Drama in Second Language Learning From a Psycholinguistic Perspective

This study lays the theoretical groundwork for a psycholinguistic understanding of drama in second language (L2) learning. That dramatic activities help L2 learners improve communicative competence was assumed for this study. An investigation into the use of drama in language education, psychotherapy, and speech therapy was then undertaken with the goal of discovering commonly shared assumptions which would provide insight into the psychological processes behind its use in L2 learning. The investigation led to the hypothesis that drama encourages the operation of certain psychological factors in the participant which facilitate communication: heightened self‐esteem, motivation, and spontaneity; increased capacity for empathy; and lowered sensitivity to rejection. An exploratory study was undertaken on an informal basis. It consisted of administering a questionnaire to 24 nonnative English speakers enrolled in three ESL classes at UCLA who had participated in the same dramatic activities, and administering open‐ended questions about the use of drama from the teacher's perspective to the instructors of these classes. The results of the exploratory study supported the hypothesis.