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ERIC Number: ED383179
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995-Mar
Pages: 7
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Use of Readers Theater in the EFL Curriculum.
Lengeling, M. Martha; And Others
Readers Theater, a combination of storytelling and dramatic elements, is recommended as a technique for use in the English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classroom. Among its advantages are that it incorporates four language skill areas (Listening, speaking, reading, writing), uses cultural materials, and motivates students by using language in a communicative and authentic context. Its use is suggested for all age groups and skill levels, and requirements of the teacher are common sense and creativity. Scripts can be based on any material used in the classroom and readily adapted by students, the only limitation being that the topic or text must lend itself to creation of dialogue. Some examples of materials developed by students at the university level are offered. Three common methods of staging Readers Theater are described: non-theatrical (reading of scenes within a classroom group), and semi-theatrical (reading of scenes in front of a classroom group), and theatrical (using simple props, scenery, lighting, and music). The teacher can prepare pre-performance activities such as discussion of the author, cultural context, setting, dialect, or vocabulary. It is concluded that the method leads to a deeper appreciation of language, content, and the learning process. (MSE)
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (29th, Long Beach, CA, March 1995).