Drama and Theater As a Method for Foreign Language Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in the United States
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Wozu all das Theater? Drama and Theater as a Method for Foreign Language Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in the United States vorgelegt von Astrid Ronke Von der Fakultät I - Geisteswissenschaften der Technischen Universität Berlin zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktorin der Philosophie - Dr.-Phil - genehmigte Dissertation Promotionsausschuss: Vorsitzender: Prof. Hanns-Fred Rathenow Berichter: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Steinmüller Berichter: Priv.-Doz. Dr. Felicitas Tesch Tag der wissenschaftlichen Aussprache: 22.02.2005 Berlin 2005 D 83 i To my sons Benny and Cameron ii Acknowledgements Without the help and understanding of many people, this dissertation would not have been finished. First, and foremost, I want to thank my two sons, Benny and Cameron, for their patience, love, and understanding throughout these difficult years. This dissertation is dedicated to you, guys! Another important person I want to mention is my mother, who has been a tremendous help over the years. Her emotional and financial support, understanding, and unconditional love has made this project so much easier. Danke! I also want to thank my father, who taught me not to give up easily and fight important things through to the end. My husband, Kevin Hill, deserves much credit to have managed to live with me throughout this intense time of my life. I also thank him so much for taking care of the kids on many weekends and evenings and for fixing numerous computer problems. Special thanks goes to three people: Hildegard Savage, a good friend, an amazingly generous, intelligent, and kind person, who provided me with a room to work in, wonderful advice and editing, and numerous delicious meals! I cannot thank her enough; Philip Vogt, a former student and friend, and one of the most patient, unselfish, and knowledge people I know, for his computer expertise and moral support around the clock; Rebecca Wallach, a friend, for her very skillful and reliable editing - thank you all so much! Heartfelt thanks also goes to Prof. Cornelia Moore, a gracious and intelligent friend and former supervisor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, for her thorough proofreading and format editing. I also appreciate her encouragement and belief that I could see this work to completion. Thank you!` I am also very grateful to Nina Slater for her help with word processing and for being patient with me through the "crunch" times. My friends, Rosemarie Dörner, Ulrike Tallowitz, Antje Dohrn, and Johannes Bruestle offered their constructive criticism, iii intelligent ideas and patient listening for which I thank them. My gratitude also goes to two other friends, Sherry Elshaug and Cindy Sieger, who provided their wonderful homes for my numerous "dissertation writing retreats"! In addition, I thank Sherry for proofreading and most of all for helping me with the kids whenever I needed it. Last, but not least, I would like to extend my appreciation to my doctoral committee, Dr. Felicitas Tesch and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Steinmüller, for accepting me as their doctoral student despite their big workload and the great distance between the countries. As my main advisor, I thank Prof. Steinmüller for his knowledgeable comments and help to focus my thoughts and for giving me the freedom and opportunity to write about an interdisciplinary pedagogical theme. Finally, I am grateful to all my students over the years, who inspired me to keep on learning! iv Table of Contents Chapter I: Setting the Stage 1 Chapter II: Learning German at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States 8 1. Historical Overview and the Present Situation of German Language Instruction in the United States 8 2. The Adult Learner 15 Chapter III: Theoretical Framework for Drama and Theater as a Method in Foreign Language Education 20 1. Definition of Terms 20 2. From Drama in General Education to Drama in Foreign Language Education: Historical Overview 22 2.1 Drama in General Education 23 2.2 From Drama in General Education to Drama in First Language Education 34 2.3 From Drama in First Language Education to Second and Foreign Language Education 36 3. The Drama and Theater Method within Foreign Language Learning Theories and Teaching Methodologies 44 3.1 Major Foreign Language Learning Theories in Relation to the Drama and Theater Method 45 3.2 Major Foreign Language Teaching Methodologies in Relation to the Drama and Theater Method 51 3.2.1 The Direct Method 52 3.2.2 The Audio-Lingual Method 55 3.2.3 The Communicative Method 57 3.2.4 The Natural Approach 63 3.2.5 Alternative Methods 65 4. Neuro-Psychological Findings on Foreign Language Learning and the Impact of the Drama and Theater Method 72 5. Parallels between the Theater Arts and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning 90 v 6. Impact of the Drama and Theater Method on Dimensions of Foreign Language Learning 99 6.1 Communicative and Linguistic Aspects 100 6.1.1 Communicative Aspects Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 101 6.1.2 Linguistic Aspects: Pronunciation and Intonation 110 6.1.2.1 Intonation and Pronunciation Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 117 6.2 Cultural Aspects 125 6.2.1 Cultural Aspects Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 128 6.3 Psychological, Social, and Physical Aspects 135 6.3.1 Psychological Aspects 136 6.3.1.1 Psychological Aspects Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 146 6.3.2 Social Aspects 152 6.3.2.1 Social Aspects Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 155 6.3.3 Physical Aspects 157 6.3.3.1 Physical Aspects Pertaining to the Drama and Theater Method 165 Chapter IV: Practical Application of Drama and Theater as a Method for Teaching Foreign Languages 169 1. Theatrical Techniques and Drama-Oriented Exercises 170 1.1 Theatrical Techniques for Foreign Language Learning 170 1.1.1 Nonverbal Theatrical Techniques 170 1.1.1.1 Statues and Body Sculptures 171 1.1.1.2 Pantomimes 175 1.1.2 Verbal Theatrical Techniques 182 1.1.2.1 Role-Play 182 1.1.2.2 Improvisation 201 1.2 Selection of Drama-Oriented Exercises for the Foreign Language Classroom 211 1.2.1 Drama-Oriented Exercises for the Warm-up Phase 216 1.2.1.1 Primarily Nonverbal Exercises 219 1.2.1.2 Nonverbal/Verbal Exercises 221 1.2.1.3 Primarily Verbal Exercises 223 1.2.2 Drama-Oriented Exercises for the Language Application/ Independent Practice Phase 232 2. Incorporating Larger Theater Projects within the Foreign Language Curriculum 242 vi 2.1 Theater as a Tool for Foreign Language Teaching—A National Survey 244 2.2 Data Collection Procedures 245 2.2.1 Technique 245 2.2.2 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods 247 2.3 Survey Results and Discussion 247 2.3.1 Number of Respondents with Theater Project Experience 248 2.3.2 Integration of Theater Projects into the German Language Curriculum 250 2.3.3 Preparation of a Theater Project 251 2.3.3.1 Type of Production and Text Material 251 2.3.3.2 Collaboration with Other University Departments and Local Theaters 257 2.3.3.3 Budget and Financial Support 258 2.3.4 Execution of a Theater Project within a German Language University Course 259 2.3.4.1 Course Objectives 259 2.3.4.2 Course Structure 260 2.3.4.3 Grading 269 2.3.5 Student Evaluations of Theater Projects 271 2.3.6 Fulfillment of Course Objectives and Educational Benefits for the Students 272 2.3.7 Potential Problems in Theater Projects 275 2.4 Summary 277 Chapter V: Conclusion 280 Appendices 290 Appendix A 1. Lists of Tables and Figures 291 Appendix B 1. Letter to the German Program Chairs at American and Canadian Universities and Colleges 292 2. Questionnaire for the Survey 294 Appendix C 1. Selected Results from the National Survey Theater as a Method for Foreign Language Teaching 302 1.1 Ranking of Most Frequently Produced German Language Plays and Authors from 1996-2001 302 1.2 Ranking of Most Frequently Suggested German Language Plays and Authors from 1996-2001 304 Bibliography 309 Chapter I: Setting the Stage 1 Chapter I: Setting the Stage “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire!” (Sir Butler Yeats) Teaching should be such that it ‘sparks’ students’ interest and inspires them to keep on learning independently. It should also help them take pride in their accomplishments. For foreign language teachers, this means motivating and retaining students by presenting dynamic, creative, meaningful, and enjoyable language classes. When language instruction takes place outside the target country, teachers need to immerse the students in the foreign language and culture as much as possible by assigning them tasks that encourage language production in real and meaningful contexts. In order to achieve these goals on a consistent basis, teachers need to frequently test their teaching practices with regard to effectiveness and student appeal. At the same time, they should strive to develop and implement new techniques that will make student learning even more successful and their own teaching more rewarding. Since the 1970’s, language teachers in the United States have been encouraged to use a communicative approach to foreign language teaching, which posits that language is a “form of social behavior and sees the aim of language teaching as teaching learners to communicate fluently, appropriately and spontaneously” (Brumfit and Roberts 1983, 182, paraphrasing Shier 1993). It has been the teacher’s task to help language learners go beyond merely learning a linguistic system while engaging them in genuine communicative interaction in the target language. In practice, however, what takes place in the classroom often looks quite different from what the communicative method advocates in theory.