Use of Task-Based Activities in the Teaching of Drama

Abstract

Drama, as a genre of literature, is often considered to be an interesting area in teaching and learning situations. Many methods and techniques are used while teaching drama in an ESL classroom. It is observed that the use of task-based activities proves to be effective and beneficial in the teaching of drama. The present paper strives to focus on the pivotal role of the task-based activities in the teaching and understanding of drama. The paper presents the varied task-based activities that can be used while teaching Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest [1] at the undergraduate level. The task-based activities help the students to comprehend the text in a better way. . In fact students’ active involvement and participation in the task-based activities not only enhance their understanding of drama but also help them to unravel the plethora of complex meanings woven in the dramatic text. Through the involvement of the students in the task-based activities they learn to infer, interrogate, and interpret the dramatic text. They make guesses, deduce and derive meanings and through inference and reasoning strive to discover the dramatic text. Thus the present paper makes an attempt to prove that the use of the task-based activities in the teaching of drama not only brings in enjoyment but also enhances the students’ understanding of the dramatic text.