Getting into Character: Professional Development in Improvisational Drama to Stimulate Foreign Language Communication

Abstract

Both within the Netherlands and beyond, young people often start their formal foreign language (FL) education just as they reach adolescence. Speaking the FL in class can be intimidating, and this challenge is often exacerbated as teachers lack ready access to engaging speaking activities. In language classrooms around the world, improvisational drama techniques (IDTs) have been shown to engender positive affective reactions (e.g. enjoyment) and spoken interaction. Yet little research has been conducted on how to train FL teachers to implement IDTs. With this doctoral research project, the goal was to discover which characteristics of a professional development program (PDP) can foster integration of IDTs in the FL classroom and in turn stimulate affective factors related to willingness to communicate among secondary school pupils. The first three studies focused on developing design principles for the PDP and consequently a prototype for this training. The following two studies involved testing and refining this prototype by offering this training to FL teachers. Finally, the impact of the PDP was evaluated among trained teachers’ pupils. The collective findings revealed that the PDP design was viable in its relevance to teachers in galvanizing them to implement IDTs. Their pupils found drama activities to be engaging and fun, and they expressed greater willingness to communicate than during other types of speaking activities. This project was conducted through the Multilingualism and Education Research Group at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in conjunction with Utrecht University, Faculty of Humanities.