TEACHING DRAMA

TEACHING DRAMA
- Lok  Raj  Regmi.
Abstract:
Literature  occupies  an important  place  in language  teaching  courses.  But a language  teacher
should  present  the  literary  texts  from  linguistic  angles.  The  present  paper  attempts  to suggest
some  tiehniques  of  presenting  drama,  an  important  literary  genre,  in a  language  classroom.
l.  Introduction:
Literature  includes  various  genres  viz. poetry,  drama,  prose,  fiction. That  is to say,  drama  is one
of the important  genres.  It  has  become  one  of the successful  and effective  aspects  of teaching
literature.-  Drama  is taught not only to please  and  instruct  the learners  but also  to develop  in
them the  skill  of  interaction.
'Interaction'
therefore,  is  the main aim of  teaching  drama  to
language  learners.  Teaching  drama  can  benefit  the  language  leamers  in various  ways.
Teaching  drama  to
language  learners
b) confidence b) memorization  b) fluency
2.  Principles  of Teaching  Drama:
The principle of teaching  drama  are  as  follows:
a.  General  principle-  it includes  the  following  points.
r  Developing  the  vocabulary  in learners
Developing  the  skill of literal  interpretation  (i.e.  reading  comprehension)
b.  Specific  principle-  it includes  the  following  points:
.  Developing  the  skill of interaction
*  Mr. Regmi  teaches  English  at Sanothimi  Campus,  Sanothimi,  Bhaktapur.
b) critical reading
c) critical thinking
d) creative  writing
in conversation
b) what  does  someone
really mean?
c)  oldering  &  sequenc-
ing in conversation
d)  status  &  relationship
fournal  ofNELTA VoLS, No. 2 December,200076ll,okRaj  Regmt
-  Exposure  to language  in conversation
-  Understanding  what  someone  really means.
-  Ordering  and  sequencing  in conversation
Finding  status  and  relationship
.  Developing  the  skill of critical  reading
.  Developing the  skill  of  critical  thinking  and  creative writing  (i.e.  skill  for
imagination)
Characters:
Troy Moron  - the  head  of  the  family
Jim Bono  Troy's friend
Rose  - Troy's  wife
Lyons  Troy's  oldest  son  by previous  marriage
Gabriel  - Troy's Younger  brother
Cory  - Troy's  and  Rose's  son
Raynell  - Troy's daughter
3.  Sample  Lesson  Plan  on Teaching  Drama:
This preliminary atternpt  will  present  a  sample  lesson  planning  on teaching  drama  although
there  can  be  several  ways  to  teach  it.
LeveVGrade:  Date:  Period:  Unit:
Teaching  item:  Fences
Stage  I
Revision and warming  up: The  teacher  wafins  up  the  students  asking  some  questions  from
the  present  play
'Fences'
to make  them  curious  and  ready.  S/he  can  ask  the  following  questions:
(a) The  author  ofthis  drama  is  ...............
(i)  Shakespeare  (ii) Marlowe  (iii) George  Bemard  Shaw  (iv) AugustWilson
(b)  He  is  a.............
(r)  social  realistic  writer.  (ii) political  advocate.  (iii) royal  writer.  (iv) biuer  satirist.
(c) What  is  the main  message  of this drama?
.  ( i ) Political rehabilitation  (iii) The existence  of human  life
(ii)  Social  realism  and  post-modern  elements  (iv) Romance  and  satire
(d) The  drama  gets  its development  through
(i)  Dialogues  (ii) Conflict  (iii) Re-climax  (iv) Origin
(e) Which  is notthe element  of drama?
(i) Singleness  of unity  (ii) Plot  (iii) Characters  (iv) Dialogues
Stage  2
Background  Information, Introduction of  the Drama: The teacher  gives  the background
infoniation  of  the dramatist  and  the introduction  of the play. This can  be done  by answering
above-mentioned  questions  if  the  learners  could  not respond  some  of them.  $ihe can  begin  like
this:
Iownalof  NELTA VoLS, No.2 Decemben  2400Teaclring  Dramo/77
.  August Wilson, the post-modern  American writer, composed  this drama. He  is  a black
American  dramatist  who wrote a drama  every  decade.  This particular drama  presents  the
racial  discrimination  betwesn  black  and  white  people.  It is a globat  problem.
o  The whole drama  moves  around  the activities  of a particular  family the
'Muron
Family'.
There  is difference  in opinion  between  parents  and  generation.  The sons  present  their post-
modem  views  to  their significant  role(s)  in drama.
Stage  3
The  teacher  asks  two of the students  to read  the dialogues  uttered  by two different  characters.
S/he  names  one  student  as  Troy Ma:<on  and  the next Jim Bono  respectively.  The other  students
in the class  listen  to the dialogues  carefully while two of them  are  uttering  the dialogues  with
gestures,  movement.  If they  finish  reading  dialogues,  the  teacher  will ask  following  questions:
(a) Where  does  the  first act  of  this drama  take  place?
(b) Who are  the  characters  in  the  opening  scene  of  the  drama?
(c) Why does  Bono  appreciate  Troy Maxon?
(d) How does  Troy react  over  the  death?
(e) What happens  at  the  end  of  this act?
Stage  4
Communicative  activities: The  teacher  can  form various  groups  of students.  He gives  them  the
task  to discuss  over  one  issue.
o  August  Wilson  and  his  career  to be  a dramatist.
.  Troy Maxon  and  his  relation  with  Jim  Bono.
o  The  behaviour  of Rose  and  her  treatment  to Troy.
.  Troy's  attitude  to white  people.
r  His exaggeration  about  the  sudden  meeting  with death.
.  The  end  of Act I.
At  the end  of the discussion,  the group  leader  from each  group  will  present  the  view of his/ her
group.  The  teacher  then  explains  some  the  representative  lines  relating  to this act and  the  theme
of  the  drama.
Stage  5
The  teacher  asks  the students  to think over  the main message  that the author  wants  to convey
.through  the  particular  act  they  read.  After a  few minutes  they  will tell it.
Stage  6
Summary of the lesson:  The  teacher  summarizes  the  lesson  if s/he  is  permitted  by  the  time.
Ilomework:  What  particular  image  of the black  America  people  is pictured  in the  first act?
Relate  it with  the  socioeconomic  status  of worker/labour  class  people  in your own  country.
References:
Brurnfit,  C.  J. & Carter,  R A.  (eds.)  1986.  Literature  and  Language  Teaching.  Ot'ord:  OUP.
Collie,  J. & Salter,  S.  1986.  Literature  in  the  Language  Classroon.  Cambridge:  CUP.
Cuddon,  J. A. 1982.  Dietfonary  of  Literary  Tenns  and  Literary  Theory.  Harmondsworth:  Penguin.
Lazer,  G. 1993.  Literature  and  Language  Teaching.  Cambridge:  Cambridge  University  Press
Wilson,  A. 1985.  Fences.  In R.  Scholes,  et  al  (eds.)  1991.  Elements  of  Literature.  Ot'ord:  OUP.
fournal  ofNELTA VoLj, No.2 December,2000