Second language acquisition in cultural understanding through theatrical metaphor
Date
1997
Authors
Leavitt, Catherine Jane
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Abstract
The objective of this thesis is to present a methodology for second or foreign language acquisition through culture in the art forms of drama and theatre.
The thesis exams the 'acquisition' of language and sets up the argument for cultural context. It draws upon the twelve years of English as a Second Language and English as a Foreign Language teaching which inform the writer's experience.
Chapter one examines what we mean by culture and the part it plays in constructing and constraining language.
Chapter two analyzes the science of linguistics and narrows the definition of linguistics to the pursuit of knowledge about the phenomenon of human language.
In Chapter three, culture and language are examined through dramatic play. The critical role of Drama in language acquisition is examined and validated. These examinations confirm that the enacting through the creating of meaning provides the stimulus for exercising new language options.
The fourth chapter explores the extended language opportunities that immersion in the art form of theatre offers to second language learners. A comparison of social, behavioural and psychological approaches between Japanese (Zeami) and western (Stanislavsky) theatre, verifies the embodiment of culture in theatre. This exploration validates my argument for acquiring culture and language through theatre.
The conclusion examines the standard curriculum for teaching English as a Second language in British Columbia and confirms that the Drama/Theatre methodology has yet to be seriously employed in language programs. The thesis outlines the Drama/Theatre EFL programme the writer designed and implemented in Japan, at Tokushima Bunri University. The results of the Drama/Theatre methodology implemented at Tokushima Bunri University, demonstrate that Drama and Theatre are significant media for the development of effective and affective speech, the confidence to express pinions freely, and the ability to use imagination for creating meaning making.