Page 37 - ELG2005 May Issue 470

RESOURCES . REVIEWS & RESOURCES

Get dramatic in the grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation. That’s are written down, so students can read, and how successful they are. How can you understand how our choice of words and
Discuss the strategies the characters use
reread and analyse.
even grammatical structure depend on the
understandable, but these unwritten rules of
Here’s a great way to use scripts in the
cultural improvisation, or pragmatics, are just
used? What kind of intonation and body-
formal grammar and indirect language, even
as important for effective communication. classroom. It’s from The Drama Book: Lesson figure out the strategy based on the language context. A co-worker and boss will use more
(virtual) classroom are you doing here?” The meaning of this Plans, Activities, and Scripts for English- language would the speaker use to express if they are arguing furiously. They will also
Think of a simple phrase such as, “What
rely more on logical reasons. A husband and
Language Learners by Alice Savage.
their intention?
Now have the students read the script
Find a short scene from a play or movie
utterance is almost completely dependent on
the context, the speaker and the way it is where the characters have clear goals. This according to their answers to the above wife will use informal grammar, even
sentence fragments, while fighting, and may
Walton Burns talks about how to use play said. Imagine someone saying this to their works best if the scene questions. As they read, include more personal attacks and emotional
and characters are
manipulation to try to win the fight.
draw attention to the
partner, who has just surprised them at work
How can you
Finally, students can apply what they’ve
scripts to teach pragmatics – even online! with a lovely gift. They mean, “Thank you, unknown to the figure out the way the different learned to a new scene, perhaps one that is
what a great surprise, I love you.” Now
assumptions lead to
students (The Drama
imagine a police officer saying it to a teenager Book has a set of five different readings. Be relevant to their lives. Help them transfer
hakespeare wrote “All the world’s a generally go. We also recognise that there’s breaking into an abandoned building, spray scripts dedicated to this strategy based on sure to include concrete useful language, strategies and acting
stage and all the men and women a loose set of verbal and non-verbal cues can in hand. Very different meaning! Very purpose). Put students and specific details. For performance.
merely players.” (As You Like It, Act that mean, “I like you and would like to different intonation and body language! in pairs and have them the language used? example, if the group
SII, Scene VII). continue meeting with you,” as well as a set read the script while What kind of decides one character is
If it is true that we are all actors, then we of cues that mean, “I don’t like you, please The play’s the thing they answer the being sarcastic, discuss
are constantly improvising as we go about our stay away,” and so on. What better way to teach students these following questions: intonation and what sarcasm sounds Drama in the time of
lives talking to people and trying to get However, our students come from different rules of spoken communication than through •What do we know like. How do we show it distance learning
things done. We don’t follow a specific pre- cultures and different schools of theatre (to scripted plays? Plays are essentially stories of about the characters? body-language in our face and bodies?
determined script. That being said, as extend the metaphor). Some are characters trying to navigate relationships •What do we know would the speaker Have students practice a In our new world of distance learning,
speakers of English, we have been Shakespearean actors and others are and achieve goals with words, much like real about their sarcastic tone. students can still work with scripts. You
improvising together for a long time and modernists. As teachers, we have to help life conversation. relationship? use to express their Another pair might may need to send them the scene first
we’ve come up with some principles and them figure out the rules to fit into our little A good playwright will also mimic •What do the decide the scene is and have them read and analyse it
parameters. troupe. authentic conversation, including high- characters want? intention? between a mother and alone, or in a chat with another
For example, we agree on how the Now, our students often want to focus on frequency language and idiomatic expressions •Who gets what they son. The actor playing student outside of class. If you have
“buying things at the store” scene should the direct and literal level of language: and colloquialisms. Most importantly, play want? the son might be a bit whiny and defensive. interactive class time, students can still
scripts highlight how we choose our words, Stress that there may be more than one Talk about why we act defensive and how it act in class. Otherwise they may need
grammar and rhetorical strategy in order to right answer. The idea is to have students shows in our bodies and voice. Have students to record themselves and send the
Change a lightbulb do different things with words: apologise analyse the text for information about slump their shoulders or practice lashing out recording to you. They may have to do
while minimising repercussions, persuade
relationships and feelings. Often, they’ll be
in anger!
this in isolation, or they may be able to
From here, you can have students rewrite
someone to do something they don’t want to shocked at how much you can tell about a the scene to more fully reflect their use an online meeting app, or even
person and their context based purely on
do, get out of a commitment and so on.
This activity can be used as a warmer to help students embody language through Unlike a recorded conversation, play scripts language. characterisations. This helps students TikTok, that lets them interact with
physical movement, expressions and gestures that evoke a setting. The activity others. Students can collaborate on
should take around 15 or 20 minutes. writing a script using Google Docs or
Prepare by making up slips of paper with individual activities written on them. PIXABAY similar apps.
Examples of activities include: One powerful and simple activity
from The Drama Book that works very
•Climb a ladder and change a light bulb well online is to have students think of
•Get lost in a dark forest at night a mood and express it using just their
•Fry an egg bodies and gestures. Shut off their
•Wade across a river mics so they can’t talk at all. Let other
•Find a wallet on the street students guess the mood. Then do
•Try to get around an angry dog the inverse. Have students think of a
•Avoid an ex-spouse or boy/girlfriend at a party mood and improvise a few lines in that
•Walk a dog that likes to chase squirrels mood. Shut off their cameras so they
•Fold laundry while talking on the phone only have their voices to express
•Try to end a conversation at a party themselves. Have other students
•Find and kill a big scary bug in your house guess the mood and then discuss how
•Move a sleeping baby from the car to the house that mood showed through.
without waking her up Drama is a powerful tool for
•Sneak out of the house without waking your parents teaching authentic and natural
•Navigate an airport security check communication. This lesson plan is
•Watch a scary movie only a beginning framework, so get
•Get caught in a downpour out there and play with language!
•Cross a street with fast-moving, dangerous traffic
•Build a fire Walton Burns is
•Play a challenging video game and win the senior editor
•Stub your toe on a piece of furniture of Alphabet
•Eat spicy food Publishing. He has
edited and published
Preview any unknown vocabulary (e.g., wade, jet lag). Put the slips in piles. Have a a number of books
volunteer come up, take a slip, and mime the activity. Tell the rest of the class to about using plays
shout out guesses until they get one right. Then have another volunteer or and drama in the
volunteers come up. classroom, including
As a variation, you can pair students and give them five minutes to plan a silent The Drama Book by Alice Savage and a
scene together. Then have them take turns acting out the scene for the class to guess.
forthcoming set of adaptations of Shakespeare.
36 May 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 37