GROUP DEVISED THEATRE FOR ‘SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION’ A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2019 GARRET SCALLY SCHOOL OF ARTS, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ Table of Contents Abstract 6 Declaration and Copyright Statement 7 Dedication 8 Acknowledgements 9 Preface 10 Introduction to the Portfolio Thesis 11 PART I Chapter One – Literature Review 17 Second Language Acquisition 17 Theatre and Drama for Additional Language Learning 26 Group Devised Theatre 32 The Body 38 Mind, Body and Education 38 Context and Performance 43 Rhythm, Space and Silence 44 Unfinishedness 47 The Idealisation of the ‘Native’ Speaker 49 Chapter Two – Let Me Hear Your Body Talk 56 Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: ‘Experiencing the Word’ for Additional Language Acquisition 56 Abstract 56 Heading Off: An Introduction 57 All in the Mind? – A Theoretical Framework 58 To the Heart of It All: Project Outline and the Research Design and Process 62 2 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ The Body: Let Me Hear It Talk - The Story and Findings of the Project 64 The Fabric of Language 65 Awareness of Gesture 67 Voice and Breath Work 72 Further Reflection and Conclusion 78 Addendum to Let Me Hear Your Body Talk 80 Voice Work in the ‘Performing Languages’ Research Project 84 Chapter Three – Methodology 88 Introduction 88 Making the Case 89 Ethical Considerations and Issues 91 Research Design 97 Professional Practice and Research 97 Research Procedure 97 Data Acquisition 100 Participant Observation 101 Interviews 103 Data Processing and Analysis 104 Representation of Data 106 ‘Performing Languages’: A Case Study 107 ‘Performing Languages’ Research Project Outline: Setting and Participants 108 Conclusion 110 3 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ PART II Chapter Four – Performing Languages in a Community of Equals: An Introduction 113 ‘Groupness’: The Essence of Collective Creation and Friendship in Addition Language Development 114 ‘Alternative Approaches’ to SLA: Complexity, Identity, and Sociocultural Theories 118 Communities of Practice 121 Self-efficacy in SLA 124 A Community of Equals: Three Aspects of Ensemble Devising for SLA 127 Chapter Five – The Ignorant Facilitator 131 Post-performance Participant-led Workshops with the Audience 136 The Practicalities of an Egalitarian Approach: Who is Really Running this Thing? 141 Hey! Teacher! Leave those Kids Alone 148 The Best Ships are Friendships: Group Devised Theatre in Microcosm 152 Chapter Six – The Individual in the Collective 160 Emerging out of the Dark and the Opportunity to Speak 163 Writing the Individual, Creating the Collective 172 Creation and Connections from out of the Blue 180 Chapter Seven – Voicing Identity 189 Julieism: Confidence in the Cracks 193 Since Each of Us was Several, there was Already Quite a Crowd: Multiple Identities and Multilingualism 200 Eating and Shopping Together: the Bits In-between the Teeth 206 Chapter Eight – Messing It Up As We Go Along 214 Allowing for Uncertainty 216 Mastery of Mess 220 4 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ Doing the Thing You’re Doing When You’re Not Doing the Thing You’re Doing 228 Doing the Thing You’re Doing 230 … When You’re Not Doing the Thing You’re Doing 233 Conclusion 242 Introduction 242 Enquiry, Approach and Findings 242 A Reflection on the Research and its Limitations 245 Limitations of the Study 245 Once More, from the Top: Considerations if the Project Were to Be Repeated 247 Implications of the Research for the Field 249 Using the Research as a Practitioner-Researcher 250 Further Research: The Usefulness of Group Devised Theatre 251 Bibliography 253 Appendices 285 Appendix 1 ‘Performing Languages’ Project – Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form 286 Appendix 2 General Risk Assessment Form 291 Appendix 3 Excerpts from Interviews 296 Appendix 4 Outline of Final Performance 304 Appendix 5 Workshop Examples 307 Appendix 6 Participant Details 314 Word Count: 78,383 5 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ Abstract This portfolio thesis makes the case that participating in group devised theatre and using voice work benefits self-efficacy in additional language acquisition for advanced adult learners. The main source of evidence is the ‘Performing Languages’ project (2015) which took place at the University of Mulhouse, France, with adult participants from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. I also draw on my earlier practice undertaken during the development of the thesis, including an article chapter that discusses a pilot research project, ‘Experiencing the Word’ (2013). My practice-based research engaged group devised theatre and its attendant emancipatory and democratic ethos, to improve the participants’ self-efficacy in using the target language, English. I argue that an egalitarian ethos engendered by group devised theatre can address relations of power and the dichotomies of student/teacher and native/non-native speakers which are counteractive to achieving strong self-efficacy for language learners. The approach of group devised theatre also encourages and accommodates the renegotiation of identity that is prevalent in language learners. The overall findings of the research show that the benefits of participation in group devised theatre include: increased self-efficacy in using the target language, English; development of communication and engagement skills; and better awareness of non-verbal communication, gesture and a developed understanding of the use of the voice. Descriptions of moments of practice (‘vignettes’) are included to illustrate particular points of the overall thesis and to provide the reader with a sense of the practice and research from a phenomenological perspective. Also examined are aspects of the creative and learning process that occurred outside of the ensemble devising process; these were not immediately apparent but, I claim, give a fuller picture of both the process of group devised theatre and additional language development that took place. Furthermore, this thesis maintains that the unfinished and messy nature of SLA should be recognised and embraced in additional language development and that group-devised theatre provides an exemplary methodology for doing so. 6 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ Declaration and Copyright Statement No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given The University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has from time to time. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trademarks and other intellectual property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright works in the thesis, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions. iv. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=24420), in any relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University Library’s regulations (see http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/about/regulations/) and in The University’s policy on Presentation of Theses. 7 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ For my mother, Anne, and my father, Patrick. 8 Group Devised Theatre for ‘Second Language Acquisition’ Acknowledgments The Université de Haute-Alsace in Mulhouse, France and NovaTris, particularly Florence Duchêne-Lacroix, Marie Astrid Benard, and Vera Sauter. Claire McKeown and Nina Kulovics for all their help and advice. Los Spanien in Basel and Ensemble Firefly for their participation. You were heart of the research. My supervisory team: James Thompson, Alison Jeffers and Jenny Hughes. And ‘For helping me to grow, I owe a lot I know, To all the girls I've loved before’: la Maikita, who was there from the start, Yolanda, for the cultivating of concepts in refined Bacchanalia, k, for the musical interlude and, most of all, to Vicki. Thank you, vickilein, for being there when it mattered most; in the graft and slog of it all, you brought sprinkles of magic and fairy dust and countless moments of joy. To my father, Patrick, whose saying, ‘We have everything of what we’ve got’ came to capture the essence of my research. And to my mother, Anne, who’d tell me,