From the head to the heart: A less-than-orthodox means for foreign language teaching and learning through theatre practice

Abstract

In this article I reflect on the use of theatre as a tool to teach a foreign language. Within the context of language education, theatre practice does not focus on the final product. On the contrary, it emphasises the process of learning a foreign language. Between 2020 and 2022 I conducted in-class theatre projects with students learning Spanish at the University of Otago in New Zealand. These projects entailed the translation of literary texts from English to Spanish, which later were dramatised. The translation was carried out as an in-group discussion about grammar and vocabulary. The dramatised reading encouraged students to use a variety of tones and levels of volume to physically embody the text. The dramatisation allows students to design their performance with freedom, because they are not ‘acting themselves’, but are performing a different person. The final presentation of these projects filled students with pride because the work was done entirely by them, from selecting the text, to the translation and finishing with its dramatisation in front of an audience. These projects prioritised freedom of expression and promoted autonomy in students to integrate and apply the learnt content within a specific context in another language. This paper provides a detailed description of how theatre-based instruction developed different aspects of the learners’ language skills with students ranging from 100- up to 300- level.