Using an in-role drama convention as a pedagogical strategy of language acquisition in the Italian SPA programme

Abstract

This research focuses on a pedagogic design that introduces Drama conventions with the aim of bridging the students’ “linguistic resources into their creative engagement” (Pakkar-Hull, 2014, p.245) with a second foreign language (SFL), precisely, the Italian Subject Proficiency Assessment (SPA) programme of a Year ten class. The main research question seeks to identify when are drama conventions (specifically, in-role drama) successful pedagogies for language acquisition and, secondly, the possibilities and limitations drama has in SFL classes, with particular attention to the teacher’s work. Through action research as the methodology, the dissertation analysis a series of six practical sessions. Data about the implications and effectiveness of the dramatic convention on language acquisition is exposed through two reflective journals held by myself and the Italian SPA teacher in tandem with on-the-spot interviews.