Bringing Artistic Creativity in Language Classrooms

Streaming Media

Start Date

8-18-2020 12:00 AM

Description

Educational research has long embraced the importance of attending to students' creativity and imagination in college classrooms. In this session, we will explain several ways to use the performing arts to achieve these goals. The first presenter will discuss how a puppet show can combine the teaching of drama, folklore, and culture in a language class. Puppets as a teaching tool can not only motivate students to make appropriate use of their language skills, but can enliven a classroom and enhance learning. The hands-on experience of playing puppets can also be a community outreach project that encourages students to apply their knowledge, creativity, and skills to benefit other young learners. The second presenter will demonstrate three ways to use drama in language teaching by focusing on the use of role-plays, theater and movie scripts. These techniques can enhance and enrich student learning experiences in the classrooms by bringing the cultural aspect as well as by allowing students to experiment and try various roles (other than students) in the classroom. It is also effective to use drama to help shy students. The rehearsal and performance feature the importance of cohesive group work and therefore build trust between learners, thereby reducing stress and building confidence and highlighting the value of inclusive pedagogy. We will end with providing tips for implementing these ideas in college-level language classrooms.

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Aug 18th, 12:00 AM

Bringing Artistic Creativity in Language Classrooms

Educational research has long embraced the importance of attending to students' creativity and imagination in college classrooms. In this session, we will explain several ways to use the performing arts to achieve these goals. The first presenter will discuss how a puppet show can combine the teaching of drama, folklore, and culture in a language class. Puppets as a teaching tool can not only motivate students to make appropriate use of their language skills, but can enliven a classroom and enhance learning. The hands-on experience of playing puppets can also be a community outreach project that encourages students to apply their knowledge, creativity, and skills to benefit other young learners. The second presenter will demonstrate three ways to use drama in language teaching by focusing on the use of role-plays, theater and movie scripts. These techniques can enhance and enrich student learning experiences in the classrooms by bringing the cultural aspect as well as by allowing students to experiment and try various roles (other than students) in the classroom. It is also effective to use drama to help shy students. The rehearsal and performance feature the importance of cohesive group work and therefore build trust between learners, thereby reducing stress and building confidence and highlighting the value of inclusive pedagogy. We will end with providing tips for implementing these ideas in college-level language classrooms.