Teaching of Drama and Poetry in ESL

This report explores the teaching of drama and poetry in ESL classrooms. It covers a learning kit with a drama text and activity development, as well as Saratha's framework for teaching poetry. The report also includes a literature review on the topic.

TEACHING OF DRAMA
AND POETRY IN ESL
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Teaching kit............................................................................................................................3
Drama text..............................................................................................................................3
Development of one activity for each literary elements for the drama script. Description of
activity and explain the rationale of choosing the activity. ...................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................6
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
Saratha's framework for the teaching of poetry......................................................................8
Explanation of the use of framework.....................................................................................8
Literature review....................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
Creating drama and poetry is a very exiting learning language. Poetry use of drama in
(ESL) English as a second language in classroom helps the children to explore conceptual
aspects of the written language without concentrating on the language mechanism. Students can
able to develop their sense of awareness of self through interpretation of the poems. ESL helps
the students in learning things that seems real (Cheung & Hennebry-Leung (2020). This report
covers learning kit in which there is a one drama text and development of one activity and a
poem for the target group of learners. Then it includes Saratha's Sithamparam framework for the
teaching of the poem and the report covers literature review for the support.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
Teaching kit
Learning and teaching kit is the using of constructive approaches for building the skills in
various subjects though activities and games. These approaches are English relay programmes
that refers to teach functional English by developing their speaking, listening and writing skills.
Another approach is Math master which is based on the NCERT guidelines that helps students in
developing their mathematical skills and solving mathematical problems. Another method is
Smart kid is based on the teaching and learning materials that develops the pre- school children.
Drama text
Drama is the play which is in writing form and almost plotted in the scripted form
thorough various dialogue. This consist of various elements which are setting, plotting,
characters and theme. Drama can be a short story or the novel which is presented in front of
audience and it is not for read (Choi & Wong (2018).
Development of one activity for each literary elements for the drama script. Description of
activity and explain the rationale of choosing the activity.
The drama is on the 'The Darkness' which has an activity of thinking. Students ca think
bigger as they dream also they can think critically. This activity helps the students in learning
and enhancing their knowledge in such a easy manner. Students ca develop their thinking skills
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by this drama. They can also learn communication skills as they are the one who is
communicating the script. Thinking skills refers to the mental activities that is use to process
information, creating new innovations and making connection, make decisions. Students make
use of their thinking skills when they are trying to make any sense of experiences and solving
problems, asking questions and making plans. Every person has thinking skills but not everyone
has the capacity to think bigger. Good thinkers can able to make good connections between the
various factors and able to tie them together. By having good thinking skills students can able to
develop new and innovative solutions to the problems they face (Elkommos (2019). Thinking is
the process of logical series that is a connective facts between the items of information. Thinking
enables the students to connect and integrate new experiences of the problems they faces and
finds the solutions effectively. This activity is choose to the below drama because in that students
has a dream that he is thinking and making innovations. That is why this is connected with the
below drama.
Plot: The plot structure of the drama does not differ from the prose. There can be a
exposition, a climax, falling actions and resolutions. There a students thinks that they have gone
for the holidays there and this drama can be performed in the classroom by the students as well.
This can enhance the students thinking skills and their activities. Plot understands the drama in
very effective manner and it helps the children in developing there skills and abilities. This will
provides proper behaviour and script of drama as it is created by a children. In this drama scripts
activity is taken is that child is sitting in dark and he develops his ideas and listens music. This is
chosen because this will helps the children in controlling over there darkness fear.
Character: Characters are the major part of any drama. The characters which are being
played in this drama are three. They are performing there roles. The drama is focus on the
darkness and he alone is performing in the script. Children can able to make characters like he
himself and his mother who calls him vampire. By this children can come to know what are the
characters are playing role in this drama and how they can effectively perform it.
Setting: Setting of the drama can be similar as the plot of drama. This is the place or time
which can be mentioned in the drama. The environment which is used for the students is the
classroom. They needs to perform whole dram in the classroom and develops there skills. This
drama can be played in a classroom by students. One there is a child and one there is a mother.
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There can be other person also like his father and brother. This helps the students in developing
there creative skills.
Theme: Theme plays important role in every drama. As it is the central idea of the drama
and can be clearly stated through dialogue and actions (FENG (2020). Theme is considered as
the philosophy that forms the moral lesson that is learn by the students. The theme of this drama
is The Darkness which is created by the student and which also enhance the thinking skills of
him and also communication skills. In this drama scripts students should know about should the
darkness is safe or not for them. In this activity can be student is sitting at the corner of window
and listening music and thinks about whether darkness is safe or not.
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References
Cheung, A., & Hennebry-Leung, M. (2020). Exploring an ESL teachers’ beliefs and practices of
teaching literary texts: A case study in Hong Kong. Language Teaching Research,
1362168820933447.
Choi, T. H., & Wong, W. C. C. (2018). “Platform nine and three‐quarters” and more: Scaffolding
ESL writing through teacher modelling and creative imitation. TESOL Journal, 9(4), 1-
23.
Elkommos, O. F. (2019). Collaborative Stylistic Group Project: A Drama Practical Analysis
Application. International Journal of Cognitive and Language Sciences, 13(5), 680-685.
FENG, S. S. (2020). Language arts (LA) in ESL from the perspective of Hong Kong high school
students.
Online
Second Place Winner! (2021) [online] Available through
<https://www.dramanotebook.com/monologues-kids-teenagers/>
Appendix
The title of a drama is “the darkness”. The description is “A teen reflects on the concept
of darkness”. I wish I was scared of the dark. I mean most people are, but I ever find comfort
sitting in it. Get home, shower, lay in bed. Don’t turn the lights on. My daily routine. Sit in the
dark and listen to music. My mom calls me a Vampire. . It’s not that I don’t like the light, you
just think differently in the dark. You find comfort in it like a big black blanket wrapped around
you. You just let go not knowing what could happen. Your mind travels to so many places and
everything’s fine. Until you realize you’re alone. The feeling of loneliness hits you. You have no
one to talk to (Second Place Winner! (2021). Everyone’s asleep. You’ve thought so much that
the big black blanket is now suffocating you. So, tell me is the darkness safe or dangerous?
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TASK 2
Saratha's framework for the teaching of poetry
The framework of the Saratha Shitamaparam is taken from the Guidelines for teaching on
Singapore secondary schools. However, this model is used for the teaching of poetry. This can be
used for the teaching of drama as well. This includes the subject matter content, theme, form,
style and mood or atmosphere (Lau & Tso (2016). Poetry now a days not only used as the model
of language but also, it is used as the development of skills like listening, speaking. It is said that
poetry is the effective teaching resources because it patterns through rhythm, line length and
structure of sentences. The five elements of the poetry indicates that students needs to grip the
poem. There are some strategies which includes those activities which can focus on the style of
content of the poem. The strategies of the poem includes three stages that are warming up stage,
listening or reading poem stage and last is the follow up stage. In first stage warming up, it helps
the children in receptive of the poem. Then another is students can encounter the poem by
listening or reading it. Reading is more important for every student as helps the students in
explanation and inflexion and caring tone of the poem. Writing poem also very important
because it helps the students in increasing their writing skills and establishments of new
innovative skills. Last stage is the follow up stage which aims to the students to draw more from
the poem. This can be done by establishing the theme and relating these themes to the person
own experience. In this students can select the particular poem and relate them to there own
experiences. So this is the framework which is used as the teaching of poetry or drama to the
students (Piazzoli (2018). This framework is used in this poetry by teacher to make read of the
poem what is the powm is about and what it is actually mean.
Explanation of the use of framework
Saratha's Sithamparam framework is used for the teaching of poetry and drama as well.
As it covers the following elements starting with subject matter which includes what is the poem
is about that means what the poem actually says. The next stage is theme which consist of the
main idea of the poem. It includes the aim and objective of the poem to the students. There can
be more than one main idea. Then third stage is form which says that in which form the poem is
written by the students. Should there be definite rhyme scheme and if it is there then what will be
the rhyme structure. Then fourth stage is style of the poem. It includes the poet choice of words
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which tells about the meaning. It involves important word or phase, proper figure of speech and
sounds of words. Then last stage includes of mood and atmosphere of the person who is reading.
It includes what thoughts are coming after the reading of the poem (Sembodo (2018). How poem
makes a person feel . Whether it can be good or not good. In the below mentioned poem subject
is desire or hate. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABA ABC BCB. This poem discuss the end
of world like with the elemental force of fire and ice and hate. The style which is used in this
poem is 'the new style, tone and manner form'. This poem presents a serious question to the
students. This poem is similar to the one Dante's Inferno. There are some words in the poem
which concludes the following sentences. Like taste which means recalling the Glutton, then
favour that means recalling the hoarders, then hold which recalls the adulterous lovers. Another
is that hate is considered with the reason of verb and thought. In this poem summary, the poet is
asking whether the world will end in the fire or an ice (Fire and ice Summary and analysis,
(2021). This question is from the old age people, whether they prefer to be freeze after death or
burn after death. The speaker concludes that either he will choose any one of them. This poem is
mentioned in Invented form which includes three rhymes. It is said that the part of this poem
effects the contrast between the simple, vocabulary and vague gravity of it subject (Sidhu, Kaur
& Fook (2018). The language of the poem is remains simple but devastating, soaring of the two
lines is lost.
Literature review
According to the views of Ivanova, 2019, I recent years, there is a uneasy relationship
between the language and literature. Literature could not be considered as the appropriate
material of the second language learning. There is the structured approach which focused on the
grammatical structures and the second approach is communicative approach which aimed at the
functional command of languages so that children could apply these skills into the different
situations they face. It is said that literature demonstrate language at work. Poetry not only serves
as the model but it involves teaching skills like listening and speaking in the learners. This
process involves the skills which students needs to know what they have read or heard. Poetry
can be served as the catalyst in developing language skills. Poetry is considers as the best
approach of teaching to the children because it consist of rhythm, line length and structure of
sentence. This repetition of the word helps the students in learning effectively and easily. For
example the poem which is chosen in this report is Fire and Ice which is question based poem.
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And this can inspire the students in understanding in rhythm and learning effectively. The
Saratha's Sithamparam framework is the framework which is taken from the Singapore
secondary schools. This model helps the students in teaching in poetry and drama. This involves
main idea and aim of the poem. How it is written, it style and rhythm. This also involves
important word or phase and figures of speech and tone. There are some strategies which engage
students in poem. These strategies includes three stages to tech the poem. These are warming up
stage, listening and reading stage and the last is follow up stage.
In the teaching language activities, poetry is used as the best method of teaching because
it involves students and their participation in learning new skills. Sometimes there are paired
activities or group activities which allows students to express the views and exchange their ideas
in the atmosphere. The activities is sorted to the students which they can handled easily. This
helps them in increasing their interest. The aim of these strategies is to give practises in the use
of language. When a students reads a poem on the printed page, this can determine the meaning
of the poem. Because the way poet puts the words in the lines enhance students in learning more
effectively. Words re written in such a format that they facilitate students and they stop their eye
on that page and reading that again and again. Teachers needs to list the diagram style as how
they can helps students in learning the language of the poem. Creative writing activities helps the
students in offering many opportunities for the discussion of ideas, draft and edit materials. As
when students begin to read the poem then they get better understand of ideas and language of
the poem. The poem can be used as the starting line of the essay. Students can create their own
poems while considering the Saratha's Sithamparam framework in mind. Finally, according to
the author it is noted that poetry appeals to the senses. Long phrases has been forgotten and a
poem are remembered in modern days. Poems can be easily remembered if they are emotionally
and create happy memories. Poems are sometimes remembered to the students because they are
easy to grab and learn. It is said that poetry is not only taught but it caught.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that learning and teaching kit is the building
of skills and capabilities which students learns and they enhance their knowledge. There is the
introduction of one drama and a poem which is teaches by the learners or students. These
contains of an activity and this involves theme, major idea of the poem. This report includes that
students can learn easily poems and dramas because it is easy to understand and grab. Students
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can learn poems and drama in a very effective manner and they could easy apply strategies.
Poems are made with rhythms which can helps them in learning easily and by the drama they can
learn the dialogues which helps them in increasing their written skills and reading skills.
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REFERENCES
Ivanova, R., 2019. Using “where I'm from” poems to welcome international ESL students into
US academic culture. TESOL Journal, 10(2), p.e00399.
Lau, L. C. M., & Tso, W. B. A. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare to ESL Students. Springer
Singapore.
Piazzoli, E. (2018). Embodying language in action: The artistry of process drama in second
language education. Springer.
Sembodo, T. J. P. (2018). Dampak dan Strategi untuk mengatasi kecemasan berbicara dalam
pembelajaran bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa ke-2 (ESL) dan Asing (EFL). JLA (Jurnal
Lingua Applicata), 1(2), 123-137.
Sidhu, G. K., Kaur, S., & Fook, C. Y. (2018). Analysing the Integration of Moral and Cultural
Values through ELT Reading Materials in Malaysian ESL Classrooms. In Situating
moral and cultural values in ELT materials (pp. 69-85). Springer, Cham.
Online
Fire and ice Summary and analysis (2021). [online] Available through
<https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/robert-frost/fire-and-ice>
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APPENDIX
The poem of Robert Frost is mentioned below:
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Robert Frost is then poet of this poem. He is saying that the world will end in fire. As this
poem motivates the students who are eager to learn as this poem helps the students in enhancing
their writing skill and reading skills as well as their motivation skills.
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