help to illustrate the Canadian Provinces and Territories, their capitals and boundaries.
Canadian drama has become increasingly popular in the world outside of Canada, a development
which stems from the fact that contemporary Canadian plays do not only deal with specifically
Canadian issues any more, but, since the early 1990s, also deal with universal topics that are of
interest to theatregoers all over the world. In Germany, ministerial guidelines for the teaching of
English require that, next to British and American literary texts, texts from the New English Literatures,
particularly Canadian literature, be included in teaching programmes for the upper grades of our
“Gymnasien.” A play that lends itself particularly to classroom work is Daniel MacIvor’s Marion Bridge.
For reasons of space a brief comment on this play must suffice here. (For a more detailed analysis
and suggestions for classroom activities cf. Glaap 2006.)
Nova Scotia is the easternmost of the Canadian mainland provinces. The total population of this
province is 936,000. The tiny community of Marion Bridge is still a quiet, unassuming place, its
population being about 400, and it is this community that is the centre of Daniel MacIvor’s stage play
Marion Bridge. The work, a two-act play with a quick-paced dialogue, set in the kitchen of a family
home in Nova Scotia/Cape Breton, was first produced in 1998. A screen adaptation premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival in 2002. Prior to the interpretation and discussion of this play in
class, a song may serve as a pre-reading activity, Helen Crighton’s “Farewell to Nova Scotia,” the
best-known of all Nova Scotian songs.
Three sisters, now in their thirties, who return to their childhood home after a long time away,
represent different responses to the constraints of the people living in the rural Maritimes, their
upbringing and their fossilized existences. Agnes, who lives in Toronto, is an under-employed actress
and has taken to the bottle. She tries to get out of the way of her mother who had forced her to go to a
notorious baby farm and give her child away for adoption. Now, after many years, she searches out
her daughter and wants her to stay with her and her sisters for a while. Her sister Theresa strongly
objects to this and tells Agnes that there is no room in the house for anyone else. Theresa is a nun,
who lives in a ‘farming order’ in New Brunswick. She has accepted the responsibility of looking after
her mother and her younger sister Louise, who lives in her own TV-dominated world. Louise has
always been a little odd, and her sisters can only shake their heads over her devotion to soap operas.
What the three sisters have in common is that they need each other, although they have taken
different routes to find meaning in their lives. Daniel MacIvor himself thinks that they could be seen as
representing different worlds – “Agnes more American, Theresa more the old-fashioned British, Louise
more the passive Canadian.” And:
I think Canadian narrative work in general always has had as one of its major themes the
search for identity. Having been a colony of Britain for so long and being so close to the
USA (caught between the eagle and the Queen as I like to call it) we have had to struggle
to find our own identity. In most recent times we have often been absorbed into an idea of
‘America’ – even of Americans, […]; and also we are inundated with American culture –
as a result I think that voices in our work have always been overtly searching for our
individual place in the world. Of course that is all changing now as our politics begin to
differ from American politics. (Glaap 2006, 338)
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As pointed out in the more detailed article quoted above (Glaap 2006), MacIvor’s statement could lead
on to a discussion of the well-known stereotypes which were attached to Americans and Canadians
towards the end of the last century and have been breaking up in the light of more recent political and
cultural developments. Excerpts from Guillermo Verdecchia’s play Fronteras Americanas (1993) might
be integrated into a thematic unit about “Living (on) the border between the USA and Canada.”
The monologues of the three sisters in Marion Bridge (pp. 9-10, 77-79 and 107-109) are of particular
importance: they are addressed to the audience without disturbing their perception of the play. Words
and expressions in, for instance, Theresa’s monologue (77-79) mirror her close relationship with life on
a farm. The monologues can be arranged in a mind map, which may also give the students an insight
into Theresa’s relationship with “Mother” who retreats into her own world and wants to die alone.
A film version of the stage play is available on DVD. Most of its scenes were shot at Halifax locations
and in rural Cape Breton. They illustrate the juxtaposition of the natural beauty of the island and the
massive steel plant in the neighbourhood and can thereby make the students understand that Canada
is not just virgin and bucolic landscape, but also townscape with industrial areas. A contrastive
analysis of the stage play and the film version gives an insight into how the introductory scenes of the
film pave the way for what is to happen. Watching these scenes with the sound turned off can be a
worthwhile activity, as the students will become aware of visual details that cannot be provided on
stage.
At the end of the play, the three daughters come to recognise why Marion Bridge was their mother’s
paradise. Whereas one of the three daughters finds her marriage in complete shambles, the other is
merely interested in her career, and the third has become addicted to soap operas. But, says MacIvor,
“The three sisters can be seen as parts of a whole person: the physical Agnes, the spiritual Theresa
and the mental (imaginative) Louise.” Marion Bridge mirrors, in miniature, opposing views of life by
juxtaposing a small town in the country with the glitzy city and its demanding attitude to life – the two
sides of today’s Canada.
Other plays lend themselves to classroom work – for instance New Canadian Kid, Dennis Foon’s play
for young audiences, the story of an immigrant boy and his mother as they assert their place within the
Canadian mosaic. Flippin’ In by Anne Chislett would be another possibility. It deals with youngsters
working in a fast food franchise for little pay and no respect. They decide that it is time for them to get
together and form a union. The play is written specifically for teenagers. An annotated edition for EFL
classes in German-speaking countries has recently been published by Cornelsen, Berlin. In Drew
Hayden Taylor’s Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock (also available in an annotated edition with an
accompanying Teacher’s Book), three adolescents experience a ‘toronto’ (an Indian word for
‘meeting’) on a rock, a sacred place where Native boys would go on vision quests. The three are of the
same age (16) and they are all Ojibwa Indians. One is a boy of our time, the second from three
hundred years in the past, and the third from a hundred years in the future. They fight against the loss
of identity and ask what it means to be a Native. At the end of the play, the ‘toronto’ has given the boy
of our time a path to follow, although he has by no means found all the answers yet. As a ‘dramatised’
story of initiation, this play can be used as a central text in a thematic unit on “Adolescents and
Initiation.”
Ample background material for planning thematic units with Canadian plays can be found in a recently
published book titled Contemporary Canadian Plays. Overviews and Close Encounters (Glaap/Heinze
2005).
WORKS CITED
Chislett, Anne. Flippin’ In. Berlin: Cornelsen 2002 (annotated edition with Teacher’s Book by A.-R.
Glaap).
“Farewell to Nova Scotia.” In: Glaap 2006.
Foon, Dennis. “New Canadian Kid.” In: Dennis Foon. New Canadian Kid. Invisible Kids. Vancouver:
Pulp Press 21992.
Glaap, Albert-Reiner/Michael Heinze. Contemporary Canadian Plays. Overviews and Close
Encounters. Trier: WVT 2005.
Glaap, Albert-Reiner. “Daniel MacIvor, Marion Bridge (2002).” In: S. Peters/K. Stierstorfer/L. Volkmann
(ed.s). Teaching Contemporary Literature and Culture. Drama, Part II. Trier: WVT 2006,
333-349.
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MacIvor, Daniel. Marion Bridge. Burnaby: Talonbooks 1999.
Taylor, Drew Hayden. Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock. Berlin: Cornelsen 1995 (annotated edition with
Teacher’s Book by A.-R. Glaap).
Albert Reiner Glaap studied English Language and Literature, Latin and Philosophy at the
Universities of Cologne and London (King´s College), graduated from Cologne University in 1956, Dr.
Phil. (Cologne University 1955); taught at various schools in Germany and the USA from 1958 to
1971; Director of the Düsseldorf Teacher Training College 1971- 1973; since 1973
Universitätsprofessor at Heinrich-Heine- Universität Düsseldorf; Honorary Officer of the Order of the
British Empire (OBE) since 1991; board member of Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft, Düsseldorf since
1998; member of Advisory Council of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-Speaking
Countries (1994- 2000).
Special fields of research: Modern English and Canadian literature, contemporary drama and
theatre in England, Canada and New Zealand; the teaching of English literature at secondary school
and university level; theory and practice of literary translation.
Editor of 18 annotated editions of British, Canadian and American plays; translator of 6 English stage
plays into German; editor of TAGS (Literary Texts for the Gymnasiale Oberstufe); co-editor of
TRANSFER (Literary Translation); general editor of CSEL (Cornelsen Senior English Literature);
editor of REFLECTIONS (books on the literatures in English outside Britain and the USA.)
Author of books on various subjects. Most recent book publications:
● Performing National Identities. International Perspectives on Contemporary Canadian Theatre (with
Sherrill Grace, 2003)
● Voices from Canada. Focus on 30 plays (2003)
● Keying in to Postcolonial Cultures. Contemporary Stage Plays in English (with Marc Maufort, 2003)
● A Guided Tour through Ayckbourn Country (2004)
● Contemporary Canadian Plays. Overviews and Close Encounters (with Michael Heinze, 2005).
Author of some 220 articles in different scholarly journals, theatre programmes and reference works.
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Interact 2006: Özkul
LEARNING A FOREIGN BODY LANGUAGE, ÖZKUL (TR/D)
1. INTRODUCTION
Mastering the rules of a foreign language cannot guarantee successful communication with the native
speakers of that language because successful communication does not mean a mere exchange of
words, but an ability to use both verbal and nonverbal elements appropriately. This requires
competence in three communicative channels: linguistic (grammar, vocabulary, etc.), paralinguistic
(prosody, intonation, stress, pitch, etc.) and nonverbal. Since nonverbal communication is culture
specific, ambiguous, and open to misinterpretation (Southworth, 1999:2), language learners should be
sensitised to a variety of nonverbal devices through carefully selected or devised exercises. However,
although a great deal of attention is devoted to nonverbal communication in the business world, the
importance of teaching the nonverbal aspects of a foreign language with regard to intercultural
teaching has been neglected.
2. THE MAJOR ASPECTS OF NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
When we think of a ‘language’, we tend to think of letters, paragraphs, texts, words, etc. However,
these are merely the visible or audible parts of a language. These become complete to convey
messages effectively only when they are accompanied by nonverbal communication elements. The
major aspects of nonverbal communication are:
Kinesics: Body movement of head, shoulders, lips, neck, legs, arms, fingers. Gestures and facial
expressions can be listed under this category (Wolfgang, 1984:160).
Proxemics: The use of space. People have an invisible space around them which differs accoring to
their culture (Samovar& Porter 1997:245).
Haptics: Touching behaviour and the amount of contact or non-contact between people when they
communicate.
Oculesics: Eye behaviours including eye contact, gaze, blinking, winking, glancing, squinting, and
other eye movements (Southworth, 1999:4).
Chronemics: Attitudes of people toward time: how people in a society perceive and use time (Hall&
Hall 1990:15).
Posture: Position of the body when sitting or standing (Valdes, 1986:69).
Silence: Pausing or waiting while communicating (Samovar& Porter 1995:210).
According to Knapp and Miller (1994:245): “Cultures differ radically in their use of space, touch, time,
and artefacts; in the symbolism of their attire; in their use of kinesic and vocal cues; in short, in all the
nonverbal codes.” Nonverbal signals enhance communication in many ways; on the other hand, the
cultural variety of nonverbal signals offers rich possibilities for misunderstandings. Therefore, foreign
language learners should be encouraged to develop empathy toward cultural differences instead of
ignoring them and considering their own communication norms as universal.
3. WHY TEACH NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
If we use nonverbal components of a language subconsciously, why do we need to teach them in a
foreign language classroom? The reasons to teach nonverbal elements are manifold:
a. Although we can interpret and use nonverbal factors in our mother tongue automatically, these
factors cannot be transferred into the foreign language we learn as they are culture and context
bound.
b. Most language learners concentrate heavily on understanding the verbal messages. Thus, they
usually miss many of these subtler nonverbal messages which prevent learners from being cognitively
overloaded because of too much information.
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c. Misinterpretation of nonverbal elements leads to breakdowns in intercultural communication. Such
breakdowns could sometimes be more difficult to repair than verbal failures.
d. Improving intercultural competence of language learners is related to competence in understanding
both verbal and nonverbal messages in a foreign language.
e. Verbal and nonverbal messages are inseparable constituents of natural language production.
Southworth (1999:7) states that “First, the teacher must be able to teach, along with the
speech involved in English, the nonverbal nuances that are used in English-speaking cultures. To
understand words is one thing, but to understand general ideas and themes is quite another.
The context of an English sentence, or any language for that matter, can vary greatly with the use of
nonverbal cues.” In this respect, the importance of competence in decoding nonverbal cues as well as
verbal expressions cannot be underestimated for complete understanding in a foreign language.
4. HOW TO TEACH NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal elements of a language should be taught and practised in the appropriate contexts.
However, due to the lack of material which focuses on this aspect of communication, language
teachers may experience difficulties in finding exercises to teach nonverbal communication. Some
teaching suggestions are:
a. Multiple Choice Tests: Prepare a handout on which some of the most common gestures of target
culture are demonstrated. Ask your students to guess the correct interpretation of these gestures from
the options given. Upon completing the test, make the students compare the meanings of gestures
with their own culture.
a. This gesture means “victory.”
b. This gesture means “number two.”
c. This gesture means “okay.”
d. This gesture has a very insulting meaning.
1
a. This gesture has a very insulting meaning.
b. This gesture means “number one.”
c. This gesture means “number five.”
d. This gesture means “Everything’s fine. Good going!”
2
a. This gesture means “okay.”
b. This gesture means “money.”
c. This gesture has a very insulting meaning.
d. This gesture means “zero.”
3
a. This gesture means “You are kidding me!”
b. This gesture means “Good luck. I hope it works out.”
c. This gesture means “I don’t want to talk to you any
more.”
d. This gesture means “You’re not telling me the truth.”
4
Answers :
1.A
2.D
3.A
4.B
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b. Problem-based Scenarios: Collect miscommunication scenarios caused by nonverbal differences
and reflect them by using transparencies. Have your students discuss these cases. Give them the
correct interpretation at the end of the discussion. To contribute a better internalization of nonverbal
diversities among cultures, you can also ask your students to write an episode about “what would
happen if such a misunderstanding happened in your country?” as a post-discussion activity.
1. An American teenager was hitchhiking in Nigeria. A carload of locals passed him. The car
screeched to a halt. The locals jumped out and promptly roughed up the visitor.
2. An American teacher in Vietnam wishes his students “Good luck!” by crossing his fingers. The
students feel embarrassed.
3. In an international business meeting, an Arab and a Latin American sit very close to an American
businessman. The businessman shifts in his seat, looking very uncomfortable.
4. An American visiting a foreign country is shocked to see men walking hand in hand in the streets.
ANSWERS
1. Although this gesture means “Everything is fine!” in American culture, thumbs-up gesture has a very
insulting meaning in Nigeria which may cause this kind of tragic result.
2. In Vietnam, crossing one’s fingers is an insulting gesture that should be avoided.
3. Americans tend to need more personal space than Arabs and Latinos.
4. Americans tend to limit their displays of affection among people of the same sex.
c. Pictures: Find pictures of some gestures used in the target culture and prepare info-cards on which
their interpretations are written. Deliver these info-cards and pictures to the class randomly. One of the
students having an info-card starts the activity by reading it aloud. The student who has the matching
picture stands up and shows it to the others. After they have been matched with each other, collect
and shuffle the cards and pictures to distribute again.
INFO-CARDS
Card 1. I was very nervous because of the history exam yesterday. I saw Jack sitting at the back of
the lecture hall and trying to say something by crossing his fingers. I couldn’t understand his message.
Card 2. I told Jack that my brother had almost two hundred tattoos on his body, and he wanted to
have more to be more attractive to women. Hearing that, Jack just rotated his forefinger at temple
several times. I couldn’t understand what he meant by it.
Card 3. I was at a techno disco with Jack. I asked him if he wanted to dance with me, but he just
cupped his ear with his hand. Did he mean that he can’t stand the loud music anymore, or was he
expecting an important telephone call?
Card 4. I invited Jack to have dinner. I cooked our traditional dishes for him. After the meal, I asked
him how the dishes tasted. He didn’t say anything, yet made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. I
was offended.
Pictures
(Tomalin, Barry& Susan Stempleski. (1993). Cultural Awareness. Oxford: OUP. [p:118].)
d. Idioms and Expressions: Divide your class into groups and deliver each group a task sheet
consisting of expressions/idioms about one of the nonverbal elements. Ask them to find the equivalent
of each statement in their mother tongue or translate it.
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•
•
•
•
Time in America
Time is money. - It is a race against time.
There is no time to lose. - You’re running out of time. - I’ve invested a lot of time in her.
Time is of the essence. - Time flies when you are having fun.
You’re wasting my time.
e. Poems and Songs: Create some groups for this exercise and give each group slips of paper to be
brought together to form a meaningful poem. When they are ready, read the correct form of the poems
aloud and let your students correct their mistakes. Finally, invite your students to discuss the message
of each poem and in what way they reflect the nonverbal aspects of the target culture. This activity can
be completed by a cloze text for which students listen to a song about the same aspect of nonverbal
communication.
Eyes
“Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at, and I sigh.”
Song: “Sad Eyes” from Enrique Iglasias or “My Father’s Eyes” from Eric Clapton.
f. Video: Tell your students that they are going to watch a video sequence in which a variety of
gestures of the target culture is illustrated. As the first step, they are going to watch it without sound
and try to guess what message the performer is trying to convey with her/his gestures. After the
students have completed the first task, answers are discussed altogether with the class. Show the
video with sound this time. The students check their answers.
For such a kind of exercise, language teachers can use soap operas, some sequences from
interviews with celebrities or politics, or a film.
g. Dialogues: Language learners can write and act out a dialogue based on appropriate nonverbal
expressions.
h. Literature: Reading texts, poems, songs, or idioms reflecting nonverbal rules of the target culture
can be used to emphasis international differences.
Nonverbal elements can be best presented by using audiovisual materials such as video,
the Internet, and DVD to provide language learners with a suitable context and background; however,
these techniques can be time consuming and impractical. Language teachers who must cover a
syllabus and have no time to teach nonverbal signals in isolation from daily timetable and coursebook
work can design their own exercises by mixing different techniques to be integrated into other
language teaching exercises.
5. CONCLUSION
It may be unrealistic to expect students to change their own nonverbal patterns while communicating
with people from the target culture; however, they should have an ample knowledge of nonverbal
differences between cultures and empathy for cultural diversities. In other words, learning nonverbal
features of the target language may not help them to express themselves better, but it will definitely
make a significant contribution for a better understanding in a foreign language. Therefore, body
language needs to be taught from beginner level in small pieces. This requires integrating nonverbal
communication into the curriculum of modern language teaching and teacher training.
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6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Hall, E. T. & Hall, M. R. (1990). Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans, French, and
Americans. Maine: Edward T. Hall Associates.
- Knapp, M. L.& Miller, G. R. (Ed.). (1994). Handbook of Interpersonal Communication. California:
Sage.
- Samovar, L. A.& Porter, R. E. (1997). Intercultural Communication. California: Wadsworth Publishing.
- Samovar, L. A.& Porter, R. E. (1995). Communication Between Cultures. California: Wadsworth
Publishing.
- Southworth, H. (1999). Nonverbal Communication in a Cross-cultural Context [Online]. Available:
www-1.gsb.columbia.edu/cis/training/ acrostuff/tooHOT.research.pdf [June 20, 2004].
- Valdes, J. M. (Ed.). (1986). Culture Bound: Bridging the cultural gap in language teaching.
Cambridge: CUP.
- Wolfgang, A. (Ed.). (1984). Nonverbal Behavior: Perspectives, Application, Intercultural Insights.
Lewinston, NY: J. Hofrege.
Senem Özkul obtained her MA in English Language Education from Ludwig-Maximilians-University
(LMU) in Munich. She pursues a PhD in English Language Education at the LMU Muenchen since
April 2005. Her research interests include language and culture, language learning styles, nonverbal
communication and students' career decisions in ELT.
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Interact 2006: Husemoen & Steinmetz
WEB-BASED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING, HUSEMOEN (NORWAY) &
STEINMETZ (DENMARK)
The digital environment is expanding very rapidly and growing more powerful. There has been a lot of
focus on the development of user-friendly web-based platforms and other educational environments,
and until recently less on the content and learning activities. Some would argue that the focus on
technology and the absence of focus on the content and web-based activities are the main reasons
that e-learning has had less progress than expected. In spite of this, the rapid development of userfriendly, web-based environments enables those who work with education, be it in the formal
educational system or at the work place, to use ICT in an entirely new way. One way to use userfriendly web-based environments, is to initiate web-based collaborative activities.
WHAT DOES COLLABORATIVE LEARNING MEAN?
Collaborative learning is activities that involve students working in teams to accomplish a common
goal. Some conditions must be present, though, such as a positive interdependence between the team
members. This implies that they have to rely on each other to achieve their goal and that each
member of the group is responsible for doing his or her share of the work. If any team members fail to
do their part, everyone suffers the consequences. But although some group work may be done
individually, some must be done interactively with group members providing one another with
feedback, encouraging and challenging one another’s conclusions. In collaborative learning activities,
students are encouraged and helped to develop and practice trust-building, leadership, decisionmaking, communication and conflict management skills. Group processing is also an important
element in collaborative learning, team members set group goals, periodically assess what they are
doing well as a team, and identify changes they will make to function more effectively in the future.
FLEXIBLE MODELS FOR WEB-BASED COLLABORATIVE
LEARNING
There are different ways of implementing Internet-based collaborative learning and several models
have been tested and validated in different European projects. Internet-based problem solving roleplay is short term activities which may provide an innovative and stimulating way of fulfilling specific
educational needs. This concept allows for a great flexibility in relation to the length of the activity, the
theme, the target groups and the number of participants.
The Socrates-Project Simulab was initiated in 1996 and through this project a model for enhancing
language learning through the use of international on-line role-play was created. In the Simulab
context, simulations are problem solving role-play situations in which the students have to
communicate and negotiate an issue on the basis of a fictional but realistic manuscript. This model for
Internet-based problem solving role-play has been used by a variety of groups in formal and nonformal adult education. The model has also been adapted to Business English, and through that
experience it became clear that the model also has a great potential for vocational training, whether
this training includes languages or not. The concept allows for a great flexibility in relation to the length
of the activity, the theme and the number of participants. The scripts can be adapted to different
languages, themes, levels or specific language needs. It can also be adapted to the work place,
something that is currently being done through the Leonardo-project InterAct which aims at developing
the new basic skills at the work place in a frame that the participants can see as relevant for their work
situation. In this project scripts for simulation and problem solving role-play are being developed for
the sectors Health and Care and Hospitality and Tourism.
www.statvoks.no/interact
Another model for internet-based collaborative learning was tried out through the Grundtvig Project
eCOLE. This project implemented two models, one for creative writing, storytelling, where groups of
learners in five countries cooperated in writing five different stories of five chapters each. The other
model was a model for cross-curricular problem-solving where groups in the same five countries
cooperated in writing reports on energy sources in Europe.
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WEB-BASED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND NEW BASIC
SKILLS
Collaborative learning activities on the internet are especially suitable to enhance the new basic
skills. Since web-based collaborative learning activities are very flexible activities, the new basic skills
can easily be integrated into such activities depending on the specific need and target group in
question. One benefit is the extended possibilities to initiate web-based collaborative activities across
borders. If the activities are organised as activities across borders, groups of students from different
countries and cultures talking different languages and used to different learning and teaching styles,
can engage in on-line collaborative activities to reach common goals. A common language will have to
be used in the communication between the participants and in carrying out the activities enhancing
foreign language skills. Such collaborative learning activities can be carried out in any language, also
in the mother tongue if the objective is to improve reading and writing skills on a basic level. Intercultural competences have become an important issue in foreign language learning and is regarded
a vital to functional communication across language barriers. It is no longer enough to know what to
say, but also to know how to put your utterances into a culturally appropriate context. Language skills
as well as intercultural skills are getting more and more important in a society characterised by
globalization and an increasing mobility across borders and an international collaborative learning
activity is a meaningful way of acquiring those skills.
Since the activities are web-based, the concept will contribute to improve ICT skills among the
participants. The activities demand the use of the internet for communication purposes, chat for realtime communication and e-mail for communicating within a group and with others outside of the group.
The concept also requires that the participants seek information on the internet for the purpose of
doing their tasks. During the collaboration, the participants will become familiar with creating and
editing documents, thus improving their computer skills.
Another feature of collaborative learning is that the learner gets more autonomous with a greater
control of his or her learning process. Web-based collaborative learning is a learner centred learning
method, which gives the learner more responsibility for his or her learning. The interactivity enhances
the sense of active participation. Collaborate learning implies social skills such as collaborative and
communicative skills. Self-confidence, self-direction and risk-taking are all skills that are necessary for
taking part in collaborative learning activities and they are likely to be strengthened through the
process, or at least the team members will be made aware of the significance of such skills.
Entrepreneurial skills may be understood as creativity and independence in seeing possibilities and
launching ideas. Those are skills that are also likely to be improved during a process of collaborative
learning activities due to the autonomous role of the learner.
SCRIPTS FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
SIMULAB, WEBSITESTORY AND ACROSS
FLEXIBLE IN THEME, GOAL, TIME AND STRUCTURE
A SIMULAB activity only has a few absolutely necessary ingredients: a minimum of two groups of
motivated students, a knowledgeable coordinator, a script, a time-frame, and an internet-platform.
Experience shows that:Scripts can and have been written for students of any age (from first grade to
University), or at any level.
•
•
•
•
•
Simulations can be adapted as a module to main-stream studies or constitute the sole activity
in a short brushing-up course for professionals.
Simulations can last for a week or a whole term.
Simulations can have one or many of a series of different pedagogical goals: linguistic
practice, collaborative skills, internationalization, global (cross-curricular) learning, motivation
for writing and reading, etc.
Simulations normally take place in an international frame, which makes use of SIMULAB’s
potential as a tool for cross-cultural communication, but can also be used at national level.
Simulations build on a number of steps (tasks) each having to be solved before you can move
on to the next step.
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The participants are presented with a problem that has to be solved by the whole network. Each
group gets, or creates, a “group identity” that will differ from that of the other groups. In a standard
simulation for language learning, the new identity will be placed within the frame of the culture where
the target language is spoken. Students will be faced with the need to find relevant information about
that culture, thus enhancing language learning. During this phase, most of the activities will be centred
round discussions in class. Computer communication will be used only as a source of information.
In the second phase of this standard simulation, the students will be presented with the problem or
case they will have to solve. To be able to negotiate with the other groups, they first have to arrive at a
consensus in their own group. This is achieved through active discussion in the classroom. The group
writes a proposal for a solution of a problem and presents it to the other groups in the SIMULAB
environment.
Now negotiations can begin, the third phase in a standard simulation. Based on the proposals
presented by the three participating groups, a discussion will arise to try to find a compromise within
the deadlines imposed by the simulation coordinator. At the end of this phase, the simulation script will
probably demand that one of the groups write a document summarizing the common solution the
groups have arrived at.
A standard simulation does not end here. There is yet a fourth phase: evaluation, also called
debriefing. The participants are now asked to step out of their roles and comment on both their own
performance and that of the other groups, on the adequacy of the script, the interest of their roles, the
results achieved, etc.
With the support of the European Union’s Socrates program, the SIMULAB consortium has created a
series of scripts for learners of English, French, German and Spanish. Teachers can feel free to
introduce changes to adapt the scripts to the needs of their particular groups.
Scripts for SIMULAB, WebSiteStory and ACROSS and handbooks can be downloaded from the
project websites:
www.statvoks.no/simulab
www.statvoks.no/ecole
and for teacher training
www.statvoks.no/coltt
The concept appears to work. Students have evaluated it in this matter: “I liked every single thing. It
was !“ and “I liked the joy of making something together!“
Randi Huisemoen, VOX, Oslo, Norway has worked in adult education for 13 years, as a teacher
and currently as senior adviser at Vox, the Norwegian Institute for Adult Learning. Randi has
participated in Leonardo and Socrates projects, she is coordinating a Leonardo project on Internetbased Simulations and New Basic Skills at the Workplace.
Aase Steinmetz, VUC Vestsjælland, Slagelse, Denmark has worked in adult education for the
past 20 years. Aase has coordinated several Nordic projects and participated in Comenius and
Socrates projects. At the moment she coordinates a Grundtvig 1 project. Aase has previously given
talks at annual IATEFL conferences.
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Interact 2006: Kovalčiková
EVEN THE TEACHER CAN HAVE FUN, KOVALČÍKOVÁ (SK)
Are you bored teaching grammar structures?
Are your students serious hardworking people, doing nothing except the preparatory tests for the new
“maturita“/final school leaving exam?
Have you been missing fun or laughter in your lessons?
TRY DRAMA TECHNIQUES!
1. WHY DRAMA IN TEACHING ENGLISH?
Simply because drama teaching methods can …
•
•
•
•
•
•
lead to the improvement of creativity and fluency in speaking the foreign language,
motivate the students to study even the unpopular grammar structures,
help to break inner, psychological barriers, blocking the students from communicating in the
foreign language (although with some mistakes),
build the self-confidence of students and give them the chance to express themselves and
perform (at first in the classroom, later on the real stage),
enrich the student’s vocabulary,
lead to freedom in expression of personal feelings through words and actions in public.
2. IMPLEMENTING DRAMA TEACHING METHODS INTO ELT
WORKING WITH 14-18 YEAR- OLD STUDENTS
Students, coming to our school (upper secondary school –“gymnázium“) from primary school (primary
school in Slovakia lasts up to the age of 14) are divided into groups according to the results of their
English entry test.
Advantage of the entry test: we are able to avoid student groups with mixed-ability in English.
Breaking the inner barriers: students are accustomed to using English grammar and
structures or basic textbook phrases in quite a formal way, so if you ask them to prepare some
dialogues, they usually copy the standard situations from the textbooks.
Here is the space for the teacher as a leader. The best way to inspire students to compose dialogues
or short sketches, which could entertain all the class, is to offer them the standard topic and standard
expressions with a “hook”.
As the students have no (or a little) experience of preparing some unusual sketches, the teacher
should offer as many ideas as possible.
For example: the task is – to perform an interview. One of the standard conversations for beginners
in English (here we are speaking about the students aged 14+). I prepare a list of not very frequent
professions and characters . Then I choose two extrovert and lively students to perform one interview
as an example for the rest of the group.
The “growing” experience of the students with drama sketches and their “growing” knowledge of
English changes the teacher´s position in the classroom: the leader turns to the guide.
After 3 years of using drama sketches (mainly in the regular English lessons), there is usually no need
for the teacher to do more than introduce the topic of the sketch after studying the required
vocabulary. You can look forward to great fun and entertainment in the following lesson. With a
creative team you are able to prepare even longer stage performances.
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WORKING WITH YOUNGER LEARNERS (10-14 YEAR-OLD STUDENTS)
The situation is a bit different with younger learners, whether they are real beginners or “false”
beginners (after 1-2 years of attending English lessons at elementary school or at a language school).
I have 10 years of experience as a leader of an English Drama Club and if I would compare these
sessions with regular English lessons or conversation lessons /age of students ranging between 1018yr. / I'd say, the drama English lessons are much more demanding and time-consuming concerning
the lesson plan preparation.
The main problem I had to solve with young learners, was the lack of life experience with expressing
various feelings by words or gestures and physical actions. That’s why I had to start with short warmup exercises like ”Gestures” (p. 25), ”Let’s Pretend” (p. 76), ”Paper-bag faces” (p. 83), or “Body
movements” (p.137), all of them you can find in the very helpful resource book “Children in Action”
written by C.Argondizzo and published by Prentice Hall International, Ltd., in 1992, UK.
Later on, step-by-step, we enriched the vocabulary and started to work on short drama sketches such
as ”First Day at School”, ”At the Doctor´ s”, ”Shopping”. The still-images and pantomime, or the
rhythmic exercises (from “Jazz Chants”, by Carolyn Graham, OUP, 1986) still belong to the more liked
drama techniques among my youngest students.
As we made video-recordings of our drama lessons , the improvement is evident both in language,
creativity and self-confidence .Without any doubt it can be said that the “hook” method works.
After 1 year of English drama lessons we were able to prepare a 20 minute long performance of “The
Three Billy Goats Gruff” with the young learners/beginners.
After 2 years of using drama methods with the young learners who had studied the language for 1-2
years before starting our course, we were able to prepare the real 40 minute long stage performance
of “Uncle Bill’s Will”.
For the 5th anniversary of the”English Drama Festival” in Košice my students produced their own video
film “Crazy World Show”, based on their own script. In our 7th year of the English Drama Club , we
integrated multimedia into our performance about bullying, “The Coma”, which we successfully
performed at the International Youth Theatre Festival in Vienna in 2006. Recently we have started with
parodies on great Shakespearean tragedies and in 2007 we produced a 25min DVD, “Macbeth”, which
was filmed in the ruins of a medieval castle. For the 9th Drama Festival we prepared “Hamlet”, the
famous tragedy, using a simplified text, as our aim is to introduce W. Shakespeare´s tragedies to
students of both primary and secondary schools and we want them to understand the story.
3. SUMMARY
SUMMING UP, FOR ME THE USE OF DRAMA METHODS IN TEACHING ENGLISH REPRESENTS
•
•
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a very creative and effective way of teaching the foreign language,
a way of motivating students to learn even the most “boring” grammar structures,
a way of developing self-confidence even in the very introverted and shy children.
That’s why I prefer to work on drama performances with the complete group of students, not only with
those who have applied for some optional workshops. I even do not choose the “stars” as main
characters, but in the same group, 2 or 3 students are asked to “study” the same leading characters
and everyone gets the chance to be one of the heroes, but at a different time.
Although I usually work with my students on the stage performances (not only in the short English
lesson drama sketches for the drama festivals), I prefer the “classroom theatre” and classroom
sketches, with a minimum of stage-props, but with a lot of action and fun created by my students.
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My students appreciate the humour and pleasure- they escape from their daily routine, they like to get
outside their everyday selves and explore what it would be like to be somebody else.
They laugh at classmates´ creativity and “strangeness”.
They feel safe in the fictional world, acting as different characters, and they feel more free to speak in
a role than as themselves .The “mask” of the different character protects them and liberates them to
scream, laugh, cry, change the intonation, use gestures or face miming.
They have a chance to experience the wide variety of situations which are sometimes set in the
fantastic and exotic circumstances.
My video-recordings of:
•
•
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classroom sketches,
project presentations,
classroom theatre,s
tage performances
demonstrate the growing speaking skills, fluency, self-esteem and creativity of the students throughout
10 years of continuous practising of the drama techniques in the classroom and on the theatre stage,
they are full of students´ humorous ideas and laughter.
EXAMPLE 1: PARENTS’ EVENING
Language level:
pre-intermediate and above
Age group:
13+
Time:
45 minutes (group of max. 18 students)
Media:
● CD player, CDs with rock and classical or relaxation music
● Poem ‘Parents’ evening’ (copies for all the students)
● Dictionaries
Characters:
Student, mother, father, teacher
Lesson Plan:
1 – Read the text of the poem and explain any unknown words or phrases
2 – Give a short description of the situation (pleasant, unpleasant; why the
parents are usually invited to school, etc.)
3 – Divide the students into groups of 4 (teacher can join one of them; it’s great
fun, if she / he plays the role of a student)
4 – A – Discuss how the feelings of characters involved can be expressed
B – Inform students about the necessity to add ‘face’ miming and
body movement (body language)
C – Talk about how to prepare the stage (arrangement: chairs, door,
etc.
D – Ask some extrovert and creative students to turn the text into a parody
5 – Presentation of the groups’ sketches
6 – Feedback: Discussion which sketches the students liked most of all and
why.
In addition:
At the beginning of the lesson the students might start the discussion about
basic (typical) conflict situations of teachers and students.
They can try to create the still images of
a) spoilt students (rock music background)
b) ideal students (classical or relaxation music)
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POEM: PARENTS ´ EVENING
by Joanna Ciechanowska,Krakow University, 1999
The poem can be used as an inspiration for the lesson.
We´re waiting in the corridor,
My dad, my mum and me.
They´re sitting there and talking;
I´m nervous as can be.
I wonder what she´ll tellém.
I´ll say I´ve got a pain!
I wish I´d got my spellings right.
I wish I had a brain.
My husband,son and me.
My son just stands there smiling;
I´m smiling nervously.
I wonder what she´ll tell us.
I hope it´s not all bad.
He´s such a good boy, really;
But dozy- like his dad.
My wife,my boy and me.
My wife´s as cool as a
cucumber;
I´ m nervous as can be.
I hate these parentsévenings.
The waiting makes me sick.
I feel just like a kid again
Who´s gonna get the stick.
I´m waiting in the classroom.
It´s nearly time to start.
I wish there was a way to stop
The pounding in my heart.
The parents in the corridor
Are chatting cheerfully;
And now I´ve got to face them.
And I´m nervous as can be.
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EXAMPLE 2: AT THE ZOO
Language level:
false beginners and above
Age group:
10-12
Time:
60 minutes (= 1 conversation lesson)
Language:
Vocabulary
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•
Lesson plan:
Animals, zoo
Basic environmental problems (= extinction of plants and
animals)
TV programmes
1 – Discuss:
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•
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•
Have you ever been to the zoo?
What animals did you see?
Which one did you like best?
Was there anything you didn’t like about the zoo?
Do you watch TV programmes about wildlife?
2 – Visitors at the zoo: Students in groups of 3 – 4 prepare pantomime: they are
visitors at the zoo and they walk from one cage to another and observe the
animals. The rest of the group tries to guess which animals can be seen.
3 – Problems of the zoo: There are some problems at the zoo that have to be
solved, but there is enough money to solve only one of them:
•
There are not enough visitors coming to the zoo, so some
attraction is needed.
•
Monkeys have had babies, so they need a bigger cage.
•
Lions need better food.
Students in groups (3 – 4) decide which problem they would like to solve.
(Students are now the managers who run the zoo.)
4 – TV advertisement: TV company used the zoo for filming. In return they offer
a free TV advert.
Students work on the TV advert, which should help to solve the problem.
5 – Presentation of the TV adverts and feedback.
In addition:
In case there is some spare time, students can prepare short sketches based
on the fact that some animals have escaped from the zoo.
Teacher can prepare cards naming places where the animal was seen:
– in the school canteen
– in the theatre
– in the classroom
– on board a plane
(the place should be very unusual for the particular animal).
List of animals:
Lions, Monkeys, Giraffes, Tigers, Camels, Parrots, Bears, Elephants, Ostriches, Pelicans and
Flamingoes, Rhinos, Hippos, Crocodiles, Zebras, Ponies
Based on the lesson plan of C.Argondizzo in “Children in Action.“
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Bibliography:
Argondizzo, Carmen (1992). Children in Action: Prentice Hall International, Ltd.
Cockett, Stephen / Fox, Geoffrey. (1999 ). Keep Talking: Wydawnictwo Naukowe,
WSP Krakow
Fletcher, Mark (1996). The New Active Language Games: English Experience, Ltd.
Graham, Carolyn (1986). Jazz Chants: Oxford University Press
Graham, Carolyn (1986). Fairy Tales: Oxford University Press
Hadfield, Jill (1987). Advanced Communication Games: Nelson, Ltd.
Medgyes, Peter (2002). Laughing Matters: Cambridge University Press
Neelands,Jonathan (1984). Beginning Drama 11-14: David Fulton Publishers
OŃeill, Cecily (1995). Drama Worlds: a Framework for Process Drama: Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
OŃeill, Cecily/Lambert, Alan/Linnel, Rosemary/Warr-Wood, Janet (1977).
Drama Guidelines: Heinemann Educational Books,Ltd. in association with London Drama
Readman, Geoff/Lamont,Gordon (1993). Drama: BBC School Programmes
Scher, Anna / Verrall, Charles (1987). Another 100+Ideas for Drama: Heinemann Educational
Books, Ltd.
Watcyn-Jones, Peter (2000). Fun Class Activities: Penguin Books,Ltd.
Wessels, Charlyn (1993). Drama: Oxford University Press
Woolard, George (1996). Lessons With Laughter: Language Teaching Publications.
Mgr. Ing. Agnesa Kovalčíková is the present Drama SIG representative of the Slovakian
Association of the Teachers of English / SAUA-SATE /. She has been organising the regional drama
festivals in English for students of secondary and primary schools for 9 years.Together with her
colleagues –Drama SIG members - and in co-operation with the regional methodological centre, she
has been organising a series of workshops for teachers of English aimed at spreading the use of
drama techniques in ELT and training them to lead school drama clubs. During recent years she has
spent a lot of time on promoting co-operation between drama experts from Austria and the Czech
Republic in order to build up an international network for drama network. The next drama conference
“INTERACT 2009“ will take place in Košice, Slovakia in autumn 2009. If you are interested in
taking part in it, please
Contact: Agnesa: agnesakov@gmail.com. Or a.prochazka@utanet.at
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APPENDIX
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Appendix
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
COMPILED BY KARL EIGENBAUER AND ANTON PROCHAZKA
This is a short list of useful books for integrating drama methods into language teaching which were
published recently or which were not included in the first volume. For a more elaborate bibliography
see our first publication “Drama in Modern Language Teaching”, 2007, pp. 201-205.
(http://fortbildung.phvienna.at/fortb_pe3/FileDownloads/Dramalehrgang%20Dokumentation.pdf)
Abbott, John: The Improvisation Book – How to Conduct Successful Improvisation Sessions.
London: Nick Hern Books. 2008.
Almond, Mark: Teaching English With Drama. Chichester: Keyways Publishing. 2007.
Anderson, Jason: Role Plays for Today. Peaslake: Delta Publishing. 2006
Baines, Richard & O’Brien, Mike: Navigating Senior Drama. Cambridge: CUP. 2006.
Baldwin, Patrice: With Drama in Mind. Stafford: Network Educational Press Ltd. 2004.
Baldwin, Patrice: The Primary Drama Handbook: An Introduction, London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
2008.
Billet, C. Douglas: Acting Together SOCIO-DRAMA. Cannes: Media Training Corporation. 2005.
Boardman, Craig & Parker, Phil: Ideas and Activities for Inspiring Drama (11-16) Dunstable: Folens.
2007.
Booth, David & Hachiya, Masayuki: The Arts Go to School. Markham: Pembroke. 2004.
Cowley, Sue: Getting the Buggers into Drama. London: Continuum. 2007.
Denk, Rudolf & Möbius, Thomas: Dramen- und Theaterdidaktik. Eine Einführung. Berlin:
Erich Schmidt Verlag. 2008.
Dickinson, Rachel & Neelands, Jonothan: Improve Your Primary School Through Drama. London:
David Fulton Publishers. 2006.
Farmer, David: 101 Drama Games and Activities. Lulu.com 2007.
Fleming, Mike: Starting Drama Teaching. London: David Fulton Publishers. 2003.
Franklin, Catherine A.: Civic Literacy Through Curriculum Drama, Grades 6-12. Corwin. 2008.
Glaap, Albert-Reiner & Heinze, Michael: Contemporary Canadian Plays. Overviews and Close
Encounters. Trier: Wvt Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier. 2005.
Glaap, Albert-Reiner: Jewish Facets of Contemporary Canadian Drama. Trier: Wvt Wissenschaftlicher
Verlag Trier. 2008.
Goodwin, John: Using Drama to Support Literacy. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. 2006.
Heathfield, David: Spontaneous Speaking – Drama Activities for Confidence and Fluency. Peaslake:
Delta Publishing. 2005.
Heinig, Ruth Beall: Creative Drama for the Classroom Teacher. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
1993.
Heinig, Ruth Beall: Improvisation with Favorite Tales: Integrating Drama Into the Reading/Writing
Classroom. Berkley: Greenwood. 2008.
Huber, Ruth: Im Haus der Sprache wohnen. Tübingen: Niemeyer. 2003.
Hulson, Maggie: Schemes for Classroom Drama. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books. 2006.
Jones, Justin & Kelley, Mary Ann: Drama Games & Improvs. Colorado Springs: Meriwether. 2007.
Kempe, Andy & Newman, Chloe & Roblin, Bev: GCSE Bitesize Drama. (Containing short plays).
Harlow: BBC Active. 2006.
Kempe, Andy & Helen Nicholson: Learning to Teach Drama 11-18. London: David Fulton Publishers.
2007.
Kitson, Neil & Spiby, Ian: Drama 7 – 11. Developing Primary Teaching Skills. London:
Routledge. 1997.
Kramer, Martin: Schule ist Theater: Theatrale Methoden als Grundlage des Unterrichts.
Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren. 2008.
McCabe, Una: Classroom Drama - A Practical Guide. (for younger learners). Dublin: Primary ABC.
2007.
Kozlowski, Rob: The Art of Chicago Improv: Short Cuts to Long-Form Improvisation. History Ink
Books. 2002.
Marson, Polly: Drama 14-16: A Book of Projects and Resources. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. 1994.
Müller, Thomas: Dramapädagogik und Deutsch als Fremdsprache: Eine Bestandsaufnahme.
Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller. 2008.
-176-
Appendix
Neelands, Jonothan & Dobson, Warwick & Brown, Emma: Advanced Theatre Studies. London:
Hodder Murray. 2008.
Nünning, Ansgar & Surkamp, Carola: Englische Literatur unterrichten. Grundlagen und Methoden.
Seelze-Velber: Klett & Kallmeyer. 2006.
O’Hanlon, Jacqui & Wootten, Angie: Using Drama to Teach Personal, Social and Emotional Skills.
London: Paul Chapman. 2007.
O’Regan, Ted & John: A Sense of Wonder: A Short Introduction to Drama in Education. Liffey Press.
2004.
O’Toole, John: Pretending to Learn: Helping Children Learn Through Drama. Pearson Education
Australia. 2003.
Parker, Phil & Boardman, Craig: Success in GCSE Drama. Dunstable: Folens. 2005.
Parker, Phil & Boardman, Craig: The Complete Guide to Successful Drama. Dunstable: Folens. 2005.
Prendiville, Francis & Toye, Nigel: Speaking and Listening through Drama 7 – 11. London: Paul
Chapman. 2007.
Ready, Tom: Grammar Wars II: How to Integrate Improvisation and Language Arts. Colorado Springs:
Meriwether. 2002.
Scheller, Ingo: Szenische Interpretation. Seelze-Velber: Kallmeyersche Verlagsbuchhandlung. 2004.
Scheller, Ingo: Szenische Interpretation von Dramentexten: Materialien für die Einfühlung in Rollen
und Szenen. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren. 2008.
Thompson, James: Drama Workshops for Anger Management and Offending Behaviour. London:
Jessica Kingsley. 1999.
Toye, Nigel & Prendiville, Francis: Drama and Traditional Stories in the Early Years. Milton Park:
Routledge Falmer. 2000.
Van Oort, Henk: Challenging Children - Imaginative activities to inspire young learners. Peaslake:
Delta Publishing. 2005.
Welscher-Forche, Ursula: Lernen fördern mit Elementen des Szenischen Spiels. Baltmannsweiler:
Schneider Verlag Hohengehren. 1999.
Wheeler, Mark & Kempe, Andy (Ed.): Super Scripts – Arson About. London. Nelson Thornes. 2004.
Wilson, Ken: Drama and Improvisation. Resource Books for Teachers Series. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. 2008.
Young, Johnnie: 100 Ideas for Teaching Drama (Continuum One Hundred). London: Continuum.
2008.
http://scenario.ucc.ie
The Online Journal for Drama and Theatre in Foreign and Second Language Education.
Scenario is a bilingual (English-German), fully peer-reviewed online journal, bridging the fields of
aesthetic education and foreign/second language education. Launched in 2007, the journal appears
twice a year (spring/autumn).
Editors: scenario@ucc.ie
Schewe, Manfred: Department of German, University College Cork.
Even, Susanne: Department of Germanic Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington.
-177-
Appendix
LIST OF CONTACTS
Die nachfolgende Liste enthält die Kontaktdaten der Lehrgangs-Tutoren, der Absolventinnen und
Absolventen des Drama – Ausbildungslehrganges sowie des Drama Follow Up - Seminars. Sie sind
Ansprechpersonen sowie Multiplikatorinnen und Multiplikatoren im Rahmen des Netzwerks “Drama in
Modern Language Teaching“.
COURSE TUTORS
Egger Mag. Stefan
Modellschule Graz
8020 Graz, Fröbelgasse 28
stefane@aon.at
Pfeifer Mag. Birgit
HBLW Klagenfurt
9020 Klagenfurt, Fromiller-Straße15
bep@inode.at
NIEDERÖSTERREICH
Eigenbauer Mag. Karl
Bundes-ORG/Musikgymnasium
1070 Wien, Neustiftgasse 95-99
karl.eigenbauer@aon.at
Turecek Mag. Egon
Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule Wien
Mayerweckstraße 1
1210 Wien
egon.turecek@gmx.at
BURGENLAND
Jugovits-Csenar MMag. Anita
Pädagogische Hochschule Burgenland
7000 Eisenstadt, Wolfgarten
anita.jugovits-csenar@ph-burgenland.at
Wieder Mag. Regina
BG/BRGMattersburg
7210 Mattersburg, Hochstraße 1
gina29@aon.at
KÄRNTEN
Geson-Gombos Mag. Ilse
HBLW Klagenfurt
9020 Klagenfurt, Fromiller-Straße 15
ilsegombos@hotmail.com
Melinz Mag. Irene
BRG Spittal
9800 Spittal/Drau, Zernattostraße 10
imelinz@yahoo.de
Miksche Mag. Daniela
BG Tanzenberg
9063 Maria Saal, Tanzenberg
dmiksche@edu.uni-klu.ac.at
Kier Mag. Beate
HLW St. Pölten
3100 St. Pölten, Eybnerstraße 23
beate.kier@gmx.at
Thenner Mag. Gerda
HLA Wiener Neustadt
2700 Wiener Neustadt, Burgplatz 1
g.thenner@utanet.at
Weber Mag. Christine
ORG der Englischen Fräulein Krems
3500 Krems, Hoher Markt 1
chrisweb@gmx.at
OBERÖSTERREICH
Dorfer Elke
HS Esternberg
4092 Esternberg, Esternberg 96
e.dorfer@gmx.at
Hofer Mag. Edith
BG Werndlpark
4400 Steyr, Leopold Werndl-Straße 5
editha-h@hotmail.com
Leicht Mag. Dietlinde
BRG Gmunden
4810 Gmunden, Pensionatsstraße 74
leichtdietlinde@yahoo.de
Matscheko Ulrike
HS Gramastetten
4201 Gramastetten, Linzerstraße19
u.matscheko@eduhi.at
Riedl Mag. Thomas M.A.
Öffentliches Stiftsgymnasium der Beneditkiner in
Kremsmünster
4500 Kremsmünster, Stift
t.riedl@eduhi.at
-178-
Appendix
Stahl-Kaunert Mag. Doris
Europagymnasium Auhof
4020 Linz, Aubrunnerweg 4
stahl@auhof.eduhi.at
Raffler Mag. Peter
BAKIPÄD Hartberg
8230 Hartberg, Edelseegasse 13
Peter.Raffler@bakip-hartberg.at
Wiesinger Mag. Herbert
Gymnasium Dachsberg
4731 Prambachkirchen, Dachsberg
h.wiesinger@eduhi.at
Scheibelhofer Eva
HS Lassnitzhöhe
8301 Lassnitzhöhe, Hauptstraße 75
eva.scheiblhofer@schule.at
Wallner Gudrun
Dr.-Adolf-Schärf-HS
8401 Kalsdorf bei Graz
gudrunwa@aon.at
STEIERMARK
de Fontana Mag. Olivia
BG/BRG Graz
8053 Graz, Klusemannstraße 25
defontana@gmx.at
SALZBURG
Eisner Gottfried
August-Musger-HS Kindberg
8650 Kindberg, August-Musger-Gasse 10
goei1@hotmail.com
Herzog Mag. Judith
BHAK Neumarkt
5202 Neumarkt/Wallersee, Moserkellergasse 15
moosbee@hotmail.com
Fasching Mag. Maria
Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule
8020 Graz, Georgigasse 85-89
reitbauer@hotmail.com
Kowanda Sally
Akademisches Gymnasium Salzburg
5026 Salzburg, Sinnhubstraße 15
sally.kowanda@aon.at
Haumann Mag. Silvia
HLW Weiz
8160 Weiz, Dr. Karl Widdmannstraße 40
silvia.haumann@schule.at
Manhart Dipl.-Päd. Mag. Michael
VS-Herrnau
5020 Salzburg, Friedensstrasse 13
michimanhart@gmail.com
Haupt Mag. Dagmar
BG/BRG Gleisdorf
8200 Gleisdorf, Dr. Hermann Hornunggasse 29
dagmarhaupt@aon.at
Palka Mag. Maria Regina
BG Tamsweg
5580 Tamsweg, Lasabergweg 12
marepa@gymtamsweg.at
Huber-Grabenwarter Mag. Andrea
Ausbildungszentrum der Caritas f. Sozialberufe
8010 Graz, Wielandgasse 31
ahuberg@gmx.at
Wolfgruber Mag. Annemarie
Werkschulheim Felbertal
5323 Ebenau, Hinterebenau 30
wolfgruber@utanet.at
Ledun-Kahlig Inge
BG/BRG Dreihackengasse
8020 Graz, Dreihackengasse 11
ledun@uni-graz.at
Nesper Ursula
HS Pischelsdorf
8212 Pischelsdorf, Bergstraße 95
Uschi.N@gmx.at
Pfeifer Mag. Helga
GRg Modellschule Graz
8020 Graz, Fröbelgasse 28
helga.pfeifer@chello.at
TIROL
Buttinger Mag. Vera
BHAK/BHAS und IT-Kolleg
6460 Imst, Landesrat-Gebhart-Straße 2
verabuttinger@yahoo.com
Hosp Mag. Sabine
BRG Rette
6600 Reutte, Gymnasiumstraße 10
Sabine.Hosp@uibk.ac.at
Schiestl Mag. Gabriele
Bundesfachschule für wirtschaftliche Berufe
6405 Pfaffenhofen, Klosterweg 41
gabi.schiestl@gmx.at
--179-
Appendix
WIEN
Bush Margareta, M.A.
Kooperative Informatikmittelschule u. Junior
High School
1220 Wien, Konstanziagasse 50
margareta.bush@aon.at
Meyer-Huber Mag. Sabine
Schulen des BFI
1050 Wien, Margaretenstraße 65
meyer.partner@gmx.net
Monferini Mag. Sonja
BRG 7
1070 Wien, Kandlgasse 39
sonja.regner@chello.at
Mychalewicz Mag. Brigitta
GRg 17
1170 Wien, Geblergasse 56 - 58
brigitta.mychalewicz@schule.at
Reiter Mag. Johann
pG15, Islamisches Gymnasium
1150 Wien, Rauchfangkehrergasse 34/6
fq455m49@gmx.at
Saint Jean Mag. Catherine
Lyceé Français de Vienne
1090 Wien, Liechtensteinstraße 37
catherine.saint_jean@chello.at
Stefan Mag. Barbara
pG 3, Sacré Coeur
1030 Wien, Rennweg 31
barbara.stefan@chello.at
Svoboda Mag. Rudolf
BG XVIII
1180 Wien, Klostergasse 25
rudolf.w.svoboda@chello.at
Waschnig Mag. Sabine
BAKIPÄD Wien 10
1100 Wien, Ettenreichgasse 45c
sabine.waschnig@gmx.at
Zierler Mag. Reingard
Akademisches Gymnasium
1010 Wien, Beethovenplatz 1
reingardz@hotmail.com
--180-

drama in modern language teaching

Transcription

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