1. Why should we use theatre, role plays, music or drawing
to teach English to children?
Sadly, the teaching of English rarely gets students to reach the intended
curricular objectives and this is patently obvious by the current ignorance on how to use
the target language with confidence, fluency and contemporarily.
The traditional way in which English is taught, barely gives the students the
opportunity to develop their communicative skills. In the past, teaching used to be
focused on grammar, on vocabulary and sometimes, on writing. Although nothing
seems to have changed, in recent years, many teachers have recognized the main
purpose of the language course have to be to attain fluency in spoken English and to
develop communicative skills.
For this reason, we consider drama a great method to teach English to children.
This technique breaks with the monotony of the conventional English class and
furthermore, children use the language in an immediate context, forcing them to use
their language resources.
Other advantages drama offers are:
1. Drama provides contexts for listening as well as meaningful productions.
2. Drama offers situations for reading and writing and involves the pupils in a
positive and active methodology.
3. Drama improvisation gives chances for developing communicative skills in
authentic and dynamic situations. Besides, improvisation leads to a well
emotional state.
4. Drama increases motivation and positivism facing English learning.
5. Drama improves our self-confidence for producing both oral and written
messages.
6. Drama, both interactive and funny methodology, promotes cooperative learning.
7. Drama improves the learners' pronunciation because they want to be understood.
8. Drama shows new grammatical structures and provides children with more
vocabulary.

2. 9. Drama leads the imagination to the divergent thinking and provides the students
chances to create new stories and dialogues.
Quotes:
"In terms of improved communication skills, creativity, increased social
awareness, independent thinking, verbalization of opinions, development of values
and appreciation of the art of drama" (Furness, 1976).
"Role playing helps the individual to become more flexible" and "develop a sense
of mastery in many situations". "Through role play, L2 learners can experience
many kinds of situations in which they will use the language; and as they develop a
sense of mastery in them, they should be able to apply the language more easily to
new situations” (Stern, 1983).
"Role play is one of a whole gamut of communicative techniques which develops
fluency in language students, which promotes interaction in the classroom, and
which increases motivation” (Ladousse, 2004).
Is there any book which explains specific techniques?
1. The choice of the topic
The topic of the activity can be chosen by the students or by the teacher.
The advantage of letting pupils choose it is the conviction it will have interest
for them. However, most teachers prefer using another technique which consists in
offering some topics to the pupils and allowing them to vote for one.
2. The creation of the dialogues
In order to create the dialogues, firstly, the teacher needs to look at proper
situations and plays according to the level of the learners.
After that, he decides whether he will provide the students with the dialogues or
if he will give them freedom to create or modify other new ones. It depends on the
cognitive demands required by the learners. In this case, learning will be more

3. significant due to learning by doing and collaborating brings out a higher motivation,
confidence and positivism.
3. Role playing
Before acting, students can practise the play with their classmates in pairs or in
groups in order to put aside their embarrasment. Besides, working cooperatively offers
the possibility to choose the role closer to the preferences. This is called "exchanging
the roles".
Finally, the play is represented when the students consider they are prepared
enough.
4. Assessment
a. Pupils’ assessment
Pupils should be continuously assessed. Getting a high level in drama is truly
difficult so we have to be aware of this and evaluate each student’s progress, not only
the final result.
In this sense, learners’ interaction and learners’ participation are an essential part
in drama activities as well as their starting points. It is the responsibility of the teacher
to provide them with appropriate tools to take part in the progress of teaching-learning.
An effective method may be to correct the errors after the play; otherwise we might
discourage children in future activities.
Ultimately, the teacher would like everybody to improve the fluency in spoken
English and develops skills to communicate with foreign people.
b. Teachers’ assessment
The teacher has to evaluate the development of the activity and he also should
evaluate his own work, because it is likely not all the activities work as he had expected.
For this, he could wonder some questions such as:
 Do the activities help to develop communicative skills?
 Is the activity interesting for the pupils?

4.  Are the students motivated?
 Is the grammar accessible?
 Have I considered which language is needed to carry out the activity?
 Have I considered how to deal with diversity?
 Have I thought about what I might change in the activity?
How can we use this general activity to teach English to
children?
Can you mention some specific bibliography or websites
where you can find more information about this
question?
References
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Boudreault-Drama.html
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Chauhan-Drama.html