１．Drama Techniques in Language Learning

ドラマの教材というと脚本やロールプレイの教材を思い浮かべる方が多いですが、ドラマの教材としてもう一つ大切な分野が俳優達が演技の前にリラックスするために使ういろいろなエクササイズや、イギリスのドラマ教育の中で五感の働きを鋭敏にしたり、創造力を高めたりするために使われるゲームなどです。

 こうしたエクササイズやゲームを集めたアイディア集として、ドラマを教える先生方に是非おすすめしたいのがケンブリッジから出版されているDrama Techniques in Language Learning という本です。これは生徒が使うテキストではなく英語教師が参考に使うリソースブックです。初心者用から上級者用まで使えるドラマ的手法を用いたさまざまのエクササイズがたくさんのっていて重宝します。こうしたエクササイズを授業の導入として使用すると生徒をリラックスさせるとともに集中力を高めることができとても効果的です。

ここではこの本の中からchildhood memoryというゲームを例としてあげてみたいと思います。 Childhood memories

What to do

Each person writes down a single word which represents a childhood memory. It is necessary for the students to be reminded that this word need be meaningful only to themselves personally. It might be a color (e.g. brown, violet); it might be a smell (e.g. cabbage, floor-polish); it might be the name of a place, a person, or a song; it might be an object (e.g. ashtray, vase); it might be a date, even a day, Abstract words, such as happiness, hope, courage, should be avoided.

The slips of paper are then collected and redistributed at random. Each person now tries to find who wrote the word on his or her slip or paper. (he or she should say the word aloud, not show the slop of paper) When the right person is found, he or she should explain what memory was associated with the word. In return, the other person should say what word he or she had written down and what memory it was associated with. Remarks

Level: elementary to intermediate upwards

If a class is going to work together regularly, it is important that the members should see each other as people, not just members of a class. This does not mean that we want to hear their life story or to learn their personal secrets. Nobody should be expected to reveal what he or she does not want. Childhood memories, of course, are often painful. This is why we ask the students to write down the word on paper. If they have memories they prefer to suppress, they will not write down anything that might recall them. Also, the act of writing down the word gives added precision to the memory. For each memory will involve many different facets, and the writing will help to make clear which of these is the most important. It is best to use this activity only after the class has been working together for some time.