Effects of Drama Activities on EFL Students’ Speaking Skills

Year 2020, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 146 - 166, 31.12.2020

Aslı Akyüz , Ayfer Tanış

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted to explore better ways to foster speaking skills of EFL learners. Drama has recently been considered as one of those ways to improve speaking skills. In the light of this information, this research aimed to find out the effects of drama activities on speaking skills of EFL students and to analyze their perceptions about the use of drama activities in foreign language learning. The participants in this study included 21 preparatory class students enrolled at a state university in Turkey during 2018-2019 academic year. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by means of a pre-intermediate level speaking achievement test and an attitude questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews regarding students’ perceptions about the use of drama activities in foreign language classrooms. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 and pattern coding were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that the integration of drama in speaking courses had a positive effect on encouraging EFL students’ speaking skills and the students had positive feelings toward the use of drama activities in foreign language courses. The results of the study are expected to contribute to curriculum developers, teachers, instructors and teacher educators.

Keywords

Drama, EFL, speaking, teaching speaking, foreign language teaching

References

• Bailey, K. M., & Savage, L. (1994). New ways in teaching speaking. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
• Bang, Y. (2003). Developing communicative competence through drama-oriented activities in EFL classroom. Proceedings of the 8th Conference of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics. Retrieved December 2, 2016 from http://www.paaljapan.org/resources/proceedings/PAAL8/pdf/pdf003.pdf
• Berg, B. L. (2001). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. USA: A Pearson Education Company.
• Brouillette, L. (2012). Advancing the Speaking and Listening Skills of K–2 English Language Learners through Creative Drama. TESOL J, 3, 138-145.
• Clandfield, L. (2003). At the improv. six drama speaking activities for the EFL/ESL classroom. Macmillan Publishers.
• Creswell, J.W. (1999). Mixed-method research: Introduction and application. In G. J. Cizek (Ed.), Handbook of educational policy (pp. 455-472). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
• Creswell, J. W. (2012). Grounded theory designs. In J. W. Creswell (Ed.), Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (pp. 422-500). Boston: Pearson Education.
• Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Demircioğlu, Ş. (2010). Teaching English vocabulary to young learners via drama. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2, 439-443.
• Desiatova, L. (2009). Using different forms of drama in EFL classroom. Humanising Language Teaching, 11(4), Retrieved December 2, 2016 from http://www.hltmag.co.uk/aug09/sart07.htm
• Fleming, M. (2006). Drama and language teaching: the relevance of Wittgenstein’s concept of language games. Humanising Language Teaching, 8(4), 97-110.
• Given, L. M. (2008). The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. (Volumes 1 & 2). USA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
• Hamden, A., Rostampour, M., & Abdorahimzadeh, S. (2015). The role of brainstorming in enhancing Iranian EFL learners’ speaking progress and achievement. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 5(2), 157-169.
• Holden, S. (1982). Drama in language teaching. Longman.
• Hubbard P., Jones, H., Thornton, B., & Wheeler, R. (1986). A training course for TEFL. Oxford University Press.
• Huck. S. W. (2011). Reading statistics and research (6th Ed). New York: Pearson.
• Iamphitakporn, R. (2002). The comparison of English speaking achievement between dramatic activities and non-dramatic teaching for first year accountancy students at Nakhonpathom technology. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Silapakorn University].
• Iamsaard, P., & Kerdpol, S. (2015). A study of effect of dramatic activities on improving English communicative speaking skill of grade 11th students. English Language Teaching, 8(11), 69-78.
• Janesick, V. (2000). The choreography of qualitative research design. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 379–399). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Kılıç, Ş. (2009). The effects of creative drama on speaking English and attitudes towards speaking English. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Abant Izzet Baysal University].
• Krueger, A., & Ranalli, K. (2003). To be or not to be dramatic! The effects of drama on reading ability. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Saint Xavier University].
• Lee, H.T. (2007). Students' perceptions of learning English through drama: a case study of a Hong Kong class. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of University of Hong Kong].
• Maley, A., & Duff, A. (2005). Drama techniques: A resource book of communication activities for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Miles, M, B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. (2nd Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Nuktong, P. (2010). The effects of drama-based instruction on English oral communication ability and motivation in learning English of eleventh grade students. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Chulalongkorn University].
• Nunan, D. (2003). Practical English language teaching. Boston: McGraw Hill.
• Park, H. (2015). Student perceptions of the benefits of drama projects in university EFL: Three case studies in Korea. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 14(3), 314-334.
• Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. (3rd edition). Sage Publications, Inc.
• Philips, S. (2003). Drama with children. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Robbie, S. (1998). Drama and writing in the English as a foreign language classroom: An experimental study of the use of drama to promote writing in the foreign classroom. [Doctoral Dissertation, Graduate School of University of London].
• Ross, E., & Roe, B. (1977). Creative drama builds proficiency in reading. The Reading Teacher, 30(4), 383-387.
• Samantaray, P. (2014). Use of storytelling method to develop spoken English skill. International Journal of Language & Linguistics, 1(1), 40-44.
• Saraç, G. (2007). The use of creative drama in developing the speaking skills of young leaners. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Gazi University].
• Saygılı, H.K. (2014). Fostering speaking strategies of ESP students via drama: Case Study. Istanbul Gelisim University Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 81-109.
• Schejbal, D. (2006). Teaching language skills through drama. [Bachelor Work, University of Masaryk University Brno].
• Somjai, S., & Jansem, A. (2015). The use of debate technique to develop speaking ability of grade ten students at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) school. International Journal of Technical Research and Applications, 13, 27-31.
• Uztosum, M.S., & Erten, I. (2014). The impact of English proficiency on the use of communication strategies: An interaction-based study in Turkish EFL context. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies. 10(2), 26-182.
• Wessels, Ch. (1987). Drama. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Yılmaz, G. (2016). Attitudes of Turkish EFL learners towards the use of drama activities in English classes. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Bahcesehir University].
• Yun, H.C. (2007). Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of using drama in the language classroom. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of University of Hong Kong].
• Zyoud, M. (2010). Using drama activities and techniques to foster teaching English as a foreign language: A theoretical perspective. Retrieved December 2, 2016 from http://www.qou.edu/english/conferences/firstNationalConference/pdfFiles/muntherZyoud.pdf