The use of drama activities in teaching German in a third-level classroom

Abstract

This article discusses the use of drama activities in teaching German to various groups of students at Cork Institute of Technology in the academic year 2003/2004. The findings are based on action research and reflective practice. It describes the outcomes of the use of drama activities in the first-year classroom, and analyses what might have been done differently in order to achieve a more positive result. It also describes the more successful outcomes of the enactment of two dramatic activities by a second-year German class, and the use of a third drama activity with both second- and third-year students. The latter activity was created in collaboration with a colleague, and the latter’s participation and observations, as well as the students’ observations, formed an integral part of the analysis. The concluding part of the article makes suggestions for further research, and offers some advice to third-level teachers or lecturers who are interested in using drama in similar language classroom environments. This article discusses the use of drama activities in teaching German to various groups of students at Cork Institute of Technology in the academic year 2003/2004. The findings are based on action research and reflective practice. It describes the outcomes of the use of drama activities in the first-year classroom, and analyses what might have been done differently in order to achieve a more positive result. It also describes the more successful outcomes of the enactment of two dramatic activities by a second-year German class, and the use of a third drama activity with both second- and third-year students. The latter activity was created in collaboration with a colleague, and the latter’s participation and observations, as well as the students’ observations, formed an integral part of the analysis. The concluding part of the article makes suggestions for further research, and offers some advice to third-level teachers or lecturers who are interested in using drama in similar language classroom environments.