Saying and Writing in Multilingual Drama Workshops: Some Teachings in Theatrical or Performative Experiences

Abstract

Mainly used to teach a second language or internationally valued language in an academic curriculum, drama workshops are also used to improve the language spoken in a new country. On many occasions, students are academic pupils who are also first or second-generation migrants settled in a new country with a multilingual profile. This is often the case for students of the UPEC, Université de Paris Est- Créteil, in France. This is a 6-year long experience of multilingual workshops developed in the UPEC, producing more than twenty original 20-minute performances and written plays. This performative pedagogy is Francisco Varela’s enaction paradigm (1993). Also known as embodied cognition or situated cognition, enaction deals with human productions—even specific ones, such as language—by studying the neurological and biological basis of subjective and individual phenomena in an ecological context. Held in a multilingual context, the workshops explore sensitive experiences. In fact, through theater, we uncovered or rediscovered biological tracks as the neurological basis of communication. Our expression involved both individuals and cultural trends: by sharing stories during the multilingual and multicultural workshops.

1. Introduction

Many workshops have been held for many decades in order to improve the social and linguistic abilities of non-native speakers through performative arts, as theater is. Similar to theater, enaction conceptualizes language as the human capacity to connect through action, not only within the defined time of fiction as in theater or storytelling, but also in integrating consciousness with the world itself.

In a globalized world where multilingual situations are more and more usual, drama as a powerful tool allows us to use as many languages as there are present at the workshop. In fact, meaning and communication work together with language awareness to empower any speaker who is seeking to improve language skills through theater abilities.

The practice of drama workshops in France to teach different languages and multilingual approaches to enable personal expression through theater is exposed here in a descriptive way. We try to show how our experiences are related to actual wider educative and didactic movements.

Since research on this field of teaching Spanish in France through theater is minimal, we think that to expose our findings to develop both research and teaching practices including the arts could be an interesting contribution, and even more in a multilingual approach.

Currently, drama workshops are widely integrated into educational curricula in many countries. The Anglophone world embraced this method of learning much earlier, from schools and K-12 teachings to universities and adult education, compared to other regions. The significance of collaborative projects centered around drama workshops and theater-based education is luckily increasing in European countries today. Arts and related activities to learn languages are represented with very interesting local or international experiences to enhance language abilities of students: Artlingo at Strasbourg University, Thealingua in Germany and France, Glottodrama in many European countries, as well as particular programs such as the Multilingual drama workshops at the University of Paris -Est Creteil (UPEC), which are the core of our work. The recent creation of a Master in Arts and Languages, Art-en-Act, held nowadays at the Inspé/UPECby Joëlle Aden, (Inspé:Institut National Supérieur du Professorat et de l’Éducation, university school to prepare teachers and education staff in France) proves again the expansion of this practices in France and the wide evolution in this sense: education through languages and valorizing multilingualism is becoming a successful trend.

Our UPEC research group, IMAGER, is deeply plurilingual composed by English, German, Spanish, and Italian language and civilization scholars, and many language pedagogy or didactic specialists are included into LANGenACT, an inner group that studies language or language learning and teaching, choosing mainly an enactive approach [1]. The works of Varela and others evoke our interest in cognitive science and embodied action and explain the deep links between mind, language, and movement, through the neurological and philosophical basis of human intelligence to relate to others and the world.

In spite of this major contribution to our research project, we need to remember that Varela’s works are not the only reference or frame for our practice in the drama multilingual UPEC workshops. Noteworthy events in support of the teaching approach through arts have taken place in the past, such as the international IDEA Congress held in Paris in 2013 (International Drama Education Association) and the International Conference in Performing Arts for Learning Languages (PALL) in Rome in 2014. These gatherings provided valuable insights through numerous practical and scientific presentations, guiding our trajectory a decade ago.

Additionally, the Glottodrama Program, funded with the support of the European Commission, has offered a method to practice and learn foreign languages through theater [2]. Catering to both students’ and educators’ needs, this approach utilizes original and personal improvisations, as well as progressive dramatic creations within a group, as the foundation for a final performance.

Inspired to start the experience by this Glottodrama methodology, and after following training in a tutoring program in Rome, a new language teaching approach was experimented with at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) from 2013 to 2019. The House of Languages (Maison des Langues) proposed regular 3-hour drama workshops at week each semester, culminating in a public performance. These projects engaged mixed groups of students with complementary linguistic interests, fostering collaboration to achieve both group and individual objectives. Participants supported each other by leveraging their proficiency in various languages, aiming to enhance the quality of improvisations or performances and then, observing than coaching other students, they managed to improve themselves. For instance, a Russian student extremely fluent in Spanish helped French students to write their parts, and by interacting with them, she understood some grammar difficulties she had in French comparing both languages.

The creation of bilingual workshops, bringing together international students seeking to learn French as a second language and French students seeking academic proficiency in English, Spanish, or Italian, expanded language diversity within the workshops. Very soon bilingual workshops became multilingual: Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Arab, Bambara, Croat, Turkish, and many other languages from migrants and refugees appeared. Many students coming from French DOM-TOM contribute to this diversity, speaking specific forms of creole languages.

Through improvisations, it became evident that many students possessed a much broader linguistic repertoire than they had acknowledged, often not considering it as part of their cultural identity. Or their different possible ways to talk and behave: to play an angry character, a Morocco young woman copied a female scold both in Arab (supposed to be the family language for this fiction mother) and French, but with a strong North-African accent that this person has completely erased from her daily academic communication. During these drama workshops, they realized that by acting, they had linguistic competencies that they had hesitated to demonstrate in academic contexts. Their previously concealed multilingualism in university life finally surfaced through their performances.

The overall experience, as they said, proved to be beneficial in improving linguistic skills and language awareness within the group, enhancing academic performance, and fostering well-being associated with linguistic identity. A young creole-speaking young woman dared to express a bad moment she had lived in a language she taught not to be understood by others. It was not the case. The group’s latent cosmopolitan tendencies emerged, revealing a cultural and intercultural richness that they find very interesting, even out of the curricula… The initial aim of language learning in an academic environment transitioned into a more personal and easily transferable transversal knowledge applicable to everyday life or professional situations.

2. Improving language productions in a multilingual context, but how?

The multilingual and multicultural backgrounds of the participants involved in this project are fundamental for the success of dramatic expression workshops. Each student brings with them a wealth of personal knowledge and experiences. As highlighted by Appiah in his discussion of cosmopolitanism ([3], p. 257), the exchange of cultures and family stories fosters the emergence of new cultural identities, along with diverse cultural and linguistic knowledge.

This interaction between different—or even vastly different—cultures contributes to the creation of something novel and transformative, making sense together to speak and write stories:

…/… what makes the cosmopolitan experience possible for us … is … a different human capacity that grounds our sharing: namely the grasp of a narrative logic that allows us to contribute to the world to which our imagination responds. That capacity is to be found up the Amazon. The Mississippi, the Congo, the Indus, and the Yellow River, just as it is found on the banks of the Avon and the Dordogne. … And the basic human capacity to grasp stories, even strange stories, is also what links us, powerfully, to others, even strange others.

We recognize the importance of cultivating confidence to tell personal stories and creating an environment encouraging the sharing of intimate, cultural, and familial backgrounds within an academic setting, even within a relatively short timeframe. Each participant’s biographical language profile emerges from a uniquely diverse life history.

Some Portuguese-speaking participants do not dare to practice directly their language but they engage happily in singing worldwide songs or Brazilian music such as lambada, samba, bossa nova, and other “cool sounds” like The girl of Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto, João Gilberto, and Stan Getz, used during warm-up activities. They became the experts to talk with them about Portugal and Brazil (not other Portuguese speaking appeared in these workshops) in order to understand some linguistic and cultural points, even if some of them are a discovery for them too.

This way of sharing languages and cultures was applied to Spanish language as well: Mexican corridos and other popular songs were used sometimes as a part of the play or as a keynote (music on the radio in a Policeman car in Strober less party indeed!, a play about a disruptive party), both linguistical and cultural, to understand the mood of the character (for instance, this policeman in love is having heavy doubts about his partner, as it happens in many corridos). Many popular songs introduce texts to work on by a karaoke practice, both in Italian or Spanish (Volare or Volando voy included in plays where a trip in a plane is prepared or done as The dreamed holydays, with a very special travel agency or Objective:Rome preparing and going to Rome for a teacher and his pupils…). We appreciated introducing some bilingual French-Spanish singers such as Kendji Girac (No me mires más) and we listened to any other suggestions of music loved by students: French songs, mainly by Edith Piaf, translated into another language and culture version, as Flamenco singer El Cigala did in Spanish.

In our efforts to integrate our diverse backgrounds, we encouraged the exchange of cultural insights among all participants. However, this rich background is often overlooked or fragmented, overshadowed by a dominant monolingual and hyper-dominant Western culture. Furthermore, blending one’s own cultural identity with academic standards can feel undervalued, particularly in the French context, where linguistic correctness sometimes leaves little room for authentic communication.

During workshops, personal emotions, cherished self-representations, and deep feelings should always be respected and protected, even as they may be explored or transformed. Remind safe is the rule, to dare to be free, allowing oneself to play and to express in a creative way.

The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to enhance their creativity and embark on a journey of personal growth through collaborative engagement in a shared project. This collective effort resulted in significant improvements in communication abilities among participants. Many expressed gratitude for the profound impact the workshop had on their linguistic and creative skills, initiating an empowered trend of personal growth. We are glad to remind how one of them switched professional orientation (commercial and enterprise jobs), becoming a Spanish teacher after playing the part of a challenged Italian professor with hard pupils in Spain and Rome… Sometimes, fiction helps us to explore some possibilities and allows us to test changes with much less risks than in real life…

Moreover, this transformation in communication abilities was a widespread effect of the workshop, evident in the interactions among participants. All participants acknowledged the workshop’s profound impact on their academic journey, aligning with the core aim of education: to foster lifelong transformation.

We will now share some of the main teaching steps gained from this experience. We discovered that foundational and recurring drama exercises, (“mirror exercise”, moving together following a music or a rhythm, mime or voice practices) along with progressive group confidence-building activities, were key to fostering uninhibited expression.

We facilitated spontaneous and easy interactions by initiating exchanges between individuals from the outset and emphasizing body language and movement expression. Many exchanges were initiated through movements in the expansive classroom space, while others were sparked by subtle gestures and miming.

These activities, though perhaps less obvious to some students initially, (defined as gymnastics or physical training) were introduced to foster group cohesion through sensory and physical experiences. Subsequently, participants were encouraged to articulate their opinions on group decisions, as well as the direction they wished to pursue together, thereby ensuring that each individual had the opportunity to express themselves.

Our guiding principle was to build trust within the group through collective physical and body exercises, followed by verbal expression to share and illuminate our feelings.

Through body and movement preparatory activities, we not only facilitate oral improvisations but also use a highly creative and engaging stage-writing method, heightening the group’s awareness of their communication skills on various levels. This approach enables us to translate situations from one language to another and adapt them across different cultures. For example, consider a scene depicting a teenager being reprimanded at school: as the scene unfolds, participants explore the reactions of the teenager’s mother in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. Portraying these varied perspectives fosters rich exchanges within the group and facilitates discussions on education and cultural diversity. Our motto, “taking the time to feel, to say and to share”, guided our approach, and the results in terms of language acquisition goals were evident.

Life-long learning experiences, rooted in bodily movement and sensory engagement, coupled with personal representations and biographical memories, form the essence of creativity. Activities following other people’s movements such as “mirror exercise” by copying as close as possible the movements and expressions of someone in front of you, mimicking gestures and facial expressions in any position, or role-playing given situations with a partner, allow us to recognize both our similarities and differences.

Developing this fundamental language ability, previous to linguistics knowledge and rooted in our neurological and brain structures, is crucial. As Joëlle Aden synthesizes the research of numerous scientists who have explored the neurological underpinnings of human communication, enhancing these communicative skills transcends linguistic boundaries to encompass psychological and affective dimensions, profoundly impacting social capacities such as empathy ([4], p. 2).

Recent developments in neuroscience, particularly research on empathy, are to play a significant role in addressing this crucial matter as they offer new ways of understanding the connections between physicality, imagination, emotion, language and reason. Theatre techniques incorporate physical, emotional and aesthetic simulation that can help students to put themselves in somebody else’s shoes, thus supporting them in the process of acquiring an empathetic attitude.

Following these principles and aiming to integrate our drama experience into innovative academic projects, we embraced a more international edition of the Glottodrama method [5]. Additionally, we continued to incorporate traditional theater warm-up techniques into our workshops, preparing participants both vocally and physically before engaging in spoken activities. These exercises proved invaluable at the outset of each session, fostering group cohesion and forging bonds of solidarity and friendship among participants.

Several of these activities were particularly effective and warrant description. One such warm-up exercise, remarkably simple yet highly effective, involved forming a circle and making eye contact with each member of the group. Participants were then tasked with representing themselves through a gesture while simultaneously stating their name aloud. The participant next in line would then mimic the gesture and repeat the name, adding their own gesture and name thereafter. As the chain of gestures and names expanded, it became progressively more challenging to memorize, despite the attention and encouragement of the group. This challenge elicited laughter, repeated attempts, and apologies, fostering lively exchanges among participants. To conclude the exercise, we recommended a final round of gestures and names, with all participants repeating the associations created earlier. This exercise served as a playful yet effective means of learning each group member’s name, acting as a powerful icebreaker and more: forming a united group. By engaging in this activity, we also collected and absorbed non-verbal information about our fellow participants. The body language and gesture patterns learned in this informal manner would facilitate more efficient communication among group members in future interactions, and during drama workshops, even when warp-up activities are not chosen to be played in the last performance.

With minimal language knowledge, we tapped into many of our basic and neuronal abilities to establish connections with others. Inhibitions were gradually shed within the group through this interactive game. The focus on whole-body communication, the balance between listening and acting, and the challenge of remembering names with varying degrees of success all contributed to building confidence among participants. This newfound confidence fostered a more creative and expressive environment, allowing for the emergence of individual artistic expression within the group dynamic. Surprisingly, mainly for them, students were able to write and play successfully their own creations, even with extremely limited linguistic skills.

We tried to make clear that this experience was addressed to all students, not only or mostly to specialist and high-level language students. But things are not so simple: “playing” is currently a key to foreign languages learning, and a way of evaluating easily a student’s language level. Becoming then a new academic concern, both for students and teachers, we built a coach approach for this proficiency test ([6], p. 10). In fact, many students wish to be trained for this kind of examination and language certificate in order to succeed their academic projects.

As far as language teaching is concerned, academic institutions have understood the need for a competency-based approach in recent years and have proposed the Certificate in Higher Education Languages (CLES) as an assessment tool. However, this language certification does not in principle have any academic "preparation". This leaves many students in a situation of failure, because they are unable to mobilize their knowledge in a situation of improvisation during an in-class session.

In drama workshops led in “other” languages, we use low-level mechanisms as clues to understand verbal language. We consistently observe that students grasp things without using processes of analysis or inferential reasoning. We think this can be attributed to the phenomenon of motor resonance linked to the automatic imitation of the other’s behavior [7].

3. Improvisations and performances: “once upon a time”

As advocated by the Glottodrama method, improvisations are prompted by a specific “input” provided by the workshop conductor. This “input” could take various forms, such as text, music, personal memory, interpretation of a drawing or painting, or a movement or rhythm within the group. Freedom is paramount during this phase of the workshop, encouraging participants to respond both physically and meaningfully to the input. Following this initial personal exploration, by experimenting freely, a collective decision is made regarding a common subject for the workshop, which is then validated through group action. The language of the participants and their drama skills are progressively enhanced.

A brainstorming session is conducted to consolidate ideas, with various methods employed for recording these suggestions. Options include jotting them down in a personal notebook for individual reflection or writing them on a blackboard for collective consideration. Both together are of course possible.

After carefully studying all proposals, group members collaboratively eliminate and select items from the blackboard, taking turns and, if necessary, explaining their choices. It is crucial to ensure that all group members have the opportunity to express themselves, ideally utilizing and developing their language skills in the language they wish to improve. Creating authentic communication situations proves to be the most effective approach for learning a foreign language and making it one’s own by using a language as a language and not as an academic exercise.

Another fundamental principle in leading drama workshops is the importance of alternating between being an actor and a spectator. Participants must be made aware that they will not be judged for their improvisations and that preparatory exercises serve as playful activities with no consequences other than enjoyment and learning from the experience.

Physically marking this distinction between actors and the public, with a rope or delineated line on the floor, separates the performance space from reality, signifying that shared productions belong to the realm of fiction. This boundary permits a wide range of creative expressions. French author Adrien Payet, an active proponent of teaching French as a foreign language through theater, advocates for this approach as essential [8], both in France and internationally. However, sometimes unanticipated factors, such as the introduction of an undisclosed foreign language into the workshop, can produce an “out-of-the-ordinary” communication effect, highlighting how communication extends beyond words and languages, as observed by myself ([9], p. 16) during a secondary school workshop in 2014.

If the educational objectives of this workshop were artistic (a theatrical production filmed) and aimed to initiate citizen reflection on borders and peace, disciplinary educational benefits linked to Latin languages comprehension have been enriched through a plural approach to them. Instructions were given in Spanish, accompanied by gestures. They were not an obstacle, to the point that some students did not even notice that we were speaking to them in a relatively unknown language and outside the curriculum. Despite this, the “surprise language” -in a bilingual German-French class year of preparation for the Baccalaureate - was very well received, and considered more as working language than as a foreign language.

To facilitate this expression and ensure sufficient time for it, small groups consisting of fewer than four participants are often formed. These groups undergo frequent changes, allowing for diverse associations of talents and personal inclinations among participants. Changes may occur randomly or be directed (for psychological reasons, to equilibrate language fluency, just for trying a change of partner…), ensuring a dynamic mix of interactions. Simple movement exercises, such as walking, running, or moving to the rhythm of music, accompanied by instructions to form pairs, trios, or quartets, serve as effective means to enhance basic social and group skills. Forming photos or paintings, animated or not, is also a training exercise and an interesting way to fix important scenes (for instance, the arrival of Colombus’ boat to the beach or to show a story—television series, for instance—into the story—and so).

Improvisations serve as the cornerstone of drama workshops, even when there is a deadline to present a public performance. The primary purpose of improvisations is to play and explore various approaches. Some artistic groups or theater enthusiasts embrace this mode of expression, fostering exchanges with the audience. The participatory trend extends beyond observing what unfolds on stage to actively engaging in it. Improvisation battles between teams, Forum Theater, or soliciting audience input during performances represent powerful methods of fostering connections in increasingly individualistic modern societies, countering human loneliness and isolation.

This new popular form of theater has the potential to interrogate both personal and social issues. It is worth noting that contemporary popular culture and education are not so different from traditional forms. As Pierre Lenel ([10], p. 10) suggests, the strength of this cultural action lies in its deep commitment to the practice of freedom in expressing thoughts and feelings collectively, resembling a modern-day catharsis in the twenty-first century:

And this is one of the principles of theater forum not to close the representation by answers which would be the correct ones answers. The ambition of popular education is indeed emancipation and it is only from a confrontation of ideas and solutions that this emancipation can really take place.

Emancipation and empowerment are achieved through various means, including the expression of our inner emotions through poetic and artistic productions.

Becoming aware of language power and taking advantage of the language skills we have is extremely interesting in a personal and collective emancipatory project.

During drama workshops, our goal is not only to equip participants with the arguments and linguistic tools to defend personal opinions but also to tap into their inner strength and desire to share these opinions verbally or non-verbally within the group. Theater is not merely about reciting lines but also about constructing a shared sense of meaning, using multiple elements such as actions, body language, voice, and communication between actors on stage and with the audience during performances.

In the intricate language environment of theater, where multiple languages intersect, we gain insight into the power of the arts. Their diversity—paintings, music, dance, and other forms of artistic expression—serves to expedite our journey toward discovering or uncovering the world and our understanding of ourselves and others.

As previously mentioned, humans have an innate need to share stories, whether fictional or real, and theater, like fairy tales, serves as a medium for expressing our concerns, desires, and fears. Sometimes tragedies are transformed into humorous situations to help us cope with life’s challenges through comedic twists. Traditional fairy tales often blend magical elements with deeply unsettling scenarios, such as being devoured by a wolf or transformed into an animal or a statue. More recent adaptations, like the story of the Little Mermaid losing her voice to find love or the tale of the dancer being imprisoned by a pair of enchanted red shoes, continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, forming the basis of a shared global culture.

These cultural productions, along with comic book heroes and fantastical worlds, have given rise to a wide array of fiction and multimedia creations, including films, television series, comics, web series, and commercial advertisements.

This oral and multimedia literature, coupled with the practice of storytelling in language learning, is increasingly integrated into educational settings. Scholars like Algirdas Julien Greimas [11] propose frameworks or diagrams to model the dynamics between characters in both theater and tales, offering a quick and accessible way to explain narrative structures. They allow us to understand the double message of these stories: they are not only a story but also a social frame of acting that is proposed to us.

Objects imbued with symbolic meaning, such as Cinderella’s glass slipper or the Little Mermaid’s Sea foam, serve as powerful motifs in storytelling, conveying deeper messages and themes. Even in parodic or analytical contexts, these symbols retain their potency, evoking childhood memories and unresolved conflicts. Playing with stories, even the simplest ones, yields rich rewards in terms of communication and representation. Many card games encourage players to construct original narratives using these elements. The timeless opening phrase, “Once upon a time…” is the title of one of such games.

For instance, a drama workshop might begin with a seemingly mundane object like an apple, which could inspire a multitude of stories, from the biblical punishment of Adam and Eve to the myth of William Tell or the poisoned apple in Snow White. Similarly, the magic mirror from Snow White can serve as a rich thematic symbol, representing vanity and self-reflection. Exploring such objects in a dramatic context and uncovering their meanings are crucial steps in the creative process.

Storytelling can serve as a valuable starting point for drama workshops, but the experiential learning offered by theater in an academic setting often allows for a broader exploration of creative skills. Nevertheless, the merging of storytelling with theater is becoming increasingly prevalent in France, as Philip Marhic [12] notes in the introduction to a recent collective book on the subject:

A vector of language and culture, theatre allows learners to put their words into action, to confront linguistic and cultural reality through an inclusive civilizational practice. Theatrical practice is about making one's body and emotions speak at the same time as one's language, it is about freeing oneself from constraints and inhibitions, it is about exposing oneself without risk, it is about learning to adapt to all the situations. Learning through theatre means interacting with the world.

At times, we are astonished to realize that intuitive and creative artistic approaches can also lead us to truth, suggesting that cognitive skills are not the sole means of exploring our environment. Antonio Damasio delved into the study of emotions, senses, and biological tendencies for social interaction three decades ago [13], elucidating how emotions play a profound role in the learning and understanding processes of human beings.

4. Translanguaging? theater in action, arts, and language acquisitions

Incorporating Ofelia Garcia’s studies on bilingual Latin American Spanish and English speakers in the USA, along with Grosjean and Blanchet’s analysis of this merging linguistic landscape, which emphasizes what speakers actually do to communicate rather than prescribing what they should do, Joëlle Aden and Maria Pavloskaya ([14], p. 220) outline perspective on this method:

…/… translanguaging involves creating a synergy between all of the sensorimotor, emotional, cultural and intellectual processes in a given environment to bring about a meaning shared by the subjects interacting in this environment …/…. It implies “combining all available language repertoires, both verbal and non-verbal, low and high order cognitive processes and including kinesthetic and emotional resonance” ([15] , p. 115).

In France, foreign language learning has benefited from experimental projects that integrate language and art concerns. One such project was AiLES (Arts in Language Education for an Empatic Society) which took place in an urban, cosmopolitan context. In AiLES, secondary school students collaborated with a team of artists over a 4-year period.

Students’ personal imaginative scenes and stories formed the foundation of language instruction. These narratives were then enriched through exposure to various cultural materials introduced in the classroom, including philosophical reflections, picture books, visual and cinematic artworks, novels, and plays. Additionally, students participated in outings to concerts, museums, and contemporary performances, which complemented their learning experiences. The stories were further developed and refined in class, with students practicing and enhancing their language skills in German, English, and occasionally French. As the authors set it ([16], p. 115):

The artistic practices employing languages in the drama workshops included dramatic improvisation, dance, singing, visual arts and video, chosen by the students in the course of their performances. This non-verbal, emotional, sensorimotor and verbal multilingual languaging is what Aden [15] calls translangager: “a dynamic act of relatedness to oneself, to others and to one’s environment.”

This performative pedagogy was grounded in Varela’s enaction paradigm, both enlightened by philosophical thoughts on human intelligence and by scientific neuro-experimental-based approaches.

Theater allows us to connect through action. Enaction goes further, integrating consciousness of the world itself.

5. Theater in foreign language learning: to what extent is it used?

In 2019, a bibliographic review was conducted following the Campbell Collaboration protocol (2019), an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting evidence-based research in the social sciences. The objective of this review was to examine previous research conducted on the pedagogy of language and drama in educational contexts. The selection process involved three stages of scrutiny: a first screening will exclude studies published in languages other than English, French, or Spanish, outside the selected time frame (1981–2017), duplicated or published out of the UE. A second screening will exclude irrelevant publications upon further examination of their title and abstracts. Finally, a third screening will consist of reading the full text of those works not previously excluded and selecting those fulfilling applicable criteria. As a result of the third screening, the final number of publications reviewed will be obtained.

The research revealed a limited number of documented experiences in higher education settings for Spanish teachings in French Higher Education.

Despite the recognition of the potential benefits of theater in language education by numerous scholars, the scarcity of empirical research addressing this topic is notable. The limited number of studies available reflects a gap in both academic literature and classroom practice. In spite of this, some very interesting proposals have been made.

While there is a growing body of theoretical discourse extolling the virtues of theater in language learning, its translation into pedagogical practice remains limited. This gap between theory and practice underscores the need for further investigation and advocacy to bridge the divide between research insights and classroom implementation.

Moreover, only three articles were found on the research of theater for language learning in higher education contexts, specifically in France to teach Spanish. The experiences described in these articles highlight the use of theater as a tool for language and cultural acquisition. However, without written testimony and publication, this valuable work may go unnoticed by the educational community. This lack of research not only hinders the advancement of knowledge in the field but also deprives educators of evidence-based strategies to enhance language learning outcomes.

Raising awareness about the potential of theater is crucial to promoting collaboration between researchers and practitioners, which can facilitate the development of innovative methodologies and resources to harness the power of dramatic play for language acquisition. By leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration, advocating for increased research funding, and promoting professional development opportunities for educators, we can unlock the full potential of theater as a dynamic tool for language learning and intercultural communication in higher education.

6. Conclusions

The teachings gleaned from many years of multilingual drama workshops underscore the transformative power inherent in theater. More than merely a tool for language learning, theater represents a distinct approach to education. One of its most significant aspects lies in its ability to engage both body and mind simultaneously.

Choosing to construct plays based on group improvisations and subsequent stage writing endeavors to capture the spontaneity and depth of human communication within a group. While these movements and body expressions may not always be conscious, they play an immensely important role in communication. Thus, incorporating movement and body expression at the core of academic environments during drama workshops becomes a transformative practice.

Introducing experiences of play, movement, speech, and original text creation in language learning or language awareness education allows for the exploration of innovative patterns. This departure from mechanical and compulsory methods opens up avenues for creativity and personal expression, while also fostering the development of transversal skills such as collaboration, commitment, and responsibility. The collaborative nature of theater fosters strong interpersonal bonds and improves social skills, while also nurturing empathy among participants.

In addition to the expected improvements in linguistic skills during drama workshops, participants also undergo a reorganization of their language and multilingual repertoire. Through interactions with others and often engaging in a deep self-discovery, individuals enhance their listening and speaking abilities, contributing to the achievement of collective projects and the sharing of artistic productions. We advocate for a broader participation of students and young people in such enriching experiences, as drama workshops offer a valuable gift for lifelong personal growth.