Why Drama is Suitable for Teaching in the Malaysian Context

As teachers consistently seek diverse approaches to enhance language acquisition, integrating drama into the ESL teacher's toolkit emerges as an innovative solution that significantly contributes to immersive language learning experiences. This suitability is particularly evident in the recent reforms of the Malaysian ESL curriculum. The incorporation of initiatives such as the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the Standards-Based English Language Curriculum (SBELC) within the English Language Education Roadmap for Malaysia 2015-2025 highlights a deliberate effort to align language education with global standards (The Inspectorate, 2019). The Malaysian ESL curriculum, guided by the CEFR and SBELC, aims to equip students with skills essential for effective communication, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and collaboration in real-world contexts. With its emphasis on the four language skills and explicit attention to Grammar and Literacy in Action (LiA), the curriculum provides a solid foundation for integrating the drama approach into language learning classrooms. This alignment ensures that drama becomes a strategic tool in fulfilling the curriculum's educational objectives, making it a particularly suitable and beneficial method in the Malaysian educational landscape.

Why Drama is Suitable for Teaching in the Malaysian Context

1. Enhancing Speaking Skills and Communication Abilities

Drama-based approaches have long been acknowledged as effective means to enhance speaking skills and communication abilities, seamlessly aligning with the objectives of SBELC. Through drama activities, teachers can employ authentic classroom resources, promote student speech participation, optimize students’ presentation time, involve students in collaborative learning, and furnish support and feedback for those in speaking classes (Nguyen, 2023). The utilization of drama in language teaching integrates both verbal and non-verbal facets of communication, thereby uniting mind and body and reinstating balance between the physical and intellectual aspects of learning (Maley & Duff, 2005).

Verbal communication encompasses short talk, discussions, jokes, ideas, and more, while nonverbal communication skills include body language, eye contact, distance standing with students, touch, hearing, facial expressions, and gestures (Surkamp, 2014; Vaishnavi & Ajit, 2023). These two communication skills must consistently be honed by teachers to foster quality learning and significantly enhance communication efficiency across diverse social and professional contexts (Wahyuni, 2018).

Furthermore, drama, as a form of performance art, offers individuals a unique and immersive experience, enabling them to explore and express themselves in a secure and creative environment. One primary way in which drama bolsters speaking skills is by nurturing confidence and self-expression. Speaking skills, being productive language abilities, necessitate input and training for improvement (Vaishnavi & Ajit, 2023). Drama-based approaches also create opportunities for individuals to cultivate effective communication skills, including voice projection, clarity, and articulation. These skills seamlessly translate into real-life scenarios where clear and effective communication is paramount, such as in presentations, interviews, and interpersonal interactions. Drama might be the swiftest route for teachers to achieve the objective of nurturing students' receptive and productive skills, particularly in communication, surpassing other forms of literature (Bessadet, 2022).

2. Infusing Malaysian Cultural Elements in Language Education

The adaptability of drama allows for the infusion of Malaysian cultural elements, promoting cultural awareness and respect, in line with the curriculum's goal of producing culturally competent individuals. According to Kramsch (1995), "culture" is a term that encapsulates the common worldviews of communities, family backgrounds, social structures, and academic environments, shaping the perspectives of individuals. In the context of Malaysia, is a multiracial country, the integration of cultural awareness in language education becomes imperative. Kramsch's assertion that interculturality is a valuable concept for language teachers reinforces the idea that language and culture are intricately intertwined. The Malaysian educational landscape, with its diverse student population, necessitates a pedagogical approach that goes beyond linguistic proficiency to instil cultural sensitivity. As highlighted by Maasum et al. (2015), teachers play a crucial role in promoting cultural understanding, enabling students to navigate the complexities of a multicultural society and fostering harmonious coexistence.

In this context, drama emerges as a particularly effective teaching method. The nature of dramatic activities, often involving the entire class in improvised roles within an imagined context, aligns with the principles of interculturality. As noted by Bournot-Trites et al. (2007), drama provides a unique platform for students to actively engage with cultural elements, fostering not only language proficiency but also the acquisition of appropriate knowledge and attitudes towards other cultures. Through dramatization, students are encouraged to step into diverse cultural roles, promoting empathy, understanding, and respect.

3. Cultivating Higher Order Thinking Skills

Drama inherently fosters critical and analytical thinking as students engage in the analysis of characters, plot developments, and situations. This alignment with the SBELC underscores the emphasis on developing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and making calculated decisions through critical thinking. Critical thinking, identified by Jalal (2017) as a key skill sought in contemporary industries and societies, is essential for securing occupational opportunities in today’s world. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim (2017) asserts the necessity of integrating critical thinking skills into pedagogical teaching methodologies, especially for youths.

Marin and Halpern (2011) highlight critical thinking as a set of vital skills crucial for our fast-paced information era, emphasizing its cultivation in education. Effective education, as noted by Facione and Facione (1996), necessitates the advancement of all critical thinking-related skills among students. However, despite the acknowledged need for its inclusion in all school curricula, the literature on cultivating and developing critical thinking in school education remains incomplete. Strengthening students' critical thinking is essential and can be achieved by studying and measuring observation, reliability, induction, subtraction, problem identification, and coping (Ennis, 1989).

The collaborative nature of drama activities further supports the curriculum's objective of preparing students to solve problems creatively and innovatively in collaboration with others. Educational drama transforms learning into experience through role-playing games and theatrical improvisations, creating a positive and creative atmosphere that enhances students' interaction, collaboration, and skills. In this context, the use of drama for the cultivation of critical thinking skills is considered ideal (Kaiafa et al., 2020).

Drama Approach Integration into the Malaysian English-language Syllabus

1. Adapting The Mantle of the Expert in Project-Based Learning (PBL)

In the SBELC, Project-Based Learning (PBL) is primarily carried out during Learning in Action (LiA). Students engage in small, linked projects that ultimately result in a performance. The teacher guides students to ensure the project is executed smoothly and it encourages practical, thoughtful, and emotionally engaging activities that contribute to students' overall development and prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century (The Inspectorate, 2019). Therefore, implementing The Mantle of the Expert (MoE) approach in PBL can be a fruitful endeavour, aligning with the goals of the Malaysian ESL curriculum that emphasises effective communication, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and collaboration. According to Heathcote & Herbert (1985), when the mantle of the expert is used in drama, the teacher assumes a fictional role which places the student in the position of being "the one who knows" or the expert in a particular branch of human knowledge. This can increase student engagement and active participation, fostering critical thinking as they take responsibility for their assigned roles. 

The Mantle of the Expert can be viewed as a communication system, that facilitates learning across conceptual, personal, and social dimensions simultaneously. In contrast to traditional teaching, where the teacher's expertise shapes the communicative network through the transmission of knowledge, the Mantle of the Expert empowers students to actively participate in constructing knowledge (Heathcote & Herbert, 1985). The Mantle of the Expert engages learners conceptually cultivates personal connections to the subject matter and promotes social interaction, transforming the traditional teacher-student dynamic into a collaborative communication system. This shift enhances the overall educational experience. With its immersive and participatory nature, can enhance language acquisition by engaging students in meaningful language use within real-world contexts. This method can be particularly effective in developing various language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

One way to integrate The Mantle of the Expert into English lessons is to choose a relevant and engaging dramatic metaphor or scenario that aligns with the curriculum objectives. For example, students could take on the roles of language experts working on a collaborative project to solve a language-related challenge. This scenario could involve tasks that require students to communicate, negotiate, and problem-solve using English purposefully and authentically (Baldwin, 2004).

In terms of language skills, the MoE approach naturally lends itself to the development of oral communication skills. Students, assuming roles as language experts, engage in conversations, discussions, and negotiations within the context of the dramatic scenario. This not only enhances their speaking and listening skills but also encourages them to use language in a meaningful and contextually relevant way. As students work on collaborative tasks, they develop their interpersonal and teamwork skills, contributing to effective communication and cultural awareness (Baldwin, 2004). Reading and writing skills can also be incorporated into the MoE approach. For instance, students may need to read and analyze relevant texts or materials as part of their role, and they could be tasked with producing written reports, proposals, or other written documents as language experts. This integrates literacy skills seamlessly into the drama-based learning experience.

To ensure successful implementation, teachers adopting the MoE approach should provide clear guidance, model effective communication, and facilitate reflection on language use. By doing so, the Mantle of the Expert becomes a powerful tool for achieving the language acquisition goals outlined in the Malaysian ESL curriculum, creating an immersive and engaging learning experience for students. 

2. Creative Drama Strategies for a Dynamic Warm-up Session

Before the teacher starts the lesson, it is good to get students engaged and provide them with new and interesting ways to work together and connect. This can be done through a simple warming-up activity that infuses with creative drama strategies. According to Benge (2017), activities that involve informal drama are also known as drama techniques or drama conventions. They are the everyday tools of the drama teacher and help to develop enquiry skills, to encourage negotiation, understanding and creativity. This activity can help put students in a relaxed, less inhibited state, in which they are more receptive than they might otherwise be. This helps to lower the threshold of unconscious resistance to learning a foreign language and to foster more open, creative work in subsequent activities (Maley & Duff, 2005).

Below are examples of 5 to 10-minute activities for students getting ready for lessons adopting from Maley & Duff's (2005) drama techniques.

Using drama in language teaching has shown that it doesn't have to take over the whole lesson. Instead, it can be a short but impactful part, lasting about 10 minutes as a warm-up. Drama isn't just about making elaborate stories; it's a flexible tool to effectively kickstart lessons and get students engaged. 

“... a 35-minute reading comprehension lesson on a topic on nature could utilise five minutes of the class time doing a visualisation exercise, where the teacher instructs the students to close their eyes, breathe deeply, and imagine themselves in the context of where the text focuses on. The teacher could then embed key target words from the intended text as a lead-in or part of a pre-reading activity before the students actually come into contact with the text. With the visualisation activity done, the teacher could then proceed to teach the text and the ensuing comprehension activities in the while-reading and post-reading stages.”

Adding short drama bits into the lesson has worked well to grab students' attention and bring energy into the class. Keeping these activities brief ensures they get students involved without taking over the main lesson plan. This fits with students' short attention spans and smoothly transitions into the core language part of the lesson (Nawi, 2014).

3. Staging the Textbook

According to Nawi (2014), staging the textbook involves carefully selecting and distilling key elements like language, skills, vocabulary, and themes for teaching. This is followed by adding a layer of drama to the material, incorporating context, storytelling, and elements of tension or complexity. This enhances the educational experience, making it more engaging and contextually rich. In simpler words, staging the textbook is that an additional dramatic layer was placed on top of the textbook activity. 

Notably, Malaysian teachers often rely on the textbook as their primary guide for teaching the syllabus. Simultaneously, they incorporate various teaching materials or develop their resources. However, both strategies bring about challenges. Relying extensively on adapting and creating additional materials may lead to a misalignment with the syllabus (Nawi & Samat, 2015). Conversely, a strict reliance on the textbook could result in a mundane teaching and learning experience for teachers and students (Cheng & Winston, 2011 as cited in Nawi & Samat, 2015). With this approach being implemented in the classrooms, it can bridge the gap between the textbook, and the syllabus by applying drama techniques to supplement the textbook activity and engage the pupils with more meaningful learning (Nawi & Samat, 2015).

Below are examples of a normal lesson that occurs in Malaysian English classrooms and a similar one that incorporates staging the textbook approach described by (Nawi & Samat, 2015).

The comparison between the normal lesson and the lesson with the staging of the textbook approach highlights a shift from a traditional, textbook-centred teaching method to a more immersive and engaging educational experience. In a traditional lesson, students are typically presented with information from a textbook, engaging in prescribed activities as passive learners. In contrast, the staging of the textbook approach transforms the learning experience into a dynamic, immersive journey. The lesson becomes a narrative-driven exploration, with students assuming the role of investigative reporters in a compelling storyline. This not only adds purpose to their learning but also integrates real-world contexts, cultural sensitivities, and multidimensional interactions. While the traditional model relies on straightforward information delivery, the staging of the textbook approach emphasizes engagement, purposeful learning, and flexibility in teaching methods, highlighting the shift from a teacher-centred to a more student-centred and experiential approach to education.

Nawi (2014) also stated that incorporating the content of a textbook chapter into the creation of a fictional framework enabled him to address the stipulated curriculum objectives. This approach not only served the purpose of covering curriculum goals but also served as a tool to enhance motivation and provide opportunities for students to identify their learning levels within the specified curriculum objectives. The lesson plans for staging the textbook lessons were developed like conventional ESL lessons, including defined learning objectives to attain.

To design the staging of the textbook methodology, the following steps and considerations were taken (Nawi, 2014):

1. Distillation of Textbook Section:

• Identify the specific textbook section to be used for the teaching program.
• Focus on key language and skills that need to be learned.
• Identify the relevant vocabulary and themes to be covered.

2. Collaboration with Class Teachers:

• Involve collaborating class teachers in the planning stages.
• Gather input from class teachers regarding learning areas needed by students.
• Seek suggestions on areas that should be covered before examinations.

3. Textbook Characteristics:

• Prefer a "dry" textbook for easier staging of the drama section.
• Less richness in terms of story, context, and characters facilitates the addition of drama layers.
• Consider the ease of enriching the context of the texts.

4. Designing the Drama Section:

• Look for context-setting opportunities in the textbook.
• Identify potential for a story, tension, or complication in the text.
• Determine target language elements that need to be incorporated into the drama.

5. Context-Setting Questions:

• Ask questions like:
  • Is there a story?
  • Is there a pivotal point for devising a story (e.g., event, theme, topic)?
  • Are there problems that can be created and solved?
  • Can problems lead to discussion-based activities?

6. Transmission of Target Language and Skills:

• Choose a transmission model for teaching language through drama pedagogies.
• Consider three initial approaches:
  • Adjunct Approach: Drama complements the main ESL teaching methodology.
  • Integrated Approach: Closer to the process of drama methodology; language is taught by the drama teacher.
  • Integrated Adjunct Approach: Combines aspects of both approaches; allows for slipping out of character for language clarification.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of drama into the ESL teacher's toolkit, particularly in the context of the Malaysian ESL curriculum, presents a promising and innovative approach to enhancing language acquisition. The curriculum's alignment with global standards, such as the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the Standards-Based English Language Curriculum (SBELC), underscores a deliberate effort to equip students with essential skills for effective communication, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and collaboration. Drama emerges as a suitable and beneficial method in this educational landscape, serving multiple purposes. It enhances speaking skills and communication abilities, infuses cultural elements into language education, cultivates higher-order thinking skills, and aligns with the curriculum's objectives. The adoption of The Mantle of the Expert approach further integrates drama into the language syllabus, offering an immersive and participatory experience for students. Additionally, incorporating creative drama strategies, such as dynamic warm-up sessions and staging the textbook, provides engaging alternatives to traditional teaching methods. In essence, the utilization of drama in ESL education proves to be not only feasible but also enriching, contributing to a more dynamic and effective language learning experience.