THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING DRAMA PLAYS IN ADVANCED ACADEMIC ENGLISH CLASSES IN PROMOTING LEARNER COOPERATION, CREATIVITY AND AUTONOMY

Abstract

Students attending Advanced Academic English classes are high proficiency students. There is plenty of space and opportunities to do many interesting activities with them. One of the most interesting, time consuming and learner autonomy enhancing one is using drama plays in the classroom. It gives a learner plenty of space to be creative, original and authentic. It also promotes learner cooperation, since the students work in groups and have to prepare the play together, they meet, write the scenario, and rehearse a lot. This leads students to using English outside the classroom as well.  Drama plays showed to be an effective way of enhancing learner creativity, autonomy and cooperation.

 The study involved 80 Advanced Academic English students, from different ages and all of them being non-native speakers of English, from different nationalities.

Qualitative and quantitative data analysis was employed in the study.

The objectives of the study are the following; to: a) enhance learner cooperation, by dividing tasks, roles, etc; b) promote learner autonomy through plays, since most of the activities are done outside the classroom; and c) investigate whether the play triggered students creativity and originality.